Thalia's POV
I stood outside the penthouse door, my keycard trembling between my fingers.
There was a gnawing feeling deep inside me, twisting and tightening, it was nauseating which was why I left the charity gala early and I only hope the feeling was good news for Brandon and I
My husband, Brandon wasn't feeling well so he couldn't attend the gala with me, an unfamiliar silence enveloped, the minute I entered the house, no hum of activity, no vacuum running, and no dishes clinking. Just absolute silence, I know Brandon is resting but something just felt off.
Shaking off the unease I headed toward the kitchen and poured myself a cup of water, it should calm my nerves before I speak to Brandon so we could take a test together.
Then I heard it. Muffled voices, a soft moan, sounds I shouldn't be hearing in my home of all places.
I slowly ascended the staircase, the silk of my evening gown brushing against my skin.
The sounds became clearer with each step.
Intimate. Familiar. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.
I pushed the door open. There they were.
My best friend, draped in nothing but my sheets, sprawled across my marital bed, lips locked with the man I promised my life to—
Brandon
"Thalia?" Bradon's voice echoed through the room and he shot up,
but there was no remorse in his eyes.
No shock. No regret. Only... annoyance. I stood there, my mind simply refused to process what I was seeing.
My husband. My best friend.
Betrayal wasn't supposed to feel this way, like I'd stepped into some batshit crazy dream I couldn't wake up from.
"You... you said you were going to the after-party" Brandon muttered, casually pulling on a discarded shirt, his face still bearing the same look, of annoyance... like he hadn't just been caught cheating on me "Why the hell are you back so soon?"
I opened my mouth but no words came out.
My mind was blank, I was struggling to piece together a logical thought, How? Why? Them?
Brandon's frustration grew as I stood there in silence.
"Thalia, say something," he growled. "It's not what you think."
Not what I think? A bitter laugh escaped my throat, and when I finally spoke, my voice trembled
"Not what I think? You're screwing my best friend Brandon, What am I supposed to think?"
My best friend— former best friend now wrapped herself awkwardly in the blanket, indifference plastered on her face. "Thalia... I just..."
"I don't want to hear it," I spat, the words sharper than now, my blood boiled beneath my skin
I turned my attention to Brandon my voice barely controlled.
"How long?"
Brandon sighed, as if this whole thing was a nuisance, as if I was a nuisance. He ran a hand through his hair completely frustrated
"It doesn't matter, This wasn't working anymore. We both know that Thalia!"
Know what? I blinked each word feeling like a punch to the gut. I squared my shoulders this wasn't the time to break in front of them, they'd seen plenty of that
"Know what? To know that you've been sneaking around with her?
That this doesn't matter? We talked about kids last week for god's sake!!!"
He didn't flinch. Didn't even care. Instead, he reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a brown envelope"I'm done, Thalia," he said, handing me the envelope. "Here are the divorce papers. It's over."
I stared at the envelope, my hands numb. Divorce papers, The words sounded foreign, like they couldn't possibly be meant for me.
"You're leaving me?"
Brandon's face twisted into a smug smile.
"Consider yourself lucky.
You'll still have a small portion of your family's fortune"
My stomach lurched at Fortune.
That's all this ever was to him. That's all I ever was to him, a wave of nausea hit me again and the bitter reality of his betrayal crushed me harder than I thought possible, three years down the drain...
"Brandon please, don't do this?" I whispered, my voice barely audible, fighting the dizziness that threatened to take me.
Brandon’s smile widened, cold and calculating.
"I bet you wish we would've had a prenup huh? You really should've read the fine print, sweetheart"
"You were always so foolish Thalia" Bella said now wearing an oversized shirt
"I even attempted to warn you but did you listen? No!!"
"Brandon could do no wrong, he loves me" Brandon said in a mocking tone
I fisted the papers in my hands and swallowed my tears
"Now look where it got you, no one could stand you, even your parents died and left you" Bella said verbally stabbing me with a dagger
"I wonder how you didn't see the signs, you were so blinded by my love that your senses left you" Brandon added
"How typical of an orphan like you to give in to the first person who has ever shown you love, or at least pretended to" Bella said once again and I stood there my tears threatening to spill but I didn't let that happen
"Sign the papers and get out of my house! Now Thalia! It's over!" Brandon yelled
"No need to pack anything, you own nothing in this house, as for your clothes, they will be sent to you" Bella hissed twirling her hair around her fingers.
"Brandon I could be pregnant" I whispered as my lips trembled
"That's not possible Thalia!, I had a vasectomy done six months after our wedding" He growled
"There's nothing you can do now Thalia, you are out of tricks, just sign them and get out! Only I will bear Brandon's children!"
I was going to yell at them but I couldn't, I was done with them
I can't fight them over this anymore so I did the only logical thing my mind told me to do, I signed the papers.
"Pen?" I said to Brandon, Bella quickly tossed a pen to me
"Finally Brandon!" She squealed jumping into his arms and he snaked his hands around her waist
My heart broke further as I watched their interaction.
I threw the pen and paper at them and ran out of the room, not stopping till I reached my car and drove off.
Two days later, I was a sobbing mess, not only did Brandon take sixty percent of my fortune but he has fifty percent of the company shares.Call after call, text after text, headline after headline I couldn't respond to any of them I found a motel outside of town and hid there.My world, my marriage, my family's fortune—it was all gone. I had nothing left, not even my pride. The betrayal stung at me like a decayed wound. The memory of that evening replaying in my head on an endless loop. My phone buzzed on the table, shattering my almost comfortable quiet. I hadn't answered any calls since that day, so I decided to answer this one, enough of sulking around.I reached for my phone but didn't recognize the number I still answered anyway. "It's Thalia speaking" I said, though my voice sounded distant and extremely croaky even to me. "Thalia Asplundh" The voice on the other end was calm, careful, and unsettlingly familiar. I sat up straighter recognizing the voice, and tension rippled
MARRY ME The words echoed in my mind I blinked "Excuse me?" "Marry me," he repeated like this was a perfectly reasonable thing to say "You and I both know how this world works, Thalia. Power is everything. You want your legacy back. I want to secure mine. Together, we can rebuild what was taken from you and strengthen my position"I stared at him He couldn't be serious. "You want me to marry you" I said slowly as if saying it that way would make the absurdity of it clear to him He didn't flinch "That's right" I crossed my arms, my face formed a scowl "You think I'd agree to that?" He tilted his head, that damn smile never leaving his face "Why not? You'll regain control of your family's wealth, I'll have a partner who understands, You've been left with almost nothing, Thalia, half of your company shares are already gone and as much as you hate to admit it, you can't fight this battle alone" I clenched my fists "I can fight just fine without you" "Really?" His voice dropped,
After I left the cemetery, I drove back to the dingy motel I'd been staying at, the sadness of the day clinging to me like a second layer of skin. The unexpected meeting with Brandon and Bella still burned holes in my heart and mind. I needed to check on the company though. I forced myself to head into town the next morning. Walking through the office doors, I was met with a disheartening sight. The once-thriving company now seemed like a shell of its former self. Brandon had already started implementing his changes, marking everywhere with his disgusting self, dismantling everything my family and I had worked for. I felt a bit relieved when my secretary handed me a memo about the new marketing strategy that Alexander Croft had just launched. On a normal day this would be disastrous for my company but what Brandon was going to do would have left me with no choice but to sell my shares, and Croft knew that and stopped it. He was already stepping in where I least expected. Feeling
"Excellent Choice ma'am" the one beside them said then I returned the ring to them with a smile and they picked up the boxes and left the room. Alexander smirked, clearly pleased with my choice too, but before he could respond his eyes landed on my hand the one with a wedding ring still adorning it, the one from my ex-husband.His playful expression faded for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly "Planning on taking that off anytime soon?" Tension coiled inside me as I glanced at the ring on my hand, beautiful memories flooded my mind. Once upon a time, this ring meant everything to me."It's okay if you don't want to take it off, things like this take time" he said his voice soft noticing how I tensed but I knew there was no room for hesitation. With a deep breath, I slid the ring off my fingers trembling slightly, I placed it on the table "There'll be another one to replace it soon" I said softly forcing a small smile. "My hand won't feel naked for long"Hm" He mused, a knock
"This here is your room Thalia" Alexander said as we walked into a room with a luxurious white canopy bed with emerald green silk sheets, fresh white roses on the nightstands, and more basically everywhere in the room, giving it a— romantic atmosphere. "My room? We have separate rooms?" I ask turning to face him surprised. "Well, I didn't think you were looking forward to sharing a room with me" he replied with a smirk. I groaned, lightly smacking his chest "Get over yourself" I say tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear "I could get over you instead" He said his voice dipped low in a seductive tone that sent shivers down my spine I didn't reply to that, I don’t trust myself to say anything clever, instead, I reached over to the vanity and took a deep breath"Listen I know you want some answers about why I rushed the wedding but..." "Actually No I don't" Alexander interrupted and came to stand behind me, our eyes met in the mirror "It's been a long day Thalia, you need t
Thalia? What happened?” Alexander said as he entered Edith’s room with a confused expression on his face. Liam and Cassandra came in behind him, she went to get them after I stopped crying. I was sat in the armchair with a tissue box in one hand and the test stick in another, I might have stopped crying but the pounding in my chest remained the same. “Drink some water Thalia” Cassandra said offering me a half-filled glass of water, I took it and gulped it down in one go.“Give us a moment” Alexander said to Liam and Cassandra even though his eyes were still on me before they landed on the stick in my hand “Of course” Liam said taking Cassie’s arm and guiding her to the door they closed it behind them. “Is that?…” Alexander started but I cut him off.“It’s a test, yes and it’s positive” I said the last part slowly meeting his eyes to see his reaction, but his expression remained unreadable no shock, no anger, nothing.“I’m really sorry, I didn’t know” I began to ramble “I didn’t t
Alexander's POV Everything seemed to narrow to the sound of my fists connecting with Brandon’s face, I couldn't think, all I wanted was to kill this lowlife piece of shit for putting his hands on my wife in my house."Alex stop you'll kill him" Liam's voice came through the haze but I didn’t care, I felt his hands trying to pull me away but I didn’t budge."Stop him, he's gone mad!" Brandon wheezed his voice pathetic as I landed blow after blow, his face gradually forming into a clot of blood. "That's enough!" Liam’s voice became desperate and somehow he was able to drag me away from the asshole, leaving him, crumpled on the floor."Let go of me Liam, that bastard attacked my wife!" I yelled, my fists clenched so tightly I felt my knuckles turning white. "Yes but killing him won't solve anything” Liam snapped back, his outrage visible as he held me in place.“So calm the fuck down!" I shook him off, glaring at my brother-in-law, now a possible target for my rage, his eyes were blaz
Thalia's POV "Your eyes look like flying saucers in there," Dr. Sage Alastair said as she flashed a light into my pupils, the brightness stung making me wince. "I'm pregnant so..." I said my voice trailing off waiting for her reply "Well, that explains it" she said thoughtfully scribbling something onto her notepad "When was your last checkup?" I glanced at Alexander, who stood a few feet away, phone pressed to his ear but his eyes constantly flicking over to me."I just found out last night" I murmured wrapping my arms around myself. Dr. Alastair's pen hovered for a moment before she jotted something else down. "You should head to the hospital for a proper checkup soon"I hesitated, my throat tightening "I was... um I'm thinking of terminating it" She paused, her eyes narrowed slightly in surprise "Oh? Well, you are Mr. Croft's wife right?" I nodded "Well is he on board with your decision? It's something you two should discuss together" "it's not his" The words slipped out b
Alexander's POV I hadn't noticed when Father entered the room. He knelt behind Mother, helping her to her feet. She was still sobbing uncontrollably, her body trembling as she clung to him. Zach stood stiffly, anger radiating off him in waves, but his girlfriend tugged at his arm, trying to pull him aside, the air in the room was thick—tension simmering and ready to boil over. Father steadied Mother as she cried into his chest, her hands gripping his suit jacket as though it were the only thing keeping her upright, he murmured something softly to her before leading her out of the room. A moment later, he returned, his expression firm, his presence commanding. "Zach" Father said, his voice low and authoritative, the kind of tone that left no room for argument "You will apologize to your mother" "What?!" Zach snapped, incredulous “Father, she interacted with the enemy!" "And she has apologized" Father replied, his tone unwavering. "You know your mother, Zachary. She acts from emot
Thalia's POV "How could I let this happen?" My voice cracked, barely above a whisper, as I stared down at the table. Grace pulled up on her computer. "It wasn't your fault, Thalia." Grace replied gently, but I shook my head, unwilling to accept her reprieve."No" I said, my tone firmer now, though my voice wavered, "I remember when you came to me and showed me what Brandon was doing, I saw the proof. And I—I hid the documents. I let him do this" My voice faltered, fading into the quiet of the office. Grace stepped closer, her expression resolute."Yes" she admitted without hesitation, her words sharp and piercing "but it doesn't matter anymore. What's done is done" Her eyes locked onto mine"So you let him do it—fine. The question now is, what will you do to undo it?" I drew in a shaky breath, her words passed through me in the whirlwind of my own thoughts, he stepped aside, giving me space to approach the computer screen, where the stark proof of the company's current state stared
Alexander's POV Sierra's words struck like a thunderclap, leaving the house in deafening silence as she stormed down the stairs and slammed the front door behind her. "Alex, I..." Mother began, her voice trembling with the load of an excuse she hadn't yet found. Before she could continue, Cassandra's voice rang out from the top of the stairs, cutting through the tension like a knife. "Lorraine?" Cassandra called out, her tone sharp and demanding, her figure appearing at the top landing. Behind her, Liam appeared, his brows furrowed as he placed a steadying hand on her shoulder "Alex? We heard yelling. What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm but tinged with concern. Cassandra didn't wait for an answer, she started down the stairs, her movements purposeful, her gaze locked on Mother, who visibly flinched under her niece-in-law's scrutiny. Liam followed closely behind, his posture protective, his eyes darting between all of us.Mother looked at me, her eyes pleading—begging me
Thalia's POVAfter wandering around the manor for a bit, I returned to my room, feeling a bit relaxed. Once inside, I decided to change. I peeled off my skirt and replaced it with a pair of fitted denim jeans, next, I grabbed a warm brown jacket and wrapped a soft scarf around my neck, and then I pulled my hair into a quick twisted ponytail. On the dresser, my phone buzzed with a notification, picking it up, I saw a new message from Bella. I sighed heavily, my jaw tightening What now? For a second, I considered ignoring her, but curiosity won and I opened the message. "Hello there, Thalia. I know you don't want to talk to me after all that I did, but I'd really appreciate it if you'd at least try"I stared at the screen, debating whether to respond, part of me wanted to delete the message and block her number, but instead, I typed a curt reply; "Where are you?"I hit send, feeling equal parts irritated and intrigued, shoving my phone into my pocket. I glanced at the mirror one la
Alexander's POVI was in the room I shared with Thalia. It shouldn't have mattered, I thought I could sleep there and act indifferent to everything it meant. I was wrong. By midnight, the walls closed in, suffocating me with memories—albeit short— But I didn't want to think about them. The air itself was heavy, and every breath seemed to claw at my chest. I left the room and made my way down the dim hallway.I found myself in Zach's room, further down the hall, it was the nearest occupied space—not by Zach himself, but by his lingering presence. Empty, lifeless rooms disgust me more than rooms that reek of memory and attachment, I couldn't bear the barren emptiness of the other rooms.Zach's room was different, even in his absence, since he was staying with Nolan, much to my disapproval—it still carried the scent of someone living. Mother hadn't returned home last night either, the idea nagged at the back of my mind—Silas might have gotten to her, done something unspeakable—but by mo
Thalia's POV I left the kitchen and headed to the dining table, relieved to find a bowl of fruit already set out, I grabbed an apple and a handful of grapes and slid into one of the chairs, eager for a moment of peace.Tobias strolled in a few moments later, balancing a plate with two sandwiches, his dark hair was a mess, but his grin was alarmingly bright, no doubt due to the horror I witnessed. "Good morning, Thai" he said, his tone cheerful, behind him, Katherine entered, her presence as commanding as ever, her neutral expression always sent a spark of anxiety through me, like she knew something I didn't."M-morning, Tobias” I stammered, my voice slightly shaky." Lilith mentioned you slept in the library last night, everything alright?" Tobias asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from me. His concern was genuine, but his question caused a faint blush of embarrassment to creep over my cheeks as the events of the library with Andrei replayed in my mind."Yes" I answe
Alexander's POV "I need the truth" I said, my gaze locking with his "And nothing but the truth" Father leaned back slightly, his brows furrowing "Alright, Alex" he said, his voice grave."Go on". I took a deep breath, steeling myself "We've had this conversation before, I trusted you when you told me not to believe the rumors" My tone turned colder. "But now they've come back, in a way we can no longer ignore, so tell me Father, did you or did you not have Jeremiah and his family killed?”The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Father physically recoiled as though I had spat acid in his face, his jaw tightened, and for a moment, he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here. His hand trembled briefly before he ran it through his hair. "Alexander..." His voice was a mixture of weariness and something I couldn't quite place. He shook his head, his movements almost phantom-like, and then nodded faintly as though deciding on the weight of his next words."I'm going to tel
Alexander's POV I stayed outside until my thoughts stopped circling around her and the thousand things I needed to do. If Thalia planned all of this as revenge, if she orchestrated this entire game to get back at my family for what we did to hers, I needed to know. I needed the truth. And there was only one person who could give me that. The burden of my decision settled like iron in my chest as I walked back into the room. Inside, Patrick and Liam were hunched over the laptop, their heads almost touching as Zach leaned over to show them something on the screen. Callum stood by the corner, carefully removing pins from the vision boards, while Nolan stacked papers into neat piles on the desk. As I stepped in, all their heads turned toward me, a collective pause stretching in the silence. I cleared my throat, directing my question to whoever had the answer."Which house is Father in?" Zach straightened, his brows furrowing slightly before he answered "He's back at the manor" I nod
Thalia's POVAndrei's gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, his eyes sharp, assessing "Good" he said finally "Maybe this will help you." Before I could ask what he meant, his lips crashed against mine, catching me entirely off guard, the kiss was rough, almost desperate, and it consumed every rational thought I had. I froze, unsure of how to respond, but then, something deep inside me, something buried and starved, churned. I responded. My fingers found their way into his hair, pulling him closer, my heart raced, and my breaths came in sharp, uneven gasps as the world narrowed down to the heat between us. At some point, without realizing it, I moved to straddle his lap, my body pressing against his as if drawn by some invisible force. Andrei kissed me like he was starving, and God help me, I let myself sink into it, his hands were in my hair, his lips demanding yet purposeful, every move he made left me breathless, for one fleeting moment, the world outside of this kiss ceased