[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 32: House of Lies Truths and Tears

~Alistair’s POV~

"What are you doing here, Sarah?" he demanded.

I pressed myself into the shadows of the hallway, my heart racing. He had just left, so why was he back? Did he forget something? I stayed quiet, keeping my distance, straining to catch their conversation.

"Alex, you’re not picking up your calls," I heard Sarah say. Her tone was calm, almost clinical, which only seemed to make Alex more agitated.

"I already told you in Singapore that we were done talking," Alex hissed. I watched from behind the banister as he paced the marble floor, every movement sharp and restless, like a caged animal. "I told you to stay away. So why are you in my house?"

"Are you really asking me that, Alex?" Sarah replied, her voice eerily calm compared to his.

"Enough!" Alex snapped, his voice bouncing off the high ceilings. "Enough with all the drama, yours and my mother’s. Why are you here? This is my home. Do you want my husband to see you? Is that what you’re trying to do?"

"He needs to know, Alex," she said, her calm, unwavering voice slicing through his fury. "You can’t keep him in the dark forever. The longer you wait, the more it looks like you’re deceiving him."

He needs to know what? My hands tightened around the railing until my fingers ached.

Sarah opened her mouth to speak again, but Alex erupted. "Get out! Get out of my house right now!"

"If you want me to leave, then you have to promise to answer your phone," Sarah countered, unshaken by his outburst.

Alex stood in a tense, vibrating silence. That was when I decided I’d heard enough. I stepped out from the shadows and began walking down the stairs, the sound of my footsteps drawing their eyes upward instantly.

The blood drained from Alex’s face. He began to shake, his eyes darting between Sarah, and me in a blind panic. "I promise! Just leave!" he hissed at her, his voice frantic. He lunged toward the stairs to meet me halfway. "Babe... Alis..."

I looked past him, my gaze landing on the woman standing in my foyer. "Who is this?" I asked, my voice as cold as the marble below.

Sarah turned to me, a sly, unbothered glint in her face before she masked it. "I was just leaving," she said smoothly, glancing back at Alex. "Keep the deal intact, Alex."

"Alright," Alex murmured. "The door is right there."

I watched her leave, and the second the door clicked shut, the house fell into a silence so thick it rang in my ears. Beside me, Alex was practically vibrating beside me, his chest heaving.

"I thought you went to the office," I said, turning my gaze to him. "Why are you back?"

"I—I forgot something," he stammered, his gaze darting around the living room as if he might find proof for the lie. "Yeah. I was halfway there when I realized I’d left some important documents behind. I just... had to come back."

I looked at him, seeing the way his hands were still trembling, the way his forehead was slick with sweat. "You forgot something," I repeated flatly. "Right."

"Yes," he said, his voice a pitch too high. He grabbed my hand, his grip clammy. "Yes. Come on, let’s go upstairs. It’s... It’s better upstairs."

He practically pulled me up the stairs, his movements hurried and desperate. The second we crossed the threshold of our bedroom, he slammed the door shut and leaned his back against it, locking it with a sharp click.

I turned to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn’t give him a chance to catch his breath.

"Why was Sarah here, Alex? And what ’deal’ is she talking about?"

He rushed toward me, his movements jerky and desperate. "Sarah came here because... because of the Singapore merger," he stammered, the words tumbling over each other. "The deal is just the contract, Alis. What else could it possibly be if not work?"

I looked him dead in the eye, my voice flat. "Work. Right."

He nodded frantically, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. "Yes, baby. It’s just work. High stakes, stressful work."

"Then why didn’t she go to your office?" I pressed, stepping closer until he was backed against the door. "Why not just call you? Why come all the way to our home, and insist on seeing me?"

Alex began to scramble, his excuses getting thinner by the second. "She did call, but I... I couldn’t pick up. I was busy, and she’s just pushy, Alis. She doesn’t respect boundaries—"

"Babe," I interrupted, my voice sharp enough to make him freeze mid-sentence. I studied him with a tired, almost pitying look. "Fine. Since you’ve decided not to be honest with me, I’ll pretend I believe you. It’s just work. Great. Grab the documents you came for and go back to the office."

Alex’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly. "I... I don’t need to go back today. I’ll work from home. I’d rather stay here with you."

I nodded slowly, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words. "Alright. But I’ll be stepping out later to meet my friends."

His reaction was instantaneous. Alex looked like I had just told him I was leaving him forever. "Can I come with you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

I sighed, the frustration finally bubbling up. "Babe, I’m meeting my friends. We both know you don’t like hanging out with them. You always say they’re too loud."

"I want to come with you today," he insisted, his hands trembling so badly he shoved them into his pockets. "Please, Alis... I just... I want to be where you are."

His desperation was starting to get under my skin. He hovered too close, suffocating me with his frantic need to keep me in sight. "Fine," I snapped. "We’ll stay home. Is that what you want?"

"Yes," he murmured, a wave of relief in his voice. "That’s all I want, baby, I just need to be close to you."

I stayed silent, my heart heavy as I turned toward the door. Alex moved toward the closet to change. "Where are you going?" he called, his voice taut with anxiety the moment I took a step.

"I’m going downstairs for breakfast," I said without looking back.

"Wait for me, babe! Don’t go yet!"

I froze mid-step, wanting to refuse, to tell him I needed just five minutes of peace. Instead, I closed my eyes and whispered, "Okay, honey... I’m waiting."

He changed at lightning speed, and we went down together. But the meal was a hollow affair. Alex sat across from me, staring at his plate, his fork just moving the food around. "I... I lost my appetite," he muttered.

At lunch, it was the same. He sat in silence, his eyes fixed on me as if I might disappear if he blinked. By dinner, he only managed a few bites before pushing the plate away, his face pale and drawn. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The day had been a slow torture of heavy silences and stolen glances. Finally, the sun dipped below the horizon, and we retreated to the bedroom. We lay in the dark, the air thick with everything we weren’t saying. I knew that for both of us, rest was a distant hope.

In the darkness, Alex moved close, his body warm against mine as he settled behind me. He wrapped me in a firm embrace, his arms locking around my waist, and pressed his face into the curve of my neck. Soft, lingering kisses traced along my shoulder.

"Alistair," he murmured, my name sounding like a prayer on his lips.

"Yes, baby?" I said quietly, staring at the shadows on the wall. "Do you need something?"

"No," he said. "I just wanted to say your name."

The vulnerability in his voice made my chest ache. I turned over in his arms to face him. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting sharp angles across his face. We stayed like that for a long time, just staring into each other’s eyes, searching for the people we used to be before Singapore.

Alex leaned in, his lips barely brushing mine. When he pulled back just slightly, he murmured, "I’m sorry."

"For what?" I asked, my heart beginning to thud.

He didn’t answer right away. He just searched my face, his eyes shimmering until a single tear slipped free.

"Babe, why are you crying?" I reached up, my thumb catching the moisture on his skin.

"Alis... I’m so sorry," he sobbed, his voice breaking.

"For what, Alex?" I pressed, my voice trembling now.

"I’m sorry I lied to you," he choked out.

I forced myself to stay calm, to keep my breathing steady even as the world felt like it was tilting. "About what?"

He cupped my face with one hand, his palm damp. "When I traveled... when I told you it was for an urgent business emergency... I lied, baby. It wasn’t about the business."

I stared at him, the pieces of the puzzle falling into a shape I didn’t want to recognize. "So... you didn’t travel?"

"I traveled... but it wasn’t for work," he whispered, a fresh wave of tears spilling down.

"Then tell me, Alex," I urged, my voice trembling. "What was it for?"

Alex’s sobs grew louder, a jagged, ugly sound that filled the room. He buried his face in my chest, his words muffled but clear enough to shatter my heart.

"It was for Sarah... it was for her birthday celebration. My mother forced me..."