Chapter ninety six

Chapter ninety six
Alora's POV

"Oh my God," I screamed, clutching my chest, staring at the figure behind the curtains. The room was dimly lit, and I could barely see anything.

My hand reached for the bedside drawer to get the gun, but just then he stepped out, making me jump. A shiver ran down my spine.

"What the hell?" I yelled when the lights flickered on, revealing Rafe.

He was still in his suit, hands tucked away in his pockets.

"You scared me."

"Sorry," I looked up to meet his gaze. His expression was unreadable; we hadn't said a word to each other since he walked out on me.

"What are you doing here, hiding in curtains like a creep? Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?"

The words laced out of my mouth like venom, bitter. I couldn't even bring myself to swallow them, let alone accept them.

"I didn't come to fight with you," he said softly, taking a step toward me.

"Then what the hell do you want, Rafe? Haven't you done enough already?"

"You've been sleeping for long. I wanted to make sure you are okay."

A tinge of pain stung through me. This is what I wanted, but it was beyond reach.

"Why do you care?" I shrugged.

"You haven't eaten anything."

"I'm not hungry," I shot back, getting up from the bed, ready to use the bathroom. I'd never slept this long, but it was the only thing that relieved me from my chaotic mind, struggling with acceptance. I might as well sleep for eternity, but this man had no plans of letting me be.

I grabbed the door handle, but he pulled me back.

"You need to go down there and eat, or there will be consequences," he warned, his voice rough. The effect hit me hard, and if he even stepped an inch closer, I was going to lose my ground.

I shoved his hand away, steadying myself with the only shred of composure left.

"You can do whatever you want, Rafe. I don't give a fuck," I said, looking up into his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered, gritting his teeth.

He hesitated for a moment, taking a step back, his hands fisted, before storming off, leaving the door open behind him.

"Fuck," I cursed, running my hands through my hair. I rushed to the bathroom, feeling like my bladder could explode.

I walked to the sink, splashing water on my face, every ounce of me screaming each second I thought about him. I needed a way out of this place, or I was going to lose my mind slowly.

I took shallow breaths, then tied my hair into a messy bun. Clicking the door open, the moment I stepped out I froze.

"Hello, Alora," Victoria waved at me, sitting on the couch, her legs crossed.

"What do you want?" I questioned angrily. I didn't really have it in me to exchange words with her, knowing damn well she was only going to irritate me with that sly smirk.

"Straightforward, I see why Rafe is captivated by you."

With a deep sigh, I walked toward her. "Get out," I said, pointing to the door.

"I have an offer for you."

"I'm not interested."

She lowered her head, chuckling a bit before turning to meet my gaze.

"You were just warming Rafe's bed, knowing fully well that he loved another woman. Now that I'm back, I want you out of our lives."

Her words hovered over my head, sinking in one by one. I hated that I felt helpless in front of her, and she was almost right about everything, but I wouldn't just walk off without putting up a fight.

"I won't, and you won't threaten me to," I answered indifferently.

She got up, her heels clicking against the floor. The sound echoed through the room as she closed the distance between us.

"Seems like we are not in agreement. I'll go with plan B," she snorted.

Plan B? This woman was evil, but I didn't know to what extent she would go to have her way. From her wicked smile, it was something bad.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you," she moved my hair to the side.

"I'm not scared of you."

She was silent for a second, watching me like prey from head to toe.

"I wish your brain was as sharp as your mind. Maybe then you'd know that the man you love is keeping you in the dark about your biological parents."

My jaw dropped, my eyes frozen on her face, my heart rate spiking at once.

"What?" I asked before my brain could process.

"Let's just say..."

"Honey, why is the door this wide? Where are you at?" Macko’s voice came from the doorway as he walked in with a tray in hand.

We both turned to him as his eyes moved from Victoria to me.

"Byeee," Victoria whispered, winking at me before walking off. The room remained silent, only the clicks of her heels echoing as she walked down the stairs.

I was still in a daze, my chest heaving with deep breaths each second.

"What was that about?" Macko asked.

"Nothing," I dismissed. He stared at me for a moment but didn't press further as I sat down on the couch. Could she be telling me the truth? No. Rafe wouldn't hide something that important from me, but then again, with what he did, nothing about him at the moment gave me the benefit of the doubt.

"Are you going to eat, or should I return this back?" Macko asked, setting the food in front of us.

Just as I opened my mouth to protest, my stomach growled loudly.

"That's quite an answer. Dig in," he said.

I picked up the fork, picking at my food, unable to bring it to my mouth. I reached for the milkshake instead, but he shoved my hand away.

"Eat first."

I rolled my eyes, forcing the salad down my throat. He knew it was my favorite, but he wasn't going to let me have it yet.

After ten minutes, I pushed the half-eaten food aside. My stomach felt off. Not entirely sure why, I glanced at the two empty milkshake glasses.

"How could you...?" I muttered, my hand trembling slightly.

"Alora..."

"Macko, what the hell is happening?" I asked, kneeling beside him.

He froze. His eyes narrowed, not at me, but somewhere else. A bead of sweat ran down his temple.

"Alora," he repeated, his voice uneven this time.

A sudden wave of nausea hit me. I pressed a hand to my stomach, my fork clattering against the plate.

Macko stumbled back, gripping his chest. His face paled.

I blinked, trying to steady myself, but the room seemed to tilt sideways.

Watching him struggle while my own body betrayed me, I knew hunger had nothing to do with what was happening to us.