Allegedly Yours

Closeness

Chapter 26

(The Present)

By the time Nyrah finished recounting her ordeal, Alessa's face was a storm of emotions. She was stunned, her mind racing to piece together the moments she'd witnessed between Nyrah and Aston. Now, it all made sense—Aston's unfair treatment, his taunts, and his cold demeanor towards Nyrah. Alessa had thought it was simple cruelty, but now she understood the complexity behind his actions. Nyrah sat quietly, her eyes downcast, reliving every painful memory she had just shared. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap, a testament to the courage it took to recount her ordeal.

Alessa finally found her voice, though it came out as a whisper. "I had no idea... I'm so sorry, Nyrah. I can't believe you went through all that, and that incident..." Her voice trailed off, the words inadequate to express her sympathy.

"It took too much from you," Alessa finally stood up from her chair and moved towards Nyrah, wrapping her in a tight hug. Nyrah couldn't help but find solace in her embrace, the warmth and comfort of Alessa's presence providing a much-needed sense of relief.

"It's alright, Nyrah. You're very strong," Alessa whispered, her voice filled with compassion and reassurance.

After leaving the scene, Alessa and Nyrah returned to their apartment. Alessa made sure Nyrah ate something and then helped her get to bed. The exhaustion of the day's events weighed heavily on Nyrah, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.

Alessa was in the kitchen, washing dishes, when she heard a knock on the door. "Coming!" she called out, quickly wiping her hands before opening the door. She was met by the sight of Zale, looking disheveled. His first three shirt buttons were undone, and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Without any formalities or notice, he stepped inside, his eyes locking onto hers.

"Where's Nyrah?" he asked directly, his intense gaze making Alessa's cheeks heat up.

"She's sleeping," Alessa replied, avoiding eye contact, feeling flustered under his stare. She expected him to leave after hearing this, but instead, he casually placed the keys to his Mercedes Maybach on the key holder and sat down on the sofa as if he owned the place.

Alessa was taken aback by his behavior. "Do you need something?" she asked, trying to regain her composure.

She moved to the kitchen, offering him a drink. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Coffee, please," he replied, his eyes following her movements.

As Alessa prepared the coffee, she couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Zale's presence was commanding. She handed him the coffee, their fingers briefly brushing, sending a jolt of electricity through her.

"Thank you," he said, his voice softer now.

"You're welcome," Alessa offered a small smile.

"It's sweet," Zale said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"The coffee?" Alessa asked, her eyebrows raising in curiosity.

"No, your smile," he replied, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched her face turn an even deeper shade of red.

Alessa felt her heart skip a beat, the compliment catching her off guard. She quickly looked away, trying to compose herself. "Thank you," she mumbled, busying herself with tidying up the kitchen.

"By the way, that apron looks cute," Zale said, his gaze resting on the pink apron Alessa was wearing, decorated with a cheerful frog.

She blushed, quickly taking it off and draping it over a chair. "Don't you want to leave?" she asked, hoping he would take the hint.

"And why should I leave?" he countered, his tone playful yet firm.

"Um, I want to sleep," she said, internally wishing he would just go away. But it seemed he had no intentions of leaving.

"I want to talk to you. Come and sit here," Zale insisted, patting the space on the sofa next to him. Reluctantly, Alessa nodded and took a seat.

"As you know, I'm not happy with Nyrah working in Aston's company," he began, getting straight to the point. "And I can't tell you the reason why."

"I already know why," Alessa interjected, meeting Zale's surprised gaze. "Nyrah herself told me everything."

Alessa recounted everything that happened today and how she had noticed Aston having issues with Nyrah ever since she joined his company. She described Aston's behavior today in detail. Zale understood everything and was happy that Alessa didn't judge Nyrah like others did. When Zale asked Alessa, "Do you think it was her mistake?"

"Obviously not. I believe Nyrah tried her best to save her, but we just can't fight fate. What's written is bound to happen no matter how hard we try to stop it," she answered, as if she had gone through something similar. Zale couldn't stop himself from asking, "Have you also experienced something like that?"

Alessa looked at him with pain in her eyes. "I lost my mother the day I was born, but my father never blamed me. He took care of me until now. But when I found out about it, I sometimes felt that it would have been better if I had died instead—" Zale interrupted her by placing his finger on her lips.

"Let's not talk about this," he concluded.

Alessa said, "Well, I didn't even go through one percent of what Nyrah has gone through."

"That's why I want you to convince her to resign and return home," Zale said. Alessa looked at him, unsure.

"But when she didn't listen to you, why would she listen to me? But I can still try if you want."

"If she doesn't listen, then I'll take matters into my own hands. I won't let that bastard Aston torture her," Zale vowed as the night unfolded.

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