Free Web NovelChapter 101: Chapter 101 Secrets In The Obsidian
Bella’s POV
I had stepped outside for a brief walk after tucking the children into bed. They still hadn’t met Vance since we had spent nearly the entire day dealing with council matters. I wasn’t even certain they realized their father had arrived.
Following our return from the council meeting and once the kids were settled for the night, we shared dinner without exchanging a single word. The silence had become suffocating, so I decided to escape for some fresh air. As I made my way back toward the house, I spotted Parker emerging from the guesthouse, his stride purposeful as he headed directly toward me. Something in his expression made me slow my pace immediately. He clearly had something on his mind.
"Still awake?" I questioned when we met halfway.
The exhaustion from everything that had transpired today weighed heavily on me. I had made a silent vow to myself to stop getting entangled in these complicated dynamics with the alphas. My focus needed to be on finding a solution to the sickness plaguing our community. The difference now was that I wasn’t searching for a cure to return home anymore. This place had become my home.
"So that’s the infamous husband, right? Vance," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
I caught the way his nose wrinkled as he glanced toward the guesthouse, and I could tell he was deliberately trying to get under my skin. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"What’s your problem? Why are you acting like this?" I demanded, genuinely puzzled by his hostile attitude.
"Here’s something interesting for you. While you were out here taking your little stroll, your devoted husband was busy screwing someone else inside that house. And since you’re standing out here in the dark while the babysitter’s the only other person inside, I’d say they’re having quite the affair," Parker announced, placing his hands firmly on his hips.
The words hit me like a physical blow. I stood frozen for several heartbeats, then blinked rapidly and stepped closer to him, needing to make absolutely sure I had heard correctly.
"Repeat that. My husband is doing what exactly?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Your husband is betraying you."
The moment he confirmed it, his attention shifted to something behind me.
Vance materialized from the treeline, still impeccably dressed in his suit, appearing completely composed despite having obviously overheard the accusation.
"Excuse me, what did you just say, Alpha Parker?" Vance inquired, his voice smooth as silk, hands casually tucked into his pockets as he positioned himself protectively between us.
"I believe he witnessed something and mistook someone else for you," I said hastily, trying to defuse the situation.
"I—" Parker’s throat worked as he swallowed hard. "I mean, I believed— I was certain it was you. I apologize sincerely. It’s just that she and I have history, so my protective instincts kicked in."
The moment those words left his mouth, my pulse stuttered.
From the way my eyes went wide, I knew Parker realized he had revealed something he absolutely shouldn’t have.
"You two have history?" Vance asked, his head tilting slightly in curiosity.
The uncomfortable silence that stretched between us felt suffocating.
"We did, in the past. What’s the issue?" I responded, attempting to sound nonchalant.
Then another figure appeared from the shadows, the absolute last person I wanted to witness this conversation.
"She hasn’t mentioned us?" Hugo questioned as he joined our small group, his imposing frame towering over everyone present.
"No, I wasn’t aware she maintained friendships with alphas," Vance replied.
The expression that crossed his features made it crystal clear to the other men that they had just created a significant problem for me.
"It wasn’t anything serious," Parker quickly interjected, "We just spent time together occasionally, always in groups."
Parker immediately attempted damage control, his words tumbling over each other as he tried to protect what remained of our secret.
Meanwhile, Hugo simply observed the entire exchange, appearing completely unaffected by the tension.
"That’s perfectly fine. You don’t need to justify anything. The past is behind us."
Vance’s arm encircled my waist, drawing me against his solid chest. I nearly stumbled from the sudden movement.
"I suppose that explains your concern for her wellbeing. Don’t worry about it, I don’t engage in infidelity," Vance stated, his voice radiating absolute confidence.
"So, you were both out for an evening walk," Vance continued conversationally.
Despite knowing full well that both men were alphas, he addressed them as if they were old acquaintances.
There wasn’t even a hint of insecurity in his demeanor, just layer upon layer of carefully concealed secrets. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
After all, the entire human world bent to his will with minimal effort.
"Correct, and you were returning home?" Parker asked while Hugo remained silent.
"Absolutely, we’re completely exhausted. I mean, it’s not as if I possess supernatural stamina or anything," Vance replied, his tone playfully mocking.
I forced out a light laugh to make it appear like harmless banter.
"Sleep well," I said quickly, linking my arm through Vance’s and guiding him back toward the main house.
Once we were safely inside with the door secured behind us, I yanked off my sweater and flung it onto the sofa before whirling around to confront him.
"Really? So you came here not for me, but for Chloe?" I demanded, my hands clenched into tight fists.
Vance’s eyes rolled dramatically.
"I wasn’t having sex with her. I simply kissed her. There’s a significant difference." The casualness of his admission and the way he began removing his jacket made my breath catch in my throat.
"Come now, you never objected before," he commented while settling into a chair and pouring wine into a crystal glass.
"You’re absolutely right, but I don’t want them discovering the true nature of our arrangement," I replied.
It stung to acknowledge that he maintained a mistress, and that same woman served as both my children’s nanny and my personal assistant. I forced myself to take deep, measured breaths, fighting to regain my composure. I had no grounds to challenge him, not when I had been fully aware of this situation from the very beginning.
I was the one who had agreed to those terms.
"I had no idea your former friends would be spying through windows," he remarked, though I detected an underlying threat in his tone.
"They’re not my friends, they’re my past," I corrected firmly. "And regardless, you don’t need to conduct your affairs right beside open windows."
I felt utterly ridiculous discussing this as though it were perfectly normal, but I had been the one to normalize it when I accepted this arrangement.
"Answer me this," he asked with unsettling calm. "Are you experiencing jealousy?"
I held his penetrating stare for an extended moment before shaking my head definitively. "No, I’m not."
It was a complete lie. After our marriage, jealousy had become a constant companion, and I was certain he recognized it.
Vance wasn’t foolish. He was brilliant, strategic, and completely aware of how his wife must feel watching him with another woman.
But this was our agreement. It promised we would appear as a devoted couple, but it never required him to remain faithful. And I had been the one to accept those conditions.
"So, will we be sharing the bed tonight?"
The moment he posed the question, my ears began ringing and ice flooded my veins.
He expected to touch me with the same mouth that had just been on Chloe.
