Chapter 11
“How’s life with Alaric treating you?” Amabel asked, her voice smooth as silk as she sat across from Cedrissa on the patio.
Cedrissa shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s… complicated,” she responded, her expression neutral. “He was quite… colorful with his insults last night, and I ended up sleeping on the couch,”
She sighed, shaking her head slightly. “I wish we could just have separate rooms, to be honest.”
“I understand your frustration, but that’s not an option. You need to share the room with him, no matter what,” Amabel said, her voice gentle. “The thing is, Alaric doesn’t let anyone into his room except Easton, and you should have noticed—Easton is a loyal dog—not someone we could even get on our side,”
“You’re his wife, so he’s stuck sharing the room,” Amabel lectured. She leaned forward, her eyes locked onto Cedrissa’s. “You’ve got to put up with whatever he dishes out because you need to keep a close eye on him.”
Cedrissa nodded. “You want me to spy on him?” She said, her tone questioning.
Sadie nodded, her eyes never leaving Cedrissa’s. “Exactly. You need to gather information about everything you notice. If he makes any suspicious calls or Easton delivers a document, you must keep me updated…”
Her gaze intensified, her eyes slightly widening as she asked, “can you do that for Felix?”
Cedrissa’s smile spread slowly across her face as she boldly nodded. “Yes,” she answered, assuring, “I won’t forget. I’ll do exactly as you ask and update you on every detail—no matter how small.”
Amabel settled back into her chair, relaxed. She crossed her feet and raised a finger. “One more thing, sweetheart.”
“What is it, ma?” Cressida asked, her tone attentive.
Amabel leaned forward, her eyes locking intensely onto Cedrissa’s as she raised her index and middle finger. “I have two plans in motion,” she said, her voice low. “If one doesn’t pan out, the other will,”
Her gaze never wavered as she explained, “for the second plan, I’ll…” she said and paused, rephrasing, “this is teamwork, so I should say—we’ll need to get ahead of the game,”
“You must get close to Alaric. I mean, really close. You need to earn his trust, make him believe you’re on his side, and… manipulate him…”
Her voice was calculated, devoid of emotion. “Make him fall for you—until he’ll do whatever you request.”
Cedrissa exhaled slowly. “It’s a tall order, but I’ll do my best,” she promised, her voice firm. “Anything for Felix.”
Amabel’s face lit up with a warm smile. “Thanks. And I promise you won’t regret it,” she assured, her voice dripping with sincerity.
She paused and sighed before she continued, “most importantly, I think you should limit your interactions with Felix and me from now on,” she suggested. “We can’t afford to arouse Alaric’s suspicions, so you should head back now before he wakes up.”
Cedrissa nodded. “Okay, ma.” She agreed, pushing her chair back and standing up. She turned and walked away, leaving Amabel to her thoughts.
As Cedrissa disappeared into the mansion, Rowan rushed to the patio. “Good afternoon, ma,” she greeted, her voice respectful. Without waiting for a response, she threw a question, “don’t you think you’re trusting her too easily?”
Her brow furrowed with concern. “I don’t think you should trust her so quickly.”
Before Amabel could respond, Felix’s voice cut in. “Why?” He questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped beside Rowan.
Felix turned to his mother, his expression unwavering. “Don’t listen to her. We can trust Cedrissa.”
“I–”
Rowan tried to interject, but Felix’s raised eyebrow silenced her, and she kept her thoughts to herself, her gaze fixed on the ground.
“This is a conversation between me and my mom,” he said, gritting his teeth. He returned his gaze to his mother. “Mom, don’t always believe what Rowan said. Cedrissa gets the strong will we need,”
He gave Rowan a side-irritated glance, added, “we need Cedrissa now—not her. She’s got nothing to give other than useless advice.”
àß
Cedrissa pushed open the door and slipped inside, her eyes haunted and her face etched with worry. Her brow was furrowed, and her mouth was set in a grim line.
“What’s wrong?” Alaric asked, his voice laced with concern.
Cressida trudged over to the couch, collapsing onto it with a heavy sigh. Her eyes still looked weary. “It’s the chairman…” she began, her voice trailing off.
He leaned forward, his expression tense. “What about him?”
She cast her face downward as if avoiding eye contact, squeezing her hands on her thigh as if afraid of speaking to him. “There’s something I need to tell you,” she said in a low voice, still staring downward. “But I’m afraid you’ll get angry.”
He chuckled softly. “How do you know I’ll get angry unless you tell me? And where’s the Cedrissa who always pushes my buttons? You’re not going soft on me, are you?”
A small smile played on her lips, and she met his gaze. “There’s a business event at the Regency hotel tomorrow…” She paused, bracing herself for his reaction. His expression remained neutral, and she seized the opportunity, revealing, “the chairman wants me to convince you to come.”
“Okay,” he responded, his tone even, though the mere mention of Chairman Dawson’s name had ignited a cauldron of rage within him. “I hope you’ve made it clear to him it’s impossible?”
“I–” she wanted to talk, but he raised a finger, silencing her.
“Please, let’s not be rude,” he said, his voice polite yet strained. “I’m not attending. End of discussion.”
Cedrissa let out a soft sigh. She was aware of the chairman’s expectations and her stake in the matter, so she wouldn’t give up. “I understand your reasons, Alaric,” she said soothingly, “but you need to consider my perspective as well…”
She continued, her voice low and measured, “it’s time you started interacting with people again, showed your face, and let the public know you’re still relevant. Otherwise, you might lose out to Felix.”
Alaric’s response was a low, mocking chuckle. He locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering, and shook his head slightly. “That. Is. Impossible,” he enunciated, his confidence and conviction dripping from every word.
“I’ve had enough,” he said, his patience wearing thin. He could feel his temper fraying, and he didn’t want to lash out at her. “There’s nothing to discuss. Let’s drop it.”
“Alaric…” she began, her eyes widening slightly. “Think about it. This is a high-profile business event. Amabel opposed convincing you to attend. What do you think is her motive?”
He shrugged, his expression unyielding, his tone frosty. “Her motive is none of my concern. I don’t care.”
She raised an eyebrow. “You really don’t care?” She said, her voice questioning, and he nodded. She scoffed softly, added, “Amabel’s afraid you’ll outshine Felix, undermine her plans. She doesn’t want you to network, to build connections...”
“You’re giving her exactly what she wants by staying out of the picture, and yet you claim to be detail-oriented? You’re ignoring the obvious,” she lectured. “You need support, Alaric, and you can’t do this alone. When exactly do you plan on seeking help? Do you think you can win people over when it’s convenient for you?”
She folded her arms across her waist, her voice rising despite her efforts to keep it measured. “Alaric, it’s crucial you start building those relationships now, or it might be too late. You’re sabotaging yourself by locking yourself away. Don’t you realize isolation can take a toll on your mental health?”
Her tone slipped, and her eyes widened as she tapped her right dorsum on the left palm. “You hurt your feet, not your brain! Use it!” She shouted, and Alaric slightly moved backward, startled, as she continued, “stop playing the alpha male and use your damn brain for once!”
His lips trembled as her sharp words sent a shiver down his spine, momentarily blanking his mind. He stared at her, his face frozen in a mixture of shock and fear. He gulped and managed to break eye contact, his gaze drifting downward as he took a deep, calming breath.
His eyes half-closed, and he struggled to suppress the rising urge to lash out. He licked his lips, his composure slowly returning. When he looked up, his gaze locked onto hers, his expression resolute.
“I don’t care about any of that,” he said, his voice steady. “I, Alaric… Palmer Alaric… don’t need to prove anything to anyone. Attending the party would be beneath me, and there’s nothing you… or any fucking person can do… or say to change my mind.”
She nodded, her gaze locked onto his. “Fine. I get it,” she said, her tone and expression matching the intensity of his aura. “I know you’re stubborn, and I can’t change you—who am I after all? But let me tell you this—you’ve got a lot of work to do on yourself,”
She paused, her words deliberate. “All any of us can do is try to help. If you don’t take control of your own life, no one else can.”
“I’m not stubborn,” he protested, his eyes widening in defense. “You’re the problem. You always know how to push my buttons, despite knowing what I hate.”
She raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on her lips. “I know what you hate—you hate the truth,” he said, her voice firm. “You’re the one who can’t handle honesty, and I’m the problem because I’m willing to tell you what you need to hear, even if it’s hard to swallow…”
“If you keep going down this path, you’ll fail and be disgraced,” her tone turned stern, a mixture of warning and challenge. “You said you can do this without me, but that’s a lie. You need someone like me, whether or not you like it,”
She chuckled softly, her eyes never leaving his. “Deep down, you know you can’t do this alone. We’re helping each other, so stop pretending like you’re doing me a favor by agreeing to this marriage—you’re being selfish and annoying…”
She splat on him, widening her eyes as if challenging him. “I pour you spit!” She lamented. “Rubbish! I fucking hate it. Disgusting being! Nonsense! Waste of time! I fucking hate you and your attitude!”
Alaric’s face twisted in frustration as he exhaled sharply, his eyes blazing with anger. “I-” He bit back his retort, knowing he’d lose his cool if he spoke. After a tense moment, he let out a deep breath and abruptly dropped onto the bed.
“Shit!”
Cedrissa dropped her hand from her chest, feeling a twinge of regret. She’d meant to calm Alaric down, not fuel his fire. She knew he’d had a rough past, and she’d been trying to tread carefully around him. But some things just got under her skin.
She moved closer to the bed and tossed a duvet over him. “Get some rest. I didn’t mean to talk to you like that. I’m sorry—I’m just trying to help,” she apologized, her voice softening. “I hope you’ll think about everything I said.”
“Stay away from me!”