Divorced Heiress
Chapter 72

I found it hard to believe what my father was saying, and that wasn't all. Alexander was aware of everything before me, his own daughter, the one who was in danger and still was, the one who was most affected by a woman who pretended to be the best friend of

the family for so many years. And now, the danger continued, but not just for me, but for my own son.

My father finished telling me about his past with that woman, if she could be called that. Mrs. Dubois confessed to my father that she was in love with him the day before my parents' wedding, thinking that my father reciprocated her feelings and that with that confession he would leave everything behind to run away with her. But she was wrong because he rejected her and went through with the wedding as if that woman hadn't said a word to him the day before.

Upon returning from the honeymoon, Mrs. Dubois introduced Mr. Dubois as her partner, and everything was forgotten. Well, forgotten for everyone except her, as her resentment for the rejection still accompanies her to this day, and she was taking it out on the whole family, trying to claim something that was never hers.

The investigator that Alexander hired has been very helpful. At this moment, he was searching for the necessary evidence that would expose Mrs. Dubois as the mastermind behind my kidnapping attempt when I was a child and the death threats that Alexander received, and which he never knew how to handle.

The garden of Villa Doinel was so peaceful and cool at this late hour of the night. The cold breeze hit my face as I pondered the complexity of the situation. I didn't even mind the company of Alexander and Tristan, who invited me to take a walk to pass the time together. It was the perfect excuse to escape from my father's office, which was starting to feel suffocating.

-I've proposed an idea to your father to ruin their plans.- Alexander said after a long time of walking aimlessly. He was only playing with Tristan, and my son could do nothing but laugh.

I looked at him silently when he snapped me out of my thoughts, still walking through the extensive garden. Soon, I realized we were approaching the forest that I could see from my room, the forest I had never dared to venture into out of fear.

-Ah, really? Why didn't you mention it before?- I averted my gaze as his eyes intersected with mine with such intensity that even the temperature seemed to rise. Alexander stopped, and I did the same after taking a few extra steps.

-What is it about?- I asked curiously, turning my body towards him but not giving him a single glance. I could only see Tristan's smiling and sleepy face.

Alexander bent down to scoop up the little one in his arms, and the small dark-haired head almost immediately rested on his father's shoulder.

Upon seeing that tender father-son scene, my eyes came to a halt without thinking in the honey-colored eyes that still gleamed in the darkness of the night, under the faint light of the lanterns that illuminated the path. Alexander took a step towards me, and I didn't dare to step back.

-What I think might be more effective and faster, while we gather what we need to make them pay, is...- He left the word hanging, planting curiosity inside me. I raised an eyebrow, urging him to finish saying what, for him, was a great solution but seemed so difficult for him to let go. Then, he continued.

-For you to marry me.- My brow furrowed when I heard those words from his mouth, and I had to repeat them in my head more than once to understand what he was talking about.

I couldn't believe it. Did I hear correctly? Did he say we should get married again to put an end to this?

I let out a slight laugh that gradually increased until I couldn't control my laughter. I laughed heartily at the absurdity I had just heard, causing Tristan to raise his head and look at me with curious and tired eyes.

-Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I woke you up.- I said to Tristan when my laughter subsided. I approached him and stroked his disheveled hair in an attempt to relax him again and lay his head back on Alexander's shoulder. After accomplishing it, I looked at Alexander with amusement and mockery reflected in my eyes. This time, I didn't let myself be carried away by my impulses to laugh without measuring the force with which I did. But I did let out a playful giggle.

-What do you find so funny?- Alexander asked in a low voice, his face serious, without the slightest hint of amusement in his eyes, as if he was bothered by me mocking his wonderful idea.

But he had gone crazy, the change of environment had affected him so much that he lost his mind.

-What nonsense did you just say, Alexander? Are you even listening to yourself? Have you said this to my father? Please. You have to be very naive to believe that he can agree to something as stupid as marrying you and your family again. Do you want my answer? You don't have to look too far, it's a NO. I would never marry you again.- I responded indifferently and amused. He was completely crazy if he thought I would accept something like that.

-Do you hate me that much? Sarah... He interrupted me, raising my index finger and looking at him intently. I didn't care that he was closer than he should be. I wanted to make it clear what I was going to say.

-Don't mistake it. I feel absolutely nothing for you.- I said, looking into his eyes without blinking. Alexander let out a dry laugh and took my finger with his free hand, but I immediately moved away from his touch. I didn't want him to touch me or say any nonsense that came to his mind. I definitely didn't want him to take advantage of any circumstance to try to get close to me in that way.

-Don't lie to me, or lie to yourself. Be honest and tell me what you feel. Look me in the eyes and tell me that you still feel something for me because I'm feeling a thousand things for you.- He said calmly and confidently. I furrowed my brow and felt the blood boiling inside me because Alexander didn't seem willing to stop saying things that made no sense and were unrelated to the current situation. I didn't want to touch that subject, but this was a good opportunity to end the problem at its root.

-Are you done going crazy? Please, get off that cloud. I feel nothing for you, don't be so delusional. The last breath I exhaled for you froze years ago. It didn't rise like it always did, you know why? Because in that moment, I knew that my feelings for who I believed was 'the love of my life' had exhausted its last breath, because you yourself took it upon yourself to kill everything. What could you possibly be feeling for me? Did you ever feel anything for me?- I believed that by telling him all that, I would feel freer and relieved for letting it out in his face, for unburdening what I had carried inside for so many years. But it was the opposite, I felt a pressure in my chest that barely let me breathe.

Alexander looked at me with hidden pain in his incredulous and amused gaze. I no longer knew what else to say for him to understand that he was wrong, that everything died the moment I signed the divorce.

-Is that so? Because your eyes tell me the opposite.- He said calmly and with such certainty in his words that I wanted to slap him to see if he would understand. But I wasn't going to do that in front of Tristan.

-Despite everything that has happened between us, I still feel a thousand things for you since the day I met you and asked you to marry me, when I saw you in white, wearing the most beautiful smile as you walked towards me, when I saw you again after years, dancing with your father, looking so radiant, when I found out you had my child, when I kissed you and still feel it in this moment seeing your teary eyes, refusing to accept that you still feel something for me. When I am close to you and can't touch you, can't kiss or caress you, every time you look at me like now, with a furrowed brow, making your biggest effort to seem annoyed and angry with me, but deep down you know it's an attempt to bury everything you feel for me.- I swallowed hard as I wiped my eyes, which indeed were teary without me realizing it, but it was nothing more than anger and frustration.

I turned around to laugh without amusement. Every time he spoke, he went even further, drawing conclusions that he wasn't anywhere near. I turned towards him and let out a tired sigh while shaking my head.

- And what do you want to hear from me? What should I tell him that I feel? Do you want me to tell you that I feel something nice and good for you after everything that has happened? After seeing you half-naked about to touch that woman's body who seemed to be enjoying what you were doing to her, after six months in which you slept with her countless times and came home indifferent, without any desire to touch me, as if you despised me. What do you want me to feel after seeing my husband in his office about to...- - Sarah, Sarah, my love. No, I wasn't with her for six months. I admit that I changed with you, but not because I was sleeping with Rachel. Sarah, all that time I was mentally debating the situation, receiving her threats, her blackmail, along with my responsibility in the company, my family, my brother, I couldn't tell you, I didn't know what to do, I didn't want them to hurt you and I also didn't want what happened with Alexis to be exposed to everyone. And everyone is right, I handled it in the worst way, I ended up causing the damage and I regret it every day of my life, I am sorry for everything, that's why I apologize to you and will continue to do so until one day you forgive me from the bottom of your heart. -

I stood motionless in front of him with my arms crossed over my chest, a humorless smile appeared on my face, and I took one step closer to him to spit the following in his face.

- First, I am not your love. Second, I don't want to talk about the past anymore, it's just that, and nothing is going to change. You know what the difference between you and me is? That I don't settle for the first and easiest option to solve problems. I will get through this, but it won't be by marrying you. - I said softly, very close to his face, so much so that our breaths momentarily merged, his wounded eyes continued to observe my face as if he wanted to capture every detail in his memory. I looked away when his gaze stopped at my lips for a moment and his Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

- I will take my son to his room and you should leave, it's late.-

Alexander let out a tired sigh and looked at the dark sky for a few seconds as if it were going to help him at any moment.

Tristan ended up on my shoulder, unfazed, and I walked past Alexander to make my way back home, and his words stopped me after just three steps.

- All of this, all this Dubois affair, our son, does all of this make you realize that this hatred you feel for me is not worth it, that resentment? I am not your enemy, I am the father of your child, your first man, your first husband, I hurt you, but only I can fix it. I don't regret anything I said, you know why? Because I'm in love with you, because I'm going crazy to be with you again and with Tristan as a family, the family we deserve. And I know you do too, but all of this scares you, but let me tell you something, if at any moment in your life you decide to give me a second chance, everything will be different, starting with keeping my family away from our marriage, because I will give you the place you deserve as my wife, my woman, Mrs. Lancaster.- Just when I thought Alexander couldn't say anything more absurd, he came up with all this.

I closed my eyes tightly when I felt a chill run through my legs and settle in my neck, my hands began to tremble with helplessness and anger, and I had to contain myself from turning back, this conversation was not going to go anywhere because I was not going to accept something that wasn't happening to me. I didn't know what Alexander expected by saying all that, that I would jump for joy and tell him that I want to marry him?

Please! There were other ways to end all this.

Before continuing on my way with Tristan in my arms, I barely turned my head over my shoulder to glance at him.

-Forget about me as a woman.