ALEX’S POV;
I looked out through the window and took a deep breath of relief when Saraya drove into the compound.
“You can ease your worry, ” Mary’s voice interrupted my thoughts, her hand patting my back. “Now that she is back.”
“I don’t think I can ease my worries, Mary” I snapped before realizing and could see the shock on Mary’s face. Seeing how I must have scared her. “I’m sorry, I yelled at you. It wasn’t my intention. It just feels like a storm I’m not prepared for is fast approaching. Mother is acting weird and had not been the same since Saraya was announced as the new CEO.” I sighed.
“While I pretend it’s nothing, it’s eating my heart terribly and Saraya?” I asked. “She’s been withdrawing and crawling back to her shell. With my mother and daughter this way, I can barely catch my breath in this house.”
Mary sighed. “I understand how you feel, I will try talking to Saraya.” She suggested.
I shook my head. “No, I will do it.” I replied. “She is the CEO of the Newman’s empire, she has no business staying on the ground for so long. Imagine cancelling all her business appointments and staying out this late?” I asked. “I think its best I talk to her myself.”
“I’ll say you take it easy when addressing the issue with her, you should know she is vulnerable at the moment.” Mary reminded me.
“Well, I have no intention of making things difficult for her as long as she pull herself together and start acting right.”
Saraya skipped dinner and had stayed out late again. That made it three nights in a row. At first, I brushed it off as her needing space, but it was becoming harder for me to ignore.
She’d been withdrawing, locking herself away in her room for hours on end. To make it worst, she no longer comes to the dinning room to eat a ritual in the Newman’s family. Everything about her was just silence. That wasn’t my Saraya.
Turning to Mary, “I need to go see her, afterwards, I will check on Evan before coming back. You don’t have to wait for me.” I kissed her forehead and stepped out.
I walked up to Saraya’s door, hesitating for a moment outside her door. I took a deep breath before I knocked.
“Come in,” she said in a tiring tone.
I stepped inside. She was at her desk, still on her office wears, her laptop open but untouched. She stared at the screen like it held some kind of answers. Her face was drawn and gloomy.
“How’s your day been?” I asked, keeping my tone casual.
She glanced up briefly, a tired smile playing at her lips. “Fine.”
“Fine?” I pressed, moving closer. I leaned on the edge of her desk, folding my arms. “Saraya, you’ve been holed up all week and lost in a world of your own. What’s going on?”
She sighed, shutting her laptop and turning her chair to face me. “I’m okay, Dad. Really.”
But I wasn’t buying it. She was good at hiding her feelings, just like her mother. I could tell something was eating but it was fine to pull her out of it.
“This is about the fraud allegations, isn’t it?” I said.
Her jaw tightened, and she looked away.
I continued, “You don’t have to worry about that. The legal team’s handling everything. These claims are baseless, and we’ll get them dismissed. All you have to do right now is focus on your work.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “That’s not the point, Dad. The problem isn’t just the allegations-it’s how easily something like this can happen. It’s a reminder that we’re vulnerable because we let people like Ian get away with too much for too long.”
I frowned, her words hitting a nerve. “Ian?”
Her eyes hardened. “Who else? He stands the most to gain if I’m out of the picture. He’s been undermining me for years, and now this? It’s not a coincidence. I’ve had enough, Dad. It’s time to teach him a lesson.”
“Saraya…” I began, my tone wary.
“I’m serious,” she interrupted. “I don’t care if he is family. Family doesn’t sabotage you. He needs to learn that actions have consequences.”
Her resolve was as sharp as a blade, but I couldn’t let her act on it, not without proof. “Look,” I said carefully, “I’m not saying I trust Ian. I’ve had my suspicions too. But we don’t have any evidence linking him to this. What if he’s innocent?”
“Innocent?” she scoffed. “Dad, the person who benefits the most is usually the one pulling the strings. Ian fits that profile perfectly. You know it as well as I do.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. She wasn’t wrong, but I couldn’t jump to conclusions. Ian may be many things, but accusing him without proof could backfire.
“Leave it to me,” I said firmly. “I’ll deal with Ian. You don’t need to take this on yourself.”
She opened her mouth to argue but stopped. “Fine,” she muttered after a long pause.
I softened my tone. “Get some rest, Saraya. You’re thinking too much right now.”
I kissed her forehead. As I turned to leave, I glanced back. She was already lost in thought again.
I closed the door quietly behind me, but a knot formed in my stomach. Saraya might have agreed to let me handle things, but I know she was having other thoughts.
I headed to Evan’s room and pushed open the door to Evan’s room and found him tossing and turning under the covers. I stepped inside quietly, closing the door behind me.
“Evan,” I called softly, walking over to his bed. He stopped moving and turned his head toward me.
“Hey, Dad,” he said, his voice small and tired.
I sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Can’t sleep?”
He shook his head, pulling the blanket up to his chin. “I tried closing my eyes, counting sheep, even singing that silly song Mom taught me. Nothing’s working.”
I smiled at that. “Sounds like you need a little help. How about we play a game?”
His eyebrows knit together. “A game? At bedtime?”
“Yep,” I said, leaning in a little closer. “It’s called the ‘Get Rid of Secrets’ game. It works like magic. You and I take turns telling a secret-something we’ve never told anyone before. It helps clear your mind so you can sleep.”
Evan’s lips twitched into a hesitant smile. “That’s… a weird game.”
“Maybe,” I admitted, “but it works. Want to try?”
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay, but you go first.”
“Fair enough,” I said, pretending to think hard. “Alright, here’s my secret: When I was your age, I used to sneak into Grandpa’s study to borrow his old records. But I blamed it on Smokey, the cat, whenever something went missing.”
Evan’s eyes widened. “Grandpa had a cat?”
“Yep. Big, grumpy guy who always looked like he was judging me. Poor Smokey got blamed for everything. Scratched books, missing records, broken vases-you name it.”
Evan giggled. “You were sneaky, Dad.”
“Very,” I admitted with a grin.
He nodded again. “Saraya is just like you, she is sneaky as well.”
“What do you mean by that?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Its nothing, dad.”
Taking it as a pinch of salt. “Your turn.”
He sat up a little, fiddling with the hem of his blanket. “Okay… um, I have a secret.”
“Let’s hear it,” I said, keeping my tone light.
Evan glanced down, avoiding my eyes. “Remember when I told you I didn’t see the face of the woman Uncle Arlan was with?”
Somehow my heart skipped a beat, but I kept my expression calm. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Well…” He hesitated, his small hands gripping the blanket tighter. “I lied. I did see her face.”
“You did?” I asked gently.
Evan nodded, his voice growing quieter. “Yeah.”
I leaned forward slightly, trying to keep my tone casual. “Who was she, Evan?”
He squirmed under the blanket, his lips pressing into a thin line. “I… I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”
I studied his face, trying to decide whether to press him further, but the look in his eyes stopped me. He wasn’t ready. “Okay,” I said softly. “You don’t have to tell me right now. But when you’re ready, I’m here to listen.”
Evan’s shoulders relaxed a little, and he gave me a small nod. “Thanks, Dad.”
I leaned back, brushing his hair out of his face. “Alright, kiddo. Let’s get you settled. No more secrets for tonight.”
He snuggled under the blanket, his eyes already fluttering closed. Within moments, his breathing evened out, and I knew he was asleep.
I stayed there for a while, watching him, my mind racing. “What secret was he holding on to? And why couldn’t he share it with me? Whatever it was, I’d have to wait. For now, he should get some rest.”