Chapter 130
“Do you really believe Adelaide’s excuse from earlier?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
Before I could answer, Dominic’s voice broke through the tension. “Believe what?” he asked, stepping out from the house and joining us.
Alex pulled out his phone and began typing. A moment later, he showed it to me and Dominic. Someone could be listening. Let’s find a spot to talk.
Out loud, Alex asked, “Raina, how about we take a drive? Get some fresh air?”
I hesitated, my instinct to decline warring with the growing need to untangle the knots forming around us. “Fine,” I said finally, adding with a small smirk, “but don’t do anything stupid. I still hate you, you know.”
Alex’s lips quirked up into a faint smile, but the light didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The words that rolled off my tongue so easily made me feel a twinge of dishonesty. Did I really still hate him? Maybe I wanted to. Maybe it would have been easier if I did. But the truth was becoming harder to ignore. Everything Alex had been doing lately–the way he was protecting my kids, his calm but determined presence–it was making it harder to maintain my icy exterior.
I pushed the thought away quickly, telling myself the drive wasn’t about emotions or reconciling. It was a calculated move, a way to sell the idea that we weren’t talking about anything important if anyone was watching or listening.
As we turned to leave, Dominic’s voice cut through the night air. “I don’t trust you enough to let her go with you alone, Alex.”
His footsteps were firm as he closed the distance between us, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
Alex held up his hands, the hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Fair enough,” he said smoothly. “You’re welcome to join us, Dominic.”
The car ride was tense, the silence almost deafening as the weight of everything hung in the air. Alex finally broke it, his voice measured but pointed. ” You didn’t answer me earlier, Raina.”
I blinked, turning to look at him, though his eyes were fixed on the road ahead. “Answer what?”
He glanced at me briefly, then back at the road. “About Adelaide. Do you think I’m wrong about her?”
I hesitated, crossing my arms. “It’s possible you’re wrong. We don’t have proof. What if she really was just checking if anyone wanted something to drink?”
Alex let out a sharp breath, a mix of frustration and restraint. “I didn’t say anything in front of her because I didn’t want her to know that I knew she’s working with Nathan.”
His words hit me like a brick wall. My stomach dropped. “What?”
Dominic, who had been silent in the backseat, leaned forward, his voice rising. “What the hell did you just say? Adelaide? Working with Nathan? That’s
not possible.”
Alex kept his voice steady, though I could see the tension in his grip on the steering wheel. “It is possible. And I’m telling you, it’s happening. Did you notice Nathan at the burial today?”
My heart skipped a beat. “He was there?”
Alex nodded grimly. “I saw him watching from a distance. And I also saw Adelaide walk over to him. They had a conversation.”
Dominic swore under his breath, his voice a mix of disbelief and anger. “Why the hell would she be talking to him? She wasn’t asked to go anywhere near him.”
“Exactly,” Alex said, his tone firm. “Why would she stop to speak to Nathan unless she’s working with him?”
The realization hit me like a freight train, my mind racing to piece it all together. Adelaide, the maid who had been in the house for years, trusted, was possibly conspiring with the man who wanted to destroy my family.
“Do you think…” I swallowed hard, my voice shaking slightly. “Do you think she’s the one who poisoned Grandpa?”
Dominic’s jaw tightened as he sat back, his arms crossed. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
the one I had
Angry tears blurred my vision, the betrayal cutting deeper than I could have anticipated. “Drive to the hospital, Alex,” I said, my voice breaking but laced with determination.
Alex hesitated for a moment, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. “Raina-”
“Now!” I snapped, my voice rising. “I need to talk to the doctor. I need to know.”
Alex didn’t argue. The car lurched slightly as he pressed harder on the gas, the tension inside the vehicle suffocating as we sped toward the hospital.
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Chapter 131
