Arranged

Nineteen

Chapter Eighteen – Revelations (pt. 1) [edited]

Alexander's POV

"Now don't you go disappearing on me." My mom said pulling me into a hug. She always said that, whenever we were apart for anything. For some reason she always had this underlying feeling of me leaving her forever. "Because if you ever thought of disappearing, I will kill you, Alexander." So much charm my mother has, so much charm.

"Well there will never be a need for that because I will never disappear on you." I said pulling away from her tight grip and kissing her forehead. "I promise." She gave me a warm smile and a pat on the back. I knew she hated leaving me, I was her only baby to worry about.

"Stop hogging my son Elizabeth!" My dad said playfully pushing her aside. She waved him off and moved on to hugging Sage. My father pulled me into an embrace and started whispering lowly to me. "Whatever you do, don't make the nursery the room your mother and I stayed in," he chuckled, what?, "you forgot to sound-proof the walls I guess."

My dad pulled away laughing heftily, "That's my boy, I may not have made those parts, but we sure have analogous structures." I laughed along with my father and his corny reference to evolution. I saw a flash of bouncy curls in my peripheral vision and in a second, Melanie was standing right next to me.

"What's so funny?" Melanie asks innocently, my father attempted to stifle his laughter with her sudden question but had no success. I pulled Melanie into my side by her waist, and kissed her forehead before giving her a quick "nothing."

"Mel!" I heard Hailey's high-pitched voice call, Melanie jumped to attention and practically skipped her way over. I haven't seen her like that since we were younger, all smiles and care-free, and... bubbly. "I need a proper goodbye."

"You take care of her Alex." He said staring at her, "She deserves to be happy, and so do you." With that he moved to my mother's side, accepting a hug from Sage.

After everyone had said their goodbye's and left, Melanie decided to go to our floor and catch up on the work she neglected for so long. I met with Sage and Malek in the second floor office to discuss how we were going to tell Melanie about the situation. I walked in and Sage and Malek were going through the early files speaking lowly.

"Melanie is on the third floor working, so we have some time to figure out how we are going to do this." I said, they both turned around and Sage immediately started talking.

"Okay. Melanie doesn't like sugarcoating so I think we should, cut to the chase." I nodded my head and before I could get to my next question, she already had the answer. "I will start from the beginning, before she was born, and explain where everything started. Then, we will progress from there." I exchanged a look with the both of them and determined there was nothing else to be considered. Except how she will take it, but I will file that in the existential anxiety folder of my mind.

Malek was the one to open the door. Melanie was nose deep in paper work, ever since she had gotten the ball rolling for a new hotel in Geneva, she's been treating it like a baby. She only spared us one glance and a small smile when we walked in before going back to work. Sage and I sat down across from her and Malek sat on the arm rest of Sage's chair, holding the necessary files.

"Sweetheart, we'd like to discuss something with you." Sage said, regaining Mel's attention, she raised an eyebrow as if it were to say, what is it? We stayed silent for about ten seconds and then she realized it was serious, and closed the files. Sage started and automatically had Melanie's full attention.

"You have more family Melanie, as I'm sure you've figured out by now. Dangerous family..."

~