Chapter 3 Weird!
|| Authors Pov ||
The next day.
Tristian worked on the laptop, sitting on the couch in the middle of the hall. Alice was alone in the mansion with her brother-in-law.
Nick had gone somewhere she didn’t know, and her mother-in-law had gone to her sister’s house. Alice walked down the stairs when her eyes landed on the bulky man. Tristian Volcov.
Alice looked away slowly and began to walk toward the kitchen.
“Come here!”
Alice halted in her tracks at the deep, commanding tone. She turned back to see him focused on the laptop. She stood silently, unsure of what to do. Should she obey? Or leave?
Just then, Tristian looked up at her.
“Why are you still standing there?”
Alice blinked her innocent eyes, but his intense gaze made her heartbeat quicken. She forced her legs to move, walking toward him slowly and steadily. Her steps were tiny, cautious.
“Sit here.”
Tristian said, his voice carrying the weight of a command. Alice gulped in confusion as he gestured for her to sit beside him.
She hesitated but obeyed, maintaining a careful distance on the couch. Tristian raised an eyebrow at her and glanced at the laptop screen. Alice nervously balled her hands in her lap, looking down, confused by why he had called her over.
“How are you feeling now?” he asked, his voice calm yet filled with quiet authority.
He was concerned about her. Because she looked so innocent and after seeing her husband dancing with another woman, maybe she was sad. And top of that, Nick has left the mansion.
Alice slowly nodded, looking down. “Fine.”
“Nick didn’t come home last night?” he questioned, still focused on the laptop. Alice shook her head, lips trembling.
Tristian finally closed the laptop and looked at her. As soon as Alice saw him look at her, she immediately lowered her gaze to her lap.
He studied her carefully, silently questioning how innocent she was, unaware of what her husband was doing behind her back. Tristian knew exactly what Nick was doing with the woman he considered his girlfriend, leaving Alice alone and oblivious.
He couldn’t understand how naive she was, believing her husband without any suspicion. She had no idea what Nick was doing.
Cheating.
Tristian decided to test her for once.
“Where do you think Nick went to?”
Alice stayed silent for a moment, then parted her lips, still staring at her lap.
“H-he left without telling.” she stammered, finally speaking what her heart had been forced to accept.
“Who do you think that girl is to Nick?”
He asked, wanting to gauge her heart, to see how calm she remained after seeing her husband with another woman. Tristian didn’t normally interfere in such matters, but what he had seen last night forced him to act.
\---
FLASHBACK
“Sit here…” Tristian had said after their dance, the same one performed to show Nick how Alice was being humiliated.
But Tristian had been too furious to see Nick completely unbothered even after witnessing them. He looked around, deciding to take a break, leaving the small woman alone.
Passing by the kitchen, he heard unusual sounds. Compelled to check, he walked closer, hands clenched in his pockets.
Tristian’s jaw clenched, muscles tight with barely contained rage. His fists curled at his sides. His brother had gone too far. He was cheating on that poor soul. His innocent fragile wife deserved none of this. And yet, the audacity, the cruelty of it, burned hotter than anything Tristian had felt in years.
He stepped back, silence hanging heavy in the air. His mind raced, the cold, measured fury of a Volcov ready to act beginning to rise.
Tristian’s gaze swept over the kitchen one last time before he silently turned away. His mind was made up, he would not let this injustice stand!
\---
PRESENT TIME
Tristian let out a huge sigh, recalling that moment, while Alice remained completely unaware of the betrayal happening behind her back.
“She must be his friend.” she replied innocently, thinking nothing more. Tristian nodded with a sigh, restraining his anger, choosing to give her a chance.
“Good woman.” he rasped, satisfied with her naive answer.
“Can… can I go now?” Alice asked softly, her voice submissive. Tristian nodded, and she immediately stood and hurried away, disappearing from his sight.
He watched her figure vanish, his eyes dark and unreadable.
\---
AT NIGHT
Alice served rice onto her mother-in-law, Martha’s plate while Tristian took his seat at the dining table. His first gaze, naturally, fell on her.
“Sweetie, where’s Nick? I haven’t seen him since I came back.” Martha asked and Alice swallowed nervously. “Mom… he-he.. um…”
Martha raised her eyebrows.
“He went outside,” Tristian said, glancing at Alice. He didn’t want to reveal anything yet, shielding Alice from having to explain Nick’s mistreatment.
“Oh! I haven’t seen him since last night’s party either,” Martha added. Tristian kept his eyes on Alice, though she kept her gaze down.
“Maybe you’re mistaken. Now eat, Mom.” he said, deflecting further questions. Alice’s eyes softened slightly, grateful for his quiet protection.
“That boy…”Martha muttered, knitting her brows as she ate.
After serving her mother, Alice went to Tristian to serve him as well. “Why are you standing, dear? Sit down.” Martha said.
“No, Mom. I’m n-not hungry,” she replied softly, barely audible.
“No, dear. You need to eat with us,” Martha told her with a smile. Alice blinked, steadying herself. She wanted to wait for her husband.
“I’ll eat when he comes back.” Alice whispered with gloom in her voice.
Martha smiled knowingly at her careful nature. Tristian observed her silently, noting how ethereally adorable she looked, though he reminded himself not to care about her appearance.
He rolled his tongue inside his mouth, then abruptly stood, catching both Alice and Martha’s attention.
“Tristian, where are you going without eating?” Martha inquired.
“Nothing, mom, just don’t have an appetite.” he replied, walking away without further explanation, not allowing his mother to insist.
Alice watched his retreating figure, chest tightening.
“Both brothers are acting weird.” Martha muttered with a sigh, knitting her brows while eating while casting a curious glance at her son.