Perhaps I liked Alex from the moment I first experienced love, and it never changed. However, Alex had always been out of my league, which made me scared to approach him.


    As the cool breeze brushed against my face, I felt more sober. I wanted to push Alex away, but his arms were so strong that they barely moved.


    "D-Did you have too much to drink?" I asked.


    "Don''t move. Stay here with me." His deep voice rang in my ears.


    Nodding, I said, "Let go of me first."


    Nighttime in Sulford was not as busy as in Grandview. There were no brightly lit scenes like Saffron Creek-it was a conservative and quiet town.


    Alex and I strolled along the road while the evening breeze kept us awake. Neither of us said anything.


    "If that jerk, Henry, pulls something like that again, you don''t need to go easy on him," Alex suddenly said.


    Deeply moved, I said, "I know your family wants to work with the Schnieders. I don''t want to cause you any trouble during a crucial time like this."


    When Alex heard that, his eyes twinkled. Patting my head, he said, "That''s thoughtful of you."


    I shook my head slightly to remove Alex''s hand. "It''s my responsibility."


    "Do you think the Hastings family can work with the Schneider family?" Alex asked in a faint inquisitive tone.


    I wondered if he was asking me about his marriage to Xena. Feeling a tingling feeling in my nose, I breathed deeply and told myself to think of it as a way of saving myself some dignity. I should give Atex my blessing. After all, we came from different worlds.


    et''


    I closed my eyes slowly. When I opened them again, I smiled at Alex. "Ms. Schneider is pretty and capable. I''m sure she can help you with anything when you''re married to each other. So, I think your families can work together


    A cold glint shed in Alex''s eyes. "Is that what you think?"


    I nodded. "Besides, Mr. Hastings Senior will be happy if he hears about this. Mr. Schneider likes you too. He won''t cause the Hastings family trouble and will even bring you some benefit."


    "What about you?" asked Alex suddenly.


    I chuckled. "Me? Are you worried Xena might not like me? Once I have enough savings, I''ll move out with my mom and change my job."


    Alex''s breathing grew heavy, but he said nothing. After a while, he said coldly, "You''ve really thought this through."


    Taking a deep breath, I exined, "nning ahead will save me from future troubles. Once you marry


    Xena, I''ll move out with my m


    You should talk it out with Mr. Hastings Senior. The two of you don''t have any conflicts anyway-" Cóntent


    "That''s my private matter," interrupted Alex.


    I stared at him in disbelief, wondering if I was being too talkative. However, Alex


    simply walked away without saying anything.


    As I watched him helplessly, the tears that had been threatening to fall finally came pouring down. I pulled out my phone and dialed L''s number.