Chapter 263 I'll Tear Him To Pieces

Alexander's POV

The blood dripped onto Katherine's white nightgown, creating stark crimson blotches against the pristine fabric. Her eyes widened in shock before she burst into laughter.

"Alexander! You're bleeding all over my nightgown!" she exclaimed between fits of giggles.

I quickly covered my nose, mortified. "It's not funny, Katherine," I mumbled through my hand, feeling warmth spread across my face that had nothing to do with the nosebleed.

"I'm sorry," she said, not looking sorry at all as she guided me to the bathroom. "But you have to admit, it's a little funny. The powerful Alexander Hudson, climbing through windows like a teenager, only to get a nosebleed."

After cleaning up and stopping the bleeding, I returned to find Katherine examining the spots on her nightgown with a resigned expression.

"I should go back to my room," I offered halfheartedly, though that was the last thing I wanted.

Katherine looked up at me, her lips curving into a soft smile that made my heart skip. "You've already made such a mess. You might as well stay."

A wave of relief, intermingled with a burgeoning sense of happiness, flooded through me. I hastily changed into the spare clothes I'd thoughtfully brought along, the soft material caressing my skin.

Then, with a heart full of tender anticipation, I quietly slipped into bed beside her. Slowly and gently, I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her close, as if holding onto the very essence of my new - found contentment.

"Remember when this happened at university?" she murmured, her fingers tracing patterns on my arm.

I groaned. "How could I forget? Middle of our first official date, and my nose starts gushing blood all over the restaurant table."

"You were so nervous," she teased, turning to face me. "The great Alexander Hudson, nervous over little old me."

"You've always had that effect on me," I admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Still do."

Her eyes softened, and for a moment, we simply gazed at each other, years of shared history passing between us.

"Don't forget we're taking the kids to the Space Needle tomorrow," she reminded me.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I promised, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead before we drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

I was vaguely aware of someone pushing my shoulder. Still half-asleep, I smiled and reached out, assuming it was Katherine trying to wake me.

"Five more minutes, babe," I murmured, my hand finding an arm to pull closer. I ran my fingers along what I thought was Katherine's skin, leaning in to place a kiss—

"WHAT THE HELL?"

The distinctly masculine voice jolted me fully awake. My eyes snapped open to find myself face-to-face with Kevin, whose arm I'd been caressing.

Behind him stood Katherine, her hand covering her mouth, eyes wide with shock and amusement.

Worse still, all four children were gathered in the doorway, watching the scene unfold.

I released Kevin's arm like it was on fire, scrambling backward on the bed.

Emma stepped forward, her small face serious as she looked at me. "Dad, you'd better watch out."

Kevin's expression darkened as he glared between Katherine and me. "What kind of example are you setting for your children? Sneaking around, sleeping in the same room when you're supposedly separated, and now... this?"

I felt like a teenager caught by strict parents, but glancing at Katherine, I couldn't help but find the situation absurdly funny. She caught my eye, and I could see she was struggling not to laugh too.

Behind Kevin's back, I reached for her hand, our fingers intertwining discreetly.

"Are you two even listening to me?" Kevin demanded, noticing our suppressed smiles. His gaze dropped to our joined hands. "And now you're holding hands while I'm talking to you? This isn't a joke!"

Emma stepped forward again. "Uncle Kevin, I'm hungry. Can we have breakfast now? And then go to the Space Needle?"

Kevin reluctantly shifted his attention to Emma, his stance softening slightly. "Fine. But this conversation isn't over," he warned, pointing at Katherine and me before ushering the children out.

As soon as they left, Katherine collapsed against me in a fit of giggles. "Your face when you realized it was Kevin!"

"Not my finest moment," I admitted, joining her laughter despite my embarrassment. "Come on."

We were halfway through breakfast when Ryan's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, then at Katherine and me.

"It's Daniel," he announced, pressing the speaker button. "Daniel, I'm on speaker with the family. What's up?"

"I have the DNA results," Daniel's voice came through clearly. "Katherine, are you there?"

"I'm here, Daniel," Katherine replied, setting down her coffee cup.

"The results are conclusive. You and Scott Brown have no biological relationship whatsoever. The previous paternity test was falsified."

The room fell silent. I watched Katherine's face carefully, searching for signs of distress, but she appeared more stunned than upset.

"Who else knows about this?" I asked, taking the phone.