30
Kaelen
Sitting in my office, the familiar hum of the air conditioner and the soft shuffle of papers filled the air. The stack of contracts in front of me seemed endless, but it wasn’t the paperwork that weighed on my mind–it was Alara. She had been hinting about a honeymoon vacation for a while now, and I had finally agreed to it last night. But the truth gnawed at me like a guilty secret, one I knew I couldn’t keep for much longer.
Just as I was about to dive back into the contracts, the door to my office opened, and Lucas walked in, carrying a fresh pile of documents for me to sign. He wore his usual calm, composed expression, but I could tell something was on his mind. Ever since I had sent him to take Alara out instead of going myself, things between us had felt… off.
“Hey,” I greeted him, putting the pen down for a moment. “More documents?”
“Yeah,” Lucas replied, handing the stack to me. “Just a few approvals for the project in Silverclaw
Ridge.”
I took the papers from him and set them down, leaning back in my chair. “Thanks.”
For a few moments, there was silence between us, the only sound being the soft scratching of my pen as I signed off on the documents. But Lucas didn’t leave. He stood there, watching me, as if he was waiting for something.
“Something on your mind?” I asked, finally looking up at him.
Lucas hesitated for a second, then shrugged. “Not really. Just… thinking about Alara. You know, that dinner was nice, but she seemed to think something was up with you. She’s excited about the
vacation, isn’t she?”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Yeah. She is. She wants to go on a honeymoon.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a good thing? Maybe it’s time you two spent some real time
together.”
I let out a humorless chuckle, shaking my head. “If only it were that simple.”
Lucas frowned, taking a seat in the chair opposite mine. “What do you mean?”
I took a deep breath, realizing it was time to come clean. Lucas deserved to know the truth–after all, he was my Beta and my closest confidant. And this secret… it was starting to feel like a burden I couldn’t carry alone anymore.
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+25 Ports
“The wedding… It’s fake,” I said quietly, leaning forward with my elbows on the desk. “It’s not a real marriage. It’s just an arrangement and it has to remain like this for hree months.”
Lucas stared at me, his brow furrowed in confusion. “A fake wedding? What are you talking about?
I nodded, my voice heavy with the weight of my confession. “Alara is not aware of this. The lawyer said something about unresolved issues and I had three months to wait. Alara is not a patient type hence the need for the fake wedding. Once it’s over three months, we can officially be married.”
Lucas looked shocked, his eyes wide as he processed what I had just told him. “Wait, so you’re telling me this whole marriage thing is just temporary? Like for a period of time?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
For a few moments, Lucas didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, probably trying to wrap his head around the situation. Then he let out a low whistle, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Wow,” he said finally. “I had no idea. But… I guess I understand why you did it. You didn’t have much of a choice, did you?”
“No,” I replied, leaning back in my chair. “I didn’t. Alara, well, she was pushing for it. I didn’t want to do it, but there was too much at stake.”
Lucas nodded slowly, still processing everything. “And now you’ve got two months left?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “Two months, and then it’s done. But honestly, I don’t even see the point anymore. I mean, I’m still caught up in my feelings for Kaida. I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore.”
Lucas looked at me for a long moment, his expression thoughtful. “I get it, Kaelen. But don’t you think you owe her some honesty? She’s going to get hurt if you keep stringing her along.”
I sighed, running a hand through my hair again. “I know, but what am I supposed to do? Tell her the truth and watch her get crushed? She thinks this is real. She’s invested in it.”
Lucas shook his head. “You can’t keep pretending, man. Alara deserves to know what’s really going on. The longer you keep this up, the worse it’s going to be when the truth finally comes out.”
“I don’t want to hurt her,” I muttered, feeling the familiar weight of guilt settle in my chest. “She’s not a bad person, Lucas. She’s just… caught up in all of this, like I am.”
Lucas leaned forward, his expression serious. “I get that, Kaelen. But you’re going to hurt her either way. You can’t avoid it. The only thing you can do is be honest with her, as soon as possible. Before things get even more complicated.”
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I knew he was right. The longer I let this lie drag on, the harder it was going to be to end things. But I couldn’t shake the feeling of obligation, of responsibility. Alara had put her trust in me, and I was about to tear it all apart. The thought of seeing the look of betrayal on her face made my stomach
churn.
“I just don’t know how to do it,” I admitted quietly. “How do I tell her that this was all a lie from the start? How do I break her heart without completely destroying her?”
Lucas sighed, leaning back in his chair. “There’s no easy way to do it, Kaelen. But she deserves the truth. You can’t keep living a lie, and neither can she. If you care about her at all, you’ll tell her.”
I stared down at the papers on my desk, my mind racing. Lucas was right. I had to tell Alara the truth, no matter how much it hurt. But the thought of it made me feel sick. I didn’t want to be the villain in this story, the one who ripped everything apart.
“You’re right,” I finally said, my voice low. “I’ll tell her. I just… need to find the right time.”
Lucas nodded, his expression sympathetic. “I know it’s not going to be easy, but you’ll get through
- it. And so will she.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but I didn’t say anything. Instead, I focused on the task at hand, signing off on the documents Lucas had brought in. But even as I worked, the weight of my impending conversation with Alara hung heavy over me, like a dark cloud I couldn’t escape.
As Lucas got up to leave, he paused by the door, glancing back at me. “Don’t wait too long, Kaelen. The longer you put it off, the harder it’s going to be.”
I nodded, but I couldn’t bring myself to respond. Once he was gone, I leaned back in my chair, staring up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how I had gotten myself into this mess.
The truth was, I didn’t see a way out–not without breaking Alara’s heart in the process.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
