After trying a few more rides, Alex and Julian finally grew tired. With another slushie in hand, they settled on a bench and quietly watched the crowd drift by.
"So," Alex started, breaking the silence. "Did you enjoy your day?"
Julian fought back a smile. The day had turned out better than he expected. When he first stepped into the park, he hated it. A deep-seated revulsion stirred within at the sight of the crowd and noise.
But somewhere between the chaos, he started to feel lighter. There was something about this place that made him feel alive. People were laughing, screaming, soaking up every second like it mattered. It was joy in its rawest form. And for him, it felt like this was the first time feeling that joy. It was foreign to him.
Still, no matter how much he enjoyed himself, he wouldn't give Alex that satisfaction.
He gave a half-shrug. "It wasn't that bad."
"Really? We both know you loved it." Alex argued, not believing a word he said. She'd caught him laughing more than once.
"Love is a strong word." Julian shot back.
Alex snorted, shaking her head. "Well, whatever. At least my debt's paid now. No more compensations."
"For now," Julian stated with a chuckle.
She raised a brow at that but decided not to comment on it. The last thing she wanted was more trouble, especially if it meant dragging him into it again. That way, she wouldn't have to compensate him anymore.
As they basked in the silence, two girls sat on the bench next to them in a deep conversation.
.
"...I saw her when I arrived at the show." One of them said in awe. "She's beautiful. Her skin is flawless." She sighed, turning to her friend. "Do you think I can ever be a successful model like her?"
"Of course you can. Sierra Leone isn't that special." The second answered, giving her friend a reassuring pat on the knee.
Alex perked up at the sound of the familiar name. Sierra. She remembered her from Lauren's party—graceful, gorgeous, and insufferable.
"But she's a top model." The first girl argued.
"With a nasty attitude."
"You don't know that. Those are just rumours."
Alex nearly snorted. If only she knew. Sierra wasn't just difficult, she was a full-blown pain in the ass.
"She's getting married." The first girl announced.
"What? To who?"
Julian nudged Alex, then leaning in to whisper, "You know eavesdropping is bad, right?" He said after catching her invested in the girls' conversation.
"I'm not eavesdropping," Alex whispered back, trying not to draw attention to them.. "They are just talking really loud."
The girls were now huddled over a phone, completely absorbed by something on the device.
"Do you know who they are talking about?" He asked.
"Yeah," Alex said, her tone flattening. "I met Sierra at Lauren's party."
"From your tone, I guess you are not a fan."
"I don't have a problem with her," Alex replied with a shrug. But her eyes said otherwise.
Just then, the second girl let out a sharp gasp. "OMG! That's the CEO of Saintclaire Corporation! She is engaged to him?"
"Yeah, it's all over social media," her friend replied. "Though it was hard finding a picture of him. He's not a very sociable person. I heard he is quite terrifying."
The second girl scoffed. "Please, he is every woman's dream. He's a rich and insanely good-looking man. So sad he ended up with Sierra, of all people."
"Hey, Sierra is my idol. Don't..."
Alex stretched her neck slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of the photo the girls were fawning over. Who was this CEO, anyway?
"Saintclaire…" Julian repeated softly, finding the name very familiar. The name rolled off his tongue naturally, like he had said it a thousand times, but he didn't know where he had heard it.
A dull ache suddenly flared behind his eyes, sharp and jarring. He winced, pressing his fingers to his forehead as the pain throbbed.
Alex turned immediately at the sound of his groan, forgetting about the girls and the picture. She was startled to see his face twisted in discomfort.
"Julian?" she asked, concern creeping into her voice. "Are you alright?"
He didn't answer, lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to suppress a second groan of pain. He swallowed, struggling to steady his breathing.
"Hey," she called softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Is it your head? Should I call Riley?"
It was the first time Alex had seen him react like this, so she was worried.
"No. I think I just need to sleep." He finally said.
"Alright," she replied, slipping an arm around him. "Let's go home."
She helped him to his feet, steadying him as they walked away from the bench.
The two girls, momentarily distracted from their phones, watched the scene unfold. The second girl blinked, catching a glimpse of Julian's side profile as he walked off.
Her gaze flicked between the man on her screen and the man walking away. It was undeniably the same person. Her mouth fell open.
"I think that was Julian Saintclaire." She whispered, eyes wide as she slapped her friend's arm in excitement.
Her friend looked up, squinting at Julian's retreating figure. "No way. It can't be. What would Julian Saintclaire be doing in a place like this, dressed like that?"
Julian Saintclaire was a domineering figure in the country. It was hard to believe that he strolled around amusement parks, wearing cheap clothes and drinking slushies. This was not wealthy people's definition of fun. If he wanted fun, he would be in an exclusive resort in the Maldives.
"I'm telling you, it's him." The second girl insisted, gripping her phone. "I saw his face. It's exactly the same." She quickly raised her phone and clicked a picture of Alex and Julian before they went too far. The picture was a little blurry, but it was proof enough.
"That was unnecessary." Her friend rolled her eyes. "That man is with his girlfriend. Julian is engaged to Sierra. That would be cheating." She said. "Maybe they just looked alike."
The second girl hesitated, glancing down at the photo on her phone again. The man in the picture looked sharp and cold, like someone used to giving orders and being obeyed.
But the man she'd just seen had something different about him. He looked softer somehow. More human.
Still, the resemblance was uncanny.
The girl sighed in resignation. Maybe it wasn't the same person after all.