Chapter 44- Stay Away

The house was quiet when Nicholas and I arrived, our footsteps echoing down the hallway as we stepped inside. I set my bag down by the door, stretching my sore muscles. After a journey like that, all I could think about was sinking into my bed and letting the exhaustion take over. But before I could even slip off my coat, Jace and Mabel appeared, practically vibrating with some urgent bit of news.

"Ms Cleo!" Mabel's whisper was tinged with excitement, her eyes darting around as though she expected Alex or Selena to appear any second. Jace, beside her, crossed his arms, giving me a look that told me something had happened while I was gone.

"What is it?" I asked, curiosity stirring despite my fatigue.

Jace and Mabel exchanged glances, and then Mabel leaned closer, lowering her voice even further. "Sorry to disturb you but I just had to inform you right away before Mr Alex gets back. There has been a new development." 

"Ms Selena moved in in your absence. She came with a moving fan that had all her clothes in it. Mr Alex introduced her to the rest of the staff as the new Lady of the house." she said, her words a mix of weariness and hesitation.

"Lady of the house?" I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "That's interesting. Where is she staying?"

"He had us reserve the whole left wing of the house for her," Mabel said, rolling her eyes. 

"But that's not all— when Selena came back with him, I saw her holding a pamphlet. I was able to get Jace to get a closer look and find out what it was. It was from a fertility clinic."

Nicholas and I exchanged confused looks. 

A fertility clinic?

Didn't Alex and Selena think they were moving a little too fast? 

Jace nodded slowly. "While trying to find out what the pamphlet said, I overheard them arguing. Selena was telling Alex that whatever he was suggesting was... well, she said it was crazy." He shook his head, his expression mirroring my own skepticism.

My eyes narrowed, a familiar unease bubbling up. It was just like Alex to get tangled up in something reckless, and it was just like Selena to be in all kinds of shady stuff.  Still, after everything that had happened today, I wasn't in the mood to get wrapped up in their schemes. Not yet.

"We'll talk about this later in detail. But for now we've had a long day, any other information you have to share can wait till tomorrow."

Nicholas said firmly as he put his hand stoned my waist. I could see Jace's eyes fly towards him and I couldn't read the expression on his face. 

"Nicholas is right. You will tell me every detail tomorrow. Whatever is it they're up to we have time find out," I said, letting out a tired sigh. "But we'll figure it out later. Right now, I just want to rest."

Jace looked slightly disappointed, but he nodded, offering me a small smile. "Fine. But don't think you're off the hook Ms Cleo. We have lots to catch up on."

I couldn't help but chuckle, Nicholas was stoic next to me, unflinching and unmoving. "Yes, we do," I promised him. "I'll debrief you later. You can fill me in on everything I missed while I was away."

With that, I slipped past them, heading toward the solitude of my room. Whatever Alex and Selena were up to, it could wait until tomorrow. For now, I was more than happy to ignore the mystery and let sleep claim me.

............

The night was thick with silence, every shadow stretching long, every creak of the house amplified in the stillness. I lay in bed, eyes open, tracing the patterns of moonlight on the ceiling, unable to escape the thoughts gnawing at my mind. I thought I could rest. I had climbed into my bed with the thought of letting sleep claim me for a very very long time. But even as I closed my eyes very hard, sleep eluded me. 

Nicholas lay beside me, his breathing steady, deep, as if he had nothing in the world to worry about. But I couldn't let it go, not after everything that had happened. The study was where I found the pictures that led me to find out that my uncle was still alive, I wondered if there were other things it held in store for me. The endless questions in my mind gnawed at me, restlessness prickling under my skin.

I slipped quietly out of bed, pausing to make sure Nicholas didn't stir, then padded out of the room and down the corridor, back to that darkened study. I wanted answers, something tangible to tie together the pieces of my father's secrets. To find out if there was more awaiting me. The mahogany door loomed ahead, and as I turned the handle after unlocking it, the familiar scent of old leather and faint tobacco drifted out, grounding me in memories of him. I stepped inside, the lamp casting a soft, amber glow across the scattered papers that I wondered if they had always been there. 

I barely had a moment to resume my search when the door creaked open behind me. I froze, half expecting Nicholas to appear in the doorway. But instead, Alex entered, his face a mask of something between surprise and... worry? He looked jittery, his gaze darting around the room probably wondering what I had touched or taken. 

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here," he said, his voice tight. "This place was locked. Locked."

"Locked?" I repeated, folding my arms and looking at him with open defiance. "It's my house, Alex. I have every right to be here."

He shifted, his expression hardening, frustration sparking in his eyes. "Well it's also mine and I don't want you here. Leave. Now." The order in his tone grated on my nerves, but I stood my ground.

"This is my father's study," I said coolly. "I am not going anywhere. This house belongs to me too, and I am not leaving here unless I want to so I suggest you go back to bed."

That's when something in him snapped. Before I could react, his hand shot out, gripping my arm in a painful hold, and he started dragging me toward the door. His face was a mask of fury, his voice a low hiss as he muttered, "You think you can just come in here and—"

"Let go of me!!" I screamed, twisting against his hold. I felt a surge of fear, but it was chased by anger—I would not be handled like this. "Nicholas!" My voice broke through the stillness of the house, a desperate plea.

Within seconds, Nicholas burst into the study, eyes wild as he took in the scene. Without a word, he was at my side, prying Alex's hand off me and shoving him backward.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nicholas demanded, his voice cold and low, an edge to it I'd rarely heard.

Alex stumbled back, fury and something darker flashing across his face. He barely had time to recover before Nicholas's fist connected with his jaw, sending him reeling. "How dare you touch my wife like that?! Stay away from her," Nicholas warned, his voice laced with menace. "Or you'll regret it."

Alex staggered, clutching his jaw, blood dripped from his lips. Nicholas must have punched him a little too hard. 

His eyes narrowed as he looked from me to Nicholas. A twisted smirk formed on his lips as he spoke, a sickly calm to his voice. "You'll get what's coming to you, Nicholas. Both of you will."

A chill ran down my spine at the words, a promise hanging in the air, thick and ominous. I felt Nicholas's hand slip protectively around my shoulder, his touch grounding me. Together, we watched as Alex left, his silhouette fading into the darkness of the hall, leaving me with a gnawing fear and even more questions than before.