Chapter Twenty Seven

The next morning, Alice made her way to one of the ship’s finest restaurants, her emotions still raw from the previous night. Dressed in an elegant yet simple blue dress, she tried to compose herself as she stepped inside, already spotting Grandma Janet seated at a prime spot by the window, where the sea stretched endlessly in the background.

Kelvin was already there, seated beside his grandmother, his posture relaxed, but Alice could tell that he was on edge. Across from him sat Daniel, looking effortlessly handsome in a crisp white shirt with the top button undone. His eyes briefly met Alice’s as she entered, but he looked away just as quickly.

Standing behind Grandma Janet was Simi, her ever-efficient personal assistant. Simi was a tall, slender woman in her forties with a composed demeanor, always dressed impeccably in professional yet stylish outfits. She was rarely seen without her tablet, always ready to take notes or handle whatever task was required of her.

"Alice, my dear!" Grandma Janet's voice was warm as she gestured for Alice to sit beside her. “I was just telling Daniel here that you and Kelvin have been having such a wonderful time together. I couldn’t be happier.”

Alice forced a smile as she took her seat. "Good morning, Grandma."

Simi, ever attentive, poured a cup of tea for Grandma Janet before stepping back, her keen eyes observing the dynamics at the table.

The breakfast spread was luxurious—freshly baked croissants, an assortment of tropical fruits, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and fluffy pancakes drizzled with maple syrup. A waiter arrived to pour fresh orange juice into their glasses.

Alice focused on her food, hungry as a result of the drained emotions from the previous night.

“So, tell me, Alice,” Grandma Janet continued, slicing her pancake neatly, “how has the cruise been treating you? Kelvin told me you both have been participating in all sorts of activities together and you won the couple's games here.”

Alice’s fingers tightened around her fork. She had no choice but to play along, for Grandma Janet's sake.

“It’s been wonderful Grandma,” she said carefully, lifting her glass of juice to her lips.

Grandma Janet chuckled. “You must tell me dear, what’s been your favorite moment so far?”

Alice hesitated, her mind flickering to different moments - wonderful moments instead of the fake moments with Kelvin. She took a breath and forced a smile. “Dancing. My favorite time here is dancing.”

Daniel, who had been mostly quiet, finally spoke. “Alice is an amazing dancer and she's taking dance classes her. Kelvin and I also had to join in too.”

Grandma Janet’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, how lovely! Maybe you and Kelvin should give me a little performance. I’d love to see my grandson dance.”

Kelvin cleared his throat, shaking his head. “Not today grandma.”

“Maybe not today, but I would still love to see that" Grandma Janet said then she turned to Daniel with interest, “I am happy that you're also here on this ship with them. I take it that you and Alice have become quite close friends. I assume you’re taking good care of her while she’s here?”

Daniel’s gaze flickered to Alice briefly before he responded, “Alice doesn’t need me to take care of her, she has Kelvin but yes, we’ve become good friends.”

Kelvin’s grip on his knife tightened, but he kept his expression neutral.

Grandma Janet hummed in approval. “Yes, yes. You're right son.”

Alice didn’t miss the way Kelvin’s shoulders tensed at that remark.

The conversation continued, and Alice ignored the lies they were spinning for Grandma Janet. She just focused on the food before her. She was too weak to start considering her life. She was tired and concluded that there was no hope anymore for her and Kelvin. She would just play along, mind her business and wait for the marriage to be over in three years.

*********

The salty morning breeze swept across Alice’s face as she stepped onto the ship’s deck after breakfast, her heels clicking softly against the wooden floor.

She inhaled deeply, allowing the open air to offer her some relief. The ship had begun moving again, the deep blue waters stretching endlessly beyond the horizon. Alice gripped the railing, her fingers tightening as she closed her eyes.

"I knew I'd find you here?"

The voice startled her, but not enough to make her turn immediately. She knew that voice all too well—deep, smooth, and laced with an amusement that always left her feeling on edge.

Alice sighed, opening her eyes as Daniel stepped beside her, resting his arms on the railing.

"Because you know this is my favorite spot on this ship," Alice muttered, keeping her gaze on the water.

Daniel chuckled. "It's our favorite spot"

She turned to him then, meeting his knowing gaze, he tilted his head and studied her face. "Are you okay, Alice?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Actually, I'm better" she replied

"I don't believe you" Daniel said, peering at her.

"It doesn't matter if you believe me or not. I choose to be fine no matter what. I mean I have come to terms with everything and I've accepted it. There's no point dying over it. So, I'm fine." She smiled weakly.

"I love this about you. You don't let things keep you down. You always have a way around it" he smiled at her.

Silence settled between them, but it wasn’t awkward. It was charged, the kind that made Alice too aware of Daniel’s presence, of the way his shirt clung to his toned arms, of the warmth radiating from him even with the cool morning breeze.

"Thanks," Alice smiled softly looking at him, her fingers brushing against the railing.

They held each other's gaze for a moment.

The way he looked at her made her feel things she wasn’t ready to acknowledge. But after seeing things with Kelvin, she was ready to accept it, her feelings for Daniel. Maybe he was the one meant for her and should Kelvin divorce her, he might just be the one to shower her with all the love that she so craved for.

His gaze softened. "You look very beautiful when you smile."

She looked away, her face warming. "Stop."

"I'm telling the truth. It's very captivating." he pressed.

There was another moment of silence again. But this time, it was different. It was thick, charged with something unspoken.

Then, without thinking, Alice reached out and poked his arm playfully. "You're too much, you know that?"

Daniel grinned, the tension breaking just a little. "Took you long enough to figure that out."

A laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it. It was small, but genuine, and the way Daniel looked at her in that moment made her feel seen.

Just then, a breeze swept through, making Alice’s blue dress flutter slightly. She shivered instinctively, and before she could react, Daniel reached out and rubbed her arms gently, his touch warm against her skin.

Alice froze at his touch.

He must have felt the shift in the air because his movements slowed. His hands lingered just a little too long, his thumbs brushing against her bare skin. Their eyes met again, and this time, neither of them looked away.

Her breathing grew shallow. The world around them faded, the distant sound of the ocean and the ship’s movement becoming background noise.

Daniel’s gaze flickered to her lips.

For a moment, Alice thought he might close the space between them. She wanted him to.

But Daniel’s hands dropped to his sides, but he didn’t look away, his expression unreadable.

"You know, you always have this effect on me" Daniel said

"What effect?" Alice asked.

Daniel smiled shyly, "I just felt like kissing you again"

Alice looked away, she could feel her cheeks turning red.

"And I do wish that you were mine and not Kelvin's, I would love you like crazy." Daniel said.

Alice felt an excitement in her heart. She didn't supress it. She wanted that. But she couldn't bring herself to say it to him. She just allowed his

love create interesting fantasies in her heart - that was enough consolation to go through those three years with Kelvin.

They remained there, in that moment, each enjoying it in their own way.

************

With Grandma Janet present on the ship, Alice found herself always with Kelvin, lying and keeping up appearances before the old woman. She would have loved to keep a good distance away from him but it wasn't possible. There was always an activity involving both of them for Grandma Janet's sake.

Her only free time was during her dance class. Though Kelvin was present, ignoring him was a work over for her.

After yet another forced dinner with Kelvin and Grandma Janet, where she had to plaster on a fake smile and pretend everything was perfect, she excused herself after Grandma Janet had gone to her suite. Kelvin knew better than to stop her from leaving that night.

So Alice found herself checking out one of the ship’s art exhibitions. After admiring the collections to her satisfaction, she left the room and found herself wandering aimlessly - her own

exploration.

Somehow, she found herself in one of the quieter hallways of the ship—the ones meant for crew access. The lighting was dim, and there was a slight hum of the ship’s mechanics beneath her feet. She wasn’t even sure where she was going, but it didn’t matter - she was occupied in her thoughts, not about Kelvin but surprisingly about Daniel.

Though Daniel has told himself multiple times to stay away from her to avoid trouble, he still found himself drawn to her like a magnet. And no matter how hard he tried, he kept getting pulled toward her.

He watched her at dinner and saw them leave. Being controlled by his heart, he found himself following her, keeping his distance. First to the exhibition hall and then until he saw her enter a door labeled "Restricted Area: Storage."

His brows furrowed. "Where the hell is she going?"

Curiosity won over, and before he knew it, he was stepping into the dimly lit room after her.

Alice heard the door creak behind her and immediately turned, startled.

Her eyes widened when she saw Daniel. "What are you doing here?"

He smirked, "I could ask you the same thing."

Alice rolled her eyes. "I was exploring the ship. You shouldn’t be here."

"And you should?" he countered, raising a brow. "Didn't you see the sign, this is a restricted area"

She didn’t have a response to that, so she turned away, walking further into the storage room. There were crates stacked against the walls, neatly organized shelves of linens, cleaning supplies, and miscellaneous items used by the ship's crew. It smelled faintly of fresh wood and lavender.

Daniel followed her deeper inside, unable to resist teasing her. "Do you plan to hide here for the rest of the trip? Because I don't see why you would explore this part of the ship"

"Leave me alone, Daniel," she muttered.

And then, the door slammed shut behind them.

They both froze. Daniel turned back and tried the handle. It didn’t budge.

Alice’s stomach dropped. "Okay, what did you do?" she asked, rushing forward.

"Nothing" Daniel defended

She yanked at the handle, twisted it with all her might—but nothing.

"We're locked in" Alice announced.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "I can see that."

Alice let out a groan of frustration, pressing her forehead against the door. "This is your fault!"

"My fault?" Daniel scoffed. "You’re the one who walked in here first."

Alice turned to glare at him. "But you followed me! Who knows what you did to shut the door."

He crossed his arms. "You’re really blaming me for not wanting you to get kidnapped by storage-room pirates?"

Alice shot him a withering look. "You’re ridiculous."

He smirked. "And yet, you’re smiling."

Alice immediately forced the corners of her lips down. "I am not."

Daniel laughed, stepping closer. "You totally are."

She sighed, shaking her head, but she didn’t argue.

After trying everything—banging on the door, shouting for help (which was useless since this area was practically deserted), and looking for another exit—Alice slumped against one of the shelves.

Daniel sat on the floor across from her, watching her closely.

"Well," he finally said, breaking the silence, "I guess we just have to wait till someone comes in here to get something."

Alice sighed. "When? Tomorrow morning?"

"May be" Daniel said.

Alice groaned, "I just wanted to see what was stored in her and leave" she complained

"And now you've gotten the premium package, being locked in" Daniel teased.

"It's not funny Daniel" Alice warned.

"Why don't you try calling Kimberly to come and let us out" Daniel suggested.

"Cause I'm not with my phone here. I left it in my bag in my suite" Alice complained.

"I didn't bring mine also." Daniel said.

"We're stuck in here" Alice lamented

Daniel watched her, amused.

"What's going on in your head?" Alice asked, noticing his gaze.

"You have no idea how many times I’ve imagined this." He started.

Alice’s breath hitched. "What?"

He exhaled,"Being alone with you, together in a room like this.....alone, where I imagine holding you without fear of anyone walking in on us....."

Her heartbeat stuttered. "Daniel please don't start"

He stood up and moved closer to her, "I know it’s wrong," he murmured, his voice low and deep. "But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about it. About you."

Alice felt her stomach twist, a dangerous warmth spreading through her chest.

Daniel moved even closer to her.

"You want to know my biggest fantasy?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

She shouldn’t say yes. She shouldn’t want to hear it. But she wanted to.

She nodded.

Daniel swallowed, his lifted up his hand to her face, gently caressing her delicate skin. His touch warming her heart.

"It’s not something grand or extravagant. It’s simple. Just… you. Waking up beside me in the morning, your hair messy, your skin warm from sleep. Seeing you in my shirt, curled up on my couch, reading a book. Watching you laugh at one of my terrible jokes. Holding your hand, just because I can."

Alice’s heart clenched painfully.

"And then," he continued, leaning even closer to her, his lips almost touching her face, "there’s the way I dream of kissing you. Slowly, deeply, until you can’t breathe."

She moved back till her back bumped lightly against the wall "Daniel…"

He moved closer still to her, closing the little gap between them, his dark eyes heavy with something dangerous. "Tell me you don’t want that, too."

Alice opened her mouth, but no words came out because, she did want it more than she should.

Daniel placed one hand over her on the wall, and brought the other to her face again, touching her forehead sweetly.

"I dream of making you mine, Alice. Sometimes I just want to take you far far away from Kelvin, from his hurt to a place where your life would be filled with love, my love, my affection, my care....where you would be happy forever. Where you'd be mine and mine alone.

Alice was just lost, in his words, and in his touch. She avoided his gaze because she needed to be careful. She don't want to say anything that would make him begin to openly profess his love for her.

"I want to know something, Alice" Daniel said still caressing her face, "Do you even feel the same way about me? Do you love me the same way I do, or even a little bit?"

Alice heart was beating faster. She did. She was falling for Daniel even though she suppressed that feeling. But she won't say it. She wouldn't ensnare herself in trouble by confessing her feelings at least not till she was already divorced.

"I'm married Daniel" She whispered.

Daniel understood her dilemma. Slowly he backed down. He moved away from her. Her answer was enough to let him know that she did love him but was tied down by her marriage and society.

He smiled.

Alice breath slowed and just as she prayed for the door to be open for her to escape that tension, there was a noise outside.

Footsteps, a key turning. Then the door was unlocked and a crew member peeked in.

"Oh! Sorry, you were locked in," the staff member said, realizing

"Thank you" Alice said and bolted.

She didn’t look at Daniel. Didn’t say a word. She just left quickly.