Chapter 159

Anna hummed as she put on her long, black-lace dress. The corset top had thin lace straps at the edge of her shoulders and the skirt was fitted, though not obscenely so. She checked herself from every angle in the mirror, wanting to look perfect for Alex.

Alex. Her heart surged with overwhelming love for him. While she cherished dancing with Hugo, Alex had been in her heart and mind the entire time. Every step, every pirouette, was for her husband.

Someone knocked on the door. It was either Hugo or Aaron. She smiled when she saw both, looking very handsome in their tuxedos.

Aaron smiled and then groaned, glancing at Hugo. “You don’t get used to it.”

“Get used to what?” Anna asked.

“You. Not being mine. Not being Hugo’s.”

Anna’s heart fell. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t know what to do. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her friends.

Aaron chuckled and hugged her. “I was teasing... mostly. Don’t feel bad.”

She glanced at Hugo, who gave her an affectionate smile. “I would love to still be with you, Kittycat,” he said in a soft voice, hugging her. “But seeing you the last few days makes me realize how much you belong with Alex. You glow.” He kissed her cheek and released her.

Aaron laughed. “Disgusting, isn’t it?”

Anna’s mood lifted at their laughter. They were happy for her, not angry.

The three dancers arrived in the promenade a few minutes later. Hugo and Aaron went to find out where they were sitting. Anna already knew where to go: Table One, with Alex.

The vast lobby of the theater was a vibrant tapestry of fall colors: green, gold, yellow, and red. At the center of each table sat a tall golden urn with strands of autumn leaves cascading out over the edge. Against the backdrop of white tablecloths, the underskirts at each table added a vibrant touch with their unique fall colors. It felt as if she had been transported to the heart of Central Park.

As she made her way to her table, Anna nodded greetings to people she recognized. Tom, Tommy, and their wives were already at the table when she arrived, along with Vincent and his partner Walter, the mayor and his wife, and another couple she didn’t know.

Alex was nowhere to be seen.

Tom spotted her as she approached and stood to greet her. “Katrina.” He kissed her cheek. “You were even more wonderful tonight than you were in the spring, if that’s possible.”

“Thank you, Tom.” She greeted the others around the table and then looked around. “Where’s Alex?”

Tom looked around. “He mentioned something about getting some air.”

“Oh.” Anna sat down next to Tom, her heart heavy, and twisted her fingers together. Why wasn’t he here to greet her when she arrived?

“Hello, Miss Katrina.”

Anna looked up to see Simon standing next to her. She smiled and stood. “Hi, Simon. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Alex helped.” Simon grinned. “Katrina, I’d like to introduce you to my wife, Emma. Emma, this is Katrina.”

The beautiful blonde woman standing next to Simon extended her hand. “Hello, Katrina,” she said with a slight accent. German. “It is wonderful to meet you at last. I have heard much about you.”

Anna shook her hand, wondering what she’d heard about her. “It’s nice to meet you, too. It never occurred to me that Simon was married.”

Emma gave a playful look to Simon and laughed. “Pretending to be single again?”

“It never was an issue. I was merely conducting business on behalf of my employer.” Simon gave Anna a friendly smile and looked around. “Speaking of... where is he?”

Anna bit her lip. “I don’t know. Tom said he went out for air.”

Simon frowned and looked at Tony and Greg, seated at the table behind them. “Where’d Alex go?”

Tony shrugged. “Outside somewhere. Seth is with him.”

Simon looked thoughtful. “Excuse me for a few minutes.” He kissed Emma’s cheek and walked away.

Anna sat down as gracefully as she could and gave polite smiles to the others at the table. She fidgeted with the lace on her dress, not knowing what to do. Had she upset Alex? But she hadn’t seen him since the early afternoon and he’d seemed fine then. Even when she was dancing, she had hoped he would sense her love for him. He seemed to always know how she was feeling, and she wondered if his “imbuement” from the Immortals had something to do with that.

Where is he?

“Alex, is there a reason you’re out here alone instead of inside with your wife?”

Simon had found Alex and Seth around the side of the theater. Alex had been there since the performance ended. He didn’t want to see the way Anna looked at Hugo up close. Witnessing it on stage had been dreadful. Seth told him he was being ridiculous, but it didn’t change his mind. He felt like he didn’t belong anywhere, and for the first time in his life, he was avoiding a social situation because he was afraid. Acknowledging his fear made him even more insecure and more determined to avoid the situation. It was a vicious cycle.

“She doesn’t want to see me,” he said softly in German. “I should have stayed away from her.”

Simon looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “What are you talking about?”

“Anna. She... God, I should have just left her alone in her new life. I could have confronted Devin on my own and she would have been free to live her life, believing I was dead.”

“Alex, she loves you,” Seth said. “I don’t know where you got this ridiculous idea that she’d rather be with Hugo than you.”

“She took her ring off when they were dating.”

“She put it back on.”

“She knows she has to be with me. That she didn’t really have a choice after all.”

“She chose you before she knew that.” Seth frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Although if you keep acting like a pussy, she might change her mind.”

Alex closed his eyes at his friend’s words. “Maybe I should just let her.” He turned and walked away.

“Where are you going?” Seth and Simon caught up with him.

“Home.” He glanced at Seth. “Make sure she gets home okay.”

“You will wound her terribly if you leave,” Simon called after him. “She was very disappointed that you weren’t there when she arrived.”

“She’d be more disappointed if I went back in,” Alex muttered, skipping down the shallow steps that led to the street. His condo was only a few blocks away. Just a few blocks until he could be alone in his misery.

Anna knew something was wrong when Seth walked in with Simon and without Alex. Dinner was being served, but she pushed away from the table and hurried over to the two men. “Where’s Alex?”

They looked at each other. “He—?” Seth sighed. “He went home.”

Anna stared, not believing the words that had come out of Seth’s mouth. “He went... home?”

Seth nodded sadly. “I’m sorry, Anna.”

She looked out through the glass doors of the lobby, hoping to see Alex walking toward the building, but he wasn’t there. “Why?”

Seth grimaced. “He’s . . . having trouble . . . adjusting to . . . being . . . alive.”

She blinked, her brows twitching as she blinked away tears. What was Seth trying to say? That Alex didn’t want to be with her? Her shoulders slumped. She’d so been looking forward to dancing with him tonight. To see the proud expression on his face when she walked in.

But he’d gone home. Had he even seen her dance? Had he spent enough time with her to realize she wasn’t what he wanted? The thought was a knife through her heart. Did he not love her anymore?

She went back to her seat and sat down hard, staring at the elegant china place setting in front of her to avoid seeing the empty chair next to her.

“Where’s Alex?” Tom asked as a server placed an entrée in front of Anna.

She looked at the delicious smelling salmon and vegetables, and her stomach churned. “Seth said he went home.” She blinked away tears again. “Said he’s having problems adjusting to being here.”

Tom’s eyes widened. “Alex?”

Anna nodded. She didn’t dare speak again, for fear of bursting out into sobs.

Tom shook his head. “He looked a little uneasy when we came in, but I can’t understand why he would have left. I saw him before the performance began and he looked like he was enjoying himself.”

Tom’s words didn’t help. What had happened between then and now? A knot formed in Anna’s stomach. Had he met someone during the intermission and he was going to meet her?

Doubts from all directions assaulted Anna’s heart and she wanted to run away. But she couldn’t leave, even if it was to chase after Alex. She represented the company to these people who’d spent thousands of dollars to be seen and meet the dancers tonight. She’d left a social occasion early once and had been punished terribly for it by Wilhelm. Anna doubted Tom would punish her, but she didn’t want to take the chance.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to take a bite of her dinner. Where would she go after the gala ended if Alex didn’t want her?