Alex Sterling paced around his living room, the faint light of the early morning sun barely creeping through the windows.
His footsteps were soft against the hardwood floor, the silence of the house making them echo louder in his mind even as various thoughts ran through his mind.
He ran a hand through his hair, disheveled from a restless night of thinking. The conversation with his sister, Claire, still swirled in his head like a fog he couldn't shake. How could he when the discussion had been quite intense and serious?
"Marriage?" Alex muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing in confusion.
As he replayed everything in his head, he stopped pacing for a moment, standing in front of the large window that overlooked the still-sleeping city of Sweliss.
His thoughts raced. Why would Claire, of all people, be pushing this now? At this moment and upon his arrival? He had just returned from Paris after years of being away, and the first thing she talked about was a woman he barely knew.
Who was this Vanessa King and what did she have on his sister?
He replayed the conversation in his mind again, trying to make sense of it as he had tried to over the night.
"She's good for you, Alex," Claire had said last night, her voice full of conviction. "You need someone stable, someone who will ground you. Vanessa can be that for you, I'm sure of it."
It had been a bizarre and unexpected topic to be greeted with after his long journey. He had barely set foot in the door when Claire dropped the suggestion like a bomb to him.
Alex had spent the night trying to make sense of it, but it didn't add up no matter how hard he thought about it. He wasn't a man easily swayed by others' opinions, not even Claire's.
Yet, something in her tone made him pause. Why was she so insistent? What did she know about Vanessa that he didn't? Why was she convinced that this Vanessa was good for him?
His mind drifted back to the call he had made after Claire left and he couldn't help but wonder if it was the right time to make the call again.
He wasn't one to leave things to chance, especially when it involved something as important as marriage. He needed to know more.
The thought of marriage, of tying himself to someone after so long, felt foreign. He had spent years keeping to himself, avoiding entanglements, building his empire in Paris.
But now, here he was, back in Sweliss, and suddenly Claire was pushing him towards a commitment he wasn't sure he was ready for especially after what happened to him.
He sighed deeply, pulling his phone from his pocket. It was still early, but he didn't care. He needed answers and he needed them now.
Dialing the number, Alex waited as the line rang, each ring tightening the knot of unease in his chest. After a few moments, the call connected.
"Do you have something for me yet?" Alex asked, not bothering with pleasantries. His voice was low, and clipped. He wasn't in the mood for small talk.
There was a brief pause on the other end before the person spoke. "Yes, I found something on Vanessa King."
Alex's heart beat faster, though his face remained impassive. "What did you find?" he asked his curiosity getting to its peak.
The voice on the other end hesitated for a moment, as if weighing how best to deliver the news. "I found out that Vanessa King is in a relationship with Jake. Your nephew."
Alex blinked, his brow furrowing deeper. "Jake? Isn't Jake married to Emma Winters? At least that's what I know. How could he be in a relationship with Vanessa?" he asked wondering if his sister knew about this and was still pushing Vanessa to him.
"About that…" the person trailed off, their voice cautious. "I discovered that Jake divorced his wife last night. He took her to the hospital right after. I don't know what happened," he finished.
The words hung in the air, thick and heavy as Alex's mind struggled to keep up with the information being delivered to him.
Jake had divorced his wife? Last night? The same night Claire suggested Vanessa to him? It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
"What the hell is going on?" Alex muttered to himself but loud enough for the person on the other end to hear.
He pressed the phone closer to his ear, his voice hardening with anger and curiosity. "I want you to keep digging. I want to know everything there is to know," he said and the person on the other end cleared his throat.
"Actually, there's more," the voice said, and Alex could hear the tension in their tone. "Something else, something crucial."
Alex's heart skipped a beat, the air in the room suddenly feeling colder than it felt earlier. "What is it?"
The person on the other end went on to tell Alex what they had discovered about Jake's plans. The more he spoke, the darker Alex's expression became.
His hand tightened around the phone, his knuckles white. His normally calm and calculating demeanor cracked as the weight of the revelation settled in.
"Are you sure about this?" Alex asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"Yes, absolutely," came the firm reply.
Just as Alex was about to speak again, something on the television caught his attention.
He turned, his eyes narrowing as he watched the screen. The news had come on, and there, in full view, was Jake.
He was giving a statement, his face calm, composed, and yet there was something about the way he spoke that sent a chill down Alex's spine.
Alex's stomach churned as he listened to Jake speak about Emma the way he did. If he hadn't just heard about Jake's affair, he probably would've believed all he was hearing right now.
"How could someone be so demeaning?" Alex whispered, his eyes glued to the screen.
His mind raced, piecing together everything he had just learned. The timing of the divorce, Vanessa's involvement, Jake's plans—it all pointed to something far more sinister than he had anticipated and it made him want to know more.
He had been dragged into a fight he knew nothing about and now he must fight to survive.
As Jake continued to speak, Alex felt a cold anger settle over him, a deep sense of betrayal and disgust. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, couldn't believe that his docile nephew could be capable of this. And yet, there it was, playing out on the screen for everyone to see.
Alex clenched his jaw, his mind now filled with more questions than answers. He glanced at the phone still in his hand, his thoughts racing.
Whatever Jake was up to, it was clear that it wasn't just about a divorce or about pushing Vanessa to him. There was something far deeper at play, something dangerous. And Alex knew he couldn't just sit back and watch it unfold.
"I need to know everything. Continue with your assignment," he said, more to himself than to the person on the other end of the line. His eyes never left the television as Jake finished his statement, his face the picture of calm, even as the storm raged around him.
Alex's chest tightened with the weight of what he now knew. Whatever Jake was planning, it was far from over and he wouldn't just sit by and watch them bring the fight to him.