The tension in the Blackthorne estate was thick enough to cut with a blade. Eleanor had spent the night tossing and turning, her mind replaying Alexander's words, his touch, his desperation.
"I'll fix this."
But how?
How do you fix a lie? A betrayal?
Morning sunlight streamed through the grand windows as Eleanor walked down the staircase, her expression carefully composed. Every step she took echoed in the silent halls. The staff moved about cautiously, sensing the unspoken war brewing within their walls.
And at the center of it all—Isla.
Eleanor found her standing in the garden, sipping tea as if she didn't have a single care in the world. Dressed in an ivory silk gown, she looked every bit the queen she pretended to be.
"Good morning, dear sister," Isla greeted, turning with a smirk.
Eleanor's lips curled in distaste. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Isla tilted her head. "Enjoying what?"
Eleanor stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Whatever game you're playing, whatever lies you're weaving—I'm ending it."
Isla's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, Eleanor. You still think this is my game?" She let out a soft laugh. "You're already a player, whether you like it or not."
Eleanor clenched her fists. "You think you can come into my home and take what's mine?"
Isla set her teacup down, stepping closer. "I don't need to take anything. Alexander and I…" she paused for effect, watching Eleanor's reaction, "we have history."
Eleanor's stomach twisted, but she refused to let it show. "And yet, history is all you are."
Isla's smile didn't falter, but Eleanor saw the flicker of something dark beneath the surface.
"You're so sure of him," Isla murmured. "But tell me, Eleanor—has he told you everything?"
Eleanor's breath caught, but before she could respond, a deep voice interrupted them.
"That's enough."
Both women turned to see Alexander standing at the edge of the garden, his gaze locked onto Isla. His presence was commanding, his expression thunderous.
Isla's smirk widened. "Ah, and here he is—the man of the hour."
Alexander ignored her, his eyes finding Eleanor's. "We need to talk."
Eleanor lifted her chin. "Yes, we do."
Without another word, she walked past Isla, brushing against Alexander as she entered the house.
---
The Truth Unfolds
Eleanor paced in Alexander's study, the weight of everything pressing down on her.
He stood near the fireplace, watching her carefully. "You have questions. Ask them."
Eleanor stopped, turning to face him. "Did you know Isla before the auction?"
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "Yes."
Her heart clenched, but she forced herself to remain calm. "For how long?"
"A few years."
She let out a humorless laugh. "So you lied to me."
"I didn't lie," he corrected. "I just didn't tell you."
"That's the same thing, Alexander!" she snapped, her anger finally breaking free. "You let me believe she was just some pawn in Lucian's game, but all along, she had a connection to you."
Alexander took a step closer. "Because that connection didn't matter. It still doesn't."
Eleanor folded her arms. "Then tell me everything. No more half-truths. No more secrets."
He exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face before speaking.
"I met Isla through Lucian," he admitted. "She was one of his protégés, trained to manipulate and deceive. I never trusted her, but she had… an obsession with power. And with me."
Eleanor's heart pounded. "And you?"
His eyes darkened. "I never wanted her."
She searched his face, wanting to believe him. But Isla's words echoed in her mind.
"Are you sure he's told you everything?"
"Then why is she here?" Eleanor whispered. "Why did you let her in?"
Alexander's expression hardened. "Because she's more dangerous outside these walls than inside."
Eleanor shook her head. "That's not an answer."
Alexander's hand shot out, gripping her wrist. "She's after something, Eleanor. Something bigger than you and me." His voice dropped lower. "And I need to know what it is before she destroys everything."
Eleanor swallowed hard, her pulse racing. "And what if she succeeds?"
He pulled her closer, his voice a vow. "I won't let that happen."
She wanted to believe him.
God, she wanted to believe him.
But trust, once broken, wasn't easily repaired.
And the worst part?
A small part of her feared that Isla wasn't lying.
That there was still something Alexander wasn't telling her.
And secrets…
Had a way of ruining everything.
---
Next Chapter: Isla's Checkmate
As Eleanor and Alexander fight to rebuild their trust, Isla makes her next move—one that threatens to unravel everything. When a long-buried secret is exposed, Eleanor is forced to make a choice that could change the course of their lives forever.
Will she stand by Alexander's side?
Or will this be the betrayal that finally breaks them?