Chapter 9 : A Den of Wolves
968 Words
Ciara felt her heart plummet into her stomach. A cold sweat broke out down her spine. Her mind raced, preparing for the absolute worst as she braced herself for the family's wrath. Beneath the heavy table, she slowly reached out her leg, nudging Alexandier’s shin, silently pleading with him to deny it, to fix it, to say something. She doesn't plan on loosing the only chance she has in helping her father, and clear his mounting hospital bills.
Alexandier did not flinch from her touch. His face remained an unreadable, icy mask as he stared directly into his father's furious eyes.
But before Alexandier could answer, his mother, Eleanor spoke.
"Alex, please tell me it isn't true." Her voice was gentle, yet laced with unmistakable disappointment. Her gaze drifted to Ciara for the briefest moment before returning to her son.
"You know how much this family has been through. Don't let this become another scandal." She paused, her face softening, though her words did not. "I always believed that when you finally brought a woman home, it would be someone worthy of standing beside you."
Alexandier's eyes shifted briefly to his mother. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mother," he said calmly. "But yes." His gaze returned to his father. "We did sign a contract."
Ciara’s breath hitched. She stared at him, her eyes widening in absolute shock, her hands trembling beneath the table. What is he doing? she thought frantically. He’s destroying everything.
"We signed our marriage certificate, making us husband and wife. If that's the contract Julian is referring to, then yes—we signed one." Alexandier continued, his gaze drifting from his father over to Julian, completely unfazed. "I will admit to this family that I barely knew Ciara up to a month when we met. But I knew I have fallen for her already. I fell for her sharp mouth, her undeniable courage, and the fact that she is capable of looking me dead in the eyes and standing her ground, even after learning exactly who I am."
The tension in the room shifted, the family hanging on his every word.
"I didn't hide anything from her," Alexandier added, his voice softening just a fraction as he looked at his father. "She knows everything. She knows about grandfather's will, she knows about the thirty-day deadline, and she knows the pressure this family carries. I shared it all with her."
Whispers broke out among the aunts and uncles. Authur leaned forward, surprised. The entire family knew Alexandier was a locked vault; he never shared corporate secrets or personal burdens with anyone, not even his own flesh and blood. To hear that he had bared his soul to an outsider was staggering.
"So, yes, Julian," Alexandier sneered, his eyes fixed on his cousin like a predator watching its prey. "Even if we started this with a contract, which we didn't. Does it really matter?"
Ciara’s hand practically flew across Alexandier’s lap squeezing his hand so tight her knuckles turned white. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, completely overwhelmed by the through pure power and protection in his voice.
"None of it does." Alexandier concluded, his fingers intertwining with Ciara's beneath the table, now holding her firmly, he raised it up and give it a light kiss.
Ciara's cheek burned red.
"What matters is that I have found love and happiness, exactly as grandfather wanted for me. And I have found that with Ciara."
Looking at him, seeing the intense, protective fire in his dark eyes, Ciara stared at him, she was startled. She put on her acting mode and forced tears to swelled up in her eyes.
Although the tears was an act, she couldn't deny the fact that she was overwhelmed and relief and the staggering weight of his defense. She squeezed his hand back, her lips moving in a silent, trembling breath.
I love you.
It was completely silent, but she made sure the words were clear enough for everyone at the table to read her lips.
For a long beat, the room was dead silent. Then, Authur Sterling let out a low, deep chuckle. The stern Chairman broke into a genuine, proud smile, raising his crystal wine glass into the air.
"To love, then," Authur announced, his voice booming with approval. "And to happiness."
"To love," a few of Alexandier’s aunts and uncles smiled, immediately raising their glasses in unison, murmuring heartfelt congratulations. The honesty in Alexandier's words completely caught them off guard.
He had never looked at a woman like this before—not even during his multi-year engagement to his wealthy socialite ex, Vivienne.
Julian’s face turned an ugly, furious shade of red. He almost slammed his glass down, utterly defeated as his grand trap turned into a beautiful celebration of his cousin's marriage.
Later that evening, after dinner, Ciara managed to pull Alexandier into a quiet hallway near the grand staircase.
She looked up at him, her chest still tight from the adrenaline of the night. She stepped close, and whispered in a low, teasing voice. "I didn't know you were such a good actor, Mr Sterling. I almost believed you back there."
Alexandier looked down at her, a rare, amused chuckle escaped him. He leaned in slightly, his eyes glittering with a playful danger.
"You are also quite good at free-styling as an actress, Mrs. Sterling. That silent 'I love you' was a stroke of genius."
Ciara let out a soft laugh, her eyes holding his for a long, lingering moment.
Alexandier's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he spoke.
"You look beautiful tonight."
Ciara froze. Heat rushed to her cheeks, the blush spreading all the way down to her neck.
For the first time that evening, she found herself completely at a loss for words.
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