HER FACE, MY WIFE'S SHADOW

Chapter 8: My Mother's Rage

Alexander's POV

I stepped out, closing the door of Aria’s room behind me. I deliberately ignored her question and the curiosity reflecting in her blue eyes.

I wasn't ready to reveal the truth to her yet, especially now she can't remember anything.

…

Meeting her at the airport?

The denial?

Locking her in the master suite?

The attack?

The phone call?

The boss?

The viral video?

I breathed out softly, remembering every single event.

The woman whom I had spent five years grieving – the woman I believed was buried beneath the ground – was currently breathing under my roof.

Did I bury another corpse wearing her exact fabricated face, or is this woman genuinely an innocent architect named Ara Bennett?

I needed to dig to the bottom of this mystery.

I made my way up the winding stone steps to the rooftop balcony. Williams was there, slumped deeply into a lounge chair with his phone pressed against his ear.

Williams wasn't just my chief of security operations; he was my childhood friend, a brother who had proven a thousand times over that he was willing to lay down his life to shield mine.

I had already lost far too much. I refused to lose any more. With my last breath, I would protect the people left in my circle.

“Dad… I give you my word, the second I return home, I’ll explain everything,” Williams muttered into the receiver, his voice thick with frustration before he abruptly ended the call.

He dragged his exhausted gaze upward as I took the seat directly across from him, my hand reaching out for a bottle of whisky.

“Our families have finally found out,” Williams said, watching me pour a glass. “My dad informed me that your parents have been calling you non-stop, but you’re ignoring them.”

“I have nothing to say to them, Williams.” I lifted the glass to my lips and took a long, burning swallow of the liquid.

“You witnessed her state yourself – she doesn't remember anything yet. I cannot, under any circumstances, allow Aria to meet my family now. Not like this.”

“But Alex," he countered, crossing one leg over the other and leaning his back against the sofa. “What if your baseline assumption is false?"

“That’s impossible.” I felt the familiar spark of defensive certainty.

“But still… you can’t keep her in the dark forever,” Williams warned. “The resemblance alone is driving her insane. Imagine if she finds out who Isabella really was – the secrets and the connection to the boss; she’ll never forgive you for keeping her here.”

A chuckle escaped my lips as Aria's words from our earlier confrontation at the old house echoed in my mind.

“What exactly do you find amusing about this?” Williams asked, his brows knitting together in clear displeasure. “Did you view my words as some sort of joke?”

“No.”

I replied, my smile vanishing as I relaxed my head back against the sofa, closing my eyes against the glare of the warm sun.

“I will personally ensure she never uncovers her connection to the boss. At least… not until her memory returns.”

"But how on earth did the boss pinpoint her location here in Australia so rapidly? Williams asked.

“I don't have the answer to that, Williams. I am just as blind as you are right now.” I admitted, my fists tightening. “But one thing is certain; he knew she was alive and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.”

“If he knew, why didn't he get her in New York?"

Williams made a point.

I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the sun.

“Tomorrow morning, I'll visit those bastards who attacked my house. I will surely get something out of them.”

I turned my head to lock eyes with him. “Williams, send your men to New York. Investigate every bit of Aria Bennett’s life. I need to know everything about her.”

"Consider it done.”

Williams began tapping faster on his phone, but his thumbs froze completely, and his expression suddenly went slack.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, sensing the tension.

“Your mother is at the gate.”

“James couldn't reach you, so he routed an emergency text to my device just now. She’s standing at the main security gate, holding a gun to her own head.”

My heart plummeted as I snatched the telephone from the central table, pressing the button.

“Open the gate! Make sure she is safe! If a single hair on her head is harmed, I will dismantle your entire department.”

I didn’t waste a breath waiting for a confirmation. I threw the device aside and bolted to my feet, my chair flipping over. I sprinted through the hallway, down the stairs, and out into the vast compound.

My lungs burnt with panic as I ran past the manicured hedges and flower beds toward the driveway.

A white car screeched to a halt. The driver’s door flew open, and my mother stepped out. Her elegant features were distorted by a mix of agony and rage. In her right hand was a small, silver pistol. It was pressed against her temple.

“Mom! Put that down!” I yelled, slowing my pace, my hands raised in a plea.

“One more step, Alex. I’ll pull the trigger!” she said, fire burning in her tear-filled eyes.

“Mom, please. Where did you even get that? You know how dangerous it is.”

“It doesn’t matter where I found it,” she sobbed. “This was the only method left to force my way past your security gate. I needed to see you and face that white snake you brought back into this house.”

She drew a ragged breath into her lungs. “Tell me, Alex. Where is she hiding?”

“She isn’t here, Mom. Please, give me the gun.”

“How is she alive? I thought she was gone forever.”

“When I saw the viral footage flashed on the television screens. I was so scared for you, Alex. I can’t bear to lose another son.”

“Don’t blame her for what happened years ago; it wasn’t her fault." My heart squeezed when I saw the pain in her eyes.

Williams reached us then, trying to keep his voice steady. “Please, Auntie. We can settle this peacefully.”

“There is nothing to settle, Williams!” she shouted, her voice echoing off the walls, attracting the attention of every guard and maid in the vicinity. “Bring Isabella out right now!”

Panic swallowed me whole. I couldn't let Aria see this. I couldn't let her hear the accusations.

“Mom, listen to me. Keep the gun down first. Isabella is my wife; no matter what happens, that will never change.”

“No, Alex!” my mother hissed. “Marrying that woman was your biggest mistake, and I regret every day that I allowed it. The worst part – the most unforgivable sin – is that she successfully mixed her filthy bloodline into the Sterling legacy.”

“What exactly is she talking about, Mr Sterling?”

I turned sharply, my breath catching in my throat. Aria was standing a few feet away with Mila standing right behind her.