The temptation of my brother-in-law-Chapter 170 - One Hundred and Seventy

Chapter One Hundred and Seventy

Alicia’s POV

I had one day off. Sunday. Alessandro had insisted I take it, even though part of me wanted to keep working just to stay busy. To keep my mind from wandering to places it shouldn’t go.

I took the bus back to the apartment. The ride was long, and I spent most of it staring out the window, watching the Italian countryside blur past. It was beautiful here. Peaceful. Nothing like the life I’d left behind.

The apartment was quiet when I let myself in. For a moment, I thought everyone was out. Then I heard movement from Sophie’s room.

I knocked softly. "Sophie? Can we talk?"

Silence.

"Please. I know you’ve been avoiding me. I just want to—"

The door flew open. Sophie stood there, and my breath caught. Her eyes were red and swollen. Tears streaked down her face.

"Sophie, what’s wrong?"

"What’s wrong?" Her voice cracked. "What’s wrong is that everything is wrong, Alicia. Everything."

She pushed past me into the living room. I followed, my heart sinking.

"Talk to me. Tell me what happened."

"What happened?" She spun around to face me. "We left, Alicia. We just left everything. My school. My friends. My entire life. And for what?"

"You know why we had to leave. It wasn’t safe—"

"Safe from what? From Travis? He never hurt me. He barely even noticed me. Or from Malachi? Who, by the way, you were sleeping with even though he’s your husband’s brother—"

"Sophie—"

"No, let me finish." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I was finally starting to fit in at school. I had friends. Real friends. People who actually liked me. And then you decided we had to run away to Italy like we’re in some kind of movie."

"It’s not that simple."

"Then explain it to me. Because from where I’m standing, you ruined my life because you couldn’t keep away from your brother-in-law."

The words hit me like a slap. I took a step back.

"That’s not fair."

"Isn’t it? You had an affair with Travis’s brother. And instead of dealing with it like an adult, you dragged me halfway across the world to hide."

"I was protecting you—"

"I don’t need protection. I needed stability. I needed to finish high school in one place. I needed friends and a normal life. But you took all of that away."

She collapsed on the couch, sobbing. I sat down beside her, reaching for her hand. She pulled away.

"Sophie, I’m sorry. I know this has been hard on you. But you have to understand, Malachi is dangerous. Those voice recordings I heard—"

"I don’t care about the stupid recordings. I care that you made a decision that affected both of us without even asking me what I wanted."

"You’re seventeen. You’re still a minor. I had to make the choice—"

"I’m almost eighteen. I’m not a child anymore, Alicia. Stop treating me like one."

I didn’t know what to say. She was right. About all of it. I’d been so focused on my own problems, my own fear, that I hadn’t considered what this was doing to her.

"I was starting to make friends," Sophie said quietly. "There was this girl, Maya. She was in my art class. We were going to work on a project together. And this guy, Jason, he asked me to the winter formal. I was actually happy, Alicia. For the first time since Mom died, I was actually happy."

The mention of our mother made my chest tighten.

"And now we’re here," Sophie continued. "In a country where I don’t speak the language. Where I don’t know anyone. Where I have to start over again. Do you know how exhausting that is? How hard it is to keep building a life just to have it torn away?"

"I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry."

"Sorry doesn’t fix anything." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I just want to go home. I want my old life back. I want Mom back. I want everything to be the way it was before you married into that stupid family."

Her words cut deep because they were true. Everything had fallen apart after I married Travis. After I became a Blackwood.

I wanted to tell her it would get better. That we’d figure this out. That someday she’d understand why I’d made the choices I made.

But the room started spinning before I could form the words.

"Alicia?"

Sophie’s voice sounded far away. The edges of my vision went dark.

I tried to stand up. Tried to steady myself. But my legs wouldn’t hold me.

The last thing I remembered was Sophie screaming my name.

✿

I was seven years old, and Mom was singing in the kitchen.

She always sang when she cooked. Old songs I didn’t know the names of, but her voice was beautiful. Sophie was just a baby, maybe three months old, sleeping in her carrier on the table.

"Alicia, come help me stir," Mom said.

I climbed up on the stool and took the wooden spoon. The sauce smelled like tomatoes and basil.

"Not too fast," Mom instructed. "Gentle circles. Like this."

She put her hand over mine and guided it. Her hand was warm. Safe.

"Mom, will you always be here?"

"Of course, baby. Where else would I be?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

But promises break.

✿

I was twelve, standing outside the hospital room.

Dad was inside. I could hear him crying, and I’d never heard my father cry before. It scared me more than anything else that had happened that day.

Sophie stood next to me, holding my hand. She was five. Too young to understand what was happening.

"Where’s Mommy?" she asked.

"She’s sleeping."

"When will she wake up?"

Never. The word sat in my throat like a stone, but I couldn’t say it out loud.

A nurse came out. She looked tired. Sad.

"Girls, you can come in now. To say goodbye."

Sophie didn’t understand. She skipped into the room like we were just visiting.

But I understood. I saw Mom lying there, pale and still. Saw the baby in the bassinet next to her bed, already wrapped in white cloth.

Both gone. Mom and the brother I’d never get to meet.

Sophie climbed up on the bed and tried to hug Mom. "Mommy, wake up. I want to go home."

Dad pulled her away gently. "She can’t wake up, sweetheart. She’s gone."

"Where did she go?"

"Heaven."

"When is she coming back?"

"She’s not coming back."

That was when Sophie started crying. When she finally understood that Mommy was gone and wasn’t coming back and we were alone now.

I held her hand. Just like she’d held mine moments before.

And I promised myself I’d take care of her. Always. No matter what.

✿

I was twenty two, getting ready for my wedding.

Sophie was fourteen, helping me with my dress. She looked beautiful in her bridesmaid dress, but her eyes were sad.

"Do you have to marry him?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because Dad needs the alliance. Because it’ll help our family. Because it’s what’s expected."

"But do you love him?"

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. At the white dress that cost more than our house. At the makeup that made me look like someone else.

"That doesn’t matter."

"It should matter."

She was right. It should have mattered.

But I married Travis anyway. Moved into the Blackwood mansion. Left Sophie behind with Dad.

And everything fell apart from there.

✿

"Alicia? Alicia, can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes slowly. White ceiling. Bright lights. The smell of antiseptic.

Hospital.

Sophie’s face appeared above me. Her face was streaked with tears, fresh ones still falling.

"Thank God. You scared me so bad. I thought—" She couldn’t finish.

Cassie was there too. And David. Both looking worried.

"What happened?" My voice came out rough.

"You fainted," Cassie said. "Sophie called an ambulance. We’ve been here for about an hour."

I tried to sit up, but my body felt weak. Heavy.

"Just rest," David said from the corner. "The doctor’s coming back to talk to us."

As if on cue, the door opened and a middle-aged man in a white coat walked in. He had kind eyes and spoke English with a thick Italian accent.

"Ah, you’re awake. Good. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Confused."

"That’s to be expected. You gave your sister quite a scare." He glanced at his clipboard. "Your vitals are stabilizing now. The fluids are helping."

"So she’s okay?" Sophie asked. Her voice was small. Scared.

"Yes, she’s going to be fine. Just needs rest and proper nutrition." He looked at me. "You’re severely dehydrated and malnourished. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard."

"I’ve been working—"

"Too much. Your body needs rest. Especially in your condition." He made a note on his chart. "But the good news is that the baby is fine. Strong heartbeat. Everything looks normal."

The room went completely silent.

I felt my stomach drop.

"What?" Cassie’s voice broke the silence.

The doctor looked up, confused. "The baby? Did you not know? She’s about eight weeks pregnant."

Sophie’s face went white. Then red. Then white again.

Cassie’s mouth fell open.

David just stared.

"Pregnant?" Sophie whispered.

I couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t look at any of them.

"I... I assumed you knew," the doctor said, looking uncomfortable now. "I apologize. I should have asked first."

"No, it’s... it’s fine," I managed. "Thank you, doctor."

He nodded, clearly wanting to escape the tension in the room. "I’ll give you some privacy. A nurse will be in shortly with discharge instructions. Make sure you rest. Eat properly. And schedule a follow-up appointment." He left quickly.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Sophie stood frozen beside my bed, tears streaming down her face.

"You’re pregnant," she said. Not a question. A statement. An accusation.

"Sophie—"

"You’re pregnant." Her voice rose.

"I was going to tell you—"

"When? When were you going to tell me? After the baby was born?"

"I just... I needed time to figure things out first—"

"Time?" She laughed, but it came out broken. Bitter. "We’ve been living together for weeks. Sharing an apartment. And you couldn’t find time to mention that you’re carrying Malachi’s baby?"

Cassie moved toward her. "Sophie, maybe we should—"

"No." Sophie stepped back. "I yelled at her. I told her she ruined my life. I said horrible things. And the whole time she was pregnant and dealing with all of this alone and I—" Her voice cracked. "I’m the worst sister ever."

"Sophie, no—"

"Yes, I am. You were trying to protect me. You were scared and alone and pregnant and I just made it all about me." She covered her face with her hands, sobbing. "I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry."

"Come here." I reached for her.

She collapsed against the bed, crying into the blankets. I ran my hand through her hair like Mom used to do when we were upset.

"It’s okay. You didn’t know."

"But I should have noticed. I should have seen that something was wrong. I’ve been so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn’t even see what you were going through."

"You’re seventeen. You’re allowed to be wrapped up in your own problems."

"But you needed me and I wasn’t there."

"You’re here now. That’s what matters."

Cassie sat down on the other side of the bed. She looked shocked. "Eight weeks. That means..."

"Right before we left," I confirmed.

"Does Malachi know?"

I shook my head.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"No. He can’t know. No one from that family can know."

"Alicia—"

"I mean it, Cassie. This baby is the reason we left. If Malachi finds out, he’ll come after me. He’ll try to take the baby. I can’t let that happen."

David spoke for the first time. "He’s going to find out eventually. You can’t hide a baby."

"I’ll figure something out. But for now, no one can know. Please."

Cassie looked like she wanted to argue, but she nodded. "Okay. We’ll keep your secret."

Sophie pulled back, wiping her face. "I’m still angry that you didn’t tell me."

"I know. You have every right to be."

"But I’m also sorry. For the things I said. For not being there for you."

"We’re both sorry. Can we just... start over? Be honest with each other from now on?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

A nurse came in with paperwork and instructions. I was being discharged with orders to rest, eat better, and come back for a checkup in two weeks.

Cassie helped me get dressed. Sophie hovered nearby, looking guilty every time she glanced at me.

David drove us back to the apartment. The ride was quiet. Everyone lost in their own thoughts.

When we got inside, Sophie made me sit on the couch while she got me water and crackers.

"You need to eat," she said. "The doctor said you’re malnourished."

"I’ve been trying. The nausea—"

"I’ll figure out what you can keep down. We’ll make it work."

She sat down next to me, and for the first time in weeks, she looked like my little sister again. Not the angry teenager who resented me. Just Sophie.

"I really am sorry," she said quietly. "About everything."

"Me too."

She leaned her head on my shoulder. "We’re going to be okay, right?"

I wanted to say yes. Wanted to promise her that everything would work out.

But I’d learned not to make promises I couldn’t keep.

"I hope so," I said instead.