Heather's POV I let the curtain fall and quickly moved to hide behind the wall the moment Alex's gaze nearly fell on me. My heart was still pounding in my chest, thanks to the unplanned moment we had a few minutes ago. I could still feel the slight tingles left over from then running through my body. It had come as a surprise to me, partly because I was still in a terrible mood with all that had been going on, but mostly because I had not really expected Alex to still have such interest towards me. The man was a notorious playboy, and he had the looks, money and charm to attract any lady he wanted. There was no doubt that he had been playing around with people far higher in value than I was, but for some reason he had continued to turn his sights on me. There was another problem in the picture still. Even though I had tried, I could not remove my mind from thinking about how Alex had gotten that lipstick on his cheek the other night. After he had gotten his ability to walk back,
Alexander's POV Waking up with the ability to feel everything from the waist down was something that I had learned never to take for granted. After having spent over a year confined to the nightmare that was a wheelchair, the full body stretch that came after being roused from sleep was definitely a most pleasant feeling. I sat up on the bed, noticing immediately that I was alone on it. Heather's side had turned a bit cold, which meant she must have left the bedroom a while ago. Thinking of the woman that had been brought into my life as a part of a monetary transaction, I could not help the grin that appeared on my face as I recalled the events of last night. During my time as a young, reckless, party jumping bachelor, I had obviously taken more than my fair share of lovers. But I had never felt an emotional connection with any of them that was anywhere on the level of what I had felt with Heather. Every reaction I drew out of her was like a note in a song that I wished I could
Alexander's POV "When I was going to call?" I repeated. "You talk like you were expecting me to contact you again." "Oh I wasn't expecting anything," Cynthia replied, her voice full of that unshakeable certainty and self confidence that I never forgot. "It was always a stated fact. I just knew it was only a matter of time until you called me. You and I both know that no one can help you the way I can." "Don't get too full of yourself just yet, Cynthia. A lot of things have changed since then, and I am not the man you once knew." Her voice tinkled with a light laugh over the phone. "We'll see about that, my dear Alex. What do you think? Shall I come over to your house so that we may... discuss our plans moving forward?" My tone went flat at her suggestion. "Nice try, but I'm not letting you anywhere near where I sleep at night. We'll be having our talks on neutral territory. The Price Gardens at noon today." She laughed again, this time I could tell that she was now actively in
Alexander's POV "How are you doing, Mathew?" I returned, reaching out to him for a handshake. Mathew didn't hold back, he ignored my outstretched hand and wrapped me in a warm and unexpected embrace. "We're family, there's no need for formality between us, don't you agree, cous?" He said with a hearty laugh, while he patted my back firmly. I pulled away, slowly putting a little distance between the two of us. I knew Mathew better than anyone, and I would be a fool to actually believe that he was happy to see me. He might be happy, but I could tell that it wasn't for good reasons. "It has been a while, Mathew, but unfortunately I do not have time to spare for a family reunion. Have a good day—" I hadn't finished when Mathew stepped into my path, the cheery look on his face subtly fading to a darker and more ominous expression, one that accurately described how he truly felt at the moment. "I'm sure you have enough time to spare." Mathew whispered, his tone low and demanding. It
Heather's POV Although Alex and I kept in touch every single hour of the day, I still felt lonely. There was simply no denying the comfort that physical touch, or just being able to see him brought. It had been three days now since I moved in here, and while I was adjusting just fine, it felt a little lonely being in the big house all by myself. Bored and tired of sitting still all day, I decided to take a stroll down the neighborhood. Although I had spoken with a few neighbors, the majority still didn't know who I was, and sitting indoors all day was not going to help me socialize with these people. I headed to my room and put on one of the few casual clothes that I had. A checkered gown that stopped just a few inches above my knees. It was a body fitted gown, and while it seemed like what most people would wear to parties, it was actually one of the few dresses that simply wasn't luxurious enough to make me look like an insufferable show off. Picking up my purse and a lit
Heather's POV I froze, unable to speak even though I desperately wanted to. I stood still, my entire body trembling despite my best efforts to remain calm. "I'm sorry..." I whispered with my head hung. I didn't want to face Alexander, I couldn't bear to stare into those angry eyes of his. "Sorry? What exactly are you being sorry for? Making a fuss in a restaurant and running off almost immediately?" He returned, his tone laced with unhinged sarcasm. "You didn't do anything, you definitely didn't make me look suspicious when I chased after you." "I'm s..sorry.." I whispered again, my voice cracking as I fought back the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. My eyes remained on the floor, I still didn't have the confidence to look him in the eyes, not when I could hear the anger and frustration in his tone. It had been stupid of me to react the way I did, but none of that would have happened if Alexander would just love me. I was his wife, why couldn't he just be satisfied
Cynthia's POV The overreacting lady from the restaurant had been weird, but Alexander's reaction to her had even been weirder. He had sprinted after her the moment she exited the restaurant and had ordered me to sit still. It had been two hours since he left, and while I felt the urge to stand up and leave, I remained obedient and patient. If I wanted to make sure that Mathew kept to his own end of our deal then it was crucial that I made Alex fall for me once again. So far there was little progress, but I was certain of my victory. He was still a bit skeptical of me, and that was exactly why I needed to make him trust me once more, even if it meant sitting still for more than two hours. I took a quick sneak at the face of my wrist watch; twenty minutes past four. The sun was already beginning to make its descent, yet there was no sign of Alexander. I had tried calling him a couple of times, but he never picked up the phone. Tired and now out of patience, I rose from my seat an
Alexander's POV It was becoming a lot difficult to resist Cynthia's charms. We were constantly spending time together thanks to ongoing business deals, and there was no denying the fact that staring at her beautiful face all brought back pleasant memories. Cynthia had been the first woman I ever loved, and while I had forgotten about her all this while, seeing her again definitely awakened something deep inside of me. But now I was married, and while Heather might not believe me, I actually cared for her. Just like her, I wanted the world to know about us, I wanted people to know how smart my wife was. But I just couldn't, and it was definitely for her own good. Mathew was dangerous, that fact was already established. And if by any chance he figured out that I had a wife, someone that I actually cared for, I had no doubts in my mind that he would come after her. After twenty minutes of driving and intense thinking, I finally came to a halt in front of Heather's driveway. For a s
Alexander's POV I used my body as a shield to keep Heather safe from whatever the fuck was happening. Were we being targeted? Or had we simply gotten caught in the middle of a gang rivalry? The former seemed to likely be the case, the restaurant seemed to be the only thing being targeted. What was going on? Was this Matthew's doing? Surely he wouldn't be this careless, would he? Although a private establishment, the restaurant was not in a secluded area, residential areas were nearby, so there was no way people wouldn't recognize his cartel. Had he sent them after me regardless of that risk? Was he really that desperate to get rid of me? "Tsk..." I lamented audibly while I held Heather tightly in my arms. It took a while for the restaurant's security to retaliate, and another five minutes before the exchange came to a halt. I didn't blame them for taking so long, this place was built for eating, not for warfare, and an unexpected attack like this was not something they could e
Alexander's POV I used my body as a shield to keep Heather safe from whatever the fuck was happening. Were we being targeted? Or had we simply gotten caught in the middle of a gang rivalry? The former seemed to likely be the case, the restaurant seemed to be the only thing being targeted. What was going on? Was this Matthew's doing? Surely he wouldn't be this careless, would he? Although a private establishment, the restaurant was not in a secluded area, residential areas were nearby, so there was no way people wouldn't recognize his cartel. Had he sent them after me regardless of that risk? Was he really that desperate to get rid of me? "Tsk..." I lamented audibly while I held Heather tightly in my arms. It took a while for the restaurant's security to retaliate, and another five minutes before the exchange came to a halt. I didn't blame them for taking so long, this place was built for eating, not for warfare, and an unexpected attack like this was not something they could e
Alexander's POV I used my body as a shield to keep Heather safe from whatever the fuck was happening. Were we being targeted? Or had we simply gotten caught in the middle of a gang rivalry? The former seemed to likely be the case, the restaurant seemed to be the only thing being targeted. What was going on? Was this Matthew's doing? Surely he wouldn't be this careless, would he? Although a private establishment, the restaurant was not in a secluded area, residential areas were nearby, so there was no way people wouldn't recognize his cartel. Had he sent them after me regardless of that risk? Was he really that desperate to get rid of me?"Tsk..." I lamented audibly while I held Heather tightly in my arms. It took a while for the restaurant's security to retaliate, and another five minutes before the exchange came to a halt. I didn't blame them for taking so long, this place was built for eating, not for warfare, and an unexpected attack like this was not something they could easily
Heather's POV The days felt slower, and I never failed to wake up with a feeling of regret every morning. How could I not feel bad when I constantly had to wake up by the side of the man whom I had betrayed and cheated on. Matt wouldn't stop calling, and each time I saw his name on my phone screen, I was reminded about everything that happened. It felt torturous, I just wanted to forget about everything that had happened, but I just couldn't escape it no matter how hard I tried. It had been stupid of me to get involved with another man while I was married in the first place, and now I was simply paying for my mistakes. "Are you ready, yet?" Alexander inquired as he walked down the stairs, his voice effectively distracting me from my thoughts. "Y...Yes." I stammered, hoping he hadn't caught the look on my face earlier. "Are you sure about this?" I asked, concerned and scared. "Yes, we deserve it. You deserve it." He replied as he walked forward to me. Once I was within reach,
Mathew's POV Although we had a job at hand, I just couldn't stop thinking about Heather. Why did she suddenly suggest that we stop? What had happened? Did she not like me like that? Or have I simply lost my touch? It had been a full day now and I still couldn't get it out of my head. I had called her numerous times, texted her a dozen long paragraphs but she just wouldn't reply nor return my calls. I never imagined that I would be this down for a lady I had met barely a month ago. Something was just different about Heather, and I had gotten drunk on whatever pheromones she was emitting. She was all I could think about, and it was slowly driving me insane. "When do we leave, boss?" Viktor inquired, his deep voice jolting me back to reality. I had almost forgotten about our job, and I could tell that Viktor was not happy one bit with this recent development. He was already mad at me for not taking the Forgers too seriously, and that was why he had lashed out at Cynthia the other day
Alexander's POV The last thing I had expected to hear when I got up from bed was the fact that Cynthia could be a serial killer. This practically just told me that I had no idea who Cynthia really was, and it genuinely terrified me. But then again, there was a solid possibility that this man was lying. I highly doubted that he was being dishonest, but that was simply not enough to prove that he was lying. "You do not seriously think that I'll believe you, do you? I've only known you for like five minutes, and you expect me to believe that someone I've known for years is a mass murderer of old men?" I challenged, crossing my arms and staring Maxwell down. My voice was steady, but internally, I was grappling with a storm of doubt. As much as I wanted to dismiss his claim outright, there was no denying that Cynthia had definitely changed. She had many connections, and was bigger than I had imagined over the course of a year. I never really questioned her about her means of survival,
Alexander's POV Although I wanted to find who the bastard sleeping with my wife was, Matt was simply not enough information to make that dream reality. I had no idea what he looked like, and I simply didn't want to discuss that matter any further than I already have. The last I wanted was to remind myself or Heather that she had been unfaithful. Stepping on the acceleration pedal, I sped off into the highway, determined to get to work on time. I hadn't been able to get anything done the previous days thanks to my thoughts always distracting me, as well as Cynthia always coming at the wrong time. But today would be different. I had worked on those thoughts, and I was sure Heather wasn't going to cheat on me anymore, at least not in a long time. I reached the office ten minutes earlier than usual, clocked in, and immediately got to work. It was crucial that I finished on time so that I could go back to Heather and keep her company. She had said she would take a break from school for
Alexander's POV I did my best to concentrate on work, but no matter how much I tried, I just couldn't get the image of Heather kissing another guy out of my head. It had been three days since she told me about the incident, and I still couldn't get it out of my head. I had been with her the past three days, making sure that she wasn't going around playing around with other guys, as well as keeping her company and giving her all the love she deserved. While I wanted to play my part as her husband properly, I was mostly spending time with her so that she wouldn't have to go out and be with the man that had supposedly kissed her by accident. "Stop thinking about that!" I cautioned myself as I tried to focus on the tons of paperwork in front of me. It was simply impossible to not think about it, I loved Heather and I didn't want her to be taken from me. Who was this guy? What did he look like? And what exactly had he done and said to Heather? Taking a deep breath, I fell back to the c
Alexander's POV I stared at Heather with stunned eyes, unsure of how to react to what she had told me. I suspected that something like that might be going on, but I never really imagined that it would be true. "It wasn't anything serious, I think he just missed my cheeks by accident." Heather explained in a rather frantic voice after she caught the look on my face. I knew for certain that he hadn't missed her cheeks by accident, and I knew that it was definitely something serious for whoever this Matt guy is. Heather might not take it seriously, if she was really committed to the relationship, I was certain she wouldn't let me know. However, I couldn't say the same for Matt who had no idea that Heather was married. "It..it's fine, Heather, I'm not mad at you." I finally replied after a full minute of silence. She had worked up the courage to tell me, and I was really grateful for that. At least she was better than me who couldn't even think of approaching her with the truth