Hundred and twelve

Alexandra’s Pov

I had just finished recounting the stunning views of Santorini to Brielle, who was clearly jealous of my getaway. Her voice echoed through the phone, full of mock outrage, “I swear, Alex, you should just move there permanently. You sound like you’re in love with that place more than an actual person.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, my smile reaching my eyes as I imagined the turquoise waters and sun-kissed buildings. “You have no idea, Bri. It’s like the world there doesn’t move at the same pace as everywhere else,” I said, stepping up the grand staircase of the mansion.

“Must be nice. I’m still stuck here listening to you live your dream. Anyways, tell me more about—”

The conversation came to a screeching halt when I noticed something odd out of the corner of my eye. My heart skipped a beat as I stopped in my tracks, my gaze snapping to the hallway ahead. Henry. He was walking out of Sophia’s room, looking as stoic as ever.

For a moment, I was paralyzed. My mind raced, trying to piece together what I was seeing. Sophia had been gone for a while, and I hadn't expected her back yet. Yet, there she was, standing not ten feet away from me, watching me intently as Henry turned, still wearing that calm, unreadable expression of his.

I didn't even realize I had stopped talking until I heard Brielle's voice faintly asking, “Alex? You still there?”

“I… yeah,” I managed, my voice not as steady as I’d hoped. My grip tightened on the phone. “Something’s come up, Bri. I’ll call you back.”

I hung up quickly, my pulse racing. Something wasn’t right.

Henry noticed me almost immediately, his eyes locking with mine, but he gave nothing away. The door to Sophia's room closed behind him with a soft click, and he turned to face me fully. I narrowed my eyes at him, studying him carefully.

“Why are you home early?” I asked, my tone sharp, more demanding than I intended. I didn’t like the way he looked. I didn’t like the way he’d just come from that room. My instincts were screaming at me, but I needed to hear him say something, anything... to calm the storm of questions brewing in my mind.

His response was predictably cold, the same as always. “It’s my house. Do I need a reason to be home?”

I bristled at his nonchalant tone. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” I said, stepping a little closer, trying to get a better read on him. But I got nothing. Just that hard, calm stare that had always unnerved me.

Before I could press further, the door behind him creaked open again, and Sophia stepped out into the hallway. She was leaning casually against the doorframe, her arms crossed, her lips twisted into a smirk. That damned smirk that always made my blood boil.

Sophia. Of course. I had figured she was out of the picture for good, but here she was. Her posture alone suggested she felt completely at home, as if she were entitled to be here, to be near Henry. I swallowed back the wave of confusion that hit me.

She glanced at me, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place. “Miss me, Alexandra?”

I didn’t answer her. Instead, I glanced back at Henry, looking for an explanation, but he didn’t give me one. His face was a mask, no emotion, no sign of discomfort or guilt, just cold indifference. I hated that about him, how he could shut off his emotions so easily, leaving nothing but that eerie calmness in his wake.

I could feel the silence stretching between us, thick and tense, before I finally broke it. “What’s going on here, Henry?” I asked, but he said nothing. He just stood there, his gaze unwavering, as if waiting for me to figure it out for myself.

Sophia, clearly enjoying the confusion she’d stirred up, gave a little chuckle, leaning against the doorframe with an air of superiority. “You look a bit lost, Alex. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” she said with a teasing edge to her voice, but I wasn’t in the mood for games.

My eyes snapped back to Henry. “What is she doing here?” I demanded, my voice low but filled with frustration. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew I wasn’t getting the answers I wanted.

His gaze flickered slightly, but he didn’t offer a word, not even a half-assed explanation. Instead, he just turned away from me, taking a few steps toward the stairs.

I stood there, rooted in place, my heart hammering in my chest. I wanted answers, and I wasn't sure why, but the lack of them was making my skin prickle with unease.

Sophia’s smirk widened as she crossed her arms. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you two to your little chat,” she said, turning and walking away with that same confident stride that I couldn’t stand. Her presence hung in the air like a bad smell, and I couldn’t help but feel as though I was being played.

For a long moment, I just stood there, my mind racing. The questions kept circling in my head, Why was Sophia here? Why had Henry come out of her room? Had they been… talking? Had something happened between them?

My stomach churned with the thoughts I didn’t want to entertain. The sense of unease I’d been pushing down all day was finally boiling over.

I couldn’t just leave it like this. I needed to know more, needed to confront him, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for whatever answers Henry might give.

As I turned to head downstairs, I glanced over my shoulder one last time. Henry was gone, and Sophia was nowhere to be seen. The hallway felt strangely empty without them, and I hated how unsettling that feeling was.

I knew one thing for sure: I wouldn’t rest until I figured out what the hell had just happened.

But for now, the only question that truly haunted me was why Henry had been coming out of Sophia’s room.

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