Chapter 116

Alec’s point of view.

I woke up early, feeling a warm embrace around me. Annoyingly, I found myself cocooned in comfort, unable to slip back into sleep. My habit of rising early seemed to betray me on days when I craved a bit more rest. I attempted to squeeze my eyes shut and even resorted to counting imaginary sheep, but it was futile. The clock displayed 6 AM, a time my body recognized as our wake-up call—a natural alarm signaling how accustomed I'd become to constant work. With Alana's first movie now released, I felt it was high time for us to indulge in a mini vacation. We deserved a break; both our bodies and minds yearned for it.

Speaking of breaks, Alana had the next few days off, and I intended to make the most of it. Today marked the morning after her movie premiere. I wasn't the biggest fan of romance films, but I gave Alana's creation a fair shot and found myself enjoying it. It was simple, sweet, and incredibly romantic—just as it should be. According to the book fans, they loved the movie adaptation, adding to Alana's allure, especially since her second movie was also derived from a book. Fans held hope that the second film would be just as brilliantly executed.

Resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon, I opened my eyes and smiled. Alana was nestled against my chest, her arm and leg entwined around me, golden curls splayed over the navy sheets. I gingerly leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead, managing to extricate myself from her embrace. Grabbing my phone, I silently made my way downstairs.

I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for Alana. With no more secrets between us, our relationship flourished. Our marriage wasn't a mere cover; it was real and genuine, and we wouldn't have it any other way. It had been over a year since we tied the knot, and I cherished every moment spent together. I was glad Alana loved me as much as I loved her.

After my morning workout, I showered downstairs and prepared for the day. Once ready, I hurried to the kitchen, eager to settle my debt for the week. I still owed Alana one home-cooked meal, and for today, it would be toast with avocado, egg, tomatoes, and lettuce, accompanied by the sweet and spicy honey sauce Alana loved. I'd also whip up some berry smoothies, and my debt would be settled.

Finishing up the preparations, I set the table and checked the time on my watch. Finally, Alana would be waking up any moment now. Her alarm should be ringing, so I ascended the stairs.

"Alana?" I spoke softly, walking over to the bed. Gently rubbing her back, I leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"You smell like food," Alana mumbled, stirring before finally opening her eyes.

"Morning sunshine," I greeted, smiling and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead this time.

"Good morning, baby," Alana yawned. "Yep, you smell like food," she sniffed.

"Because I just whipped up the best breakfast for you. Let's go eat, and then you can get ready for the day," I suggested, already scooping her up.

"Any exciting plans for us?" Alana inquired.

"Nothing concrete yet, but we could unwind by the pool," I proposed.

"That sounds absolutely amazing!" Alana grinned and sweetly kissed my cheek. Her arms were wrapped around me and she snuggled into my chest.

***

There was a knock on the door, and considering only a select few were allowed through the gates—Alana's parents, Killian, and Izabel—I wasn't sure which of the four had arrived. I walked towards the door and peeked to see our friends waiting. Without hesitation, I swung the door open.

"Who is it?" Alana called from upstairs, slowly making her way down.

"Kill and Izabel," I answered back, stepping aside to let our friends in.

"Any reason you decided to interrupt my day off?" I narrowed my eyes at Killian, crossing my arms.

"Uh, yes, I am awesome and decided to bless your day." Killian smirked, neatly placing his and Izabel’s shoes by the door.

I turned to Izabel and smiled, "You know, Izabel, it’s not too late to call off the wedding."

"Perhaps I’ll find a new groom at the altar," Izabel joked, tapping her chin. I knew she had learned the full truth yesterday, and I was relieved she treated me the same.

"Hey, hey, don’t joke about that," Killian warned as he walked behind her but stopped when she headed upstairs towards Alana. "Don’t make me look up your pre-teen photos! I’ll share it with the world," he threatened, a statement not to be taken too lightly.

"Don’t you dare!" Izabel turned around on the staircase, narrowing her eyes at Killian.

"Izabel, blink twice if this man is holding you, hostage," I teased. Izabel blinked several times before Alana stole her away.

"How the heck did this even turn on me?" Killian muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"What did you guys bring?" I asked, eyeing the huge bag Killian dropped on the table.

"A hefty supply of sweets to go with the millions of bags of tea, coffee, and hot chocolate—the whole ordeal," Killian explained as we made our way to the living room.

I frowned and said, "Sounds—"

"Like something Izabel and Alana would like? Yeah, I thought so too, so I didn’t say a thing," Killian said before I could. It was very on-brand for those two to enjoy these things. Chances are this would be their lunch.

"What a good husband you’ll make," I patted his shoulder, jesting.

"I just do the opposite of what my father would do," Killian winked, never missing a chance to throw his father under the bus.

"Has he reached out to you, by the way?" I wondered. He had been estranged from them for years and only recently found out Killian, too, was a wealthy man.

"Yeah, him and the entire family. They begged for me to meet them, and when I didn’t respond, their second plea was for whatever money they felt entitled to," Killian dismissed and relaxed into his seat.

"What did you do?" I asked, knowing that in the past, he had a soft spot for them. They were his family, after all.

"Never responded," Killian shrugged.

"Fair enough," I hummed and turned on the TV.

Seconds later, the doorbell rang. I sighed, wondering if it was Alana’s parents showing up right now. I got up and went to open the door, only for shock to take over my body. My jaw dropped when I opened the door. I blinked twice and thrice before accepting this was reality.

"Ryan?!" I exclaimed loudly and surprised. Her boyfriend, whatever his actual name was, stood next to her, but my focus was mainly on Ryan.

"What’s wrong with Ryan?" Killian asked, his voice casual, and footsteps came closer to us. I still stood there, still shocked as ever. The last time we saw her was in Denver when we were rushed away for the sake of their covers.

"Surprise?" Ryan said unsure, shaking her hands. Killian was busy on his phone, but the moment he heard her voice, he threw his phone to the side and rushed to her, pulling her in for a hug.

"What are you doing here?" Killian asked, pulling away finally. I suppose his big brother instincts were always there.

"We missed you," I stated and pulled her in for a hug too. "Come on in," I took a step back to let them in.

"Oh, that must be your wives? Sorry, I missed your wedding, Kill. I didn’t think the mission would take so long," Ryan stated when she saw Alana and Izabel making their way downstairs, then turned to Killian.

"The wedding was postponed to this December. I’ll get you an invite," Killian stated.

"You must be Ryan?" Izabel asked, raising a brow at her.

"Ryan Fox and Sean Meyers, my boyfriend," Ryan introduced.

"Nice to meet you two," Alana said and joined my side. I looped my arm around her, holding her close. My heart was so damn full; everyone I cared about was finally in one room—And Sean.

"Likewise," Ryan smiled.

After some light chit-chatting, Killian and I were right. Ryan was easily liked by the two others, and now those three had been teasing us endlessly. Sean was still a little awkward but was probably here for his girlfriend.

"So, the mission is finally over?" I questioned, pressing my lips together.

"Will you disappear on us again?" Killian asked, and I nudged him. Hard.

"The mission is over. It only took longer because there was a bigger fish—like megalodon big," Ryan explained, letting out a long sigh. "Anyways, I think I’m done with undercover for now," she shrugged then smiled as she held up her left hand, "This also happened?"

"Oh my god, you guys are engaged?!" Alana gasped when we all saw the diamond ring on Ryan’s hand. How did I miss that?!

"We are," Ryan grinned and placed her head on Sean’s shoulder.

"How did you guys even meet?" Izabel began to wonder.

"She quite literally walked right in the middle of my mission, and to save face, it turned into our mission," Sean answered, moving his arm around her.

"I became his cover until he and his handler found out I was an agent too, and soon we were paired together for the mission," Ryan continued and looked at her fiance with a smile on her lips, "He seems intimidating, but he’s nothing but a big goof."

"Thank you for coming to us," I said, fully meaning every last word.