Chapter 50 Attached Strings

Chapter 50 Attached Strings
Alexander

The dining room looked like something out of an art museum, with polished mahogany, crystal chandeliers, and the faint scent of lilies, which my mother had insisted be freshly replaced every morning. She sat at the head of the table, smiling that soft, maternal smile that could disarm anyone —except me.

Across from me sat Victoria, in all her self-satisfied glory. She was wearing a deep red dress that fit like sin, her lips glossed to match, along with her diamond earrings that kept catching the light every time she moved. She seemed to notice how dazzling she looked, so she kept at it. She has always known how to look the part, and tonight, she was playing it perfectly.

“Darling, you’re barely touching your food,” my mother said gently. She had observed that I wasn't eating. 

“I’m fine, Mother,” I replied, forcing a polite smile.

Victoria glanced up from her wine glass and let out a soft smile that resembled a smirk, as if she knew exactly what was going through my mind. 

She always pretended like she did.

“Well, you should eat,” she said softly in a tone that was filled with feigned concern. “You look… tired,” she added.

The brat.

I looked at her for a long second. 

“You think so?” I asked with so much sarcasm laced in my tone. 

She tilted her head, all charm and shit. 

“Yes. You’ve been working too hard again. You get that look when you’re buried in business. Your poor mother must worry,” she said, not giving up on her tone of feigned concern. 

My mother chuckled. 

“Oh, he’s always been that way. Even as a boy. Wouldn’t come down for dinner if he was busy building something in that little workshop of his,” my mother said, and I looked at her. 

Victoria reached out and touched my arm lightly from across the table. 

“See? Some things never change,” she said, smiling. 

I stiffened at the contact. The same fingers that once thrilled me now made my skin crawl.

What was she up to now?

I narrowed my eyes at Victoria, silently warning her not to try anything foolish…

But I said nothing.

I instead focused on the steak I was cutting, and my mind wandered. To thoughts of Elena.

She would be in the house by now, probably wrapped in a blanket….I'm pretty sure she has stopped shivering. I had instructed the housekeepers to increase the heat of the house heater so she could get warmer. Or maybe she was sitting by the window, staring at the snow. 

I hoped she was okay and had eaten. 

Was she okay? Did she know how close she had been to real danger out there? I fucking had enemies of my own, goddamit!

My fork stilled halfway to my mouth. That voice on the phone she had back at the hospital, whoever it was, it probably wasn’t something I could ignore. And if that call had truly been meant for her, then she was in trouble.

“Alexander,” my mother’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I looked up quickly. 

“Yes?” I replied. 

She smiled, clearly oblivious to my mental absence. 

“I was just saying, you really should take Victoria out more. You both have been so… quiet lately,” she suggested, and I inwardly rolled my eyes. 

My mother and her unnecessary matchmaking. 

Victoria’s lips curved. 

“Oh, we’ve just been keeping things private, haven’t we, darling?” she asked, smiling too sweetly at me. 

I froze. 

“We have?” I asked. 

Her tone was casual, as if she were discussing the weather. 

“Of course. With the media always sniffing around, it’s better that way.” She then turned to my mother. “You know how it is, Mrs Harrington,” she added. 

My mother chuckled lightly. 

“Oh yes, the press can be dreadful. But I must say, it’s wonderful to see you both together again. I always hoped you two would find your way back to each other,” she said in an almost tear-filled voice. 

Victoria’s eyes glittered with satisfaction. 

“Well, we do make a great team,” she said, grinning. 

I took a slow sip of wine, studying her. What game was she playing now?

She leaned in a little, and I could smell her perfume, which was just like her personality: expensive, sharp, and freaking suffocating.

“How’s business, Alex? You’ve been off the radar lately,” she asked me. I gave her a look and turned back to my meal.

“Handling things,” I said shortly.

Her smirk deepened. 

“You always are,” she said, and I looked at her again. We haven't really had any conversation since, well, since she found out about me and Elena's contract. I was having a hard time wondering what she had in mind to say the next moment. 

I noticed that there was something smug in her tone that set my teeth on edge. She was enjoying this, watching me sit there, silent and restless. 

She probably sensed how distracted I was.

And she wasn’t wrong.

I kept seeing Elena’s face in my head, that pale face of hers. I was supposed to be mad at her. I wanted revenge, but I found myself worrying for her, and more than anything, that infuriated the shit out of me. 

Because why the hell was I being worried about the daughter of my enemy? The same one who was out to bring about my downfall?!

It was fucking infuriating.

“Alexander?” My mother’s voice pulled me back again, and I almost cursed at her. Loudly. 

I realized she had been speaking to me for a while now.

“Yes, Mother?” I asked, my nostrils flaring with contained anger. 

“I was telling Victoria about the charity gala next week,” she said cheerfully. “You’ll both be attending, of course?” she asked, and I glanced at Victoria, who was already smiling, as it was already decided.

“Of course,” she answered smoothly for me.

My jaw flexed. 

“We’ll see,” I said monotonously. 

Victoria let out a soft laugh, but I saw the sarcasm in it. 

“You always say that. But I’m sure your mother would love to have us there together,” she said. 

My mother beamed. 

“Oh, absolutely. Everyone will be thrilled to see you two. It’s been far too long since we had a proper Harrington celebration,” Mother said, and Victoria reached for her glass again. I could see the way her eyes were glinting like she had just won something invisible.

I leaned back in my chair and pushed my plate slightly away. 

“Excuse me,” I muttered.

But before I could stand, Victoria cleared her throat and spoke. 

“Actually,” she said, setting her glass down gently, and that made me pause. “There’s something we’ve been meaning to tell you, Mrs Harrington,” she said. 

My mother looked intrigued. 

“Oh? What is it, dear?” 

Victoria let out that slow, self satisfied and show stopping smile of hers which I have learned to not trust long time ago.

“Well…” she began, glancing briefly at me and then back to my mother. “Alexander and I have some news. We’ve been planning to make it official,” she went on. 

We have? I stared at her. 

My mother blinked, confused too.  

“Official?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Victoria said, and with one last look at me, she dropped the bombshell. “We’re engaged.”

I almost choked on the wine I was about to swallow. 

My fork clattered softly against the table.

“What?” I said flatly in a voice that sounded colder than I intended.

My mother gasped softly, and her hand flew to her mouth. 

“Engaged? Oh, Alexander…why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. 

Victoria just smiled as her eyes locked on mine, her painted lips curved in triumph.

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she said.

I stared at her, speechless.

She didn’t blink. Didn’t flinch.

Just smiled.

The damned brat she was. 

I had walked right into her own set-up.