When El returned to Alwils Villa and was on the way to her room, Alec stopped her. He stood in front of her, his physique had a shadowing effect on her.
"You are late." He said gritting his teeth. El was confused with his demeanor.
"I'm sorry, I didn't notice." El said in a low voice.
"Why would you, when you have a guy at your side." El looked at him with her eyes widened.
Looking at her, Alec said "Looks like someone is guilty".
He got further closer to her, holding her arm tightly he asked
"Who was he? Is he the reason you go to the gym there, when we already have a personal gym here?"
Seeing Michelle not answer he asked again squeezing her arms
"Who was he?"
"Ma..Mark" she replied.
"And is he the reason you go there?" Alec asked.
"No.." El lied.
"I've been going there for more than three years, it has nothing to do with Mark. We just happen to share the same hours at the gym for a few days in a week" she lied again.
Michelle started wondering what all did he find out.
"And who is this Mark, an old lover of yours?" He tightened his grip again.
"He is like an elder brother to me, I've already told this to you before." She said moving her arm.
"What do you mean by 'say hi to your boyfriend' " Michelle was shocked again.
"It's his personal life Mr. Wilson can we please leave it be" El said pulling her hand out of his grip and walking inside her room.
Alec's face darkened, he was enraged over the fact that El was hiding something from him for the sake of Mark.
Before El could close the door on him, he entered and pinned her to the wall.
"Answer me or I'll lock you in here forever." He grabbed her chin hard making her cry out in pain,
"Answer me" he fumed.
El struggled for a bit, shaking her head but Alec held her tighter.
"Speak" he said out loud again.
"Ma…Mark is gay. I got to know that he has a boyfriend without him telling me so I was only teasing him when I said that". Alec let go of her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.
"Why don't you trust me for once? Why can't you honor other person's privacy?" Saying this, El hurried to the washroom.
Later that night, Michelle was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. This day was very overwhelming for her. She was recalling the events of the day.
The information that Isobelle revealed, the conversation with Mark and the startling encounter with Alec.
Although sleep and exhaustion was consuming her, she tried to stay awake to check if Alec would really come to her room.
Two hours later, El was still awake, when she heard footsteps approaching she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Alec slowly opened the door and saw her, she was sleeping peacefully as usual covered in her blanket.
He got closer to her and leaned towards her. He moved the hair strands on her face behind the ear.
Suddenly, El caught his hand and opened her eyes,
"Caught you creep",
Alec kept a straight face, pulled his hand away and walked out.
'Did she just call me a creep'
'I shouldn't have called him a creep'
they thought to themselves.
The next morning, El and Alec were having their breakfast.
"I've got a half-day today at work since it's the weekend." She said trying to get rid of awkward silence between them.
"Fine" Alec replied.
"What about you? Are you working today?" She asked.
"No" he curtly replied.
"What are your plans for today?" She asked.
"None of your concern." he replied coldly.
El went silent after hearing his cold replies. She had her breakfast quickly in order to get away from his cold aura.
While leaving, she saw Robert waiting for her standing near the Bentley.
"There is no need for you to accompany me," she told Robert.
"But sir has asked me to," Robert said.
"I prefer not to be surrounded with snitches" El said firmly.
"I'm sorry miss El, but those were my orders" Robert said plainly
"Orders to Spy on me?" El said accusingly.
"To report anything unusual." Robert replied
"Is having a friend unusual?" El asked again in the same tone.
"Have him accompany you at work." Alec said out clearly standing at some distance from them. Unwilling to engage with a futile disagreement with Alec, El took her seat in the car reluctantly.
Alec got a call from Ricky. "Hey bud, remember that voice message from your mom?" Ricky asked.
"Yeah," Alec said, remembering El's words.
"I bet it's been tweaked with." Ricky said.
"Could you meet me at the bar now?" Ricky asked.
"Alright"
At the Rags and Riches bar, Ricky made Alec hear the voice message again and he pointed at its discontinuity.
"I assume there is something more to this," Ricky said.
"How are things with El?" He asked. Alec paused for a moment and said "fine" with a low voice.
"I heard what happened at your parents' place. That shouldn't have happened with her"
He paused and said,
"Poor El, I hope you took her side and comforted her." Alec kept his gaze lowered without answering.
Judging his silence Ricky asked again
"Are things really going fine between you and her?"
Alec kept thinking about how he didn't support her and the way she was shivering on their way back, the way he didn't trust her and hurt her repeatedly.
"Why are you so concerned about her?" Alec said defensively.
"Shouldn't you be concerned about her as well? Ricky asked back.
"The audio file might have been tweaked with but I heard her saying with my ears that she can't get past the fact that I threatened to kill someone in order to have my way" Alec got more defensive.
"You did threaten someone, besides El is just an ordinary girl, anyone would be scared given what you did" Ricky said in a calm voice.
"Is your mother really arranging new proposals for your second marriage? Ricky asked.
"I don't know and why do you care?" Alec said, visibly irritated.
"I care because El is a good person, don't let her go, '' Ricky expressed his concern.
"I won't," Alec said in an authoritative tone.
Ricky smirked at his reaction.
"When I say don't let her go, I'm not only referring to her outward presence, but also, the traits that makes her El. Don't make her lose herself with whatever you are upto Alec." Ricky said calmly.
Alec nodded understanding what Ricky meant.
"I need to leave" saying that Alec left.