The next day, Alexander brought Alyssa home from the airport, but she fought with him all the way. “I told you I didn’t agree to the engagement. Mom and dad just dumped it on me.” “Are you spineless? No one can dump something or someone on you, Alex,” seethed Alyssa. “I could have protested if dad was well or uncle Desmond was alive. How would you know the circumstances I’m going through? You don’t care about anyone,” said Alexander bitterly. “What’s wrong with dad to get you so worried? I’m sure a few antibiotics can heal him up,” said Alyssa with an eye roll. Alexander didn’t correct her, since he had promised his parents that he wouldn’t bother her with their dad’s illness. She didn’t care about them and never ever visited them to take an update on their health! “Maybe, but I can’t be the cause of his deteriorating health.”“No wonder they’re taking advantage of you,” scoffed Alyssa. She walked into her apartment and sighed at seeing Eva’s things still lying around. “I’ll get
“You’re coming home with me,” growled Alexander, taking her suitcase from her hand and grabbing her wrist possessively. Ashton picked up the rest of her luggage and strode away towards the parking area. “Leave me, Alexander. I was going house hunting today. I don’t need your intervention in my life,” she seethed with anger, trying to wrench her hand free of his iron-like grip. “It’s no use, Eva. I’ll carry you to my apartment if you don’t cooperate.” Eva gaped at his grim face, seeing the determination in his eyes as he pulled her along. She was acutely aware of the curious looks she received from everyone around them, and it was really embarrassing. Why couldn’t he concentrate on his fiancée instead and leave her at peace? “I’m not going to your apartment, Alexander. I’ll report you to the cops if you force me.” Alexander tightened his hold on her hand, her threat not having any effect upon him at all. “Go ahead. Let me see you try,” he challenged her, and she scoffed. What a bul
Obviously, Eva didn’t pay any heed to her friend’s suggestion. She knew Alexander didn’t care about her and thus her association with Victor Garrett wouldn’t affect him at all. Alexander didn’t bother them for the next few days, and she was thankful. Maybe staying here wasn’t a terrible decision, after all. “Tomorrow’s my birthday. I’m so excited. What are you giving me?” asked Alyssa excitedly. Eva grinned at her best friend, shaking her head playfully. “All my love and good wishes.” Alyssa groaned and tucked into the dinner Eva had made after returning from the hospital. “Will Sienna be able to join us? Isn’t she recuperating from the ordeal she just went through?” asked Eva, worriedly. Roman Drexler had abducted Sienna to marry her against her wishes, but Lucas rescued her just in time. “No, she can’t join us, and neither can Sky,” said Alyssa. “It’s just Hayley, Ashton, you, and me with Alexander and Beatrix.” Eva wanted to opt out but couldn’t find a good excuse. The next mor
Alyssa’s words rang in her ears as they waited for the rest of them. Hayley and Ashton joined them and so did Alexander and Beatrix. “Can we order? Or are there more people to come in?” asked Beatrix. “We will order now,” said Alexander as they settled down in their seats. The lounge offered a panoramic view of the iconic Manhattan landmarks through floor-to-ceiling windows and from the expansive rooftop terrace adjoining the dining room. However, Eva couldn’t enjoy the views or the conversation going on. Instead, she felt acutely conscious of Alexander’s hawk-like gaze upon her. With Beatrix sitting close to him, it was weird that he should look at her instead of at his fiancée. There was something amiss between them. They didn’t exactly look like a couple in love. Everything about them was fake, artificial, and clinical, and she didn’t miss the permanent scowl on Alexander’s face as he listened to her. Their topics were mainly work-related, and it was strange indeed! “Here comes t
The doors slid open and Eva emerged from the elevator with her heart pounding in her chest. She slowly approached Alexander’s apartment, only to see the door left unlocked. What was wrong with Alexander? Did he know she would be here to collect her phone? She pushed the door slightly but froze at hearing the sounds of their yelling coming from inside. “Why are you overreacting? All I did was kiss you. We’re engaged, for God’s sake,” yelled Beatrix. “Don’t fu*king touch me, Beatrix. We may be engaged, but it’s only out of compulsion. You do not have my heart or soul. The next time you force yourself on me, I won’t be so nice.” Eva’s eyes widened at Alexander’s tone. There was no doubt he was trembling with fury! “I have every right to kiss my fiancé. If you have a problem, check your se*ual orientation. Every couple does much more. They live together and enjoy physical intimacy with each other, but here you are threatening me because of a little kiss. Are you sure you’re straight?”
Alexander didn’t see Eva for the entire week after that passionate kiss he shared with her. He could feel that she was purposely avoiding him. Whenever he visited at odd hours, she would stay locked up in her room and it frustrated him beyond control. After tolerating Beatrix the whole day, he desperately needed to catch a glimpse of the one he loved, but the days just passed by, and his wish remained unfulfilled. It made him restless, angry, and disgusted with his life. Tolerating Beatrix wasn’t easy, and he was just fed up with her. His dad wanted to retire from work and hand over the business to Alyssa, but she was stubborn and refused them outright. They both were tired of convincing her to agree. Amidst everything, Sienna and his archenemy, Lucas Donnelly, decided to get married, inviting Alyssa and Eva too to their wedding. Their enmity dated back to their high school days when Lucas’s brother Nicholas harassed Alyssa on her first day at his school. There was a huge fight and A
The island was beautiful, and the luxurious mansion located inside a gated compound took everyone's breath away, especially Alyssa's. She started dreaming of buying such a place for herself in the future. Eva, however, was more worried about Alexander’s reaction since they weren’t sure when he would be back from his trip. The main house was a three-story structure handcrafted out of native stone. The interiors were lavishly decorated with an open stairway and a glass cubicle elevator that provided easy access to all the floors. There was a spacious great room with a professional-grade kitchen and an open terrace attached to a wet bar. The huge dining area could accommodate nearly thirty people with ease, with provisions for alfresco dining as well. The whole place opened up to the staircase and elevator with the master bedroom and six bedrooms located upstairs. There were bedrooms on the ground floor as well, and Lucas’s granny occupied one of them. Eva sat with her, gently massaging
The next day, Eva completely forgot about Alexander since there was chaos at the house all morning. Aunt Claudia’s housekeeper, Maria, brought a young girl, Cara, to help her. Eva didn’t get to interact much with the girl since she was shy and stayed in the kitchen, mostly. After breakfast, they put on the wedding fineries and have the last rehearsal, but strangely, Sienna’s expensive jewelry went missing. Aunt Claudia suspected Cara’s hand in it. There was utter chaos as Sienna fell sick because of the stress and aunt Claudia insulted Cara and had her bag searched. She left the house in tears while everyone was busy with Sienna. The doctor arrived. Lucas was upset and admitted to having stored the jewelry in his closet since Sienna had left it lying on the bed. The mystery was solved, but Marcus, Lucas’s brother, was upset that they unnecessarily insulted Cara. He stormed out of the house and went in search of her. Aunt Claudia felt guilty and upset, but slowly everything settled do
“Granny, grandpa, you have to shift to New York this time. Enough of staying here all by yourselves. Why don’t you sell off the hobby center?” coaxed Alyssa after seeing the way her grandpa was still struggling with his day-to-day activities at eighty-nine.“Yes, Alyssa is right, dad. Please come along with us. You can play with Eleanor or Axel in a few days instead of living here all by yourselves,” said Alexander’s mom. “Who are Eleanor and Axel?” asked a clueless granny. “Alexander and Eva’s baby, mom!” said Jodie Van Every, beaming with excitement. She loved the names the moment she heard them and had been planning a nursery for the baby ever since Grandpa gave his wife an excited look, as if contemplating the suggestion. “Who will buy the hobby center? I can sell everything here and move to New York with you but after Alexander’s baby is born,” said grandpa. “Done. We’ll stay back here and help you sell everything off,” said Daniel Van Every. It was therefore decided that his
The next morning, Alexander reached Mr. Strasbourg’s house on time. His son, Adam Strasbourg, welcomed him and offered him coffee as they waited for Mr. Fitzgerald. Alexander had met him two years ago when he had come down from Frankfurt where he lived. “I know you’re the prime suspect in this case and you shouldn’t be visiting here, but I wanted to see you, Alexander. My mind is very disturbed. Dad was so attached to you, and it’s ironic that you had to be accused of murdering him.”“I’m sorry that I couldn’t save him, Adam. After stepping down from Rotterdams, I was quite busy.”“I understand. For the last two years, we have been pleading with dad to come over to Frankfurt and live with us but he didn’t even consider it an option. He received a strange thrill from involving himself with Rotterdams. He seemed obsessed with saving the empire, which belonged to a deceased friend.”“Yes, he was too attached to Rotterdams.” “What was the outcome of his dedication? He lost his life! Thi
The next day, Alexander shifted to his penthouse when Eva was at the hospital. His mom came over with her housekeeper to get the penthouse cleaned up and arrange their belongings. Alexander felt relieved to be home at last, to where he belonged. “Everything is arranged now. I’ll leave, Alex. We’ll see you later after you settle down,” said his mom. After his mom left, Alexander received a call from Ashton.“Bro, I wouldn’t be able to return soon. There’s an emergency here that will take some time to wrap up. I’ve got a big promotion here at the hotel and I can’t overlook my responsibilities here. Why don’t you start without me?” Alexander noted his disinterest in starting a business under the circumstances. “Oh, that’s fine. Dad has released my funds and I can invest freely. Don’t worry, if you want you can join me anytime.” “Thanks, bro. I will.” After he disconnected the call, Alexander called his lawyer, Thomas Goldstein, and informed him about the latest update. “I want to co
“I’m sorry about that, Beatrix. Eva isn’t keeping well because of her pregnancy and I couldn’t take your call,” apologized Alexander, feeling guilty for ignoring her plea for help. “I understand, Alexander. I know how much I’ve tormented you with my stubbornness and I’m sorry for everything I did,” said Beatrix and this time she genuinely looked ashamed of herself. “So am I. Everything happened for a reason. We weren’t meant for one another.” “Yes and I’ve learned my lesson the hard way,” said Beatrix with a sigh. “It’s better to move on now. Have a good life with Fairfield. I’ll contact Mr. Fitzgerald and start hunting for the evidence Mr. Strasbourg had hidden somewhere,” said Alexander, but Beatrix stopped him. “Wait! I have a request, Alexander.” “Tell me!” Alexander knew what she would ask of him, but he wasn’t ready to go into that again. “Please come back to Rotterdams, Alexander. The company needs you. Right now, Mr. McCabe is the current CEO, but I want you to look aft
Eva gaped at her husband, too shocked to react. After Daniel Van Every’s last call, she hardly expected him to accept her. So did she unnecessarily overreact last night? “Oh, are you sure? How did they suddenly change their mind about me?” She wondered if Alexander fought with them for her. “Alyssa made them see sense. Mom and dad apologized for everything that happened. They want to be a part of our lives, to play with our baby,” said Alexander while Eva sat with her mouth hanging open. Did they soften because of her pregnancy? A smile brightened up her face, and she resumed eating, letting the good news seep into her system. “I’m glad that they’ve accepted us, Alexander. I was tired of living alone with no family to call my own. At Maxwell’s house, his family cared for me so much, I craved one of my own. I wished your family would accept me like they did. Maybe God has granted my prayers.” Alexander smiled at her, feeling satisfied that finally another wish of hers had been fulfil
Eva’s head swooned under the effect of a panic attack, and she gasped for breath. Before she could reach the washroom door, her feet buckled, and she felt dizzy. Alexander rushed to catch her just in time to arrest her fall. Alyssa too rushed in followed by the others, too shocked by everything to react. Alexander’s parents gaped at the scene before them, finally realizing how deeply their behavior had affected the poor girl.“Eva, no one can separate us, baby! Please take a deep breath and calm down,” cried Alexander, but she lost her senses in his arms. Alexander carried her limp body to the bed. “I’ll get some water,” said Alyssa, rushing to the washroom. “Eva wake up. I’m right here with you. You’ve been brave for so long. You can’t fall sick now,” said Alexander, patting her cheeks. Alyssa rushed in with the water and sprinkled it over her face. It worked, and she slowly opened her eyes to look at Alexander with wide eyes. “Take deep breaths, baby. I don’t want to admit you
“Lucas called to say that Mr. Fitzgerald is busy tonight. He wouldn’t be coming in for a discussion,” said Alexander, hovering around in the kitchen while Eva made dinner. The doorbell rang and Eva looked at him worriedly. “I thought Mr. Fitzgerald isn't coming in tonight.” Alexander shrugged and went forward to check out who had arrived at their doorstep at such an odd hour. Few people knew that he was released today and was still staying here in Bronx. Maybe it was Alyssa and Nicholas! “Should be Lisa and Nicholas.” He opened the door and rolled his eyes at seeing how right he was. “Knew it!” he said, opening the door wider for Alyssa and Nicholas to come in. “At last I’m allowed entry into the place. I thought I would always be a stalker waiting outside!” said Nicholas and Alyssa punched his arm. “Did you really stalk me? You creep?” asked Alyssa in disbelief. Eva emerged from the kitchen and giggled at the ongoing topic. “Yes, so? Alexander knows about it. He caught me so m
“Eva’s been at my house with Sienna and Alyssa since last night. Don’t worry, we didn’t allow her to return to her apartment. They ensured she didn’t skip her meals, and she was perfectly fine. In fact, we’re all heading there right now,” said Lucas, and Alexander smiled with relief. “I know why you asked. Maybe it’s got something to do with Alyssa. She can answer your question better, bro,” whispered Nicholas. Alexander smiled, amazed at how Nicholas could see through him. “What are we waiting for, man? Let’s go?” urged Alexander, unable to wait any longer. All the formalities were over at the court and they had no reason to wait. “You need to collect your belongings from the precinct, Mr. Van Every,” said the officer, and Alexander nodded. “I’ll see you later, son. Here are the keys to the penthouse. I’m sorry for everything that happened,” said his dad, handing him the keys and walking away, leaving him stunned. What the hell just happened? Did his dad apologize for his beha
“Bro, this isn’t even half the bail amount. Why did you lie to Eva? She’d be so upset when she comes to know,” said a worried Nicholas as they headed to the court for the initial bail hearing before the Magistrate judge. He looked at the cheque that Sienna had issued against the jewelry that Eva handed to her. It was the exact amount Lucas had specified to Eva. “I didn’t want to overburden her with a loan. Don’t tell her anything. I’ll have a word with Alexander later when he is released. Right now, I’m paying the rest of the amount. It’s the same with Chris’s payment. He didn’t quote it all to Alyssa. I’ll pay the rest when the case is over.” They met Chris and discussed the case outside the court while waiting for the proceedings to start. “So, what’s the update on the case? Did you find any leads? Will they approve of Alexander’s bail request?” asked Lucas in a low whisper. “Yes. I’m hundred percent sure, given Alexander’s respectable past record. I’ve roped in a few noteworthy