The sun was about to set when they drove over to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park after visiting the nearby Tuzigoot National Monument. Although Alexander had come here before, watching the awestruck look on Eva’s face satisfied his soul. It was indeed worth the effort he took of collecting their dinner from the nearest Red Rock Grille and negotiating with the staff here for an overnight stay. Eva gasped with amazement at seeing the scenic Verde River with its three lagoons gushing alongside the campsite. Were they camping here? Would she sleep in a camp with him? A million questions flashed across her head, but Alexander drove further ahead, away from the campground to the log cabin circle tucked behind trees. It was a perfect haven, far from all the chaos. Eva’s eyes widened further at seeing the tiny one-room log cabins that looked half the size of the one they stayed in last night. It only meant one thing! The bed would be smaller than the one they slept in last night! Neverthele
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been here with you, right?” said Eva breathlessly. It was the first time he had asked her about her feelings, and Eva couldn’t evade his question. “I didn’t give you the option to opt-out. If I hadn’t forced you, would you still have come away with me?” “Yes. So, why did you want me to accompany you when you could easily have gone with Beatrix and your parents?” she asked, waiting eagerly for him to admit that he liked her just as she liked him. His hand sought hers and he threaded his fingers through hers. “I wasn’t with her out of my own free will, Eva. Uncle Desmond has done a lot for me and I couldn’t decline when he had a heart attack and pleaded with me to get engaged to Beatrix and take over his business. It was what my parents wanted, too. There was pressure from all sides, and I accepted my fate. For four years, I tried my best to do justice, but Beatrix wouldn’t leave her bad habits of partying and random hook-ups. Uncle Desmond was then diag
The next morning Alexander woke up early, feeling warm and nicely refreshed. Although he had a tough time restraining himself initially, it turned out to be the best sleep of his life, far better than the one at the ranch. Their confessions last night cleared a lot of ambiguities and got them closer instead. He felt nicer that he had admitted to her he cared for her. It wasn’t a feeling he developed overnight. His feelings for Eva were deeply etched in his heart since the time they were young. He used to care for her the most among all of Alyssa’s friends. Why? He didn’t know the reason himself. Confused by the intensity of his feelings for her, he always refrained from approaching her yet even after a decade, those feelings persisted, only deeper than ever before. He sighed, not wanting to go into their depths again. It was confusing why he cared so much for a single person who wasn’t even related to him by blood. He never desired Beatrix in his four years of engagement, yet one look
Alexander opened the door, leading her into the warm and cozy room where they would spend the night. Eva had already checked the king-sized bed when she had come in to keep their luggage. With the hotel being full-booked, none of the suite rooms were available. Not that she was complaining! She would get another night to cuddle with Alexander! Not to mention another mind-blowing kiss! “The view from the balcony in the morning is the best so far. That’s why I chose this place.” Eva gazed at Alexander’s radiant face with wonder. There was an underlying excitement in him that was clearly visible. She had never seen him this happy and excited as he was on this trip. This was a totally different side to Alexander, a side she never knew existed before. Was it only because of his love for adventure? She was eager to find out. “Have you stayed here before?” she asked him, as they stood on the balcony, watching the dark shadowy mountains ahead. The cold air made her shiver, and she plunged h
Alexander’s phone buzzed with an incoming call from his mom and the magical moment was lost immediately. He groaned but couldn’t avoid the call. Nodding at her, he got up and walked away towards the balcony to take the call. “Yes, mom.” “Where are you, Alexander? Daniel isn’t well and we need to return immediately,” said his mom, her tone strained and worried. It immediately alerted Alexander, bringing him back to reality. “What happened to dad?” he asked with worry. “He has been coughing up phlegm for the last three months. He doesn’t have any appetite and his weight has reduced considerably. Recently he has been suffering from shortness of breath too. I think we need to go for a proper check-up when we reach home. We’re at the airport now. Our flight is in an hour. When are you coming home?” “I’ll be there in a day or two. Will you wait for me or take him to Columbia Superspeciality Hospital?” asked Alexander, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew he had to cut sh
It was a beautiful home nestled in the quiet Almaden Valley neighborhood. “Don’t worry, my grandparents know you,” said Alyssa. Eva looked at her with surprise. “How? They’ve never met me.” “Beatrix threw a huge tantrum over your and Alexander’s stay at Phoenix. My parents too contributed. How could they not know?” Eva now dreaded meeting them all the more. “Mom told granny so much about you she knows everything.” “She must hate me then, just like your mom does,” said Eva bitterly. “No, she doesn’t. I gave her the accurate picture.” They didn’t get time to catch up more since an old woman resembling Alyssa emerged from the door. She smiled at seeing the two girls while Eva released the breath she was holding. “Eva?” she said, and Eva nodded with a smile. “Hello dear! I’m Jane Foster, but you can call me granny Jane,” said Alyssa’s granny. Eva smiled and hugged the old woman, liking her immensely for not judging her despite the negative remarks Jodie Van Every might have passed a
“Yes, granny. What is it?” asked Eva as she went to sit beside her. Alexander received a phone call from his mom and he left them alone while Alyssa stayed back, curious to know what granny wanted to discuss with her best friend. “Do you realize that Daniel and Jodie absolutely despise you? Your wedding will cause a huge rift in the family. How will you deal with that?” asked granny with a deep sigh. Her direct question shocked Eva, having never expected it from her. “I’m not marrying Alexander, granny. He just asked me to accompany him here, and that’s all there is between us. I know his parents hate me. It isn’t something that happened overnight. They have always hated me for reasons I’m not aware of. While everyone is allowed at Alyssa’s house, I’m not for the last thirteen years, since the first day I met them. I’ve learned to accept it.” Eva sighed and looked down at her hands. She had stopped searching for a reason for their behavior towards her.Granny looked at her with genu
It was 7:30 in the morning and Alexander sipped his coffee while glancing at Eva’s door, wondering how she could oversleep. Had she forgotten they had a flight at 10 o’clock in the morning?Last night, his mom hadn’t sent the reports to him as he had asked her to. He had the feeling she didn’t want him to know the details, but why? What had happened to his dad? He was immediately suspicious that his mom has been hiding something from him. When he expressed the wish to take the early morning flight, she had waved him off saying it wasn’t necessary. Ashton had handled it all and they would discharge his dad later in the day. He had tried calling Ashton too, but his phone was unreachable since last night. He frowned at his cup, wondering what they both were hiding from him. Alyssa had gone to the hobby center an hour earlier to arrange for the yoga and Pilates classes they had started. His granny was busy with grandpa’s physiotherapy sessions leaving Alexander to enjoy his breakfast all
“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