Beneath the Surface

Chapter 5: The Threat

Lex and Amelia's dinner date had been a resounding success. They laughed, they talked, and Lex had felt a spark of connection he hadn't experienced in years.

As he dropped Amelia off at her studio, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. Maybe, just maybe, he had found someone who could help him forget the darkness of his past.

But as he arrived home, he knew that Victoria was waiting for him, like a ticking time bomb.

"You're really going to do this, aren't you, Alexander?" Victoria said, her voice low and venomous, as he walked into their living room. "You're really going to throw away our marriage for that little gold digger?"

Lex sighed, weary of the same old argument. "Victoria, we've been over this. Amelia is not a gold digger. She's a kind, talented woman who deserves to be treated with respect."

Victoria's face twisted in anger. "Respect? You think she deserves respect? She's just a little nobody, Alexander. She'll never be worthy of you, of this family."

Lex's eyes narrowed. "That's enough, Victoria. Leave Amelia out of this. She's not the one who's been cheating, who's been stealing from me."

Victoria's expression changed, her eyes filling with tears. "You're really going to hurt me, Alexander? You're really going to throw me away like I'm nothing?"

Lex felt a pang of guilt, but he pushed it aside. Victoria was manipulating him, trying to get him back under her control.

"Victoria, I made it clear. I want a divorce. I want to move on with my life."

Victoria's face hardened, her eyes flashing with anger. "You'll never be able to move on, Alexander. You'll always be tied to me, because I know your secrets. I know about Robin."

Lex's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"

Victoria's smile was cruel. "Oh, come on, Alexander. You think I didn't know about your little arrangement with Robin? You think I didn't know you were involved in his death?"

Lex's face went cold. "Victoria, don't. Don't go there."

But Victoria was beyond reason. "I'll tell Amelia everything, Alexander. I'll tell her about your dirty little secret. And then see how she feels about you."

Lex's anger boiled over. "Get out, Victoria. Get out of my house, and don't come back."

Victoria laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "This isn't over, Alexander. This is far from over."