Hundred and thirteen

I couldn’t suppress the smirk that spread across my face as I saw Alexandra’s expression morph from confusion to disbelief. Her eyes flickered between me and Henry, clearly trying to piece together what had just transpired between us. Henry’s retreating figure gave me the perfect opportunity to savor her discomfort, and I let myself enjoy the brief moment of triumph.

She quickly recovered, though, taking a few purposeful steps toward me, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. Her gaze was sharp, biting, as she looked me up and down, almost sizing me up. I could already tell that she was trying to gather the upper hand.

"What were you and Henry doing together?" she asked, her voice a little too loud, the suspicion dripping from her words.

I met her gaze, my smile playing at the edge of my lips. "What about you?" I countered, voice calm and steady, “What were you and Ethan doing together?”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at the question, but her gaze turned into something colder, more guarded. She clearly wasn’t expecting me to turn the tables on her. Her eyes narrowed, and the tension between us thickened.

"Have you been spying on me?" she asked, her voice a little sharper now, almost accusatory.

I couldn’t help it—I let out a low, amused laugh. The idea of Alexandra being the one to ask that question was almost too rich to pass up. “Spying? Hardly,” I replied, brushing past her words with a smooth indifference. “But I’d ask the same of you.”

I didn’t give her a chance to respond, turning on my heel and walking away from her, the sound of her frustrated huffing lingering in my ears. I could almost feel her eyes burning into my back as I left her standing there, stunned and unsure. As I reached my room, I could still hear her muttering curses under her breath. Her words came in low, barely audible bursts. “I swear, I’m going to make you disappear, Sophia.”

I paused at the door, my hand hovering over the handle. For a brief moment, her threat held me there, but only for a second. I could feel my heart thump in my chest, but the beat quickly steadied. Alexandra’s empty threats had never phased me before, and this one would be no different.

I dismissed it. She was all bark and no bite. After all, she’d been trying to intimidate me for as long as I could remember.

I shook my head, stepping inside to prepare for the shower, determined to wash off the irritation she’d caused. I needed to focus on myself for once, forget about her and whatever petty schemes she had cooking in that head of hers.

\---

The cool water hit my skin as I stood in the shower, the rhythm of the drops soothing me, trying to calm my mind. But even as the steam curled around me, my thoughts were consumed by the events of the day. I hadn’t expected the exchange with Alexandra to affect me this much, but it had. I knew that she was testing me, pushing my buttons. And I also knew that I couldn’t let her see how much it stung. She wanted to see me rattle, to show some crack in my composure. But I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction.

By the time I stepped out, dressed and ready for dinner, I had successfully shut away my frustrations,at least, I thought I had. But as I descended the stairs, a familiar, uncomfortable knot twisted in my stomach. There she was, sitting at the table, her posture as rigid as always. She had an air of superiority about her that grated on my nerves.

Henry was there too, of course. And as soon as I walked in, I could feel his gaze on me, calm and unflinching. I glanced up at him quickly, catching his eyes for a fleeting second. The silence that stretched between us felt heavy, like there was something unspoken, something charged between us that neither of us could fully address. Still, I wasn’t going to let it show.

I slid into my seat with deliberate nonchalance, but the quiet tension in the room was palpable. Alexandra, of course, was quick to break the silence.

"So, what’s going on with you two?" she asked, her tone sharp and probing. "The last time I saw you together, it was practically a warzone. You both looked like you were ready to tear each other apart."

I didn’t know why, but something about her question irked me. Maybe it was the way she seemed so invested in our business, or perhaps it was the fact that she clearly enjoyed the discomfort she was trying to provoke. Whatever it was, I wasn’t going to let her bait me.

I turned my head slightly to look at her, my expression neutral, but my words were anything but. “Shut up, Alexandra,” I said, my voice clipped, bordering on cold.

She didn’t seem to take kindly to the tone I used, her eyes flashing with something that was a mix of indignation and disbelief. She leaned forward, a smirk creeping onto her lips, almost as if she was daring me to react.

“There’s definitely something going on with you two, isn’t there?” she mused aloud, almost to herself, her gaze flicking between Henry and me as if trying to decode whatever the hell was happening between us.

I could feel my patience beginning to wear thin. I was done with her games. She could try to manipulate me, twist everything into something it wasn’t, but it wouldn’t work. Not this time.

Before I could snap back, she added something more cutting, her voice taking on a venomous edge.

“You’re a murderer, you know that?” she spat, her words dripping with disdain.

The shock of her words hit me like a slap.

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