The Affair of Secrets

Chapter 5

The Warning

It was morning and the early morning-sunlight spilled lazily across the satin sheets, but it brought no warmth to Lily’s heart. She sat on the edge of the bed, still in her nightgown, staring blankly at the marble floor beneath her bare feet. The previous night’s function had been a grand success at least to everyone else.

To her, it was just another performance.

Another evening of plastered smiles, empty conversations, and posing on Nathan’s arm like a perfectly sculpted doll. She’d smiled so hard her jaw ached, laughed at jokes she barely heard, and danced with a man who only touched her when necessary like he was doing her a favor.

All she wanted last night was to see Alexander. To hold him in her arms again. To tell him she missed him. But instead, she wore high heels and pearls, pretending her life was anything but a prison with chandeliers.

Well, now Nathan was obviously in his room arranging the next meetings they would be going for together which she could never say her genuine opinion about. With a deep sigh, Lily reached for her phone and dialed Catherine’s number. She needed to talk to someone who truly knew her pain. Someone she trusted, her best friend.

The call rang once with no answer, then twice.

Then Catherine’s voice came through, chirpy as ever. “Lils! Finally, I was wondering when you’d call.” she pretended.

Lily closed her eyes, biting back the ache in her chest. “Cathy… I just needed to hear a familiar voice.”

“Aww, baby, are you okay? You sound like you cried yourself to sleep.” Catherine desperately wanted that deep down her heart.

“I didn’t cry,” Lily lied. “Just…all drained. The function went fine, I guess. Everyone complimented my dress, said we looked perfect together. Nathan smiled a lot but it was obvious it was all a camouflage.”

“And you? How were you handling it?” Catherine asked softly.

“I smiled too,” Lily whispered. “Even when all I could think about was Alexander. I crave my son badly.”

There was a beat of silence. Catherine’s voice dropped an octave, calm and cool. “Lily, I know how much you miss him. But you have to be careful, okay?”

Lily frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Catherine sighed like she was walking on thin ice. “Nathan. You’ve said it yourself, he’s cold, cruel, controlling and very powerful. If he ever found out about Alexander he may do something really hurtful to him.”

“I wouldn’t let him hurt my son,” Lily cut in, her tone was quite defensive.

“I’m not saying he would physically hurt him,” Catherine clarified quickly. “But think, Lils. You kept a whole child from him. His pride alone would burn the world down.”

Lily's lips began trembling “I never meant to lie.”

“But you did,” Catherine replied gently. “And men like Nathan… They don’t forgive lies. They punish them with their money, with influence and also in silence.”

Lily became very silent. This was the first time she ever talked to Catherine about a matter and ended up becoming very scared, confused and quiet.

Catherine continued, her voice turning eerily cautious. “There are stories all over, Lily. I’ve heard whispers behind closed doors. Businessmen who crossed him have disappeared from the industry. People fired for simply saying the wrong thing. If he finds out about Alexander...”

“Catherine, stop,” Lily whispered, her heart now racing. She got really scared more than ever.

“I’m telling you this because I care. If he finds out, he could twist this. Say you tricked him, used him and with his kind of money? Sweetheart, you’d be lucky if all he does is throw you out.”

Tears pooled in Lily’s eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying… don’t tell him. Not now. Maybe not ever. He could make your life a courtroom nightmare. Accuse you of fraud that you didn't commit. Child endangerment and do you know what he can do with the right lawyer? You’d lose everything, Lily. Everything—including Alexander.”

The phone trembled in Lily’s grip. “You think he’d really go that far?” she could feel Catherine's words sink into her depth.

“I think you married a man you don’t fully know.” Catherine’s voice grew softer, like a mother consoling a child. “I think you need to be careful. And I think… If you love your son, you’ll protect him from all of this. Even if it means keeping the truth buried.”

The words sank into Lily’s chest like ice.

There was silence between them, very unsettling, stretched, and loaded.

“Anyway,” Catherine added lightly, as if none of the heaviness had just occurred, “you sounded exhausted. I would love you to rest, okay? Call me when you feel better.”

And with that, she ended the call.

Lily stared at the screen, the silence in her room suddenly deafening.

Her fingers clenched around the phone as dread crept into her bones.

Was she in danger?

Had she really married a man who could destroy her with a single whisper to his lawyers?

The thought made her stomach churn.

She looked around the room, the gold-framed paintings, the crystal lamps, the glossy vanity, all signs of luxury… and none of love. She had walked into this marriage thinking it was a lifeline for her family, but now it felt more like a gilded cage.

And Catherine’s words echoed in her mind:

“He could make your life a courtroom nightmare.”

Lily walked to the window, her reflection staring back at her in the glass. For the first time since she stepped into the mansion as a bride, she felt genuinely afraid.

She wasn’t just hiding a secret.

She was living on borrowed time.

And now… every tick of the clock felt like a countdown to when everything would come crashing down.

Right before her eyes.

She could perceive that Catherine knew Nathan and there is more to him but she never projected her mind for all this dilemma.

“I must keep Alexander safe from a beast I call a husband.” She whispered.

“I must keep him safe”

“Keep who safe?” A voice behind her echoed.

“Nathan!” Lily exhaled in shock.