CHAPTER 5 -UNRAVELING SECRETS

Alex's POV

She thought she could keep me in the dark.

Ever since my father made the announcement of our engagement, I’d been observing her from the shadows—Lena, my supposed fiancée. Or at least, that’s the role everyone expected me to play.

It was all part of my father’s grand scheme to consolidate power, maintain the family legacy, and reinforce control. And me? I was simply another piece on his chessboard.

But I was far from the naïve puppet they imagined me to be. I wasn’t following the script out of love, nor out of loyalty—I had my own plans. My own empire. Separate from the Blackwoods.

What my father never understood was that my ambition went beyond business—it was about unearthing the truth of who I really was, about finding the family I was meant to belong to before the Blackwoods took me in when I was just five.

They were kind, yes, but I was never theirs. To them, I had always been a tool—nothing more.

Lena, though, she had no idea what I was truly after.

She played her part as the perfect fiancée, prancing around with a smile that seemed so genuine. But I was far too aware of the cracks beneath that polished surface.

Jefferson, my trusted bodyguard, had been keeping tabs on her while I was in London. The information he gathered? Let’s just say it was revealing. Lena had been carrying on an affair with her best friend’s husband. She’d been having a secret relationship, right under my nose.

It was almost laughable, how she could parade around with that innocent smile while she hid such a dark secret. But for now, I wouldn’t let her distractions divert me. I had bigger fish to fry.

My phone buzzed sharply, snapping me back to reality.

It was my father.

“Alex,” he began, his tone sharp and businesslike. “We’ll be having a family dinner tonight. You’ll be there, of course? It’s important.”

I ran a hand through my hair, suppressing a groan. The last thing I wanted was to play along in some absurd family charade. “I’m in town, so I’ll be there,” I answered, keeping my tone neutral, as always.

“Good,” my father said curtly. “Be on time.”

The call ended, and I tossed the phone onto my desk, feeling the weight of it all pressing on me. Another dinner, another performance. But I wasn’t going to sit idly by. Tonight, I’d be one step closer to taking control of my own destiny.

Before heading home, I stopped by the company for a meeting with the shareholders. There was a real estate deal on the table, one that could change the course of the business. Gwen, an employee who had proven herself capable, was presenting the pitch.

She spoke about the property, how vital it was to secure it before our competitors did. She was good—very good. But what she didn’t know was that I had already secured the property.

I was the one who owned it.

A smirk tugged at my lips as I listened to her pitch, feeling the amusement bubble up inside me. They could keep talking about it, strategizing, but the deal was already mine. It was so easy to manipulate, so simple to let them all fall into the trap.

William, my older brother, was there too. He was my father’s loyal second-in-command, always in the background, always playing the part. We exchanged a few words, the familiar tension hanging thick between us, though we never spoke of it. Soon after, I excused myself and we left together, the unspoken coldness between us lingering in the air.

I didn’t care about the business anymore, not at that moment. I had dinner with my father to look forward to—another night of pretending.

When I walked into the house, everything was as it always was. The table set perfectly, the house pristine. The Blackwood image had to be upheld, of course. This wasn’t about family; it was about appearances.

Lena stood at the entrance, waiting for me. Her smile was too wide, too rehearsed. I could almost taste the falseness in the air.

What game was she playing? My mind buzzed with unanswered questions. She was the dutiful fiancée now, but I knew better. I could see the secrets that hid behind her perfect smile.

Dinner commenced in its usual fashion—stiff, formal, as if this was all some grand performance for the benefit of the family’s reputation.

My father, sitting at the head of the table, was more concerned with maintaining control than anything else. Elizabeth, my mother, exchanged icy glares with Lena. The atmosphere was thick with quiet animosity, but my father never noticed. Or perhaps, he didn’t care.

“Lena,” my father said suddenly, breaking the silence as he reached for his wine glass. “I heard you attended that event for Amara’s necklace launch. Sivael, was it?”

Amara. The mention of her name made my blood run cold. I hadn’t heard much about her lately, but hearing my father speak of her now—something didn’t sit right. And then it hit me. Lena had been there. At the event.

Lena had flawlessly played the role of the perfect fiancée, all while secretly maintaining her affair with Amara's husband, skillfully manipulating both of them without ever suspecting a thing.

My throat tightened. This was far deeper than I had ever realized. The woman who had been pretending to be the perfect match for me was tangled in a web of lies, betrayal, and manipulation.

Lena’s smile, that pleasant, perfect smile, didn’t reach her eyes. She looked down briefly, almost as if she was trying to hold back something darker. “Yes, it was quite the event,” she replied coolly. “Amara is a dear friend of mine. We’ve known each other for years.”

I could barely hold back my surprise. How could she lie so smoothly, so effortlessly? My stomach twisted with disgust. The web of deceit she had woven was more complicated than I’d thought, and now, she controlled so much more than I could ever have imagined.

Dinner continued, but I was no longer listening. My mind raced, connecting the dots, drawing conclusions I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.

After dinner, when everyone was making their way to leave, I stood up abruptly, feeling the weight of everything crash down on me. My chair scraped loudly against the floor, all eyes turning toward me.

“Lena,” I called, my voice dark, controlled, and laced with authority. “We need to talk.”

Her smile faltered, a flicker of tension in her eyes. I knew I’d caught her off guard. But she wasn’t going to escape easily.

I stepped closer to her, my gaze piercing. “You’ve been playing a dangerous game. I want answers. Now.”

Lena swallowed, her face a mask of calm, but I could see the unease creeping in. Her gaze darted toward the door, as though seeking an escape. But I was in her path now.

She took a steadying breath before speaking, her voice unnervingly calm. “You’re right, Alex. I’ve been pulling the strings. But you have no idea just how deep this goes.” A sly smile curved on her lips, sending a cold shiver down my spine. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

“You need something from my father, don’t you? I know what you’re after. And I can help you. But in return, I want something from you.”

I frowned, my pulse quickening. “What do you mean, help me?”

Her eyes gleamed with dark knowledge. “You think you’re the only one with secrets? Your parents—there’s a reason they chose the Blackwoods.

There’s a reason they wanted you. And that document you’re looking for? My father has it. But you’re not going to get it so easily. You’ll need me to help you.”

My blood ran cold. She knew. She knew everything. And worse—she held the key to uncovering the truth about my parents.

It felt like I was longer in control.

I took a step forward, my voice low and threatening. “What are you talking about? What do you know about my parents?”

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced down at it, but didn’t check it. Instead, she walked past me, her body brushing mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my skin.

“Think carefully, Alex,” she called over her shoulder, her voice dripping with a dangerous mix of confidence and mystery. “You’re not the only one with power here.”

The door clicked softly behind her, and just like that, she was gone.

But the game? The game had only just begun.