Page 47 of The Alpha's Heir

She reels off a list: Bali, the Seychelles, St. Lucia. “But to be honest, I don’t care as long as I’m with you, Ale.”

She is becoming more open and loving with me in front of our friends, and that means the world to me. I don’t want her to be shy about us. I want to shout from the rooftops that she’s mine, but Sal has always been more reserved and formal until now. It feels amazing.

“What can we do to help, Eva? Is there anyone you need us to bring here to confront and talk to?” Sal asks her.

The most obvious choices are her mother and her ex-husband, but Ryan is dead and her mother is already being dealt with.

“I’m going to phone Melanie and invite her here. She wants Summer and her baby to bond, and I think confronting her about her affair with Ryan could be a start.” She pauses for a moment, obviously still contemplating her next moves. “I would like to make contact with one person, I’m not sure if you still have contact with him, Sal. He didn’t do anything wrong, but I only found out recently that he didn’t, and I was hurt by what I thought were his actions. I just want to speak to him about what happened and draw a line under it. Can you get in touch with Luke? I’m hoping a phone call or a video call will suffice.”

After sharing our troubles, we head back to get Ricky. We have a loose plan of action and friends to support us. What could go wrong?

*** Melanie ***

It is a surprise to hear from Eva. Her silence convinced me she had changed her mind about Summer bonding with my baby. Disappointment flowed through me at the prospect, but I knew I had to respect her decision. After all, she has been very gracious towards me despite everything I have done and if seeing me pregnant with her husband's child is too much, I completely understand and respect her decision.

The nightmares about Ryan continue to plague me and I continue to isolate myself in my home, not even leaving to get groceries, just surviving on what is in the cupboards or the small amounts of bread, milk, eggs, butter, and yoghurt that my milkman brings me. Fortunately for me, the milkman brings potatoes, fruit, and vegetables as well as fresh orange juice. There is no reason to leave, except for hospital appointments and now to visit Eva.

Eva explains to me that she is having therapy and that she needed to discuss some things with me so she could move on in life. She assures me she will still facilitate Summer being involved in my daughter’s life.

I know I’m going to have to answer some tough questions from Eva. My cheeks flame in shame at the appalling way I treated her. With Ryan gone, my thoughts have become clearer, and I am riddled with guilt and embarrassment over my actions. As much as this is going to be hard and uncomfortable, I want to do this. Maybe giving Eva what she needs to move on will allow me to forgive myself and move on too.

Eva tells me that Aiden, her boyfriend, will come and drive me to her new home. So, the following day, I sit and wait for him and, despite waiting for what feels like three lifetimes, he rings my doorbell bang on time. When I open the door, Eva’s boyfriend is there with a tall ginger woman.

“Hi, Melanie, I’m Aiden and this is my sister, Amber. Could we please come in and talk before we take you to Eva? There is something we would like to discuss with you.”

I invite them into my home and sit uncomfortably, waiting for them to explain what they want to discuss with me.

“Something has happened in Eva’s life, and she is under house arrest. When you come to see her, she will be in a cell but it is nothing for you to be worried about, nothing will happen to you or your p… child. You will be completely safe. Do you understand?” I nod that I did although I have a million questions about what they just told me.

“Good, so before we can grant you access, we need you to sign this Non-Disclosure Agreement.” Shit, it sounds like Eva is in deep shit if I have to sign an NDA. I quickly sign the form and ask if we can go now. They seem satisfied with that.

The drive to Eva’s new home takes about forty minutes and, although the car is luxurious and the drive is pleasant, I am eager to get out of the car and stretch my legs and breathe the fresh air into my lungs.

Saturday is my usual day I spend with my children. However, when I got the call off Eva, I quickly asked their dad to rearrange, which he agreed to. I will spend the day with my boys tomorrow instead. I never change my time with them, but this is important.

As we pull up outside the extremely large house, I cannot help but be in awe. “Eva lives here? It's huge.”

“We have an apartment inside until the cottage is finished, but this all belongs to me and now it belongs to Eva too.”

Before we go in, Aiden reminds me that Eva is under house arrest, but I don’t need to be alarmed or scared.

They direct me down into what I presume to be a cellar, the air turns colder with each step I take. As I walk into the room where Eva is, I don’t even see her. Instead, I come face to face with a massive man with the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen.

“MATE!” he spits at me through gritted teeth, and even though he is grimacing at me as he stares me down, I don’t feel in danger or threatened. I have never felt safer.

“Max, stand down. Go back to your Luna. MAX! Snap out of it!”

I have no idea what is happening but the man who I now know is Max backs off away from me and sits on the other side of the bars to Eva, who I notice for the first time.

“Hi, Mel, this is Max… my… bodyguard. Max, this is Melanie.” He gives me a short nod and looks away.

I try to break the ice; it feels so tense, and I have a feeling I’m the reason everyone is on edge. “So, Eva, what trouble have you been creating to land yourself in prison?”

When Eva smiles at my question, I almost feel the tension disappear.

*** Eva ***

Max is wound up tight, Melanie doesn’t seem to realise what is happening and Aiden is trying to calm Max without coming across as strange to Melanie. “Call for Preston please, Aiden. I think Max could use a break.”

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