New Home

Chapter 8

Alice 

“He has already sent men out to track you. And this time, he won’t stop… not until he finds you.”

My breath caught in my throat. But George wasn’t even done yet.

“You have no idea how desperate he is to find you. And if he does… I’m afraid he won’t stop until he’s taken everything from you… starting with that little boy.”

“No.” I whispered, clutching Leo tighter against me. “Nothing can happen to him. He’s all I have.”

“Exactly. Which is why you need to let me protect you,” he said firmly. “My men are already positioned throughout the lobby. Just tell me where you are, and they’ll come for you right away.”

I hesitated, torn between two impossible choices… trusting George, or staying behind to face Thomas alone.

But facing Thomas was not an option. It never had been. He’d haunted me for too long. And going head-to-head with him now? That would be suicide.

So I had only one choice left… move in with George. As much as the thought made my skin crawl, I had to accept his help.

“Okay.” My voice was flat, cautious. “I’ll do it.”

“Really? Thank you for…”

“But on one condition,” I cut in sharply.

He paused, then responded, softer now. “Okay… what is it?”

“You stay far away from Leo and I. For as long as we’re in your house. That won’t be a problem… right?”

Finally, he exhaled. “No… yes. Yes, that’s fine. Just tell me where you are.”

“One more thing, George,” I added, my voice softening to a whisper as I glanced down at Leo. “Whatever happened between us in the past… it stays buried. No one finds out we’ve met before. Got it?”

He chuckled dryly. “Of course. I wouldn’t want my reputation dragged through the mud either. So… our little secret is safe between us.”

I released a shaky breath and turned towards the elevator. Just beyond it, I spotted him… pacing, running a hand through his hair, the phone still pressed to his ear.

I exhaled and stepped out, Leo’s small hand wrapped in mine. “Turn around. I’m right behind you.”

He turned… and froze the moment our eyes met. His expression went pale, stunned… like he’d just seen a ghost.

There was a long, weighty silence on the other end. I could hear his uneven breath, like he was barely holding something in.

“Alice,” he said finally, his voice low and calm as he approached us, his eyes locked with mine. “Thank you for trusting me. I promise you, this is the best decision you’ve ever made.”

“Enough, George,” I cut in, my tone sharp. “We’re exhausted. Just get us out of here.”

He didn’t waste a second.

Pulling out his phone, he made a quick call. “We’ve got them,” he said briskly. “Stop the search. Get the cars ready.”

Without another word, he turned and led us towards the elevator. His men followed closely behind us.

When we arrived at George’s penthouse, he gave a brief command to the butler… a clean-cut young man who looked barely thirty… to show us to our rooms.

Leo’s room was down the left wing, furnished like something out of a royal catalog. Mine was across the hall on the right… directly opposite George’s.

I couldn’t shake the unease in my chest. Something about all this still didn’t sit right. But at least, for now, we were safe.

That was all that mattered.

~

George

No matter how much I tried to bury it, I couldn’t deny the pull I felt every time I looked at her. Even after everything that happened between us six years ago… she still had that same effect on me.

And now she was in my house.

Under my roof.

I already knew it was going to take every ounce of self-control to keep my distance… especially with my father’s threats looming over us.

When dinner came around, Leo sat between us at the long table, happily eating and humming to himself. The tension between Alice and I was thick, silent… but real.

At one point, she glanced up. Our eyes met… and for a brief moment, everything else faded. We just stared.

Until Leo’s voice broke the silence.

“Mommy? Are we going to live with Daddy now?”

A small smile tugged at my lips. I looked at Alice, curious to hear her response.

She flushed instantly, her cheeks reddening as she stood. Without answering, she scooped Leo up from his chair.

“Alright, sweetheart. Time for bed,” she said quickly, ushering him down the hall despite his soft protests.

A few minutes later, I followed quietly, drawn by something I couldn’t name.

Just as I reached Leo’s room, the door creaked open… and there she was.

Alice froze when she saw me standing there. Her eyes widened, and her face flushed deeper with a storm of emotions… shock, anger, and maybe fear.

But she didn’t say a word. And neither did I.

“What are you doing here? Trying to give me another panic attack?” She said at last, breaking the silence.

“Oh, come on, Alice. Of course not.” I stepped closer, slowly reaching for her hands. The moment my fingers wrapped around hers, I saw the fire in her eyes dim… just slightly. Replaced by something softer. Something she was trying so hard to ignore.

“I’m sorry,” I said gently, my voice low but steady. “For everything.”

She leaned back against the wall, her lips parted, but no words came out.

I moved closer, closing the space between us until our faces were just inches apart. “I’ve been watching you all this time. Quietly. The humiliation my father put you through, the threats, the shame… I saw it all.”

She didn’t move. She didn’t blink. She just stared at me, her eyes scanning me in utter disbelief.

My hand moved to her neck, trailing lightly down to her shoulder before stopping. I leaned in, my lips brushing against her skin, soft and deliberate.

When I looked back into her eyes, my voice dropped into a raw whisper. “I loved you, Alice. Always. But I couldn’t come near you… not while you were married to that monster I called a father.”

The words burned my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill… but I didn't stop.

I let out a deep sigh as I let the words settle. “And that morning, when you lost the baby… I was the one who sent the doctor. I made sure he saved you. I gave him the flash drive.”

A sharp gasp tore from her lips, and for a moment, her eyes stayed rooted to mine… like she was trying to process the words.