Evelyn pressed her lips together, hesitating for a moment before deciding to tell Alexander about what had just happened.

When she described how the cleaning woman had tried to shove her down the staircase, Alexander's expression turned stormy.

"She laid hands on you?" he demanded, his voice sharp with alarm. "She's clearly unhinged."

"That's what I thought. But this dress and these heels made it impossible for me to move quickly enough to stop her," Evelyn explained, frustration lacing her words.

The woman hadn't seemed particularly powerful.

If she'd been wearing her usual clothes, Evelyn was sure she could have handled it and discovered what the woman was hiding.

Alexander looked tense.

He was shocked that someone within the hotel would dare to target Evelyn.

After the evening's scare, he felt even more reluctant to let her go anywhere alone.

"Don't worry about it. I'll have this looked into immediately," Alexander assured her.

He was determined that anyone who threatened or deceived Evelyn would face the consequences.

He stood, his arm encircling her waist firmly, and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. Evelyn instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling secure in his grasp.

As he began to walk, Evelyn looked at him, confused. "Where are we going?"

"To a clinic nearby to have your ankle examined. If it's serious, we'll go straight to the hospital for a full check-up," he explained, glancing down at her.

Seeing the deep concern etched on his face, Evelyn's expression softened.

She reached up and gently smoothed the worry lines from his forehead with her fingertips.

"Don't look so worried, Alexander." Her voice was soft as she leaned closer to him. "It's likely just a sprain. I'm certain it's not broken."

Her attempt to reassure him only made Alexander's expression grow more severe.

"Do you actually want it to be broken?" he asked, a note of exasperation in his tone.

Evelyn was taken aback. "Why on earth would I want that? You have quite an imagination."

She ruffled his hair affectionately, offering a small, comforting smile. "I was only trying to make you feel better."

He let out a soft sigh, his voice gentle. "Your safety is the only thing that matters to me."

Knowing how deeply he cared, Evelyn decided not to mention her ankle again. Suddenly, she remembered something important.

"Wait, can we just leave the hotel like this? The Sterling family banquet must have started by now. Perhaps you should go back. Someone else can accompany me to the clinic," she suggested quickly.

Alexander seemed to ignore her, continuing his brisk pace out of the hotel lobby.

"Alexander, did you hear me?" Evelyn asked again, a thread of concern in her voice.

He finally stopped and turned his gaze to her, his expression calm and resolute. "Evelyn, do you truly believe any banquet could ever be more important to me than you are?"

Her heart fluttered at his words.