Chapter 71

Tristan’s POVThe party is over now, but I believe it has ended way before my parents decided it was time to let everyone go home.We’re still in my parents’ house. Mira and I are in my dad’s study. I told her that we should talk, but right now, I have lost all my words.Mira just watches me pace the floor, eventually breaking the ice.“Thank you for standing up for me,” she says, her voice low. Tired.I was prepared to get mad at her for what happened. Breaking open Alexander’s wounds. Being completely untethered when she confronted the twins. I was ready to lay into her.But hearing her vulnerability makes me stop.“I… I’m sorry,” she continues, shaking her head and staring out the window. “I should’ve conducted myself better out there, I know. I should’ve handled it better. But it was Ethan we’re taking about. Elena’s kids might not look like they’re capable of it, and I know Ethan isn’t the best behaved out there, but I know he would never lie.”She starts to sob into her hands, a

Chapter 72

Elena’s POV“This is really bad.”This is the only statement that keeps playing in my mind. Constantly on repeat. Never stopping. Never letting up.It’s the next day already. It should be a fresh start. I should feel more motivated after finding out what they all intended to do last night. But instead, I woke up with a killer headache even though I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol last night.I’ve gotten dressed. I’ve taken the kids to temporary daycare while their admission to the new school is getting sorted. They will be watched over by guards, so I don’t need to worry about them.It just gives me time to worry about everything else.Especially now that the news has hit the waves.The words from the report are still ringing in my head. Mastermind. Calculated move. Cunning and manipulative….I don’t even know where those words came from. All I know is that I’m in deep shit.“It can still be fixed,” Uncle Marcus tells me as I get ready to leave. “My team is on it. We’re working directl

Chapter 73

Elena’s POVI stare at Alexander, trying to assess his emotions behind the mask of determination. That’s when I see that he’s serious about his suggestion.But I don’t see why he would be.“Grace?” I repeat. “Why?”“Because I firmly believe that Tristan wasn’t the first person she approached when she thought of stabbing you in the back,” Alexander says, gripping my arm. “I know it sounds crazy, but I think she talked to Mira first.”It’s not far-fetched. I already got that feeling when I found out that Grace had turned on me. I figured that of course it had to be Mira—no one else has been able to spur anyone into complete hatred like her.But this is just reckless.“Are you forgetting that Grace almost killed you?” I ask, taking my hand off his grip. “We can’t talk to her ever again.”With that, I turn around to leave.However, Alexander’s next words pin me to my spot.“But she could be the only way to clear your name.”Slowly, I stop and turn around.“This isn’t about me,” he explain

Chapter 74

Tristan’s POV“Look at them have so much fun!” Mom laughs as she shows a video footage of media people running after Alexander. “God, no one deserves this harassment more than this man.”“If you can call him a man,” Mira quips, and they both laugh.It’s still very strange, the way they morphed into being friends after everything that happened. We’re all now in the country club for brunch, which Mira is enjoying very well.It’s as though nothing happened.Ethan is out there in the yard, happy as ever. Like he didn’t just almost drown last night. Mira is laughing with my parents, like the past few years never happened. It’s also as though we didn’t just fire the only house staff I have that has lasted for over five years.I’m still reeling from everything. It doesn’t help that we found nothing else in Diane’s room. It also seems like the computer is completely untouched. My IT boys told me that nothing has been breached, and according to my house security, they haven’t seen Diane sneaki

Chapter 75

Elena’s POVThe moment Tristan’s lips touched mine, something in me woke up.The memories rushed in first. Our wedding night, how awkward it was and how it didn’t even manifest into anything. The next couple of nights after that, when it finally sunk in that we were required to consummate our marriage.It was sparse, those moments. Spread so far and thin across the years we’ve been married. I could only count it in two hands, the times it has happened, but when it did, it miraculously turned into life.It wasn’t particularly enjoyable to me. And I don’t think it was enjoyable for Tristan either.Except for the night that made me conceive my twins.He was different then. On fire. He almost seemed desperate. It was the first time I felt any genuine pleasure outside what my biology requires me to feel.For the first time that night, I understood passion.And now, I understand it again with him.Tristan’s lips are urgent, full of promise. Full of desire. It’s almost like he was a caged an

Chapter 76

Tristan’s POVMy blood feels like it just got drained out of my body all at once hearing Mira’s words. I look at Elena, but she just leans against the wall and smiles almost sweetly at me, like she’s enjoying the show.Meanwhile, for me it feels like someone just set the floor on fire.I open my mouth to tell Mira not to go and that it’s not necessary, but as I lift the phone to my lips, Mita turns off the call.I go to our tracking app and see that she’s less than a block away.No. She can’t find out that I’ve been here. She can’t just appear right now, especially since Elena is still here. And of course Elena wouldn’t help me. Not ever.Because why would she?I just kissed her without her permission.And I very nearly let it cross a line….“I’m going to go now,” I tell Elena. “Remember the conditions that we set. You don’t breathe a single word out to anybody, and I will help you fix your reputation. I promise.”Elena just smiles, ignoring me. Breaking my brain trying to think of wh