Chapter 8

Alexa pov

"Good day, sir. It is truly a pleasure to meet you," I said, my voice a mix of nervousness and excitement. The atmosphere in the room felt charged, as if the very air was waiting for the moment when we would plunge into the world of exams. "No problem at all," he replied, a reassuring smile crossing his face. "I hope you're ready, because the exams will start in just a few minutes."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "Sir, from what I've gathered, if I manage to score a perfect mark, I'd be eligible for a full scholarship, correct?" I asked, my words tumbling out with a hopeful urgency.

"Yes, that is absolutely true," he confirmed with a nod that filled me with a flicker of hope. "If you achieve that score, accommodations and everything else will be completely free." As he spoke, I nodded along, absorbing the weight of his words. The implications settled in my mind, intertwining with my dreams for the future.

I could feel my father's gaze on me, steady and reassuring. "Do you truly want that full scholarship?" he asked, the concern etching deeper lines on his forehead. "Even if you don't score perfectly, I can still cover your tuition, no trouble at all."

"Don't worry, Dad, I can handle this. Trust me," I replied, meeting his eyes with a confidence I hoped would quell his worries. I felt a swell of gratitude for my father; despite the distance I felt from my mom and sister, he was always in my corner, cheering me on.

We lingered in the quiet anticipation of the exam room for a few minutes, the silence wrapping around us like a familiar blanket of nerves. The room was sparse, with only five of us seated in total, all on the brink of this important moment. The question papers were distributed, and as we waited for the signal to begin, the tension in the air thickened. When the green light finally blared, we were off.

I dove into the exam, propelled by a mixture of adrenaline and focus. The questions flowed easily, and I found myself scribbling answers down in a matter of minutes. I finished my paper in a swift two minutes, feeling a surge of pride course through me as I submitted it, even though I could see others still wrestling with the questions. With a final glance at the clock, I stepped outside to find my dad, eagerness bubbling in my chest.

As we walked home, the air around us thick with anticipation of the results that were promised to arrive via email before the next dawn, I felt a strange sense of calm. However, when we entered the house, that tranquility shattered like glass. My mom stood in the living room, her eyes aflame with an unexplainable anger. Confusion gripped my insides as I wondered what had sparked her fury this time. I braced myself for the inevitable explosion of words, but to my surprise, she fell silent, her lips tightly shut.

I silently passed her, questions swirling in my mind like autumn leaves caught in a gust of wind. What had happened? What could have upset her so? With each step towards my room, a knot of uncertainty tightened in my stomach. I closed the door behind me, my sanctuary, but the confusion lingered, casting a shadow over the quiet space. I sat on my bed, staring into the void, pondering what awaited me both with the exam results and with my complicated family dynamics.

Andrea pov

I'm still grappling with the shock of the news—I can hardly believe it: that woman, of all people, has just aced her exams. It should feel like a moment of celebration, a chance to cheer for her remarkable feat, but instead, all I can feel is this bubbling cauldron of resentment. She passed with flying colors, which means she'll be packing her bags and finally leaving our home, and oh, how I can hardly wait! But it isn't just her departure that stirs a storm within me; it's the realization that she possesses both strength and intelligence. That dichotomy makes my blood boil.

Just moments ago, I received a call from Alpha Jackson, who couldn't contain his surprise when he relayed the news to me. "She passed!" he exclaimed, his voice laced with an amused disbelief. I could almost hear the 'wow' echoing in his tone, as if he couldn't fathom how she managed to do it without needing a revised script. I had to remind him—rather curtly, I might add—that we really need to rid ourselves of her if we ever want to be together. It's a necessary step if our plans are going to unfold smoothly. If he hadn't been so naive, he might have even suggested we should try to woo her to join us. The mere thought makes my stomach churn.

As I stared out of the window, my hands balled into fists, I couldn't help but seethe as I watched her and my husband casually stroll up to the house, their shared laughter echoing through the air. I chose silence, biting my tongue to keep from letting my fury spew forth. Instead, I approached my husband, feigning normalcy, and said, "Dear, Lily called. She said she's arrived and the mission will commence by tomorrow."

"That's good," he responded casually, his voice betraying none of my inner turmoil. "I hope she took the weapons she needs."

"Yes, she did; I helped her pack," I replied, my voice dripping with an unnerving calmness.

"Good," he simply said, walking toward the bedroom without giving our conversation another thought. I followed closely, the weight of unspoken tension hanging thick in the air.

Once inside, I closed the door behind us, locking it as if to seal away the calm facade we were both attempting to maintain, and approached him with intent. "Honey, it's been too long since you've touched me," I purred, running my fingertips up and down his back, trying to reignite that spark we once shared.

I turned to face him, longing for a kiss that was just out of reach. But instead of responding to my advances, he pushed me away with an air of exhaustion. "I'm tired, not now, okay? I need to rest."

With that, he walked off, leaving me stranded in a whirlpool of desire and fury, frustration bubbling just beneath the surface. Would I ever break free from this tangled web of emotions?