Welcome Home

— Lilith's POV— 

The rest of the ride was a blur, I'm pretty sure my cousin was rambling on as he tried to get me to speak, but my attention was elsewhere, I was just too distracted.

On the far side of the limo, Alexander sat silently, brooding. 

I swear I could feel him watching me, studying me, trying to understand me. I didn't dare look, but that didn't stop me from stealing glances. 

I didn't want him to catch me looking.

"Grandfather will be so happy that you're home!" Lex said as we pulled up in front of the imposing Durfort manor, his gray eyes glistening with mischief.

"You haven't told him I'm back?" I asked as I looked up at the old stone walls and the vines of ivy that crawled up its walls.

 "No, I wanted it to be a surprise," a mischievous smile spread on my cousin's lips, he was definitely up to something.

I couldn't help but glance worriedly at Alexander, my cousin was dragging him through this shit storm and he hadn't said anything. The Alexander I knew was not this compliant, no, Alexander Harris bent to no one.

"You can't seriously be alright with Lexington dragging you along through all this," I did my best to keep my voice steady, I didn't want to show them how unnerving it was to speak to Alexander after all these years, after everything that happened between us, after we had parted ways.

"It's entertaining," he simply answered, I glared back at my cousin, annoyed that he would drag my ex into this.

"Let's go, I told Grandpa we had a special guest," Lex said excitedly as he pulled me out of the car. "And no, Lilith, I didn't mean you."

He laughed as I shook my head.

Yes, my ex, the man I once thought I'd spend my forever with was the very same special guest he was insinuating. How he and Alexander became this close was a mystery to me. 

When I left Lex was one of the few people Alexander could stand being around, but now? It was almost as if they were best friends or some shit.

I didn't need to turn to know that Alexander was stepping out of the car and walking toward us. Something about his aura simply oozed dominance and demanded respect, it made the world gravitate around him, myself included.

Why didn't he just leave? I was sure that his car was among those that followed us from my husband's home to the Durfort manor.

I didn't have the time to dwell on Alexander's presence, however, my attention was quickly stolen when a vase shattered at the door.

"M— M— M— Miss Lilith!" a woman I would recognize anywhere gasped, it was my personal maid from back when I lived in the manor. 

"Hello, Rose," I tried my best to give her a reassuring smile, her gaze then shifted to Lex and a look passed between them.

"It's good to have you back, Miss Lilith," she greeted me before turning her attention back to my cousin. "Does Mr. Durforth know?"

"No," my cousin looked guilty as he scratched the back of his head. "Could you inform him that I've arrived and that we will meet him in his study? Don't tell him about Lilith though, I want it to be a surprise."

She bowed and quickly ran off, probably to get my Grandfather.

Several members of the staff soon filled out of the manor, many greeting me with familiar and warm smiles. I knew most of them, there were maybe one or two new employees but people tended to stay in the family's employ until retirement.

"This way, the maids will bring your things to your old room," I didn't bother arguing with my cousin as he led me through the manor.

We were occasionally greeted by warm smiles by the staff. My heart warmed at the thought of being home, especially after years of being with Jason's family and with the way they treated me over the years.

Eventually, we found our way to my Grandfather's study and I pulled back.

Lex gave me a concerned look, I just needed a moment. 

"Grandpa would never turn you away," Lex said as he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "Let's go."

"Welcome home," I heard Alexander's deep voice as his lips brushed my ear, sending my heart thundering in my chest. 

It was so light that I couldn't help but question if that had truly happened or if it was just a figment of my imagination, a repressed desire that was always there despite me choosing another.

Pulling me from my thoughts, Lex pushed the grand double doors open and entered with me in tow.

"Grandpa, guess who I brought," Lex proudly announced.

My Grandfather, Luther Durfort, looked up from his desk as his eyes went wide.

"L— L— Lilith?" he stuttered, my Grandfather never stuttered.

"No, I brought Alexander!" Lex said as he pointed at the man who stood by the closed doors. Despite my Grandfather and cousin being in the same room, his gaze remained on me.

"Lilith is family, how would she be a guest?" Lex asked, cocking his head to the side, earning him a scoff from Alexander in response.

As I tore my gaze from the man who once held my heart I looked back at my Grandfather.

Luther Durfort looked just as he had when I left, but there was a softness in his features now, he even looked like he was about to cry.

"Hi, Grandpa," I tried to smile but my lips trembled. 

When I left my husband's home I hadn't even thought about what it would be like to see him again.

He had been so adamant that Jason wasn't the man for me and that he didn't truly love me. I was so stubborn back then that his words only drove me to Jason and to that damn marriage.

"Lilith!" he finally let a breath that he was holding out and quickly walked over. 

To my surprise, Grandpa pulled me into his arms and held me tight.

"Please tell me you're alright, please tell me you've decided to leave that asshole of a husband of yours and come home?" he asked as he continued to hold me.

"I have, Grandpa, you were right, he didn't really love me," I began to cry as I rested my head on his chest.

He might have been old, but my Grandfather, like all the Durfort men, towered over me. As a matter of fact, I felt tiny in this room with Alexander added into the mix.

"I'm sure he loved you at some point," he said as he gently caressed my hair, I know he was only saying that to make me feel better, it wasn't the truth. "But I couldn't stand watching him turn you into a blood bank and use you like that. I almost intervened and dragged you back, but I knew you wouldn't want that, I knew you would want to make that choice on your own."

"Y— y— y— you knew?" I asked, stunned by what he had just said. But he was right, if he had forced me to come back I would probably have hated him and the rest of the family.

"Of course I did," he said as he finally released me from his hold. "I would never have let you truly be out there without our family's protection. If he went too far I would have stepped in, I'm just glad it didn't reach that point."

"Thank you, Grandpa," as much as I hated to admit it I would have needed their help if Jason had pushed me too far.

He gave me a sweet smile as he cupped my cheek and looked me over as if trying to see if there was any other damage done.

"He didn't beat me," I assured him. "I wouldn't have let him if he did."

"I know you wouldn't have," he said with a nod.

He gave me one last hug before releasing me and walking back to sit behind his large Mahogany desk.

"Now, if you remember, we had a deal," my Grandfather smiled, sending a slight chill up my spine.

This is why he was such a good businessman, just a look from him was intimidating enough, but I wasn't afraid, at least not anymore.

"I'm not exactly against the terms of that deal anymore," I shrugged.

It was the truth, after what I had suffered with Jason I wasn't against what my Grandfather initially planned.

"All of it?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, looking at the man who stayed silent by the door.

"All of it, though, I'm still hesitant about certain parts," I confessed. I was pretty sure I was blushing at the thought of that clause.

"Good," Grandpa said with a smile on his lips.

"I guess you should join us for dinner, Alexander, after all, you'd need to get reacquainted with your fiance, no?" my heart thundered at the mention of that clause, the single one I had been so hesitant of.

"It would be my pleasure, Grandpa," I heard Alexander say as he stood behind me, bowing as a stray strand of his raven dark hair fell on his face.

"Perfect," Grandpa said, smiling. "Gather everyone home, Lexington."