Chapter 4

Alice

I froze on the spot, as if my feet had been nailed to the floor. How is he here? What the hell is this man doing in my house?

“Isn’t it obvious we’re brothers?” Uncle Lemuel joked, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. He was smiling at me, completely unaware of the private disaster happening in my head. He looked relaxed, comfortable… and totally clueless that I was seconds away from having a full-blown heart attack.

What if he says something?

What if he suddenly brings up what happened between us last Friday night?

My eyes darted toward Mommy. She was staring at me with concern, clearly noticing my strange reaction.

“Do we look that different for you to get that shocked, Alice?” Uncle Lemuel teased again. I quickly shook my head. He cannot—cannot—know that I’ve already met his brother in a way he will never expect.

“Y-You really don't look alike,” I replied awkwardly, forcing a small smile even as I felt the corners of my lips tremble.

“That’s fine. You’re not the only one who says that,” Uncle Lemuel chuckled, and I exhaled a tiny breath of relief that he didn’t take my reaction the wrong way.

“Sit down, dear,” Mommy said gently.

I nodded and followed, even though every fiber of my body wanted to bolt out of the room and escape.

Our dining table only fits six, but the chairs are arranged two per side, leaving the ends empty. And because of that setup, I had no choice. I had to sit beside him.

Besides the man who was with me in his dimly lit room last Friday. Besides the man who knows exactly what my body sounds like when I fall apart under him.

Mommy and Uncle Lemuel sat across from us, and I forced myself to breathe as the heat of his presence pressed against my left side.

“Since Alice is here,” Uncle Lemuel said proudly, eyes flicking between us, “let me introduce you to each other. Lance, this is Alice—Annabelle’s daughter, whom you already know as my girlfriend.”

Slowly, deliberately, the man beside me turned his head.

His brow lifted slightly, and that smile on his lips… I couldn’t tell if it was friendly or teasing. No, not just teasing. It felt like his eyes were saying: Small world, isn’t it?

“Hi, Alice,” he said, his voice so much deeper now that he was only a few inches away from me. The sound vibrated through me in the worst and best way possible.

“Alice, this is my brother, Lance.”

I looked at Uncle Lemuel, then forced myself to face his younger brother again.

“H-Hi, U-Uncle Lance.”

His eyes narrowed immediately, and his brows furrowed in a way that told me he did not like what I just called him.

Then I heard Uncle Lemuel burst into laughter.

“Lance, just let her call you, Uncle.”

“You know I hate it when people call me that,” Lance muttered—looking directly at me. And the way he stared… it wasn’t polite, or casual. It was loaded. Heavy. Almost accusing.

Like he was telling me, you and I both know why that feels wrong.

“It's her way of showing her respect,” Mommy explained. “Don’t take it negatively.”

Lance leaned back slightly, but he didn’t look away from me. “Feels like you’re enjoying the power trip, Lemuel,” he said, half-joking, half-annoyed.

“Not at all,” Uncle Lemuel laughed. “They’re my family now.”

Family.

The word sliced straight through my already panicking mind.

Family?

How am I supposed to call him Uncle?

The same man who held my waist with his strong hands last Friday?

The same man whose breath ghosted against my neck?

The same man who—

God. I almost choked on my own heartbeat.

“We also want to take this chance to tell you…” Uncle Lemuel continued, taking Mommy’s hand, “We’re getting married.”

My head snapped toward Mommy. The shock and sudden burst of happiness made me forget the man sitting beside me for a moment.

“Really?!” I squealed, unable to contain my smile. “Congratulations!”

And just for a few seconds, I forgot the heat of the gaze burning at the side of my face.

But when I felt it again. The sharp, constant, knowing it pulled me back. Reminding me of the secret only the two of us shared.

Mom and Uncle Lemuel laughed at my excitement. “Is that how much you like Lemuel?” Mommy teased.

She had no idea what was actually twisting my stomach into knots. But one thing was true, I was genuinely happy for them.

“I already told you last night, right?” I said.

“Thank you, Alice,” Uncle Lemuel answered warmly. His face was gentle. So different from the unreadable, intense expression of the man beside me. Honestly, how are these two even brothers?

“Congratulations, Lemuel, Annabelle,” Lance finally said.

“Thanks, Lance. And thank you for coming here to meet Annabelle as my family.”

“No problem. You know from the very beginning, you’re one of the few people I trust.”

I blinked, surprised at how personal their exchange sounded. For a moment, it felt like there was a lot more beneath the surface. But when I saw Uncle Lemuel’s soft, innocent expression, I dismissed the thought.

“Since we’ve shared our news, let’s eat,” Mommy said with a smile.

We began serving ourselves food, yet my body stayed stiff, coiled tight as a spring.

When I eat, each bite feels like a chore. I could barely swallow, aware of every glance Lance kept stealing toward me. Meanwhile, Mommy and Uncle Lemuel looked like newlyweds already. Smiling, laughing, practically feeding each other.

We were almost done when my Mom spoke again. “Alice, dear. Did you find your phone? It’s inconvenient not having it, especially since you have class tomorrow.”

I choked on my water instantly.

“No, not yet,” I croaked. “I—I can’t remember where I left it.”

Please. Please let him stay silent.

I was almost sure I had left my phone in his room at the club.

“Oh yeah!” Lance suddenly exclaimed.

My eyes widened as I whipped my head toward him. He was grinning straight at me.

And I felt all the blood drain from my face.

“I remember now,” he said casually. “No wonder you looked familiar, Alice.”

“Huh?” Mommy asked, confused.

“I’ve been trying to figure out where I saw her. But when you mentioned the phone…” He leaned forward, eyes locked onto mine. “I think I have the thing you’re looking for, Alice.”

It felt like Mt. Pinatubo exploded right in my chest.

Is he going to tell them?

Is he actually going to reveal what happened between us that night?

My heart dropped.

My throat closed.

And I knew—

This dinner was about to become a nightmare.