Chapter Five: Secrets and Lies

The next morning, the dining room was filled with the warm aroma of freshly brewed tea and the soft chatter of the family. Alexia, Bryan, Rachel, and Churchill sat around the table, enjoying their sandwiches and tea.

However, Alexia's appetite seemed to have deserted her.

She barely touched her food,

her tea cup rotating in her hand like a nervous habit.

The single bite of sandwich she took remained lodged in her mouth, as if she'd forgotten how to swallow.

Bryan's eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

he asked, his voice laced with a gentle urgency.

Alexia forced a weak smile, her eyes avoiding his.

"Nothing, just a bit tired."

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but Churchill swiftly intervened,

almost choking her with a sandwich. Bryan's expression turned stern, his voice rising.

"What's going on, Alexia? Tell me the truth!"

Alexia's sigh was heavy, her words barely above a whisper. "Alfred wanted to talk to me."

Bryan's eyes widened, his face paling. "Who? Alfred? What does he want?"

Alexia's gaze dropped, her voice barely audible.

"He asked how I was doing...and then told me that a friend of his, someone I used to be close to,

was involved in an accident last month and passed away."

The room fell silent, the only sound the soft clinking of tea cups and the weight of unspoken secrets.

"Who is he?"

Bryan asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I know all your friends, let's go upstairs and talk about this."

He gestured towards the stairs, his tone firm but gentle.

Alexia reluctantly agreed, and they headed to their room, the tension between them palpable. Once inside, Bryan pressed her for answers. "Who is he? You're not telling me the truth, Alexia."

Alexia's eyes darted around the room, avoiding his gaze.

"Victor...he wasn't in our school. He was a friend of Alfred's, and that's how I met him."

Bryan's expression turned skeptical. He knew she was hiding something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He felt a surge of frustration, his love for her warring with his desire to uncover the truth.

"In anything you do, just remember one thing: Alfred left you when you needed him most, and I was there for you. I love you so much, Alexia. Don't shut me out now."

The air was thick with unspoken words, the silence between them heavy with secrets and doubts.

Bryan's voice rose, his words laced with anguish. "You're lying, Alexia, and I know it. Stop torturing me with your secrets! Are you cheating on me?"

Alexia's response was calm and firm.

"I'm married to you, Bryan, and I have no intention of betraying that vow."

Bryan's eyes narrowed, his voice taking on a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, really?

If your dad didn't force you to marry me, would you have even considered it? And if Alfred didn't dump you, would you have ever looked my way?"

Alexia's expression remained steadfast, but a hint of pain flickered in her eyes.

Downstairs, Churchill and Rachel sat in uncomfortable silence, listening to the argument unfold.

Churchill's eyes narrowed, his voice low and urgent.

"Rachel, why did you speak up? You should have kept quiet. Now your mother might be in trouble."

Rachel's face crumpled, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Churchill. I didn't mean to cause harm. I didn't know it would lead to this."

"You're not saying anything, you don't love me,"

Bryan said, his voice trembling as she tried to reach out to Bryan,

he cut her off, his words laced with pain and anger.

"I don't need your lies, Alexia." He snatched his car keys from the table and stormed downstairs, the sound of the front door slamming shut echoing through the house.

Rachel and Churchill stood frozen in the living room, watching as Bryan's car screeched out of the driveway. Upstairs, Alexia's sobs grew louder, her body shaking with remorse.

She hated herself for hurting Bryan, for marrying him when she didn't love him.

"He really loves me, but I don't love him,"

she cried out, her voice muffled by the pillow. "I'm so wicked and selfish.

I wouldn't have married him if Alfred hadn't missed up,if my dad hadn't blackmail me,I was left with no choice."

The tears flowed like a river, her heart heavy with guilt and regret.

Alexia's mind raced with thoughts of what could have been, of the love she had tossed aside for a marriage of convenience.

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

Alfred's eyes fluttered open, his mind foggy from the night before. He was met with a shocking sight a stunning woman lying naked beside him, her slender body wrapped in his bedsheets. He was equally unclothed, his memories of the previous night hazy.

The woman stirred, her eyes locking onto Alfred's with a sultry gaze.

"Hello, handsome,"

she purred, her fingers tracing his chest. Her voice was husky, her intentions clear.

Alfred's reaction was swift and firm. He pushed her away, his face stern.

"I think you should leave."

He tossed a wad of cash on the bedside table, hoping to expedite her departure.

But the woman refused the money, her smile unwavering.

"I'm not a prostitute, darling. I'm Sophia, daughter of the CEO of Delicias Foods."

She dropped her business card on the table, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

As she dressed, Alfred's mind raced with questions. What had happened last night? How did he end up with this mysterious woman? Sophia's enigmatic smile lingered in his thoughts long after she left, leaving him with a sense of unease and curiosity.

Alfred groggily got out of bed, his head pounding from the night's excesses. He stumbled to the kitchen, his eyes scanning the room for a remedy for his hangover.

He opened the fridge, the bright light making him squint, and grabbed a bottle of water and some painkillers.

As he downed the pills and took a long swig of water, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. The encounter with Sophia had left him feeling bewildered and more than a little concerned.

Who was this woman, and why had he taken her home?

He rubbed his temples, trying to remember the events of the previous night.

Fragments of conversations and laughter floated through his mind, but the details remained hazy. He hoped that as the day went on, his memories would return.