Kabanata 5

Alexander's POV

Maaga akong dumating sa opisina kinabukasan. Hindi dahil marami akong kailangang tapusin, kundi dahil may hinihintay akong impormasyon mula sa taong inatasan kong mag-imbestiga sa mga kahina-hinalang aktibidad ni Nathaniel.

I was sitting behind my desk, reviewing some financial reports, when my phone suddenly rang.

My private investigator.

"Go ahead."

"Good morning, sir. We have some initial findings regarding Mr. Nathaniel."

I stopped scrolling through the documents. "Tell me."

"Based on our preliminary investigation, Mr. Nathaniel has been communicating with someone using a separate phone number. We also discovered several transactions connected to a private account."

I narrowed my eyes. "How much?"

"Still verifying the exact amount, sir. But the transactions have been happening for several weeks."

I leaned back against my chair. "Do we know who he's communicating with?"

"Not yet, sir. We're still identifying the person."

"Find out, and I want the complete transaction history."

"Understood, sir."

I ended the call. So, Nathaniel really was hiding something. I rubbed my forehead. Damn it, brother. What have you gotten yourself into? My thoughts were interrupted when my secretary entered.

"Sir, Mr. Nathaniel called. He wants to know if you're available for dinner tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Yes, sir. He mentioned that Mrs. Arabella would also be there."

I glanced at my secretary. "Tell him I'll see."

"Certainly, sir."

After she left, I looked outside my office window.

For some reason, the mention of Arabella's name caught my attention more than it should have.

I shook my head. Get yourself together, Alexander.

By early evening, I arrived at the mansion. I wasn't particularly excited about another family dinner, but I had a few questions for Nathaniel that I wanted to ask personally.

Pagpasok ko sa main entrance ay wala akong nadatnang tao sa living area.

I loosened my tie and headed toward the kitchen after hearing some movement. And there she was.

She was standing near the kitchen counter, reaching for something on the upper cabinet.

"Careful."

She turned around, startled. "Alexander!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Planning to destroy the kitchen?"

She laughed. "Very funny."

I walked closer. "What are you trying to get?"

"That serving bowl."

I followed the direction of her finger. Nasa pinakataas iyon ng cabinet. I looked at her, then at the bowl.

"You could've asked someone."

"I can manage."

She tried reaching for it again, but her fingertips barely touched the edge. I couldn't help but smile.

"Clearly."

She turned toward me, giving me a playful glare.

"Are you going to help me or just stand there and make fun of me?"

I chuckled. "Depends. Are you going to say please?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please, Alexander."

I reached over her shoulder and easily retrieved the bowl. But when I turned around, she was closer than I expected. For a brief second, our eyes met.

She blinked first. "Thank you."

I handed her the bowl. "You're welcome."

She smiled. And for some strange reason, I found myself smiling back. It was such a simple moment. Nothing extraordinary. Yet somehow, it lingered longer than it should have.

I cleared my throat and stepped aside. "So, what's for dinner?"

"Something special."

"Should I be worried?"

She laughed. "Why?"

"Last time I trusted someone with the menu, I ended up eating something I couldn't even identify."

She covered her mouth while laughing. "You're exaggerating!"

"Am I?"

"Yes!"

I shook my head. "Fine. I'll trust you this time."

She smiled proudly. "Good decision."

I looked at her for a moment. When did this woman become so comfortable teasing me?

A few minutes later, Arabella carried a tray of drinks toward the dining area. I was about to help her when I noticed that one of the glasses was dangerously close to falling.

"Arabella, wait."

She turned. "What?"

Before she could move, I caught the glass just as it began slipping from the tray. My other hand instinctively held the tray steady.

"Easy."

She looked down at the glass, then back at me.

"Oh my goodness. Thank you!"

I placed the glass securely on the table. "Are you always this careless?"

She frowned playfully. "Excuse me? I was perfectly fine until you distracted me."

I laughed. "Now I'm the problem?"

"Obviously."

I shook my head. "You're unbelievable."

She grinned. "And yet, you keep helping me."

I paused. That caught me off guard. Then I gave her a small smile.

"Don't get used to it."

She laughed again. And I swear, that sound made the entire kitchen feel a little less quiet.

Dinner began around seven. Nathaniel arrived a little late, carrying his phone with him.

"Sorry. Important business call."

I looked at him. "Of course."

He pulled out his chair. Arabella served him some food before sitting beside him. "How was your day, sweetheart?"

Nathaniel asked his wife.

"Fine. Yours?"

"Busy."

I took a sip of water. Always the same answer. I glanced at Arabella. She simply nodded and continued eating. After a while, Nathaniel's phone vibrated. He checked the screen and immediately stood.

"I need to take this."

He left the dining room. I followed him with my eyes until he disappeared into the hallway. Then I looked at Arabella. She was quietly cutting her food.

"Doesn't that bother you?"

She raised her head. "What?"

"Your husband leaving in the middle of dinner."

She smiled faintly. "I'm used to it."

I put my fork down. "That's not necessarily a good thing."

She looked at me for a few seconds. "Alexander, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you always question everything?"

I chuckled. "Only when something doesn't make sense."

"That explains a lot."

I raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

She smiled. "You're intimidating."

I leaned back. "Am I?"

"A little."

I gave her a knowing look. "Good. At least someone appreciates my reputation."

She laughed.

For the first time that evening, her expression seemed lighter. And I found myself wanting to keep it that way.

After dinner, Nathaniel excused himself to attend another business matter. I stayed behind, checking a few messages on my phone. Arabella was in the living area, arranging some flowers in a glass vase.

"You're still here?"

She looked at me. "Yes. I'm fixing these flowers. They look a little messy."

I glanced at the arrangement. "Looks fine to me."

She shook her head. "That's because you don't understand flowers."

I raised an eyebrow. "Apparently, I don't understand a lot of things."

She laughed. "At least you're aware."

I placed my phone on the table. "You're getting rather comfortable teasing me, aren't you?"

She smiled innocently. "Am I not allowed?"

I looked at her. "Depends on how far you're planning to take it."

She giggled before returning her attention to the flowers. I stood and approached her.

"Let me see."

She moved slightly to give me space. I examined the arrangement.

"What's wrong with it?"

"That one."

She pointed toward a flower that was slightly leaning to the side. I adjusted it carefully.

"Like this?"

Her eyes followed my hand. "Yes. That's better."

I looked at her. "See? I'm not completely useless."

She laughed. "Congratulations, Alexander. You've successfully arranged one flower."

I shook my head, laughing. "You're impossible."

She was smiling when she suddenly noticed something on my sleeve. "Wait."

I looked down. "What?"

"You have something here."

She reached toward my sleeve and carefully removed a tiny piece of flower petal. "There."

I looked at the little petal between her fingers.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Our eyes met for a moment. Then she stepped back. And just like that, the moment passed. But I couldn't help noticing how naturally she had approached me. How easily she smiled. How effortlessly she made an ordinary evening feel different.

I picked up my phone. "I should go."

She nodded. "Good night, Alexander."

"Good night, Arabella."

I was already walking toward the hallway when she called my name.

"Alexander?"

I turned. "Yes?"

"Thank you for helping me earlier."

I slipped one hand into my pocket. "Anytime."

She smiled. "Good night."

I nodded before leaving. I was already inside my car when my phone rang. It was my investigator.

"Sir, we have something."

I immediately straightened. "What is it?"

"We managed to identify one of the locations connected to Mr. Nathaniel's recent activities."

"Where?"

"An exclusive private property outside the city. He has visited the location several times over the past few weeks."

I frowned. "Who owns it?"

"We're still confirming the ownership, sir. But there's something else."

"What?"

"We obtained a photograph of Mr. Nathaniel meeting someone there."

My grip tightened around the phone. "Send it to me."

"Yes, sir."

A few seconds later, a photograph arrived. I opened it. It showed Nathaniel standing beside a woman. Her face wasn't completely visible, but one thing was certain. He was holding her hand.

I stared at the photograph. What the hell? I zoomed in, examining every detail.

Then another message arrived.

Sir, we're still investigating the identity of the woman. We believe this meeting may be connected to the separate financial transactions.

I closed my eyes briefly. I didn't want to jump to conclusions. There could be a business explanation. There could be something entirely different. But if this had something to do with Arabella...

I glanced at the mansion through my rearview mirror. I remembered her earlier words.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm married to someone who only lets me see the parts of his life that he wants me to see.

I exhaled.

"Keep investigating," I instructed.

"Yes, sir."

I ended the call.

For a moment, I simply sat there. I didn't know what the photograph meant, who the woman was, and I certainly didn't know what Nathaniel was planning. But I knew one thing. I wasn't going to let the truth remain hidden forever. Especially not if it meant watching Arabella get hurt.

I started the engine. This is getting more complicated than I expected.