Forever After All

by Catharina Maura

“I… I want to hire a private investigator. I’d like to look into my mother’s car accident. I know it’s been years, but I just need to know. Besides, Elise clearly had access to my mother’s former nurse somehow. It doesn’t sit well with me.”

I KNOW SHE WAS SICK FOR A REASON BROTHER USGAIEKSBAHMF

He was happy to let Mom die, so I don’t see why he should have anything she left him.”

She was never supposed to mean anything to me. She wasn’t supposed to be someone I’d care about. All I wanted her to be was my trophy wife, someone to keep my bed warm, someone that’d keep my mother happy and entertained, and my grandfather off my back. I shouldn’t care about her tears, but I do.

Jade stopped me from hanging out with Lucian, probably because she didn’t want the reminder. If I refused to listen, she’d make sure that I couldn’t go see my mother at the hospital for weeks, so I obeyed, and slowly but surely, I ended up losing all my friends. I’d been so focused on my mother, and I’d been so young… I just didn’t realize what she was doing, not until it was too late. When she convinced my dad to stop paying for my mother’s care, I was all alone. I had no connections left, no one to reach out to. All I had was my trust fund, and I just prayed it was enough. Maybe I shouldn’t have left home, but at that point it had all just become too much.”

Elena is everything I thought I wanted, but now I find myself wanting to give her everything that she’s refusing to ask for.

And that’s where the danger lies… Elena makes me want to give her the world.

“I’m so happy that you’re back in our lives. I’ve missed you, Elena. I know things aren’t back to what they used to be, but I’d really like it if we could work on that. You’re the only real friend I ever had. The only person I ever confided in, the only one I’ve ever really trusted.”

Lucian elbows me and leans in to whisper into my ear, annoying Alexander even further. “Wow, he came to pick you up himself? He never does that.”

His gaze is heated when he pulls away to look at me, and I’m transfixed. When he looks at me this way, it gets hard to remember that it’s only my body he wants. That all we have is an agreement, that none of it is real.

of us, his eyes twinkling. I look at him through narrowed

The mildly impressed look on Lucian’s face tells me that Alexander taking me to his office instead of just cancelling our date is unusual, and I hate that it gets my hopes up just slightly… I hate that it makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, he wants to spend time with me as much as I want to spend time with him.

He holds my hand as we walk toward his office, and Alice seems surprised to see me. Her eyes drop to our joined hands in confusion, and it takes her a couple of seconds to smile at me.

“You were there the day I married her, weren’t you? She’s my wife. What is she going to steal from me? She owns everything already.”

It surprises me that he’s willing to leave me alone in his office. In his eyes, I’m a Rousseau, after all. But then again, he’s right. He owns me.

He JUST said that YOU own everything girl 😭

“What happened?” he asks, his brows raised. “I… you got an email.” He glances at the screen and sighs before pulling me out of his seat and sitting down, only to pull me back onto his lap.

I’ll take every single thing from him, the way he took it all from you until he’s begging for mercy at your feet. And once you’ve got him there, I want you to walk away from him the way he walked away from your mother and you.”

We can’t mess with him, Alexander. We’re just asking for trouble if we do.

Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Matthew’s face when I take everything from him.” There it is. There’s the real motivation.

He looks at me like I’m all he can see.

When he looks at me this way, I’m convinced that what we’ve got is more than he’s willing to admit to himself. He gives me hope, and that’s the one thing I cannot afford to have.

“I dunno. Maybe he finally figured out you have a huge crush on him and it freaks him out.” I slap his arm lightly. “Shut up.”

I’m too scared my mom might need me, and I’d be too far away.

“I knew I could count on you, princess. I wish you hadn’t done it, because I don’t want to see your beautiful heart break. And honestly, my brother wouldn’t recognize love if it hit him in the face. But since you went ahead and married him, we’d better come up with a way for you to win my brother’s heart. The next time he goes on a business trip, he’ll be so in love with you that he’ll be calling you every second he’s got.”

“Shh! Are you nuts?” “Have you seen his nuts yet?” he mumbles through my fingers.

Do you think he’s avoiding you because despite everything he says, he doesn’t want to use you? Maybe he grew a conscience over there.”

Alec is never impulsive, but he wanted you. I doubt he even realizes it himself.”

I glare at Elena, annoyed that she’s calling me Alexander instead of Alec, yet she calls Lucian Luce.

YOURE THE INE WJO TOKD HER YALL ARENT THAT CLOSE BRUH

worst thing is that it’s my own fault. I’m the one that took away her rights to my nickname in a childish fit, telling her we weren’t close enough for her to call me Alec.

“Alec. From now on, you’ll call me Alec at all times.”

You’re mine. Say it.” “I’m yours, Alexander,”

“I warned you, Elena. I won’t say it again. You’re mine, and this behavior isn’t acceptable.”

Elena’s eyes fall closed and I freeze in place. “Look at me,” I order, and she does. “Look at me when I fuck you.”

I’ve gotten too lax with her. It’s about time I remind her who owns her.

I stare at him, unable to figure him out. He told me at the very start that he and I aren’t close enough for me to use that name, and I know that’s true. I can count the people that call him Alec on one hand. It’s just his parents, Lucian, his grandfather… and Jennifer. Not me. Never me. Not anymore.

I look down, hurt by his constant reminders. I hate that he keeps reminding me I’m just another possession of his. That he and I aren’t in a relationship—that we never will be.

I don’t like this anymore:( Alexander is so childish and Lucien definitely did that to try to get her to be his girl OR was really just trying to help but idk

I glance at her, and the satisfied glint in her eyes kills me. She knows that even though it’s me in his arms, he’s not over her.

“You picked the wrong sister. This one I don’t give a fuck about.”

He looks at Jennifer and pulls her toward him, kissing her, putting on a show for us. Alexander tightens his grip on me, and my heart shatters. He’s holding me while pining after someone else.

I DONT LIKE THIS ANYMORE YOU ARE LIKE GRANDPA

“You’ve thrown me in Matthew and Jennifer’s face. He was right, you know? You’ve treated me like some sort of call girl tonight—and I let you. Because you’re right, Alexander. You own me. Is this enough now? Have you embarrassed me enough?”

“Elena, there’s nothing shameful about sitting in my lap. No one knows anything more than that happened. That was just between you and I. If I wanted to treat you like a call girl, I’d have had you on your knees, sucking my dick for everyone to see. Instead, it’s your pleasure I was after. You’re letting your brother get into your head.”

Ummmm no

“Was he wrong, though? You’re using me. I don’t mean a thing to you. You’re no different to my brother, Alexander. I’m just a tool to you.”

“And you’re no different to Jennifer,” he whispers. “You’re disloyal. At least Jen never would’ve had my brother pick her fucking underwear, Elena. She’s a cheating bitch,...

Alexander and I… we’re on a collision course. The way we’re headed… ...

He mostly ignores me,

It looks like her brain activity is really high for a patient who’s been in a coma for so long, and she certainly isn’t brain dead.

CALLED IT

he smiles, a real smile—the first I’ve seen in days,

Bitch I DONT CARE

I see Sofia beaming from my peripheral vision, a relieved look in her eyes. She doesn’t even realize that it’s all an act, and part of me wishes she would.

I need you, Elena. Now. Please meet me at this address,”

I SWEAR HE IS JUST TRYING TO GET THEM TO BE MISERABLE TOGETHER AND THAT HES SELFISH I TAKE THIS BACK I FEEL SO BAD OMG I THOUGHT AT THE BEGINNING WHEN HE LOOKED DISGUSTED WHEN HE SAID HED MARRY HER THAT HE WAS GAY

“He broke my heart. Tore it to shreds.”

AWE NO I WAS SO WRONG HE WAS GAY

“He’ll never see me the same way. A gay brother? He’ll never accept it. To have gotten blackmailed, too? He’ll just think I’m weak. You can’t tell him, Elena. You promised. You swore you’d never tell.”