Belladonna

Chapter 8

Spencer

I was sitting under the windowsill, hearing them talk. Not once did laughter fill the room. I didn't know what they were talking about, I was focused on my phone. Texting Gavin, my fiancé.

"Well, well, look who we have here."

I looked up to see Benjamin grin down at me. Shit. I was so busy texting I didn't hear him come up. I smiled up at him. "Not joining that exciting dinner?"

He snorted. "Even a funeral is more exciting. What are you doing down there?"

I shrugged. "Needed to get away from everyone trying to convince me to stay." Partially true.

"Well, at least now dinner can get interesting." He smirked.

Oh, no.

Oh, yes. He answered through the link. Or everyone will find out you're eavesdropping on your ex.

I'm not eavesdropping, and he is not my ex. He rolled his eyes before he heaved me from the ground. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me through the front door. I hate you.

He just chuckled. He pushed the door open to the dining room, the silence filled my ears. Idris and Andrew's eyes widened for barely a second.

"Look who I found on my way home." Benjamin smiled, tugging me closer to him. I could feel Axel's eyes on me. "I thought she could stay for dinner."

"Are you insane?" Eveline barked. "You can't just invite over a girl who hasn't had anything to do with our community for three years."

"That's where you are wrong, darling." Andrew sneered that last word. Oh, he's going to say it in front of everyone? Our best-kept secret for the past five years. "Spencer never left our community. She has been working for me for the past three years.

"What?!" Axel snapped. His voice was angry, so full of authority, that I took a small step back. I had never seen him so mad.

"It seems I'm not wanted here, so I think I'll just go."

"First smart thing I ever heard you say."

"Shut it, Eveline." Axel snapped. He looked at me, his eyes turning soft. He pushed himself up from his seat and rounded the table. He eyed the arm that was draped over my shoulder. "Don't go." He ran a hand through his wavy hair. "I want you here."

Words I wanted to hear for a long time, but after five years of complete silence, I didn't believe them. I made a move to turn around, but Benjamin gripped my shoulder, keeping me in place. "I want you here. So, does father and Idris. Stay for dinner."

When I looked at the table, I swear I could have seen hurt flash in Axel's eyes. Andrew patted the seat next to him. "I'll stay," I said. Benjamin squeezed my shoulder before placing me between him and his father. Axel was still standing in the same spot, frowning as he looked at the wall. He shook his head before he sat down, intertwining his fingers with Marianne's.

Andrew cleared his throat. "So, Spencer has been in my service before she finished college. She was the one who put the security on our systems, computers and cameras."

"You told me that was a freelancer. I saw the man who came by to install everything."

It wasn't easy but I looked him in the eye. "He was my old business partner. He did the set-up while I worked remotely on the security."

"You did everything from London?"

"No, I was staying in LA for a few weeks."

His eyes blazed. "You were in LA and didn't come by?"