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Chapter 31 - Chapter 31: "Wouldn't Want you to get hurt again"

The air in the dining room was still thick with the awkward tension from earlier, though the mood had softened slightly after Aaron's chatter began filling the silence.

Marcus kept his gaze lowered to his plate; he was clearly lost in thought, while Alexa focused on cutting her food into careful, tiny, unnecessary pieces.

Aaron, oblivious to the storm of adult emotions brewing around him, looked from his father to Alexa with bright eyes. "Daddy! Guess what Alexa and I built today!"

Marcus glanced up, his tone still cool but curious. "What did you build?"

"Our fortress!" Aaron said proudly, his small hands flying through the air to describe the invisible structure. "It's huge! It has secret tunnels, traps, and even a hidden room that only me and Alexa know about!"

A faint, genuine smile tugged at Marcus's lips — the first trace of warmth all evening. "A fortress, huh?" He leaned slightly forward. "Sounds like quite the project. And you built it all yourselves?"

Aaron nodded energetically, as he nearly knocked over his drink. "Uh-huh! Alexa helped with the walls and the defense part! She's super good at building stuff — like, really smart! She even showed me how to make a fake alarm so nobody sneaks in."

From across the table, Nina let out a sharp laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "A fortress?" she repeated, her voice laced with false sweetness.

"How… adorable. But really, Aaron, perhaps you should focus on more refined things. Building forts and traps— that's not exactly—"

Marcus didn't even let her finish. "He's a child, Nina," he said, his tone low but edged with authority. "He's supposed to build forts."

The quiet that followed was deafening.

Nina's jaw tightened, her fork pausing midair before she forced a brittle smile. "Of course. I only meant—"

But Aaron, full of pride and excitement, wasn't listening. He tugged at Alexa's sleeve. "Alexa, tell him about the flag we made!"

Alexa blinked; she was caught off guard by his enthusiasm. "Oh—right." A soft chuckle escaped her lips before she could stop it. "We made one out of old cloth from your storeroom. Aaron insisted it had to have a phoenix on it, for… strength, wasn't it?"

Aaron grinned up at her. "Yeah! Because phoenixes never die. They just rise again!"

Marcus's eyes flickered between the two of them, something unreadable passing behind his expression. "A phoenix," he repeated quietly. "That's… fitting."

Alexa caught his gaze for a moment — too long, too charged — before looking away, pretending to reach for her glass. The faint smile that had curved his mouth was gone again, replaced by that unreadable calm he wore like armor.

From a distance, Claudia, who had been quietly supervising the servants, couldn't help but murmur softly under her breath, "They look good together… like a real family."

Her voice wasn't meant to carry — but it did.

Nina's grip on her fork turned white-knuckled. Her lips twitched into something that could have been a smile if it weren't so venomous.

"Careful now, Claudia," Nina said with syrupy sweetness, though her tone trembled with restrained fury. "People might start thinking things that aren't true."

Claudia didn't even flinch. "Sometimes, Nina," she said calmly, wiping her hands on a napkin, "truth has a funny way of showing itself — whether we like it or not."

That simple statement hung heavy over the table, silencing even Aaron, who looked between the adults, sensing the change in atmosphere but not understanding it.

Alexa kept her composure, though beneath the calm exterior, she could feel Nina's glare burning into her like a blade.

And Marcus… he was silent, unreadable once again — but his eyes lingered, not on Nina, not on the untouched wine in front of him… but on Alexa.

The storm brewing beneath the surface had only just begun.

Scene 2

The air in the dining hall had thinned after dinner, as the earlier warmth had dissolved into a quiet, almost brittle stillness.

The clinking of cutlery had faded, and all that remained was the soft rustle of servants that were clearing the table.

Nina, still wearing that carefully painted smile, turned to Alexa, her voice syrupy but sharp at the edges. "Alexa, dear," she began sweetly, "how's your wound? Has it healed?"

Alexa met her gaze, recognizing the hidden venom beneath the polite tone. "It's fine," she replied evenly. "Thank you for asking."

Nina hummed, tilting her head just slightly, as though studying her. "You should be more careful. Wouldn't want you hurting yourself again, now would we?"

"Shouldn't I be the one telling you that?" Alexa asked, replaying the moment when Nina had accidentally burnt her knee.

"...I was just asking, wouldn't want such accidents to repeat themselves, now, would we?" Nina asked, a wicked grin tugging her lips.

Before Alexa could respond, one of the maids approached to collect the plates. "Excuse me," the young girl said softly, bowing before scurrying toward the kitchen.

Nina followed shortly after, still wearing her mask of gentility.

As Alexa rose, instinctively moving to help Claudia with the dishes, a hand closed gently but firmly around her wrist.

Marcus.

"Stay," he said quietly. His tone wasn't cold — not this time — but controlled, deliberate. "Aaron needs you more right now."

Aaron, already tugging at Alexa's hand, beamed. "Daddy, come too!"

Marcus hesitated, because right now, he was torn between duty and something unspoken that flickered in his eyes.

Then, slowly, he nodded. "Alright," he said, the corners of his mouth softening just slightly.

And for a fleeting moment — just a heartbeat — it looked like a family.

The three of them walked upstairs together, Aaron swinging Alexa's hand in one and gripping Marcus's in the other. His laughter echoed down the hallway, light and full, something the mansion hadn't heard in years.

Inside Aaron's room, the half-built fortress waited — blankets draped over chairs, pillows stacked like barricades, toy soldiers standing guard. Aaron immediately rushed in, babbling about "fort defense upgrades," while Alexa and Marcus exchanged an amused look that neither dared to linger on.

Time blurred. For once, the weight of secrets, betrayals, and walls seemed to fall away, replaced by the simple sound of a child's joy.

Then — a sharp buzz.

Marcus's phone vibrated against the nightstand, the screen flashing an encrypted number. His expression shifted instantly, the softness hardening into that familiar, cold steel.

He answered, stepping aside. "Yes?"

The voice on the other end was low, urgent — inaudible to Alexa and Aaron, but the tension in Marcus's jaw said everything.

When he hung up, Aaron was already watching him.

"Daddy…" The boy's voice was small. "You're leaving again, aren't you?"

Marcus froze. "It's important, Aaron. I'll be back soon."

Aaron's face crumpled. "That's what you said last time. And the time before that. You always say that!" His voice broke — the sound of quiet heartbreak only a child could make.

"You always leave me and Mommy alone…"

The last word hit Marcus like a blade. His hand twitched at his side, torn between guilt and instinct.

Before he could respond, Aaron ran forward, burying his face in Alexa's chest. She wrapped her arms around him instinctively, stroking his hair gently.

"It's okay," she murmured softly, eyes lifting to meet Marcus's. "I've got him."

Marcus's throat tightened. He gave a small nod — silent, wordless, as though any sound might break the fragile moment — then turned and left, his footsteps fading down the hall.

The door closed behind him, leaving only the faint glow of Aaron's nightlight and the quiet sound of his sobs fading into hiccups.

Alexa stayed there, holding him close, her hand moving through his hair in slow, steady strokes.

And in that moment — between the silence and the soft rhythm of a child's breathing — she realized something dangerous.

The line between duty and attachment… was beginning to blur.

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