Chapter 54 The Real Family?
Sarah showed up to flowers waiting for her at the office. Again. This was the second time that week.
She reached out and collected the note that came with it.
"For a new beginning and for our son, Joseph," the note said, and Sarah felt a cold shiver go down her spine because Joseph had not cared about being a father for years, and now he was back in the fray and sitting in a Harrington office acting like he was a reformed man.
The door swung open and Stacy walked in.
"Who are those from, Sarah, because they look like they cost more than my car," Stacy asked, but then she saw Sarah’s face and the way she was clutching the card, and she sighed and sat down in the guest chair.
"Don't tell me, it’s the ex-husband, isn't it?"
“It's him, Stacy. I don't know what he's trying to prove.”
The heavy glass doors of the office building downstairs were being watched by reporters, so when Alex arrived, he had to use the private entrance, and he walked into Sarah’s office ten minutes later wearing his dark suit, looking like he hadn't slept in days. He stopped the moment he saw the lilies, and his face turned into a mask of pure, hard anger.
"He sent more," Alex said, and it wasn't a question, it was a low growl that made Stacy stand up and excuse herself from the room.
"He says they are for Mark. I don't know why he's not sending them to Mark.”
"Mark is twenty-two, he is a grown man who doesn't need his father to send his mother flowers, and Joseph knows exactly what he is doing by putting you in this position," Alex snapped, and he reached out and grabbed the bouquet, his fingers crushing the delicate green stems as he shoved the whole thing into the trash can by the desk.
"I saw him in the hallway this morning, Sarah, he was wearing a suit that cost five thousand dollars and he smiled at me like we were old friends, and he told me to tell you that he’d see you soon for dinner."
"He said that to you?" Sarah asked, her breath hitching.
"He wants me to hit him, he wants me to lose my mind in front of the legal team for whatever reason." Alex said, and he pulled Sarah toward him, his grip on her waist heavy and possessive, and he leaned down so his face was inches from hers.
"But I'm not going to hit him, I'm going to find a way to bury him, and until then, I want everyone to know who you belong to, because I am the one who stays here and I am the one who takes care of you."
"Alex, you're hurting my arm," Sarah whispered, and he immediately loosened his grip.
"I'm sorry, I just can't stand the thought of him breathing the same air as you, and I can't stand that my father is using him to get to us," Alex told her, and he kissed her then.
The day went by in a blur and Sarah felt like she was walking on eggshells because every time she stepped outside, a reporter would ask her if she was planning to reunite with her husband for the sake of her son. She tried to call Mark to warn him about what his father was doing, but Mark didn't answer his phone, he only sent a short text saying he was busy at work and he would talk to her later.
Alex spent his afternoon in a boardroom with Joseph and Richard, and he had to sit there and listen to Joseph talk about the legal history of the Vane estate as if he were part of the family, and every time Joseph looked at Alex with that smug, polished smile, Alex felt like the walls were closing in on him.
"You know, Alex, I’ve always thought Sarah had excellent taste in men, but I didn't realize she was looking for someone so... youthful," Joseph said during a break in the meeting.
"But I suppose it makes sense, she always did like to be in control of everything."
Alex didn't say anything, he just looked at Joseph with a cold, murderous stare that made the older man’s smile falter for just a second, but then Richard walked over and put a hand on Joseph’s shoulder, looking at them both like they were his favorite pupils.
"Now, now, Joseph, let's keep it professional, we have a lot of work to do if we want to get the Veridian project back on track," Richard said, but he gave Alex a look that said he was enjoying the tension.
When the workday was finally over, Alex went to Sarah’s house and he didn't even say hello, he just walked into the kitchen and pulled her into his arms, his touch more demanding and intense than it had ever been.
"You're scaring me a little bit tonight, Alex," Sarah said as they stood by the window, the rain starting to drum against the glass.
"I'm not going to let him take anything else from me, Sarah, I’ve already given up my freedom for this suit, and I won't let him have you or my best friend," Alex told her, and he held her so tight she could feel the frantic beat of his heart against her chest.
They tried to find peace in each other that night, using their bodies to block out the world, but the peace was shattered the next morning when Sarah’s phone started to buzz with a dozen notifications from tabloid websites. She reached for the device, her fingers trembling, and she felt the blood drain from her face when she saw the headline.
There was a photo, taken through a window of a high-end restaurant downtown, and it showed Joseph Hayes sitting across from Mark. They were both laughing, and Joseph had a hand on Mark’s arm in a fatherly gesture that looked perfectly natural and warm.
The caption under the photo read in big, bold letters, The Real Family Reunites: Joseph Hayes and Son Mark Share a Heartfelt Lunch as the Harrington Scandal Continues.
Sarah felt the phone slip from her hand and hit the floor, and she looked at Alex, who was already standing by the bed with a look of pure, lethal fury in his eyes that told her the war had only just begun.