CHAPTER SEVEN : FAMILY

Noire stirred awake on the sofa, groaning slightly as he blinked his eyes open. He sat up slowly, rubbing his head, clearly disoriented. "What… happened?" he mumbled, his voice thick with confusion.

Alexander, standing nearby with a smirk on his face, crossed his arms as he leaned against the desk. "You fainted," he said, amusement lacing his tone. "I suppose you had a bad dream?"

Noire's brows furrowed as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Yeah… I think I did. It was terrible—there was this terrifying woman, and she was…" His voice trailed off as he finally looked up and saw Evelyn standing across the room, arms crossed, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

His face paled once again, but this time he stayed conscious. "Wait… you're real?" Noire gasped, his eyes darting between Evelyn and Alexander.

Alexander couldn't contain his laughter, letting out a deep chuckle as he pointed at Evelyn. "Oh, she's very real, Noire. And unfortunately for you, you didn't dream up that bullet in your shoulder either."

Noire looked utterly horrified as if the universe had played some cruel trick on him. "What is going on? Why is she here? Am I missing something?" His voice climbed an octave in panic as he stared at Alexander for answers.

Evelyn sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as if dealing with an overly dramatic child. "Let me explain," she said, stepping forward, her voice calm but carrying an edge of exasperation. "You're not hallucinating, Noire. I did shoot you a long time ago. But there's a lot more to the story than that especially now so ignore that."

Noire sat up straighter, clearly still in shock but curious enough to listen. "Please, enlighten me," he muttered, still casting wary glances in her direction.

Evelyn crossed her arms as she began to explain. "The Hartley family—Sophia's family—had always been scheming. They tried to wed her off to Alexander, but Sophia wasn't exactly cooperative. She's been hell-bent on causing trouble for as long as I've known her."

Noire nodded slowly, trying to keep up. "Sophia… the one who hates you?"

"Exactly," Evelyn confirmed. "She's accused me of being a thief, tried to trip me up—both literally and figuratively—and done everything in her power to harm me. She's always had this need to one-up me, and the Hartley family knows all about it. They're just too desperate to control her to take any real action."

"But… why marry into a family like that?" Noire asked, looking genuinely baffled.

Evelyn shrugged, her expression calm, though her words were laced with bitterness. "I didn't have much of a choice. Family pressure. And honestly, I was so fed up with the constant drama that I agreed just to get away from it all."

Noire blinked. "So, you're telling me you married him," he pointed at Alexander, "out of sheer frustration?"

Evelyn let out a dry laugh, the irony not lost on her. "Pretty much. It was either this or keep enduring the endless manipulations of the Hartleys."

Noire looked between them, the pieces slowly falling into place, though he still seemed perplexed. "But… Alexander is…" He glanced nervously at his boss. "The underworld boss. The most dangerous man in the city."

Evelyn's expression darkened, and she nodded. "Yes, that was the part I didn't expect. When I found out who I was marrying, I was shocked—appalled, even."

Alexander raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat amused at her description of him. "Appalled?" he asked, feigning hurt.

Evelyn shot him a look. "Oh, don't act surprised. You know exactly how I felt about you in the beginning."

Alexander smirked. "In the beginning?"

Ignoring his teasing, Evelyn continued, addressing Noire. "The fact that I'm married to a mafia boss now is… well, it's complicated. I didn't sign up for this. And as much as I've learned to live with it, there's no denying that if we don't handle this situation carefully, we could end up killing each other."

Noire gulped audibly, clearly disturbed by the prospect. "That's… uh… quite a situation," he stammered.

Evelyn let out a heavy sigh, sitting back down on the sofa. "The Hartleys knew what they were doing. They couldn't afford to lose Sophia, and I was just collateral damage in their plans. But I'm not about to play their games any longer."

Alexander, still leaning casually against the desk, watched her with an amused glint in his eyes. "We'll manage," he said, his tone confident, as though the chaos swirling around them was nothing more than an interesting puzzle to solve.

Noire, still clearly rattled by the revelation, shook his head slowly. "You two… you're something else."

As Noire settled back into his seat, still visibly shaken, he couldn't help but prod further. "So, Sophia—Hartley's golden child. What exactly is their plan? I mean, she's well-versed in art and music, and they've invested a lot in her. It seems like a waste to discard her just because she's scheming."

Evelyn, leaning against the back of the couch, glanced at Alexander, who seemed deep in thought. She answered first. "That's exactly it. They've poured time and money into Sophia, crafting her into the perfect image of elegance and refinement. She's not just a daughter to them—she's a tool, a way to gain social standing and power. They can't just throw her away."

Noire nodded, still trying to wrap his head around everything. "But what's the connection between the Whittakers and the Hartleys, then? I mean, besides this failed engagement. What's going on?"

Alexander leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but calculating. "It's about land. My father needed the Hartleys' land to build a new hospital—a crucial project for both the city and our family's reputation. But the Hartleys wouldn't sell outright. Instead, they offered something else: a marriage alliance."

Noire raised an eyebrow. "A marriage in exchange for land? Isn't that a bit… old-fashioned?"

Evelyn sighed and added, "That's just the surface level. It's not only about the land or the hospital. It's about control. The Hartleys didn't just want to hand over the land; they wanted guarantees."

"Guarantees?" Noire asked, still confused. "What kind?"

Evelyn looked over at Alexander, letting him continue.

Alexander took a breath. "The Hartleys would benefit from a marriage in more ways than one. By marrying Sophia into the Whittaker family, they'd secure a lifetime investor. They knew the hospital would be a massive success, bringing in wealth and influence. And by tying their daughter to me, they'd make sure that the Whittaker family, especially me couldn't align with a stronger family with more power and connections."

Evelyn added, "The marriage was also designed to stop Alexander from marrying anyone with high influence. A powerful woman with connections could disrupt their plans. By marrying Sophia, who has no real political power but excels in the arts, they thought they could control him."

"So, it wasn't just about love or even the land. It was a business deal wrapped in the pretense of a marriage proposal," Noire concluded, shaking his head. 

Evelyn laughed bitterly. "I was never part of their equation. I'm a problem they never saw coming, but one they're trying to deal with now."

Alexander chuckled softly, the sound dark and full of amusement. "They underestimated her, and now they're scrambling. Unfortunately for them, Evelyn's not someone you can easily discard."

Noire rubbed his temples, trying to process everything. "So, to get this straight: the Hartleys offered up Evelyn as Sophia's replacement, thinking they'd secure their future by keeping control over the Whittakers and blocking stronger alliances. But instead, they've landed themselves in a bigger mess, with you two at the center of it all."

"Pretty much," Alexander said with a smirk. "And now that Evelyn's here, their whole plan is unraveling."

Noire sighed, leaning back, clearly overwhelmed. "You two are going to be the end of me. I need a drink."

Alexander laughed, standing up and walking over to the bar in the corner. "I'll make it a double for you, Noire."