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 shifted the car into gear, the engine roaring as I sped down the highway toward HQ. A blast at our headquarters where most of our critical resources were stored—wasn't just an inconvenience, It was a disaster. One that could set us back by months, maybe more. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. Next to me, Thalia was drumming her fingers on her lap, her gaze focused on her phone. She looked calm, but I could see the tension in the way her fingers moved faster with every passing second. We pulled up to the HQ grounds, and chaos greeted us. Employees were scattered everywhere, some in small groups frantically talking, others rushing toward their cars, the building itself looked okay. But the third floor was damaged. Smoke curled out from the shattered windows. "Stay here" I said to Thalia, unbuckling my seatbelt preparing to step out."What? No!" Thalia shot back her hand already reaching for the handle "I won't just sit here" I quickly hit the lock button,
I scrunched my nose at the bratty tone in her voice and turned to look at her. She had an upturned smirk on her face like she thought she owned the place."And you are?" I asked my voice blank and impassive. "Bella Evers, Brandon's girlfriend” she said her tone dripping with complacency. I blissfully ignored her and stood up, heading for the door to knock and give the papers back to the nurse. This conversation wasn't worth my time."Did you not hear me?" she snapped irritated that I wasn't giving her the attention she so desperately craved.The nurse opened the door and took the papers from me "Thank you sir” she said and closed the door again.I nodded before returning to my seat and pulling out my phone, I had nearly forgotten Bella was still there until she spoke again."You can ignore me all you want but just so you know we'll be suing you for assault” she huffed stomping her foot like a child.Oh god kill me now I sighed inwardly feeling a pang of secondhand embarrassment. B
Thalia’s POV I never expected to see Bella here, in the hospital of all places but considering how bruised Alexander’s fists were, she was likely here for Brandon, yet somehow she managed to track me down.She wanted to talk and normally, I wouldn’t have entertained her, but I wasn’t feeling normal anymore.So, here I was, sitting at the café in the hospital sipping on coffee with Bella."So it's true then” Bella began setting down her cup with a self-satisfied air "You're pregnant” Not anymore I thought but instead, I just nodded. She gave me a half-smile as if she dreaded this moment."Well, that’s a shocker” she added, dragging out the words. “So am I.” She paused watching me for a reaction but I just took another sip of my coffee. I couldn’t bring myself to care about her dramatics, but at least that explains why she was hanging around the OB/GYN section."I'm 14 weeks along" she said again clearly fishing for something, some sort of emotion from me.When I remained silent she
Thalia's POV He tilted his head returning my smile but concern still lingered in his expression."Is this an effect of the pill?" I chuckled softly "Maybe it is He wrapped his arms around me."I think I like these side effects" I laughed a bit louder this time. The elevator dinged as it opened behind us. A man came into view, our hands immediately fell from each other and the man's smile widened as he spotted Alexander. "You found her?" he asked stepping out of the elevator.Alexander nodded "She was...?" He said turning to me and I quickly filled in."I was at the cafe with Bella" I nodded"Good talk?” he asked I smiled, nodding again "Yes very good, it's why the side effects kicked in" I said, my voice bubbly, and Alexander's expression softened into a warmer smile. "Well I checked on the guy you said she, uh Bella, came with" Nolan said. "You roughed him up," he said, chuckling lightly. "And I'm not done," Alexander said, his tone stern. Nolan nodded in agreement "If he
Thalia's POV I placed my hands on the back of his neck, leaning into him, feeling his warmth and before I knew it our lips collided.It was as if everything around us had vanished, leaving nothing but us, his hand gripped my buttcheeks steadying me as his tongue slid into my mouth with practiced ease and I completely melted into him.I had stopped thinking. A kiss had never made me feel this way before. It was as if I had been craving it all along and right now I was being served. With shaky hands, I reached for Alexander's jacket and helped him shrug it off, his lips never leaving mine as I straddled him and he held me up effortlessly. His hands roamed over my body squeezing my buttcheeks. Our tongues were playing tag with each other now.His fingers traced the strap of my dress and with one swift move he undid it, sending a shiver throughout my body. We took a step back almost hitting the bed, and just as everything was falling into place, a knock on the door interrupted us. "Tha
Thalia's POV Each kiss left my skin tingling, a quiet gasp escaping my lips, as his lips set me on fire from the inside out.He found the perfect spot on my neck where my gasp was the loudest, and he sucked on it, sending sharp waves of pleasure through me. My fingers intuitively found their way into his hair tugging lightly, so desperate for more. He paused briefly and resumed his slow trail of kisses as his hands made their way from my waist to my stomach.Then without warning his fingers found my breasts cupping them roughly and I moaned, tugging at his hair harder this time. The heat between us building with every second, despite the water pouring above us. His mouth hovered above my chest for just a moment before he clasped onto my nipple and sucked hard while his other hand massaged my other breast.A louder moan escaped my lips as my skin burned under his touch. Then Alexander moved to my other breast and sucked on it with the same hunger, his hands rough and assertive shift
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