12:25 PM Mon 12 May
SONUS CHAPTER: The Man Who Truly Saw Me
93%
Everyone asks how I met Alex. They can’t believe I went from loving Griffin for twelve years to marrying someone else within months. The truth? Alex Kingsley saw me when I was invisible to everyone–even myself.
I first noticed him at a charity auction four months before my thirtieth birthday. I was there representing Hayes Enterprises because Griffin had—as usual–found something “more important” to do.
The moment Alex walked in, the room shifted. It wasn’t just his looks, though those were devastating–tall with sharp features, dark eyes that took everything in, and a presence that commanded attention without demanding it.
“That’s Alexander Kingsley,” whispered a woman nearby. “Built Kingsley
International from nothing. Worth billions but almost never attends these things.” I nodded politely, unimpressed. Another rich guy with an ego? I’d spent twelve years managing one of those.
Then his eyes found mine across the crowded room. Not a casual glance, but a deliberate connection that made my skin flush. He looked at me like he recognized me, though we’d never met.
An hour later, I was examining a painting when he appeared beside me.
“You’re bored,” he said, his voice deeper than I expected, with a hint of roughness that sent an unexpected shiver down my spine.
I turned to find him standing closer than I anticipated. He smelled incredible— something expensive but understated, like the man himself.
“Excuse me?”
“This event. You’d rather be anywhere else.” His mouth curved slightly. “And yet you’re the most interesting person here, Tessa Parker.”
My guard immediately went up. “You know who I am?”
“I know you’re the actual brains behind Hayes Enterprises‘ success.” His eyes held mine with unsettling intensity. “I know Griffin Hayes doesn’t deserve your loyalty.” After years of being overlooked, being truly seen felt almost painful. “What do you want, Mr. Kingsley?”
“Alex,” he corrected. “And I want to dance with you.”
He offered his hand–a request, not a demand. I could have refused without consequence. That’s what convinced me.
“One’dance,” I agreed.
His hand settled at my waist as we moved to the floor, warm and firm through the
1/6
12:25 PM Mon 12 May
93%
23
silk of my dress. Unlike Griffin’s awkward, distant hold, Alex guided me with confident precision, our bodies fitting together naturally.
“You’re not what I expected,” I admitted.
“What did you expect?”
“Someone more arrogant.”
He laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest against mine. “I grew up with nothing, Tessa. Worked construction to pay for college. Money doesn’t impress me. His hand pressed slightly firmer against my back. “Wasted potential does concern me, though.”
His honesty caught me off guard. “Are you saying I’m wasting my potential?” “I’m saying you deserve to be appreciated, not just used.” As the music ended, he didn’t immediately release me. “Have dinner with me tomorrow.”
The directness of it—no games, no pretense—was refreshing after years of Griffin’s empty promises.
“I can’t,” I said automatically, loyalty still hardwired into my system after twelve
years.
He studied my face. “Can’t or won’t?” When I didn’t answer, he nodded and slipped ah
d into my hand. “When you’re ready to value yourself as much as you l me. Day or night.”
Ks later, I was staring at his card at 1 AM. It had been a brutal day–Griffin edit for my work at the board meeting, then casually mentioning how after edding, we’d need to “redecorate the apartment to suit Chloe’s taste.” As if I ould simply disappear to make room for his new wife in the home we shared “for convenience.”
I called Alex, half–hoping he wouldn’t answer.
“Tessa.” No surprise in his voice, like he’d been expecting me.
“How did you know it was me?”
“I saved your number that night. Been waiting to hear from you.”
Something about his admission–that he’d been waiting for me–made my pulse quicken.
“You said I could call anytime.”
“I meant it.” His voice deepened. “What happened?”
I explained about Griffin’s casual cruelty, the assumption I’d just fade away when needed.
“Pack what matters to you,” he said without hesitation. “I’m sending a car.”
2/6
12:25 PM Mon 12 May
95%
23
“I’m not looking for a hookup,” I warned.
“I know exactly who you are, Tessa. That’s not what this is about.”
The car arrived twenty minutes later–not flashy, but a discreet sedan with a female driver who helped with my bags without questions.
We drove to a brownstone in the West Village. Alex opened the door himself, dressed in jeans and a dark henley that hugged his broad shoulders. The casual clothes revealed a body built from actual work, not just gym sessions.
“Guest room is upstairs,” he said, taking my bag. “Unless you’d rather talk first.” The fact that he automatically offered me space made me decide to stay. “Talking sounds good.”
His living room surprised me–books everywhere, vintage vinyl records, photographs of landscapes. It felt lived–in, personal.
He handed me a glass of whiskey and sat across from me. “Why are you here,
Tessa?”
“Because you’re the first person who’s seen me in twelve years.”
Something flickered in his eyes–satisfaction, perhaps. “Griffin sees you. He just doesn’t value what he sees.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked bluntly.
“Nothing you’re not ready to give.” He leaned forward. “What do you want, Tessa? Not for Griffin, not for your career. Just for you.”
The question stunned me. I’d spent so long adapting to Griffin’s needs that my own desires felt foreign.
“I want to feel something,” I finally said. “Something real.”
He moved beside me, his hand covering mine. The contact was electric–his palm warm and slightly calloused against my skin.
“I can help with that,” he said, voice lower. “If you’ll let me.”
When he kissed me, it wasn’t hesitant or gentle. It was confident, like he knew
exactly what I needed to be desired without question. His hands framed my face, holding me as if I were precious but not breakable.
When he pulled back, his eyes had darkened. “Stay tonight. Just to sleep. When you’re ready for more, you’ll know.”
I spent that night in his guest room, but for the first time in years, I didn’t feel alone.
Over the next weeks, Alex became my foundation as I rebuilt my life. He helped me find my own apartment, insisted I take time before rushing into another job, and showed me a side of New York I’d never experienced despite living there for years.36
12:25 PM Mon 12 May
93%
23
We took things slowly physically, which only intensified every touch. Alex didn’t seduce me with grand gestures but with absolute attention–remembering every detail I shared, touching me with deliberate intent, looking at me like I was the only person in the world when I spoke.
Two weeks after that first night, I decided I was ready for more. We’d been having dinner at his place when I simply set down my wine glass and said, “Take me to bed,
Alex.”
His eyes darkened instantly, but he remained controlled. “Are you sure?”
In answer, I stood and took his hand, leading him upstairs.
What happened next showed me how completely I’d been settling. Griffin’s touch had always been routine, goal–oriented. Alex took his time exploring my body as if memorizing a map, his hands and mouth discovering places I didn’t even know could make me gasp.
“Tell me what you like,” he murmured against my neck, his weight deliciously heavy above me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “No one’s ever really asked.”
Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. “Then I’ll just have to try everything.” And he did–with a thoroughness that left me trembling and begging. When he finally joined our bodies, the sensation of fullness, of completion, was overwhelming. He maintained that maddening control until the very end, when he finally let himself go at the exact moment I came apart beneath him.
Afterward, lying in his arms, he traced patterns on my bare back. “I’ve wanted you since before we met,” he confessed.
“How is that possible?”
“I saw you two years ago at the Morgan merger negotiation. You single–handedly saved the deal while letting Griffin think it was his idea.” His jaw tightened. “I
couldn’t stop thinking about you after that.”
“So you researched me?” I teased.
His expression remained serious. “I wanted to know the woman who impressed me more than anyone I’d met in business.” His fingers trailed down my spine. “The more I learned, the more I wanted to meet you.”
“Why wait so long?”
“You weren’t ready to see yourself clearly yet.”
In the months that followed, I discovered who I was without Griffin’s shadow. Alex
4/6
12:25 PM
Mon 12 May
93%
23
encouraged me to start consulting independently, using my expertise on my own terms. He introduced me to his world but never tried to absorb me into it.
Our physical relationship deepened in ways I’d never imagined possible. Alex took pleasure in discovering exactly what drove me wild–sometimes spending hours just touching me, bringing me to the edge repeatedly until I was practically sobbing with need.
“You’re stunning when you let go,” he told me once, after an especially intense night that left me boneless and satisfied. “I love watching you take what you want.” With him, I found the courage to ask for what I desired—something I’d never done with Griffin. Sometimes I wanted it slow and tender; other times I craved something rougher, more primal. Alex gave me both without judgment, always attuned to exactly what I needed.
Three months after that first night, we were walking through Central Park after a light snow. The city was unusually quiet, the world muffled white around us. He stopped suddenly, turning to face me. “Marry me.”
Just like that–direct, no flowery speech, no kneeling.
“We’ve only known each other for months,” I said, though my heart was pounding. “I’ve known everything essential about you since that first dance.” His eyes held mine, steady and certain. “I want you as my wife. My partner. My equal.”
“What about-”
“If you’re worried about what people will think, don’t. They don’t matter.” He pulled me against him. “I don’t care if they say you left Griffin for me or that you’re after my money. I know who you are, Tessa Parker.”
I said yes because for the first time, I was choosing something purely for my own happiness.
When Griffin announced his engagement, assuming I’d still be waiting, I felt nothing but relief at my escape.
On my thirtieth birthday, I met Alex at the courthouse in my wedding dress. When Griffin appeared, desperate for another chance, I could face him without pain- because I finally understood what real love looked like.
It looked like Alex Kingsley, standing beside me with quiet confidence, ready to
build a life where we both shined, together and separately.
After the wedding, we flew directly to his estate in New Zealand. The moment we walked through the door, he lifted me in his arms.
5/6
12-25 PM
Mon 14 May
93%
23
“Welcome home, Mrs. Kingsley,” he murmured against my lips.
That night, our lovemaking had a new intensity–a seal on our promises, a beginning rather than an ending. As dawn broke over the mountains outside our window, I realized something profound: with Alex, I wasn’t giving up parts of myself to be loved.
I was finally becoming whole.
When Griffin showed up at our estate months later, broken and begging, I felt no satisfaction in his pain–only gratitude for my freedom. The woman who had desperately sought his approval for twelve years was gone.
In her place stood someone stronger. Someone who knew her worth. Someone who was truly, completely loved.
a
37
2
Add to Library – Read Anytime
