Undercover on Embassy Row

The Wedding Announcement

Last night was like a dream. Everything went amazingly well and every one of us should be awarded Oscars. If you were not in on the plan, then you wouldn't even guess it was all an act.

I slept over at the villa and I'm seated in the sitting room sipping a cup of coffee when Max walks in with a triumphant look on his face, "It's done."

"What's done," Alex asks from across me.

"Come over here and I'll show you," Max waves Alex over.

Once Alex has seated next to me Max places the laptop in front of us and plays a video. It's a video of last night's proposal. I was so relaxed that I didn't notice Max's drone that was the size of a fly. The video was edited expertly. "Why did you video it," I ask.

"I just posted this on both of your social media platforms," Max smiles. "You didn't think there would be such a grad proposal for nothing did you."

"Makes sense," Alex says.

"You have to remember that you are a couple who just got engaged and you are crazily in love with each other and nowadays people's lives are on social media so it would be kind of odd if you didn't express your happiness."

*

Alexi's pov:

"Alexi pass the salt over," Jamie asks from across the table. Noah, Lila, Megan, Rosie, and I are having breakfast in the same restaurant we have had breakfast for the past 4 years now. I wish Grace was here with us. I pass Jamie the salt who is seated next to Lila.

"We need to speak to Grace," Rosie sighs as she stirs her Americano.

"I know," Noah interjects. "I tried calling but she's not picking up."

"We really have done it this time guys," Megan puts down her fork and knife. "I don't think Grace wants to talk to us ever again."

"I wouldn't blame her," Lila says. "We accused her of the unthinkable. We are supposed to be her friends. The people who should stand with her and not suspect her. We all think that she is the same Grace from 4 years ago, but the truth is that she's grown up. She's changed. I don't know how but whenever I look at her eyes I see someone who has aged well over 20."

"Then there is this guy Alex," Jamie frowns. Alex... the guy Grace fell in love with. All this time I held onto this little thread of hope that Grace would come back and I'd be able to tell how I feel but now there is this man Alex Rider.

"What's wrong Jamie?" I ask. "You don't have to not like the guy because of me."

"It's not that Alexi," Jamie says. He looks around us to make sure no one could overhear us. But then again we always sit right at the back where no one could disturb us. "When Grace introduced him as Alex Rider I was shocked."

"Shocked? Why?" Rosie asks.

"When I was in the States training at the military school my instructor did a lesson on the world's greatest spies," Jamie looks at us intensely. "There a story about an MI6 agent who was exceptional at his job. It was said that he single handily took down the terrorist organisation known as Scorpia."

"I've heard of them," Megan says. "They were really horrible people."

"Yes well this agent took them down in such a way that most of them ended up dead or in prison," Jamie continues. "This agent also was responsible for stopping Nikoli Dreven from using Ark Angel to destroy the pentagon. I'm not going to go into all of his heroics but the point here is that this agent was the best of the best but the only thing was that no one knows what he looks like. They don't know anything about him except his name."

"What does this have to do with Alex," I ask.

"The British agent's name is Alex Rider," Jamie says.

"WHAT!" everyone exclaims.

"You're joking right," Lila looks at Jamie.

"No I'm serious,' Jamie shakes his head.

"So this guy is a spy?" Rosie whispers.

"I don't know," Jamie admits. "But by the way, he carries himself and speaks he definitely has had some training."

"Do you think Grace knows?" Megan asks.

"I'm sure she does," Noah speaks up. "I was waiting till after breakfast to show you guys this but I guess I better show it to you now."

"Show us what?" Megan looks at him curiously.

"I was surfing Instagram and I came across this," Noah slid the phone to the centre of the table. Everyone huddled around it to see what was on his phone. Noah pressed play and it started off with the song a thousand years by Christina Perri and then it shows us Gracie dressed beautifully. It showed Alex and Gracie at 'The Miraculous'. Alex pulls out her chair for her and she accepts it. They order their meal and chat heartily. Gracie looks so happy. From the time she returned, I've never seen her smile so brightly. After their dinner Alex and her walk out onto the almost blackened deck. Suddenly Alex is not there anymore. Then lanterns fill the air catching Gracie by surprise. Lights come to life and Alex walks over to Grace. The music dies down and is replaced with the song Marry Me by Jason Derulo playing softly in the background. Alex stands in front of Gracie and talks, "Milady we have been through a lot together," He smiles at Grace. "And I have fallen head over heels in love with you. You know just how to make me laugh and before you I only had Jack as my family. I don't even know how, but you squeezed a place for yourself in my heart. I never thought that I would meet someone like you. Over the years because of certain circumstances I broke. I tried to be a happy person a person who could look after Jack and I put on a mask so that other people wouldn't see how broken I was inside. But then you came into my life and you saw right through me. You saw the fragments and you put me back together. I am so grateful to God for having met you. I love you."

"Alex...," Grace breathes out.

He gets down on one knee and pulls out a velvet box. "Grace Olivia Blakely, will you continue your life's journey with me. Will you marry me?"

There are gasp's around the table. No! No! she can't say yes, I scream in my own head. And then my worst fear came true. She says yes happily.

"Oh. My. Gosh!," Lila exclaims.

I watch as they kiss and then finally the friends she has made these past years rush to them to congratulate them. The screen is then replaced with a picture of Grace and Alex in front of the Eiffel tower. A text appears on the top. It says, "I am so glad to start this new journey with you, my love. You are the best for me. I can't wait to become Mrs. Rider and have children with you and to grow old together. I love you."

I feel like my heart has been ripped out. I can't believe it, Gracie, my Gracie is getting married.

"This was last night," Noah pulls the phone back to him.

"This can't be happening," Jamie runs his hand through his hair.

"Well I guess we will find out this afternoon," Megan shows us a text from Grace:

I really need to speak with you guys. Let's meet at the embassy this afternoon. I have amazing news.

-Grace

I slowly stand up. I need to be alone. "I have to go my friends. I'll see you this afternoon." I gather my coat and rush out of the restaurant. I fell my heart breaking into a million pieces. This has to be a nightmare.