[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire Chapter 24: Seven Years, One Lie Still Us

~Alistair’s POV~

"Who is she, Alex?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Who is the woman your mother was talking about?"

"Babe, he reached up and wiped a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb, his gaze softening into sothing deeply pained. He looked like a man who had been caught trying to protect soone from a fire, only to realize he’d let them get burned anyway.

My breath faltered, unease curling low in my stomach. Sarah. "Why is she eting you at the airport?" I pressed. "Why didn’t you tell about her?"

Alex pulled closer, wrapping his arms around my waist and tucking my head under his chin. He took a deep breath, his chest expanding against mine. "She’s the daughter of one of my mother’s biggest investors. My mother’s ’crisis’ in Singapore? It’s a business rger, and she’s using Sarah as the bait to get to agree to it. She told Sarah would be on the flight before I could even say no."

I pulled back, looking him in the eye, my voice trembling with a mix of hurt and anger. "So you were just going to go? You were going to spend a weekend with a woman your mother picked out for you and not tell ?"

"I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry about a woman who ans absolutely nothing to ," Alex insisted, his grip tightening as if he were afraid I’d bolt. "To , she’s just a business associate I have to tolerate for seventy-two hours. But to you... I knew you’d see exactly what my mother wants you to see. I wanted to spare you that insecurity, Alis."

"Spare ?" I let out a jagged, hollow laugh. "Alex, finding out this way is ten tis worse. It makes it feel like you’re hiding her. It makes it feel like I’m the secret you’re keeping while you go off to play ’perfect son’ with her."

"You are never a secret," Alex growled, his voice dropping into that protective, possessive tone that usually made lt. He grabbed my hand and pressed it firmly against his heart. "You are my husband. You are the only person who has ever owned . My mother can bring a thousand Sarahs to that airport, and none of them will ever get a second of my interest."

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine, his breath warm on my skin. "I was going to tell you in the morning, right before I left, so we wouldn’t spend our last night together fighting. I ssed up, Alis. I’m sorry."

I stared into his eyes, searching for the man I knew, while Alex continued to whisper frantic apologies. "I’m sorry... please, babe, forgive ," he pleaded. "Hurting you was never my intention. It was the last thing I ever wanted."

I took a long, shaky breath and looked away.

"It’s okay, baby," I said softly, my voice stripped of its usual warmth. "We should go back to sleep." I eased myself out of his lap. "Go ahead and lie down. I need to use the bathroom."

"Babe?" Alex called out, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"It’s fine. I understand everything," I replied, though the words felt like ash in my mouth.

I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, but it did nothing to ease the sting in my chest. When I stepped back out, I didn’t return to the bed. Instead, I walked straight to the bedroom door and pulled it open.

I was pained, deeply, hollowly pained. I understood his logic, but I couldn’t ignore the truth: he had lied to . Worse, he had lied perfectly.

Alex wasn’t soone who kept secrets. He never had. He had always told everything, laid himself open without hesitation. Seeing how easily he had tucked this one away let a dark thought take root in my mind. Maybe he doesn’t love the way he used to. Maybe the spark is fading, and I’m the only one still holding on.

I walked out of the room, tears finally spilling free, burning tracks down my face. Behind , the bedsheets rustled, followed by the sound of bare feet pounding against the floor. He called my na again and again, his voice echoing down the hallway, but I didn’t stop until I reached the bottom of the stairs.

That was where he caught . He surged forward, arms wrapping around my waist as he pulled back against his chest, holding tightly from behind.

"Alis, please—stop. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry," he murmured into the nape of my neck, his voice breaking with raw, desperate sincerity.

I turned in his arms, tears blurring my vision as I looked at him, feeling impossibly small. "Alex..." My voice trembled. "Don’t you love anymore?"

Alex recoiled as if struck, his eyes widening in genuine shock. "No—no, babe. Never think that," he said quickly. "I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to hurt you. I was trying to protect us."

"But you already hurt ," I murmured, a sob tearing free. "I never imagined my husband would hide things from . It isn’t fair, Alex. You’re going to leave here while you spend days with a woman your mother chose for you..."

My voice broke. "And what about ? Where do I fit in that world?"

"No, baby, no," Alex insisted, his hands trembling as they cupped my face. "You are my husband. You are the only one. She’s just a business partner, a na on a contract. She ans nothing. You are everything to ."

Exhaustion finally took hold. I sank onto the sofa, burying my face in my hands as the weight of the night crashed down on . Alex didn’t hesitate; he dropped to his knees between my legs, looking up at with eyes full of remorse.

"I know I ssed up," he murmured hoarsely. "I know I broke your trust, and I hate myself for it. Please, Alis, please forgive . Don’t let this night pass with you angry at ."

I looked at him, searching his face for a shadow, a flicker of deceit, any sign that he was pulling away. But all I saw was the man who had been loyal to for seven years, the man kneeling at my feet now, terrified of losing . My anger slowly ebbed, replaced by a lingering, dull ache, yet the love remained, deeper than the hurt.

"I don’t want you to go," I said quietly, my fingers clutching his shoulders.

"I have to go for the business, but I promise you..." He leaned down, capturing my lips in a kiss that was both a plea and a vow. "I am going to spend every waking minute on that trip making sure my mother, and Sarah, know exactly who is waiting for back ho."

I looked down at him, my fingers trembling as they brushed through his hair. "You won’t keep secrets from again, will you?" I asked quietly, needing to hear the promise out loud.

Alex nodded fervently, his eyes locked on mine. "Never again, baby. I promise."

"And you love only ... with your whole heart?"

"Yes, baby," he breathed, his voice steady and sincere. "I love only you. Nobody else could ever co close."

I felt the tension in my chest loosen just a little. "How much, Alex? How much do you love ?"

"I love you more than I can put into words," he said, a slight, relieved smile starting to tug at his lips.

"Do you love this big?" I asked, pulling my hands away from my face to demonstrate, stretching my arms out as wide as they could go.

Alex let out a soft, genuine chuckle and nodded. "Bigger than that, Alis. Even bigger than that."

I finally let a smile break through my tears. I leaned forward, pulling him into a deep, lingering kiss that tasted of salt and forgiveness. "I love you so much, Alex."

"I love you more," he murmured against my lips.

I pulled back just an inch, my expression turning serious again as I set my condition. "Alright. But if Sarah tries to get close to you... if she tries anything, what are you going to say?"

Alex didn’t hesitate. "I’ll let her know imdiately that I already have an adorable, beautiful husband who loves more than life itself, and that I love him just as much. I’ll make sure she knows there isn’t a single inch of space in my heart for anyone else."

I felt the last of my doubts evaporate. "Alright, babe. I believe you."

"Do you really forgive now?" Alex asked, his eyes searching mine one last ti.

I nodded slowly, the ache in my heart replaced by a familiar warmth.

"Well," Alex said, his gaze turning dark and playful as he stood up, pulling with him. "If you really forgive , then let’s go back upstairs so you can show exactly how much."

He suddenly reached out and tickled my sides, making yelp and squirm in his arms. "Let’s go use those toys, baby!" he teased, his voice dropping into a seductive growl.

I laughed, the heaviness of the night finally lifting, and broke away from his grip. I bolted for the stairs, my heart racing for an entirely different reason now.

"You have to catch first!"