Chapter 161 Malevolent

Chapter 161 Malevolent
THEODORE
I could hardly pay attention to what everyone else was saying.
All I could think about was Alice and whether or not she was home already.
I wanted to be there, right beside her, making up for the many times I wronged her over the last few weeks. Every time I looked at the people seated around this fucking table, disgust rolled in my stomach. 
One careless decision would be enough to send this plan straight to hell. I imagined myself standing up right now to tell them I didn't forget shit, and that they were all hypocrites, Mom being the worst of all. 
But that would mean that everything I put Alice through was for nothing, and that pained me more than having to sit here and pretend that I was the happiest man alive. 
"Is everything alright?"
Carmella's voice ripped me away from my thoughts. She was staring at me with wide, concerned eyes. 
"Everything's fine."
"You seem distracted."
I forced a smile. It didn't reach my eyes. "I don't mean to."
"What's going on?"
Carmella turned her attention to my mother and claimed in a more cheerful tone, "Oh, nothing. I was just asking him if everything was alright."
"Yes, you seem distracted, Theodore. What's going on?"
"Nothing," I claimed, already irritated by their intrusive questioning. "I just had a long day at the office. It's nothing more than that."
"You're lying," Felix said from across the table. It was a struggle to keep my expression neutral, especially around him. "I bet you're thinking about that wife of yours."
Carmella stiffened beside me but said nothing. Casually, I said, "I don't have a wife."
Felix laughed and leaned forward. "We all know that's not true, Theo. You do have a wife, and as long as she remains married to you, none of us will be at peace. Got that?"
"I'm doing the best I can," I retorted. "It's a lot of money, Felix. I'm not going to make a careless decision just because you're putting pressure on me. I'll divorce her when the time is right!"
"Yeah? And what happens if she refuses to leave this arrangement quietly?" he asked. "What if she demands half of everything you've got? No, scratch that. Everything we've got."
"It'll never come to that," Mom assured him as she sipped her white wine. Her eyes met mine over the rim of her glass. "I won't let that happen. Even if we have to take drastic measures to ensure she leaves with nothing."
My heart thundered in my chest. Drastic measures. I knew what she meant by those words and it made me want to wring her neck. 
How could she be so cold?
"The question right now, Madeline, is whether Theo is going to approve of those measures," Felix stated. His eyes were narrowed and his head was tilted slightly to the side. 
Sometimes, I had the impression that Felix knew this was all an act. It was just the way he looked at me that made me suspicious. 
But it had to be paranoia because there was no way on earth that he could know. 
Unless I was betrayed by someone really close to me, that is. 
Clarice cleared her throat. She'd been so quiet that I forgot she was even seated next to me. "Maybe that's because you're talking about having someone killed, Felix. I don't like the bitch either, but that doesn't mean we have to turn into criminals here. Come on."
"Stay out of this, Clarice," Mom said sternly. "You don't understand what's at stake here."
"I'm not an idiot—of course, I know."
"That's not what it sounds like," Felix chimed in with a dark look in his eyes. "What the fuck is she to us? Nobody would ever have to find out."
Anger coursed through me so intensely that I was about to make a remark that would ruin everything. 
But then Clarice stood up, tossing her napkin on the table. "Fuck you, Felix."
"Fuck right off, Clarice."
She stormed away and I knew I had to go after her because if Felix made another remark about Alice, I'd do something stupid. 
"Don't curse at my sister again, Felix," I said in warning before standing up. "You both sound like you've lost your minds. We don't even know what the secretary has decided yet."
"Oh, she's a greedy little whore, son. It's not too hard to imagine what she'll decide." Mom looked around briefly before continuing. "It's better to take care of her now than to do it after she's filed for a divorce. The authorities will become suspicious then."
I couldn't take this much longer. I walked away from the table without another word, heading toward the exit. 
Clarice was near the entrance with a cigarette between her lips. She offered me one and I took it. Fuck, I needed one tonight. 
"They're unbearable," she whispered. "All of them. I can't stand them."
"You never could," I reminded her. "That's why you left, remember? At the time, I didn't think much of it. But now?"
She shook her head, then took another drag. "What I don't understand is Mom's relationship with Felix. What's it with them? What do they know about each other that's keeping them so close? Felix doesn't even respect her."
"I don't know," I admitted as something ugly twisted deep inside of me. "I'm afraid of even thinking about it for too long."
I could feel her eyes on me even though I wasn't looking at her. Moments later, she asked me, "What do you mean? Do you know what's going on?"
"I have no suspicions, but I can't be certain of something I didn't see with my own eyes."
My sister breathed in deeply and her eyes fluttered closed. "I just want this nightmare to end, Theo."
"Soon," I promised her. 
I couldn't wait for this farce to come to an end. 
Together, we returned to the restaurant to finish what we started. For the next few days, I would have to do my best to stay away from Granny's penthouse. It would hurt to stay away, but I didn't have a choice. 
Especially when Felix looked at me the way he was now.