Chapter 8 Silent Alarm
Sarah woke up to an empty bed and the smell of Alex.
He had slipped out before dawn, leaving a note on her pillow: "Breakfast is in the oven. See you soon, Sarah."
She should have felt cherished. Instead, she felt hunted.
She reached for her phone, and her heart stopped. The screen showed a completed call to Stacy. Duration: 52 minutes.
"No," she whispered, her voice cracking. "No, no, no."
She realized with a sickening jolt that while she was surrendering to Alex’s touch, her best friend and assistant had been on the other end of the line, listening to her moans and Alex’s commanding voice. The boundary between her private shame and her professional life hadn't just been crossed—it had been demolished.
She dressed in a hurry, choosing a high-necked blouse to hide the faint marks on her skin. She didn't touch the breakfast Alex made. She couldn't eat.
When Sarah walked into the office, the usual hum of Sarah’s Interior Decor felt like a funeral. She avoided looking at the reception desk and went straight to her private room.
Five minutes later, the door opened. Stacy didn't knock. She walked in, locked the door behind her, and stood there with her arms crossed. Her eyes were red, like she’d been up all night.
"I tried to hang up," Stacy said, her voice trembling a little.
"I really did, Sarah. But I was so scared for you. I thought... I thought he was hurting you at first. And then I realized what was actually happening."
Sarah sank into her leather chair, hiding her face in her hands.
"Stacy, I’m so sorry. I didn't know the phone was on. It was an accident."
"The phone call was an accident. The affair isn't," Stacy snapped. She walked over to the desk and leaned down.
"Sarah, I heard him call you 'mama.' I heard the way you spoke to him. We agreed you needed to give him space. He’s twenty-two! He’s Mark’s best friend! If that recording ever got out—"
"Recording?" Sarah looked up, eyes wide. "You recorded it?"
"My phone does it automatically for business calls," Stacy whispered.
"I deleted it, Sarah. Of course I deleted it. But I can't delete it from my head. You are playing with fire, and Joseph is already standing there with a gas can. Anything to cause a scandal."
"I know," Sarah groaned. "But he makes me feel things, Stacy. Things Joseph never did."
"He’s a boy playing at being a man," Stacy said firmly.
"And right now, he’s a boy who could cost you your son and your company's reputation. Speaking of Joseph... he called the office ten minutes ago. He didn't want to talk to you. He wanted to know if Mark had been by here today."
The blood drained from Sarah’s face. "Why would he ask that?"
"He’s digging, Sarah. He knows something is off. He’s trying to find a wedge to use in that court case he threatened months ago."
Before Sarah could respond, her desk phone buzzed. It was the front desk.
"Mrs. Hayes? Alex is here. He says he has some 'samples' for the new project? I told him you were in a meeting, but he’s insisting."
Sarah and Stacy locked eyes. The audacity was breathtaking. He wasn't satisfied with the bedroom; he was bringing the danger into her sanctuary.
"Send him in," Sarah said, her voice sounding foreign to her ears.
"Sarah, don't," Stacy warned, but she stepped back as the door opened.
Alex walked in, looking refreshed and dangerously handsome in a simple white tee and jeans. He carried a small folder, but his eyes went straight to Sarah’s. He didn't even acknowledge Stacy’s presence at first.
"Morning," he said, his voice a low, intimate drawl. "I figured you forgot your lunch, so I brought it. And these 'samples' we talked about."
Stacy cleared her throat, her face a mask of disgust.
"I’ll leave you to your... samples, Sarah. We’ll talk later. About the legal risks." She emphasized the word 'legal' before stepping out and slamming the door.
The room went silent. Alex didn't seem bothered. He walked around the desk, invading Sarah’s space just like he had in the kitchen.
"She knows, doesn't she?" Alex asked. He wasn't whispering.
"She heard the phone call last night, Alex! She heard everything!" Sarah stood up, her hands trembling. "You shouldn't be here. This is my place of work. You’re going to ruin everything that I've built in this world. You're young and won't understand that, you won't—"
Alex reached out, grabbing her waist and pulling her flush against him.
"Relax, Sarah. Stacy isn't going to say a word. She’s loyal to you. And as for ruining things... I think I’m the only thing making your life interesting right now."
"My ex-husband is looking for a reason to take my money and my house. He is playing hot and cold but I know what he's doing," Sarah hissed, trying to push him away.
"If he finds out about us, he’ll use it to prove I’m an unfit mother or some other lie. He’ll tell Mark!"
Alex’s grip tightened. His eyes darkened, the humor vanishing.
"Let him try. Joseph is a ghost. I’m the one here. I’m the one in your bed. I’m the one who knows how you taste."
He leaned in, his lips inches from hers.
"Mark is at the gym. He thinks I’m running errands. Why don't you lock this door and show me how glad you are that I brought you lunch?"
"No," Sarah said, but her body was already betraying her, leaning into his heat.
"Alex, stop. We have to be smart."
"I am being smart," he whispered, his hand sliding down to the small of her back.
"I’m making sure you remember who you belong to. No matter what Joseph says in a courtroom."
Just then, a knock sounded on the door.
"Sarah? Your ex husband is here, he insists there's something urgent to see you about."
It was Stacy.
Sarah froze in Alex’s arms. Her ex-husband was in the reception, and her young lover was on the other, his hands still under her blouse.
"Don't move," she whispered to Alex, her heart ready to burst.
"Why not?" Alex whispered back, a wicked smile growing on his face.
"Let’s see how 'repressed' he thinks you are now."