Enchanted Nightfall: Falling for Destiny ( Quintessa and Tyrone ) novel Chapter 246

Alexander had always dreamed that if he found his 'Monica', he'd hold her tight, shield her from the storms, and ensure she'd never have to live in fear or on the run, nor face a day of being hunted again.

But what he hadn't expected was that when they met again, she had completely changed; she was no longer the girl in his memory.

Quintessa scoffed with irony: “Admit what? That we know each other and then tell everyone we met in Serenitia’s red-light district? And let everyone think I'm a woman who walked out of there selling herself?”

Alexander responded with anger: “Things were complicated back then. We were seeking refuge, and were forced to hide there. It wasn’t anything shameful. Why do you degrade yourself like this?”

Tears nearly escaped Quintessa as she laughed: “Alexander, how can you be so naive? Once you've been to a place like that, it doesn’t matter if you did nothing—people will see you as tainted. No one will believe your explanations. People only believe what they want to believe.”

Each word from Quintessa stung Alexander deeply. Her words were sharp and showed a wisdom beyond her years. Despite her being just a girl in her twenties, she had experienced more than many would in a lifetime.

Alexander nodded: “Fine, if you don’t want to revisit those days, I won’t mention them again. Let’s start over, okay?”

Quintessa remained silent. Alexander was a good man, but she, on the other hand, was not.

Thinking it over, Quintessa decided that it was time to let go, and turned to leave.

“Quintessa, why didn’t you tell me your real name back then?” Alexander called after her.

Quintessa scoffed: “You didn’t tell me you were Alexander, either.”

Alexander hurried to explain: “I thought using ‘Alexander’ abroad would be pointless.”