Ties of Betrayal

The Shocking News

Alexander was in his office, seated behind the expansive mahogany desk that overlooked the bustling city below. The vast windows provided a sweeping view of New York, but he wasn’t paying attention to it. His focus was on the deal he had been working on for months—a merger that would expand his family’s empire even further. It was the kind of work he excelled at, where control and power were his to wield.

The intercom on his desk buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. His secretary’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“Mr. Westwood, your grandfather is here to see you.”

Alexander frowned. It wasn’t like his grandfather to show up at his office unannounced. He pressed the button on the intercom. “Send him in.”

Moments later, the door swung open, and in walked the old man, his face as serious as Alexander had ever seen it. Something in the pit of his stomach tightened—a feeling he didn’t like.

“Grandfather,” Alexander greeted, standing up but not moving from behind his desk. “What brings you here?”

His grandfather didn’t sit, nor did he exchange pleasantries. He closed the door behind him and approached the desk, his eyes fixed on Alexander.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice firm. “It’s about Victoria.”

At the mention of her name, Alexander’s frown deepened. He hadn’t thought much about Victoria since that night. To him, she had been nothing more than an inconvenience—a woman who had thrown herself at him in a moment of weakness. The memory of offering her money afterward still made his skin crawl.

“What about her?” Alexander asked, his voice cold.

His grandfather’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time in a long while, Alexander felt the weight of his disapproval. “You don’t know, do you?” the old man said, shaking his head. “You truly have no idea.”

“No idea about what?” Alexander demanded, irritation flaring. He hated feeling like he was out of the loop, especially when it came to family matters.

His grandfather leaned forward, placing both hands on the desk, his gaze unrelenting. “Victoria is pregnant, Alexander. With your child.”

Alexander blinked, the words hitting him like a punch to the gut. Pregnant? His child? His mind reeled, refusing to process the information. It didn’t make sense—how could this have happened?

“You’re mistaken,” Alexander said, his voice laced with disbelief. “There’s no way—”

“I’ve already spoken to Victoria,” his grandfather interrupted, cutting him off. “She found out a few days ago. She didn’t want to tell you because she didn’t know how you would react. And based on what I’ve seen so far, she was right to be afraid.”

Alexander felt a surge of anger. “Afraid? Of me? I barely know the woman!” He pushed back from his desk, standing up abruptly. “This is ridiculous. She’s probably lying to manipulate me. She knows what kind of family we are, what power we have.”

His grandfather’s eyes blazed with anger. “You think this is some kind of game, don’t you? That every woman is out to trap you? Victoria isn’t like that, Alexander. She’s not after your money or your status. If anything, she’s been trying to stay as far away from you as possible.”

“Then why tell you? Why not handle it herself?” Alexander shot back, pacing around his office now, his mind racing. He couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Because she’s scared, and she doesn’t know what to do. She’s a good woman, Alexander, and whether you like it or not, this child is your responsibility. You need to face that.”

For a moment, the room fell into silence. Alexander’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions—anger, disbelief, confusion. He had spent his entire life controlling every aspect of his world, ensuring that nothing and no one could interfere with his plans. And now, out of nowhere, this woman, this…Victoria was about to turn everything upside down.

“What do you want me to do?” Alexander finally asked, his voice low, almost defeated.

“I want you to take responsibility,” his grandfather replied firmly. “For once in your life, you need to stop running from your obligations. You need to marry her.”

Alexander froze, the word marry echoing in his mind like a death sentence. Marry Victoria? The woman he barely knew, the woman he had mistreated and discarded after a single night?

“No,” Alexander said firmly, his jaw clenched. “I’m not marrying her. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I didn’t even want—”

“You don’t have a choice,” his grandfather interrupted, his voice cold and commanding. “This is bigger than you, Alexander. This is about the family, about protecting our legacy. If this gets out—if people find out that you abandoned the mother of your child—it will destroy everything we’ve built.”

Alexander felt his heart pound in his chest, the weight of his grandfather’s words sinking in. He knew the old man was right. The Westwood name was everything—powerful, untouchable. But a scandal like this? It would ruin him, ruin his family. The press would have a field day with it.

But the thought of marrying Victoria, of being tied to her for the rest of his life… It was unbearable.

“I can’t,” Alexander whispered, more to himself than to his grandfather.

His grandfather’s expression softened, just for a moment. “You may not want to, but you must. For the sake of the family. And for that child.”

Alexander turned away, staring out the window, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He had always prided himself on being in control, on never letting emotions cloud his judgment. But now, his life was spiraling out of control, and he didn’t know how to stop it.

“How do you even know it’s mine?” he asked bitterly, still unwilling to fully believe it.

“I had the situation investigated,” his grandfather replied. “The timeline adds up. There’s no doubt, Alexander. This is your child.”

The truth settled heavily on Alexander’s shoulders. He wanted to fight it, to deny it, but deep down, he knew his grandfather wouldn’t lie about something like this.

“So, what now?” Alexander asked, his voice hollow.

“Now, you do the right thing,” his grandfather said. “You marry Victoria, and you raise this child together. I’ll make the arrangements. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Alexander turned back to face his grandfather, feeling like the ground had been ripped out from under him. His life, his carefully planned future, had just been turned upside down by one night he wished he could forget.
But there was no escaping it now.