Amelia "I once locked a man up for six months," Alexander revealed.My eyes widened, and I struggled to contain my shock. "Six months!" I exclaimed into the recorder. I moved closer, making sure my phone was close enough to Alexander.Alexander's gaze snapped to mine, his eyes flashing a warning. "Keep your voice down."I nodded, my voice dropping to a whisper. "Six months is a lot. What did he do to you?"Alexander's expression turned grim. "He worked for me. He poked his nose into something he shouldn't have."My curiosity piqued, I leaned in closer. "What was that?"Alexander glanced over his shoulders, his eyes darting around the room before focusing on me. He leaned in. "Tax evasion."My heart skipped a beat. "You don't pay taxes?" I asked in a hushed tone. "Do you know how much trouble that could put you in?""I do. I just underpay. I have my records falsified, hide most of my assets, and use offshore accounts. Sometimes I underreport my income."My eyes widened in shock. "That
Alexander "Thank you for dinner, Mrs Fray," I said to Amelia's mom. She responded with a warm smile. Amelia stood up to clear the plates."I'll help you with that." Charlie and I spoke in unison.I glanced at Charlie, slightly annoyed. Was he trying to one-up me?I turned back to Amelia, my expression softening. "Let me help."Amelia's eyes flickered between Charlie and me. "It's fine, guys. I'll take care of it."Charlie and I exchanged a brief, tense glance.How desperate can one person be? I thought, exasperated. Charlie seemed to have anticipated my every move, mirroring my offer to help Amelia. His eagerness to play the hero, to be the Prince Charming, was palpable."No." Charlie and I said again. Our responses overlapped in a ridiculous chorus.My irritation simmered, and I cleared my throat, forcing a strained smile onto my face. "I'll help you.""No, Alexander. You're a guest. We don't make our guests work." Amelia rebuffed gently.I could almost see Charlie's wide grin, h
Alexander The room was dimly lit, with only a sliver of sunlight peeking through the blinds. I wandered over to the bookshelf, my fingers trailing over the books.I pulled out a worn leather-bound copy of Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea". The pages yellowed, the words dog-eared.The door creaked open. "Alex."I turned to face Henry, his eyes scanning the room with a hint of unease."Hi," he said, his voice laced with surprise.I held up the book, my grip tightening around it. "Henry."He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room. "I didn't know you were coming. You didn't tell me."I shrugged, my tone curt. "Yeah, I just arrived."Henry's gaze lingered on me, his expression nervous. "My assistant just informed me. Have you been here long?""No, just got here," I replied, my eyes locked on his.Henry's brow furrowed. "I didn't know you were in New York. Is everything okay?"His concern seemed genuine, but I sensed an undercurrent of tension. I raised an eyebrow, int
Amelia Agreeing to hang out with the person I was about to incriminate wasn't a good idea. I walked to my closet and picked out a simple outfit. A white shirt and a tight Jean. Before leaving, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My eyes roamed over my reflection, admiring the way the jeans hugged my curves. I thought of Alexander not being able to take his eyes off me when he saw me. A warm blush spread across my cheeks. Stop blushing, Amelia. You're not aiming for that. He'll be out of your life soon. I told myself. I wondered what the surprise was. My phone rang out. It wasn't even up to an hour yet, why was he being so impatient? I grabbed my phone and answered it without looking at the screen, thinking it was Alexander. "Alexander, you should learn how to be patient. I'll be there soon," I said, expecting to hear his voice. Instead, a different voice responded. "Hmmm. I hope when you see him, you get what I asked for." My instincts prickled. That w
Amelia "Why is Paul calling you?" "Huh?" I was confused. I stared blankly at Alexander. Did he say, Paul?Alexander's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. He held up my phone, the screen showing Paul's name in bold letters.I let out a slow breath. A wave of relief washed over me. He hadn't seen the recording. Thank God.Fucking Paul. I had explicitly told him not to call me.I moved closer, my fingers brushing against Alexander's as I gently took the phone from his hand."Paul and I are not strangers," I explained. "We've worked together in the past. He's probably calling about something related to his company. I helped them out, so maybe he wants to ask me about something..."But as the words spilt out, I realized I was rambling. Giving unnecessary explanations. I bit back the rest of my sentence.I forced a casual smile, hoping to deflect any further questions. "Anyway...""You work for Paul?" he asked cutting me off.I shook my head. "No, I don't. That was a long time ago."Alexa
SeleneI pushed open the front door, weighed down by the numerous shopping bags dangling from my arms. I stepped inside, and the sound of my father's raised voice drifted from the sitting room."...and then she has the nerve to speak to me in that manner! The audacity!"I recognized the tone, the venomous edge that laced his words. He was ranting. Someone must have gotten on his never.I sighed inwardly, my shoulders sagging under the weight of the bags.I made my way to the sitting room, and his words grew louder, more biting. "So incompetent! She has no idea what it takes to succeed, she has no idea what I have done to get here."I entered the room, and his gaze snapped toward me.I fixed my father with a pointed stare. "You're going to bring down the house with your voice, Dad."His face reddened, veins bulging.The shopping bags rustled as I set them down beside the couch. "Why are you shouting? Your girlfriend said no to giving you a blowjob?" Paul's expression darkened, his ey
AmeliaAs I pulled up to my bakery, I noticed a familiar figure stepping out onto the sidewalk. Alexander. Was he looking for me? I pushed open the car door and stepped out.We hadn't seen after the little cabin adventure. I had begun to wonder if he was avoiding me. I almost called out his name but then our gazes met, and I greeted him with a warm smile. "Hi."Alexander closed the distance between us, his eyes locked on mine. "I was told you just left the bakery," he said."Yeah, I..." I began, but my phone rang, shrill and insistent, cutting off my words.I pulled it out and answered. "Hello.""Amelia, this is your neighbour. Your house is on fire." The voice on the other end sent my world spinning. My heart stuttered. "What!" I exclaimed."Your house is on fire." The voice said again.My hand trembled as I clutched the phone.My mind reeled, thoughts crashing into each other. Misty, my daughter, was at home. Where was she? Was she safe?Alexander's concerned expression blurre
AmeliaI stormed through the office doors, my heart racing with anger. The receptionist's startled expression barely registered as I marched towards Paul's office."How dare you?" I spat, slamming the door behind me.Paul looked up from his desk, shocked. "Amelia, you're in New York.""What? You thought I would be mourning my daughter?""What's going on? Why are you sounding this way?""You know exactly what's going on," I hissed, my voice trembling. "The fire at my house. You thought I wouldn't know you were the one responsible, right?""What fire? I don't know what you're talking about. Please take a sit and reduce your voice.""Don't lie to me!" I slammed my fists on his desk. "I did not come here to have a nice discussion with you, Paul. I know it was you.""Amelia, calm down." Paul stood up. "I still do not know what you are talking about. Some set your house on fire?""Calm down? Do you think I can calm down after you tried to kill my daughter? Misty could've died because of you
Alexander“Hey,” her voice cut softly through the haze of my sleep.My eyes fluttered open to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair tousled and a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “Good morning, darling,” I murmured, leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips. My fingers brushed her cheek as I pulled back. “How was your night?”She raised a brow. “You mean after you kept me awake for hours working on my body?”A chuckle rumbled from my chest as I propped myself up on my elbow. “I call that productive use of time.”“Productive?” she repeated, rolling her eyes dramatically. “You’ve got quite the definition of productivity, Alexander.”I reached out, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her back down onto the bed. She squealed in protest, but her laughter betrayed her enjoyment.“You didn’t seem to mind last night,” I teased, my lips brushing against her ear.Her cheeks flushed. “You’re impossible, you know that?”“And yet, here you are,” I said, smirking as I tigh
Selene “Hey, girl,” I said, standing up and rushing to hug Sarah as soon as she walked in. I wrapped my arms tightly around her. “I’m so sorry for what happened.”“It’s okay, Selene. It wasn’t your fault. You saw the signs and tried to warn me. I just wasn’t paying attention.”I pulled back slightly, holding her by the shoulders. “I knew that son of a bitch was up to something,” I muttered.She sighed and moved past me to sit on the couch. “I wish I wasn’t so blinded by love.”“Has he been found?” I asked, walking over to sit beside her. “Do they know where he is?”Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know. Alexander has people looking for him.”“So, they don’t know where he is,” I said flatly.“Yeah,” she confirmed. “All I know is that he’s out there somewhere, and I just hope Alexander’s people find him.”“What…” I hesitated for a moment, then asked. “what will Alex do to him when he finds him?”“I don’t know. But you know how Alexander is. Whatever he has planned for Henry won’t be good
Amelia Ella gestured toward the security guards stationed inside the house, her frustration written all over her face. “When do you think this will end?” she asked, her tone heavy with exasperation.I shook my head. “I don’t know.”“God, I just want this to be over,” she groaned. “I’m so sick of them following me everywhere. I even had to skip a party because I didn’t want to feel embarrassed.”I raised an eyebrow. “I thought having bodyguards was supposed to make you look cool.”She let out a sharp laugh, the kind that carried more annoyance than amusement. “Cool? Are you serious? It’s a party, not a red carpet event. The guards would just scare everyone off, keep them from even getting close to me. How am I supposed to meet anyone like that? How am I supposed to find the perfect guy? I just want to get laid, for God’s sake.”“I’m sorry, Ella. Alexander just wants us to be safe. Henry is still out there and—”She cut me off, throwing her hands up. “I know, I know! But I don’t think
Henry I glanced up from the stack of papers on my workbench when the sound of footsteps reached my ears. There he was, my father, strolling into my sanctuary like he owned the place. He pulled out a wooden chair and sat down, making himself comfortable.My relationship with my father was… complicated. He and I didn't always see eye to eye on a lot of things but I still loved him. He was the only family I had left. And family is important. At least that’s what people always said, right?“So, this is where you’ve been hiding. In your man cave,” he said, his tone as casual as ever.“Dad, what are you doing here?” I asked. “Didn’t I tell you to leave the country?”His jaw tightened. “Why should I leave for him? He’s the one who should be running, not me. I’m not afraid of him.”I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I never said you were, Dad. But Alex is probably out there looking for me right now. You shouldn’t have come. You might’ve led him here without realizing it.”I crossed
Alexander “Have you found him?” I snapped into the phone, pacing the room as my PI droned on.“No, but I’m doing everything—”“Fuck!” I cut him off sharply, the word tearing out of me before I could stop it. “Don’t call me again unless you’ve found him. Do you understand?”“Yes, sir,” he muttered and the line went dead.I stared at the phone in my hand, my frustration boiling over. “How hard is it to find one damn person?” I growled, hurling the phone against the wall. I couldn’t believe that bastard was still out there. After the disaster at the wedding, I’d insisted that Sarah and my mom stay at my mansion. There was no way I was leaving them alone, not with the risk hanging over all of us.The door to my study swung open suddenly, breaking my train of thought. My head snapped up. “Amelia,” I breathed out.“Are you okay?” she asked as she stepped into the room, her eyes scanning me. “I heard you yelling.”“Yeah. The PI I hired still hasn’t found Henry. I was yelling at him.” I mu
Alexander Sarah’s voice was thick with confusion as she stood beside Henry. “Alexander, Charlie. What’s going on?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two of us.Henry shot me a glare, his annoyance practically radiating off him.I didn’t give a damn. That bastard needed to feel my anger.I turned to the man standing beside them—his priestly robes suddenly irritating me more than they should. “Get out of here, priest,” I said, gesturing sharply toward the door.Without waiting to see if he obeyed, I turned to the rest of the room. “You can all leave now. Apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for coming.” My voice was tight, barely polite.Sarah’s eyes flared with anger. “What the hell, Alexander? What are you doing?”I met her furious gaze without flinching. “Trust me, Sarah. You don’t want them here for this.”Her expression hardened, and her voice rose in defiance. “Maybe you’re the one who shouldn’t be here,” she snapped. “You kept everyone waiting, and now you show u
Amelia "Does Alexander plan on missing his sister's wedding?" Victoria whispered in my ear, her voice tight with concern.I shook my head quickly. "No, he said he would be here."Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the door, then back at me. "Then where is he? The ceremony has already started. He's supposed to walk Sarah down the aisle. Have you called him?"I felt a pang of unease in my chest. No, I hadn’t called him. But I should have."I forgot my phone in the car," I muttered."Please, find a way to reach him. If he doesn’t get here soon, his grandfather will have to take his place. We can’t keep waiting for him.""Alright." "Alright," I replied, though a knot tightened in my stomach.Alexander was never late. He should’ve been here by now. What if something had happened to him?I pushed the thought aside, trying to shake off the rising unease. With a shaky breath, I pulled my key from my pocket to unlock the car but froze when I saw a strange man in black jeans and a leather
AlexanderI burst into the room, my heart racing. "Fuck man, we have to get out of here now!" I exclaimed.Charlie looked up at me, his eyes filled with concern. "What happened?" he asked, struggling against the restraints that bound him to the chair.I scanned the room frantically, searching for an alternate escape route. "Is there another way out of this house? A back door, maybe?"Charlie shook his head. "Dude, I've been tied up for days. I don't even know where we are.""Fuck, fuck." I muttered a string of curses under my breath, pacing back and forth across the room. We had to get out, and fast."Your 'get- me- out-of- here' plan not working, huh?" he quipped, a small smile played on his face.I halted my frantic pacing, my eyes locking onto Charlie's grinning face. Irritation simmered beneath my surface."Wipe that fucking grin off your face, Charlie," I growled. "This isn't a joke. There's a man at the door, and I think he's here to take you out. If we don't get out of here no
Alexander I let out a sigh of relief as Sarah finally answered my call. "Hello, my handsome brother," her voice slurred through the line.I rolled my eyes. I'd been waiting for what felt like an eternity for her to pick up, and now I was met with her drunk chatter."I've called more than a hundred times, Sarah.""Really? Why, Alexander? Do you want to join my party?" Sarah's voice was laced with a playful giggle. "We are short of strippers. I mean, I have no interest in seeing your body... eww... but my friends seem to think that you're hot and sexy."I placed my hand on my forehead, shaking it in dismay. How was I supposed to have a serious conversation with my drunk sister? "No, I don't want to strip or be a stripper in your party. I called you for something more important.""You want to be among my bridesmaids?" she asked.I tried to steer the conversation back on track, but Sarah's drunken haze seemed to warp her understanding. I sighed inwardly. "No, Sarah. Do you remember wh