Veil of Desire

Exposed Shadows

Grace's POV

My life never seemed to be headed in this path. One minute I was simply Grace Bennett, a dutiful secretary trying to keep her head down and work. The most potent and enigmatic man I had ever known was Grace Knight, the wife of Alexander Knight.

Our marriage was meant to be a business deal to save his empire and fend off his unrelenting relatives, a sensible arrangement. But the complexity of our relationship would lead me to find truths I had buried well inside myself.

As I walked into the huge ballroom of the Knight Mansion, the weight of the evening squarely fell on my shoulders. The evening was meant to be a celebration, a nod to Alexander's most recent business triumph. Instead, I felt the tight coils of anxiety clutch my chest. I looked around the room, then turned to Victoria, Alexander's conspiring sister. Her eyes were too analytical, her smile rather wide. Something went off.

Victoria cooed, her voice laden with dishonesty, "Grace, darling." "Tonight you truly seem really gorgeous. Obviously, Alexander?"

Alexander's arm, silent comfort, encircled my waist. "She always does," he replied with a flawless tone free of emotion. His public persona was always quite exactly under control, a mask he wore naturally. But I had seen flashes of the man withdrawing from the world to hide his sensitivity.

As the evening developed, I was taken into a frenzy of toasts and conversations. My mind kept wandering to the twins, Ethan and Noah, safely curled with my mother for the evening even as I tried to focus. They were my soul and heart, the reason I signed off on this front-stage marriage. I have to maintain the front intact for their advantage.

I watched a spoon ring on a glass. Standing in the middle of the hall, Victoria had a predatory sparkle in her eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she yelled across the auditorium. "For every one of you, I have a somewhat unexpected present.

My heart slumped. Victoria never generated any decent shocks.

"Alexander, dear brother," she responded, cheerfully beaming. "Did you know your amazing wife has been keeping something from you? From one of each of us?"

The guests whispered a puzzled mutter. Alexander's body stiffened beside me as his grip on my waist tightened.

What do you mean, Victoria? Alexander spoke softly, but I sensed underlying peril.

Victoria's smile turned to a vicious one. Grace might like to talk about her twin brothers. Among others, the ones she kept secret from you.

The room fell into startled stillness. My heart raced in my chest, my perspective limited as terror struck. How aware was she? How could she possibly know?

"'Grace'" Alexander dropped down to meet me, his eyes keen and his voice frigid. "Is This true?"

I started to open my mouth but nothing came out. The walls seemed to close in about me, the whispers and gasps of the guests deafeningly booming in my ears. This dream was my worst realized one.

I stammered; then the words seemed empty, inadequate. "I..." I can explain.

Alexander freed me, backing off as though I had hit him. "How long have you been dishonest with me?" His voice was low and threatening.

Tears warped my view as I extended out to him. Please, Alexander, let me define things.

Still, he was turning away, his visage one of mistrust and bitterness. The room whirled, and I sensed myself moving—the weight of the moment too much to bear.

Enough!" Alexander's voice calmed the chaos. He turned to face the assembled guests, his manner tightening into an uncaring mask. "This party is almost done." Everyone: Go.

The guests responded fast, fixed curiously and sympathetically in my way. Victoria stood smiling, triumphant in that moment.

As the last of the guests left, Alexander turned to me with steely, unyielding eyes. We really need to talk. presently.

We retired to his study, the massive wooden doors pounding behind us. My heart thumping in my chest, I felt like a prisoner awaiting assessment.

"Why don't you tell me?" Alexander's voice was a low growl, his anger hardly contained.

My voice shook, "I was going to." I wasn't sure how, though. I would wish not to lose them. I didn't want to lose you."

His laughter was bitter. "Lose me?" Grace; you never carried me with you. Recall—this was a commercial arrangement. But you couldn't even be honest with something this important."

Deep wounded, I flicked at his words. "It was not like that." I was afraid. I knew nothing about what to do.

He corrected me, his eyes seeking the truth in my field of vision. " How elderly are they?"

Five," I murmured, tears streaming down my face. "They travel as Ethan and Noah."

Closed his eyes, then took a long breath. He reopened them and the fury had been replaced with a cold detachment. We will sort of handle this later. I have to right now control the fallout from tonight. You are going to hang around. Leave this house not very often.

He turned and went with that, the door closing behind him with a finality that mirrored in my heart. Tears streaming through my body, I sank to the floor. All I had sought to protect, all I had dreaded, had come down around me.

Tears and silence dominated the blur of hours that passed. Neither could I get myself moving or considering what to do next. Startled from my despair by the sound of the door opening I raised my head to see Victoria smugly staring from the doorway.

"Enjoying your new reality, Grace?" she said. "You really felt you could hide anything like that from Alexander?" From each one of us?

Staggering to my feet, anger replaced my nervousness. "Why, Victoria?" enquired her. Why would you go for this?"

She laughed, a chilly, unpleasant sound. "For you are not fit here. You are simply a little secretary playing about for pleasure. On Earth, you were never going to last."

"You know nothing about me," I shouted back, my voice quivering with fury. "You have no idea what I have gone through or what I have given up."

Her smile wavered for a moment, a flutter of something indefensible in her eyes. But it vanished almost as quickly as it first showed. "Save your sob story for someone truly close." You have lost, Grace. It's time you paid a visit to view it.

She turned and left, leaving her ideas by me alone. I knew I couldn't let her rule here. I had to fight not only for myself but also for my boys.

Before daylight, I packed a small bag and left the estate; I wanted time to think about my next move. Aimlessly driving, the city streets melted into a dark and concrete fog.

The park where I used to go Ethan and Noah made me most calm. Sitting on a seat, I watched the sun rise as the ground created long shadows from the golden light.

Turning to locate Alexander a few steps away, his expression was unassuming. My heart surged up into my mouth. Had he turned up to accompany me back? Does this then signal the end?

"Alexander," I replied, my voice almost audible.

He moved very close, staring at me. We have to talk about this.

I nodded, my heart hammering. We certainly do.

We sat silently for a minute, the weight of our situation hanging thick between us. Then he started talking.

"Why didn't you believe me?"

His question made me trip. Looking into his eyes, I could see the hurt and uncertainty. "I wanted to," I said gently. But I was terrified. Afraid of losing my boys and of you.

He sighed and ran a hand over his hair. "Grace believed we were growing something more, even though this marriage started out as a business deal. We had a shot, I thought.

Tears once more tore over my eyes. "I felt the same. But I have made quite a lot of mistakes.

He leaned closer to take my hand. Neither of us possesses. But if we are going to make this work, we have to be honest with one other. No more secrets.

I nodded and squeezed his hand. Not secret anymore.

For the first time in what seemed like eternity, I harbored hope. Maybe just possibly, we could work out this matter together. But staring into Alexander's eyes, I understood that the road ahead would be anything but straightforward.

Hand in hand, we walked back to the car and I couldn't get rid of the feeling that this was merely the beginning. Victoria's deceit had brought us closer even if it had shocked us to our very core.

One thing was plain as we faced the challenges ahead: I would fight for my family, for my boys, and for the man I was beginning to fall in love with.

But as we exited the park, a sense of gloom fell over me. Victoria did not give up easily. She would be back and make every effort to divide us.

And I would be here primed.