Page 116 of Whispers in the Dark
She married me so she could give her brothers exactly what they’ve wanted.
I shake my head.
After everything that’s happened between us.
After everything we’ve shared.
After last night…
Was it all a lie?
A sharp, blinding pain tears through my chest, stealing the air from my lungs. A raw sound rips out of me before I can stop it, rough and broken, echoing through the empty gym.
Silence follows, filling the space around us. It presses in from all sides as my mind searches for a plausible explanation it can’t find. Something that makes this betrayal make sense. Something that doesn’t leave me shattered beyond repair.
My head drops, a harsh breath leaving me as the weight of it all finally settles.
It really was all pretend. None of it was real.
“Where is she now?”
I face him.Out to dinner with Madeleine and Scarlett.
Alex pulls his phone from his pocket and presses it to his ear. “Madeleine, where are you?” He nods, pacing once. “And it’s all three of you there? Alright. No, nothing’s wrong. I’m on my way now. Stay put.” He ends the call and slips the phone back into his pocket. “They’re in the city. At a wine bar.Rouge ou Blanc.” Taking a step closer to me, he places his hand on my shoulder. “How do you want to handle this?”
I’ll talk to her.
“Okay,” he responds, studying my face. “But I’m coming with you.”
I don’t expect you to.
“I know.” Worry washes over his eyes. “But I’m your brother. Whatever happens next, you don’t face it alone.” He pauses, then adds quietly, “You know we’re going to have to inform Vin.”
I sigh. He’s right.Let me talk to her first.
He nods. “I’ll wait by the car when you’re ready.” He gives my shoulder a final squeeze before turning away, ducking between the ropes, and disappearing from the gym.
The door shuts behind him, leaving the space unnervingly silent.
I lift my gaze to the mirror across the room.
And the longer I stare at my reflection, the more the truth becomes apparent.
I was never meant to have a happily ever after.
Chapter twenty-nine
Alina
Something feels off. I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but I feel it churning in the pit of my stomach, like little sirens wailing in my head, urging me to turn around and drive home without looking back.
But I can’t do that.
Not when I need to get my dad and bring him back to the Alarie Estate, where he’ll be safe.
I let out a deep breath.
It’s time to tell Mauro everything. Tonight. No putting it off any longer.
