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Emilia’s POV
The drive to Alonso’s house was tense. Alaric sat beside me, silent and brooding, his fingers tapping against his thigh. I knew he didn’t want to be here. He thought this was pointless. But I didn’t care.
We needed answers. All the puzzle pieces were scattered, and I was tired of trying to put them together blindly.
When we arrived, Alonso was already waiting for us outside, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
“This is unexpected,” he said, glancing between us. “What’s going on?”
I didn’t waste time. “We need to talk. Inside.”
He studied me for a moment, then nodded, stepping aside to let us in.
Alaric followed reluctantly, his entire body radiating frustration. He had made it clear that he didn’t trust Alonso, even after everything. And honestly, I couldn’t blame him. Their history was drenched in too much blood.
We sat in the living room, the tension a little bit too thick between us. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
“We know Jonas was the one who kidnapped me as a child,” I started. “And we know he killed your wife. But what we don’t understand is why. What started all of this?”
Alonso exhaled, his eyes darkening. “Jonas didn’t just wake up one day and decide to ruin my life. It was a long time coming.”
“Explain,” Alaric said, his tone clipped.
Alonso’s gaze flickered to him before settling back on me. “Your father and I have been enemies since before you were born. It started as a rivalry-business, territory, power. But it escalated when I married her.”
I frowned. “Why would that make things worse?”
“Because Jonas wanted her first,” Alonso said bitterly. “And he wasn’t the kind of man who took rejection well.”
I stiffened.
Alaric cursed under his breath. “Are you saying-”
“Yes,” Alonso cut him off. “Jonas didn’t just kill my wife. He raped her first. I thought I already told you that. Or are you still in denial?”
The words slammed into me like a punch to the gut.
I saw the moment they hit Alaric too. His face paled, his jaw tightening.
“That’s a lie,” he said, but his voice lacked conviction.
“It’s the truth,” Alonso said coldly. “Your father was a monster, and I will never apologize for hating him.”
Alaric shot up from his seat, his hands clenched into fists. “You expect me to just believe that? To accept that my father was some kind of-”
“I don’t care what you believe,” Alonso snapped. “You came here for answers. I’m giving them to you.”
Alaric ran a hand down his face, looking like he wanted to hit something. Maybe Alonso. Maybe himself.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “And Dominic?”
Alonso’s face hardened. “That was never supposed to happen.”
“Then tell us what did happen,” I pressed.
“It was an accident,” he said. “I was driving that night. It was raining. The roads were bad. Dominic’s car came out of nowhere. We both tried to stop, but it was too late.”
“You’re saying you didn’t mean to kill him?” Alaric asked, his voice dangerously low.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Alonso said. “I had no reason to want Dominic dead. He was never part of this war. He was innocent.”
Silence.
I could feel Alaric’s anger vibrating off him, his hands shaking at his sides.
“You should have told me,” he said finally, his voice raw. “All these years, I thought you murdered him in cold blood.”
“Would it have mattered?” Alonso challenged. “Would you have believed me?”
Alaric didn’t answer.
Because they both knew the truth. He wouldn’t have.
I sighed, rubbing my temples. “So all of this… all this war, all this bloodshed, it started because Jonas couldn’t handle losing?”
“Yes,” Alonso said simply. “He took my wife, my daughter, and destroyed everything in his path. And when I finally had a chance to take something from him?” He looked directly at Alaric. “I took his son.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Alaric’s fists clenched. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I never had opportunities to kill you?” Alonso asked. “I did. Plenty. But I didn’t. Because I knew that keeping you alive was the worst punishment for Jonas. He hated the idea that you and Emilia would eventually find your way to each other.”
Alaric exhaled sharply. “That’s insane.”
“Is it?” Alonso asked. “And yet, here you are. Sitting in my house. Engaged to my daughter.”
Alaric said nothing.
I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly. “So where does that leave us now?”
Alonso’s expression softened slightly as he looked at me. “That depends on you two.”
I turned to Alaric. “What do you think?”
He hesitated, then sighed. “I think I need a drink.”
I let out a weak laugh. “Yeah. Me too.”
Alaric ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I still hate you,” he told Alonso.
“The feeling is mutual,” Alonso replied. “But for Emilia’s sake, I’ll tolerate you.”
The silence that followed was heavy, pressing down on all of us. Alaric still looked like he wanted to break something, but at least he wasn’t lunging at Alonso anymore. That was progress.
I exhaled and turned to my father. “So what happens now?”
Alonso leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Now? Now, we try to exist without killing each other.” His gaze flicked to Alaric. “Or at least, we try to tolerate each other without drawing blood in front of Emilia.”
Alaric scoffed, shaking his head. “That’s cute. You think I trust you now?”
“I don’t care if you trust me,” Alonso shot back. “I care that my daughter isn’t stuck between two men trying to murder each other every five seconds.”
“You-”
“Enough,” I interrupted before things escalated again. “If you two don’t stop acting like cavemen, I swear to God, I will leave and let you both kill each other in peace.”
Alaric clenched his jaw but stayed quiet. Alonso just smirked, like he found the whole thing amusing.
I rolled my eyes. “Look, you both have every reason to hate each other. I get it. But the truth is out now. There’s no more guessing, no more wondering. So what do we do with that?”
Alaric rubbed his temples. “I don’t know.”
Alonso shrugged. “That’s up to him.”
I turned back to Alaric, waiting.
He sighed, running a hand down his face. “I don’t forgive him,” he said, voice tight. “But I can live with knowing Dominic wasn’t murdered in cold blood.”
That was the closest thing to peace I was going to get from them and that was just enough for me.