CHAPTER 5 -UNRAVELING SECRETS

Alex’s POV

She really thought I didn’t know.

Since the day my father announced our engagement, I had been quietly watching her—Lena. My fiancée, or at least that’s how everyone saw it. My father had arranged this marriage, of course, to keep the wealth within the family. It was all about power, control, legacy. And I was simply a pawn in his game.

But I wasn’t as naïve as they thought. I wasn’t playing along out of love or duty—I had my own plans. I’d been running my own business, building my own empire, separate from the family.

A hidden organization, the kind of thing my father could never understand. The truth is, I wasn’t just focused on business—I was focused on finding my real family, the people who were supposed to raise me before the Blackwoods took me in when I was five. They treated me like family, yes, but I always knew I wasn’t theirs. I was just a means to an end.

Lena, on the other hand, had no idea what was coming. She had been living her life, playing the part of the perfect fiancée. But what she didn’t realize was that I had every detail of her life—every move—tracked.

Jefferson, my bodyguard, had been gathering information on her while I was away in London. And let me tell you, what I found was… entertaining.

Lena had been sleeping with her best friend’s husband. An affair. The irony wasn’t lost on me. She could stand there, looking all innocent and pure, but behind closed doors, she was no better than the rest of us. I couldn’t help but find it amusing, though. It almost felt like a game—like she thought she was the only one with secrets. But I didn’t have time to deal with her personal affairs now.

I had bigger things to focus on.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a call. It was my father.

“Alex,” his voice came through, sharp and demanding as always. “We’ll be having a family dinner tonight. You’ll be attending, of course? It’s important.”

I ran a hand through my hair, barely holding back my frustration. “I’m in town, so I’ll be there,” I replied, keeping my voice neutral.

“Good,” my father said, satisfied. “Make sure you’re here on time.”

The call ended, and I dropped the phone on my desk. The last thing I wanted was to sit through a family dinner with my father, pretending that everything was fine.

He had always expected me to toe the line, to play my part in their perfect little world. But what he didn’t know was that I wasn’t interested in playing by his rules anymore.

Lena would be there too, of course, playing the part of the dutiful fiancée. But she had no idea I was onto her—no idea what I had uncovered. And tonight, as I walked into that dinner, I would be one step closer to taking control of my own life, of making my own choices, no matter what my father or anyone else expected.

I headed to the company first for a meeting. The presence of all the shareholders was required. There was a deal on the table—a real estate acquisition that was crucial for the company. A lady named Gwen, an employee who was more than competent, was presenting the deal.

She explained the potential of acquiring the property before our rivals could get their hands on it and how it would benefit us long-term. On the surface, the presentation was solid, but the truth? I’d already bought the property.

I was the seller they needed to contact.

I couldn’t help but smirk as Gwen continued her pitch, oblivious to the fact that the decision had already been made. My mind raced with how easily they all fell into the trap, how little they knew about the game I was playing behind the scenes. They could keep negotiating all they wanted, but the deal was already in my hands.

My older brother William was present, of course. He’d always been my father’s right-hand man, just as I was supposed to be. We exchanged a few words before I excused myself, knowing there was nothing more for me to gain from the meeting. We left the company together, the tension between us always palpable, though neither of us spoke of it.

By the time we got home, I was already mentally preparing for the family dinner my father had insisted on.

And just as I expected, everything was perfectly arranged. Dinner was served, the table meticulously set—everything in its place, as if this was some sort of performance we had to put on for the sake of family appearances.

Lena stood at the entrance, waiting for me. She smiled, but there was something behind her smile that didn’t sit right with me.

What was she up to? I thought to myself, my mind immediately going on the defensive. She was playing her part as the dutiful fiancée, but I could see right through her.

I knew she was far from the innocent image she tried to project.

My stomach tightened as I walked toward her, the weight of everything we were pretending to be settling heavily on my shoulders. I had my own plans—my own agenda—and I wouldn’t let anyone, not even Lena, throw me off course.

The dinner started like any other. My father sat at the head of the table, the family dynamics as predictable as ever.

William, ever the peacemaker, tried to soften the tension between Elizabeth and Lena, who had been exchanging icy glares since the moment we sat down. It was almost amusing to watch, but at the same time, it reminded me of how fragile the bonds between us all really were.

William’s attempts to ease the atmosphere were futile, though. Neither woman was willing to give an inch. The room was thick with unspoken animosities, but my father didn’t seem to notice—or care. He was too focused on the conversation at hand, his eyes flicking from one person to the next, trying to maintain his illusion of control.

“Lena,” my father said, breaking the silence as he reached for his glass of wine.

“I heard you attended that event for Amara’s necklace launch. Sivael, was it?”

The mention of Amara’s name made me pause. I hadn’t heard much about her in a while, but I knew who she was. And hearing her name from my father’s lips made my mind snap to attention. There was no way Lena had been at that event by accident.

Lena smiled, her gaze flickering to Elizabeth for a brief moment before answering. "Yes, it was quite the event," she said smoothly. "Amara is a dear friend of mine. We’ve known each other for years."

I nearly choked on my wine. Amara was the friend Lena had been sleeping with her husband? The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Lena, this woman who had been pretending to be the perfect fiancée, had been sleeping with Amara’s husband, and now she was attending the launch of a company she had promised my father shares in.

How did she have so much control over that woman? I thought, my stomach turning. And why was she so sure my father would give her what she wanted?

The pieces were coming together in a way I hadn’t anticipated. It was disgusting. The more I thought about it, the more I realized the extent of Lena’s manipulation.

She had her claws so deeply embedded into Amara’s life, pulling strings and making promises to get what she wanted. She wasn’t just playing the game—she was controlling it.

I could feel my jaw clenching as I stared across the table at her, the pleasant smile on her face nothing more than a façade.

Beneath that smile was a woman who was playing a far more dangerous game than I had ever realized. And as much as I hated to admit it, I was no longer sure who she was working for, or who had the most power in this twisted web.

Dinner carried on in the usual fashion, but I was no longer listening to the conversation. My mind was racing, connecting dots I hadn’t seen before. I had to confront her. I had to know what she was hiding, and why she thought she could get away with all of this.

When the table had finally cleared, and everyone was preparing to leave, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. All eyes turned to me, but I was only focused on one person.

"Lena," I said, my voice low, controlled, but laced with a warning. "We need to talk."

She froze, her smile faltering just slightly. I could see the tension in her eyes, the unease she tried to hide beneath her calm exterior. She knew I had figured something out. But she didn’t know how much I knew.

I stepped closer, my gaze never leaving hers. "You’ve been playing a dangerous game. And I want answers. Now."

Lena swallowed, her lips pressed into a tight line. She wasn’t going to back down easily, I could see that. But she was scared—I could feel it. Her eyes flickered to the doorway as if looking for an escape, but I blocked her way.

She took a breath, her voice soft, almost too calm. "You’re right, Alex. I’ve been playing a game. But you have no idea how much bigger it is than you think." She paused, letting the words hang in the air like a dark promise. "You need something from my father, don’t you? I know what you’re looking for. And I can help you. But in return, I want something from you."

I frowned, my heart pounding. "What do you mean, help me?"

She took another step back, a knowing glint in her eyes. "You think you’re the only one with secrets, don’t you? Your parents—there’s a reason they chose the Blackwoods. There’s a reason they wanted you to be part of this family. And that document you’re looking for... My father has it. But it’s not going to be as easy to get as you think. You need me to get it."

My blood ran cold. My parents—there was something they hadn’t told me. And Lena knew what it was. She knew exactly how far this web of lies went, and she was the key to unlocking it.

For the first time, I realized just how little control I actually had.

I took a step toward her, my voice low and dangerous. "What are you talking about? What do you know about my parents?"

But before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced down at it, then back at me, her smile colder than before. "You’ll find out soon enough," she said, her tone dripping with both confidence and mystery. "But right now, you have bigger problems to deal with.

Your father’s not the only one pulling strings."

The phone buzzed again. This time, she didn’t check it. Instead, she walked past me, her body brushing mine just enough to make my skin prickle.

"Think carefully, Alex," she called over her shoulder, her voice laced with a dark edge. "You’re not the only one with power here.”