Chapter 135

ALEXANDER'S POV The stack of papers in front of me blurred again. I blinked, dragged my hand down my face, and forced myself to focus on the report in front of me. The report was about some dispute between border patrols and merchants—something I should have been handling with clarity. But my thoughts... they were never here. Not fully. Not since she left. Eliza. Her name alone was enough to start the ache all over again. I rubbed the space between my brows and leaned back in my chair. I stared up at the high ceiling of my office like the answer might have been carved there. I missed her. God, I missed her like hell. It was pathetic, wasn’t it? It was all my fault she was gone anyway. What was she doing right then? Was she walking through the market, smiling at the vendors? Was she in her gardens again, humming that little tune she always did without realizing? Was she… thinking of me? Was she with someone else? I clenched my fists. I hated this. This not knowing. This distance. I hate