Chapter 14
Stephanie's Point of View
I watched their shadows retreat from my room, struggling with all my might not to collapse or let my agitation betray me under their piercing gazes.
As soon as the door clicked shut, I sank onto the edge of the bed, feeling the chill of the sheets seep into my skin while my mind raced to process the impossible.
"Alexander is Cedric's brother!"
The realization shook my very foundation. I couldn't fathom that the father of my twins was Alexander's brother.
I don't even know how to describe what was between us in the past; it was something confusing and deep, much like what happened with Cedric.
I began to seriously suspect that a curse was stalking me through this family, for such an overlap could never be natural.
I gripped the bedspread tightly and whispered in a panic, "My God... what if Alex tells Cedric what happened between us in the past?"
The thought terrified me, making my heart race. Even though there was no real relationship between Cedric and me, why was I so afraid? I shook off these dark thoughts and stood up quickly. I dressed, dried my wet hair in a hurry, and headed downstairs with cautious steps.
I searched for them in the vast lounge but they were nowhere to be found. Where could they have gone? Seeing the maid pass by, I asked in a voice trying to sound casual, "Where are Cedric and Alex... I mean, Alexander?"
She gestured toward a massive door on the opposite side. "They are in the office."
I moved toward the office slowly. With every step, my heart hammered against my ribs as if trying to break free. My hands were noticeably cold as I reached for the doorknob.
I stopped abruptly before touching it, asking myself in confusion, "Why am I going in there? What will I even say?" I retreated, my limbs feeling icy, and sat in the lounge to steady my breathing while waiting for them to emerge.
Minutes later, my eyes fell on them as they approached. Cedric walked with his confident stride and said, "Stephanie, I see you're sitting here."
"And why does that surprise you?" I challenged. "Do I not have the right to sit?"
"Not at all," he replied coldly. "I was just surprised."
Alexander interjected, his voice carrying a tone I couldn't quite decipher. "Congratulations, Stephanie. Cedric told me you're pregnant with twins."
"Thank you," I replied curtly, my eyes fixed on the floor.
Cedric checked his watch. "I have work now. Come, Alex, I'll walk you to your car."
But Alexander replied with a steadiness that froze the blood in my veins: "But I'm not leaving."
Cedric knitted his brows, asking sharply, "What do you mean you're not leaving? Do you intend to stay here?"
"Exactly," Alexander answered simply.
Cedric lunged toward him. "And why?"
"To find a solution to your problem," Alexander said, sitting on the sofa and crossing his legs with utter ease.
Cedric erupted in anger. "You've lost your mind, Alex! You can't stay here."
Ignoring his brother's outburst, Alexander turned to the maid. "Could you bring me a cup of coffee? Make it black." The maid nodded and rushed to fulfill his request.
Cedric exhaled in frustration. "Fine. I have urgent work to attend to, but tomorrow you're out of here. Do you understand?" he said before heading for the door.
The moment Cedric left, it felt as though the air vanished from the lounge. The space became suffocatingly small with Alexander alone with me. I stood up quickly. "I'm going to my room."
"Sit down, Stephanie," his commanding voice halted me in my tracks.
"I don't want to disturb you," I said, feigning calm while my heart thundered.
"No, you aren't disturbing me," he replied, fixing his dark gaze on me.
I sat down, forced, rubbing my hands together, looking for any way to escape the trap of his eyes. "Can you tell me how all this happened?" he asked suddenly.
Heat flushed my face in embarrassment. "Didn't Cedric tell you?"
"He did," he said, "but the story was somewhat... unbelievable."
I looked at him with bitterness. "That is what happened. I have nothing else to say."
He leaned toward me, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead, and asked in a tone that stung my pride, "One night, really? And you let him touch you?"
I felt his question was an insult to my dignity, contradicting everything I stood for. "Alex, please don't ask me that," I snapped, my hands gripping the sofa.
A cryptic smile played on his lips.
"Alex... it's been a long time since someone said my name so beautifully."
Flustered, I stammered and quickly corrected myself, "I mean, Mr. Alexander."
His face darkened. "Really? Are you doing this on purpose to provoke me?"
"Mr. Alexander," I said with forced coldness, "whatever was in the past stays in the past. I am now pregnant with your brother's twins."
"And who told you, Stephanie, that I even remember the past?" he replied coldly, staring directly into my eyes. "It seems you are the one who couldn't forget it."
Deeply embarrassed, I looked away. "I was just clarifying things."
Suddenly, he asked in a harsh tone, "And what are you expecting from my brother, Stephanie? Do you think he will marry you? Because he won't."
I felt a sharp pain tear through my heart from the cruelty of his words, as if a powerful slap had landed on my face to wake me from delusions I didn't even know I possessed.
My eyelids trembled as I fought to suppress the tears welling in my eyes. "I expect nothing from him," I said, my voice choked with bitterness. "I have never asked him for marriage. There is nothing between him and me except the children inside my womb."
He tilted his head slightly, watching the tremor of my lips with cold detachment. "You are smart, Stephanie," he said. "I like that you understand the truth so well."
I tried to regain my footing despite the dizziness attacking me. "I know my situation perfectly well, Mr. Alexander," I said, my voice hardening. "There is no need for you to exert yourself telling me what I already know."
He fell silent for a moment, then asked in a cryptic tone that sent shivers through my body, "Did you know that Cedric was my brother?"
"No, I didn't know," I answered immediately, my tone definitive.
He narrowed his dark eyes. "Are you sure?"
I looked at him in bewilderment, feeling my stomach muscles cramp. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged with provocative indifference. "I don't know. The question just crossed my mind."
I felt the sting of insult again. "Are you implying that I knew he was your brother and I approached him for....." I couldn't finish the sentence; it was too revolting, and the mere thought made me feel nauseous.
"No, Stephanie," he replied with unbearable coldness. "You are the one saying that. I only asked if you knew."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "And how would I know when your last name isn't Volkov? Your name was Alexander Thorne... Are you half-brothers?"