Thirty four

I woke up this morning feeling a bit more refreshed than I had in days. Maybe it was the quietness of the resort, or maybe it was the fact that things were finally starting to settle, even if only slightly. I stretched, the soft sheets clinging to my skin as I shook off the remnants of sleep. Today was our last full day here, and while part of me wanted to savor it, another part couldn't help but feel relieved that we were heading back to the mansion soon. There was an unsettling feeling in my gut—an unease that I couldn't quite shake.

After freshening up, I made my way downstairs to the dining room. The house was already awake, bustling with quiet movements from the helpers, and the air was filled with the aroma of breakfast. As I entered the dining room, I saw Alexander seated at the head of the table, his eyes focused on something on his phone. His expression was as unreadable as always, but there was an intensity to his posture that told me he was already deep in work mode.

"Good morning," I greeted softly, sliding into my seat across from him.

He looked up briefly, his gaze flickering over me before nodding in acknowledgment. "Morning."

I let the helpers serve breakfast as I began eating, feeling his presence settle into the room. There was a sort of stillness between us—an unspoken tension that I couldn't quite place. My mind wandered back to last night. The party. Brielle. Her words. They gnawed at me even now, though I hated to admit it. How could someone who barely knew me make me question so much? And why did I let it get under my skin?

I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I took the first bite. The silence at the table felt familiar now, a comfortable rhythm we'd developed over the past few days. Alexander was engrossed in whatever he was doing, so I focused on my plate. But I could feel it—the unspoken tension lingering between us. It was always there, an invisible thread pulling us together and keeping us apart at the same time.

As I reached for my glass of water, Alexander's deep voice broke the silence. "Our trip is over. We'll head back to the mansion tomorrow."

His words hit me like a sudden wave. Go back? The trip had consumed me so much that I hadn't even thought about Aiden. My heart dropped. Guilt hit me like a freight train. I hadn't reached out, hadn't checked on him, hadn't even allowed myself to miss him until this very moment. How could I have been so consumed by this whirlwind—by Alexander, by everything happening around me—that I forgot about the one person who mattered the most?

I pushed my food around on my plate, my appetite suddenly gone. Aiden. He must have been wondering about me, maybe even worried. I always took care of him, looked out for him. I was his guardian, his sister, his only real family.

I barely noticed when Alexander looked up from his phone, his sharp gaze landing on me. I felt him watching me, the silence between us thickening. He was about to say something, his lips parting slightly, but then he hesitated. As if he sensed the turmoil running through my mind, he leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. It wasas though he understood my turmoil without needing an explanation, he said, "We'll talk about it once we're back at the mansion. There's something I need to discuss with you regarding Aiden."

I looked up at him, confused but grateful that he seemed to sense my scattered emotions. His tone was calm, but there was an underlying seriousness that made me uneasy. Whatever he wanted to discuss, it felt important.

"Okay," I said quietly, trying to push the growing worry aside.

He nodded, then turned his attention back to his phone, signaling the end of the conversation. But my mind was far from settled. As I sat there, staring at my half-eaten breakfast, I couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring. Something was shifting, I could feel it. But whether it was a good or bad thing, I wasn't sure.

All I knew was that the bubble of this trip was about to burst, and when it did, reality—whatever that was—would come crashing back. And with it, all the complications I had tried to push to the side.

I just wasn't sure I was ready for it.