Chapter 10 How did he know?

He turned towards me as I stepped in, he looked like he'd been having a conversation with Knox.

“I'm sorry,” my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn't react, his expression unreadable.

“I…I…I wasn't thinking,” I said.

But his expression didn't change.

I took a step forward and he finally spoke.

“Get some rest, I'll handle it.”

He said it in a blank tone, but for some reason I immediately felt a wave of relief wash over me.

Maybe I felt relieved because he didn't get mad at me or because he said he would handle it.

But still, I was relieved.

“Thank you,” I smiled at him and he just nodded his head.

“And please turn off your phone and just take a break from all the social media noise,” Knox said, concern written all over his face.

I nodded and made my way to my room.

Even when I couldn't see Axel, I could still feel his eyes on me as I ascended the stairs.

He could be cold, distant and sometimes indifferent, but there was this warmth that came from him.

I couldn't feel it at first, but the more time we spent together, the stronger it became.

There was a lot more to Axel than meets the eyes.

The man I just spoke to, the man that said he was going to fix everything, he didn't look or sound like a murderer, he didn't look like someone who would abduct someone and fake their death.

But I couldn't deny the fact that all the evidence was pointing to him.

All I wanted right now was the truth, the whole truth.

I want to hear his side.

I sighed and went into my room.

I sent a text to Cyrus to let him know I was okay and turned my phone off, locking it in my drawer.

After a warm shower, I laid on my bed ready to go to sleep when I heard a knock on the door.

“Axel,” I said, surprised to see him standing outside my door.

“Hey, feeling better now?” He asked.

“Yeah I'm okay, I was about to go to bed.”

“you know about the murder, don't you?” His question took me by surprise.

How did he know?

I should pretend I didn't know what he was talking about.

But would that do any good?

He wouldn't mention it if he wasn't convinced beyond reasonable doubt that I already knew about it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but he just walked past me into the room and sat on the couch.

“Sit,” he gestured towards the bed and I did exactly as he said.

I tried to predict what he would say next, would he try to deny, would he admit it, would he say the truth.

What even is the truth? As much as I wanted to know the whole thing, I still didn't want to believe he actually did it, and even if he did, I silently hoped there was an explanation, a reason.

It doesn't justify the fact, I know, but at least I can hold on to that.

“I'm not a murderer,” he spoke. “I was framed by Dorian.”

Phew, I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding in.

“Dorian had an altercation with my father which quickly got physical and left my father on the ground bleeding to death. I walked into the scene and I immediately knew Dorian couldn't go back from that, he was my little brother and I couldn't bear seeing his life come to an end, facing a murder charge.”

“So you took the fall,” I said. And he nodded his head.

“I thought I was protecting him, being a good brother. I had no idea it was all his plan. He knew I would take the fall, that I wouldn't watch him go to prison.”

Dorian was sick and twisted, but I didn't expect he could go this far.

“His eyes were on the inheritance from our father and Dorian was tired of waiting for his passing before he got his share, so he murdered our father. But he wasn't ready to share with me, so he let me take the fall for the murder, so everything my father owned would be passed down to him. He mocked me in my face as he watched me being towed away to prison.”

He tried to mask it, but I could see the hurt in him as he talked.

I couldn't imagine how he felt, throwing his whole life away thinking he was protecting his brother, only to find out he'd been played and used, by the same person he was trying to protect.

“I'm sorry,” I said, my voice low and controlled.

“I've moved on from it, but I never forgot. Explains what brought us together.”

Now everything made sense, well not everything, but at least now I fully understood the situation with Dorian, and also Axel's prison sentence.

Though how he got out was still a mystery.

Did my parents' disappearance have something to do with it?

Since he was opening up to me now, I might as well take advantage of the situation and ask him about my parents.

Who knows, he might even give me something that would lead me to where they were.

“Axel….”

“That’s enough for today,” he dismissed me and got up.

“Wait,” I stood up to follow him, but I stumbled and fell back on the chair, my vision a bit hazy.

But it quickly cleared up.

My legs felt numb and wobbly, like it was an extended part of my body I didn't have control over.

Weird.

Axel stared at me, his face in a slight frown.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

And I nodded.

I tried to stand up again even when it felt like an invisible weight was pulling me down.

My vision started getting hazy for the second time but I fought it and managed to stand up.

What is going on with me?

“Elara I think you should seat,” Axel walked towards me, concern writing all over his face.

“I’m fi…” the word stuck in my throat before the world spun out of control. My vision clouded, everything around me slipping further and further away. I could feel my body tilting, weightless, like I was falling in slow motion.

Axel's voice blurred, growing distant and hollow.

Everything went dark as my body gave out.

*****

I woke up to the faint hum of silence, my lashes fluttering open to my familiar room.

My body felt heavy, head banging in waves, the faint smell of Axel’s cologne clinging to the room, strong and calming.

How long was I out?

Why did I even pass out?

I sat up slowly on the bed when Axel spoke from the corner of my room. "You need to lay down."

His voice, it was softer than it normally was.

"I'm okay," I insisted and sat up on the bed.

"I had the doctor come over when you passed out."

"What did he say? Am I okay?" I asked him.

But he stayed quiet , just staring intently at me, which was weird.

You would think the doctor told him I had cancer and had just 3 months to live.

But then, he spoke. "The doctor ran a few tests, until he finally figured out why you passed out.”

He hesitated for a while, and continued.

“You're pregnant.”