<b>Chapter 116 </b>
The drive to Antonio’s estate was quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the asional flick of Alejandro’s fingers on the steering wheel.
Alejandro nced her way briefly, then turned his attention back <i>to </i>the road.
“Are you still reading it?” he asked, his tone low.
Nivera sat in the passenger seat, her eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled through the media frenzy.
“This is insane,” she muttered, shaking her head. “They’re really trying to say Antonio cheated on Zabelle? There’s even a video. Look.”
Alejandro spared the screen a nce before returning his eyes to the road. “I saw it,” he said. “But it’s bullshit. Antonio wouldn’t do that to her. He may be a lot of things, but being unfaithful isn’t one of them.”
“But he isn’t saying anything.”
“Exactly why, we’re going to find out what really happened.”
Nivera let out a breath and put her phone down in herp. “Zabelle must be devastated.”
“I doubt she’s buying any of this media garbage,” Alejandro replied, then added under his breath, “But that doesn’t mean it won’t affect her.”
Alejandro’s voice was calm, but Nivera could tell from the way he gripped the wheel that he was just as furious as she was. It’s <b>not </b>just about the scandal, but about being blindsided by it.
By the time they arrived at Antonio’s estate, Nivera could sense the tension hanging in the air like a thick fog.
The staff greeted them at the entrance, but Alejandro barely acknowledged them. His mind was already ahead–already with his
cousin.
The front door opened before they could even knock. Antonio was already at the top of the stairs, descending rapidly with a storm behind his eyes.
They didn’t exchange pleasantries.
The two men simply made eye contact, and without a word, they veered toward the study, leaving Nivera and Zabelle alone in the spacious living room.
Nivera nced over at Zabelle, who sat curled into herself, her hands tightly sped in herp. The tension in her shoulders was visible even from across the room.
Meanwhile, Alejandro followed Antonio into the study, quietly closing the door behind them.
The silence was thick, and Alejandro leaned against the edge of Antonio’s desk, arms crossed, his expression hard to read- somewhere between fury and worry.
Antonio, more rxed than expected/slumped onto the sofa like a man who had already fought a dozen battles this <b>morning</b>.
The fact that Antonio was calm said a lot, and it made him calm.
14:42 Fr. TAUT GO O
<b>“</b>Antonio,” Alejandro started, his voice low but firm, “what the hell happened?*
Antonio met his cousin’s eyes with a calmness that almost annoyed Alejandro. “You didn’t answer my calls,” he cont did I have to find out from the damn tabloids that you’re at the center of some cheating scandal?”
“I didn’t think it was worth exining over the phone,” Antonio replied evenly.
Alejandro’s brow rose. The nerve of the idiot he was looking at.
If it had been only Antonio involved in the scandal, he wouldn’t have cared, as he knew his brother would handle his mess.
However, he was married, and that meant whatever he did would reflect badly on Zabelle, and that wasn’t okay
The memories he had locked up threatened to spill out as the situation felt simr, but he shook his head so he could focus on Antonio.
“Not worth it?” he echoed. “They’re dragging your name through the mud–and hers, too. You need to fix this.”
“I am fixing it,” Antonio replied sharply. “I’ve already contacted my PR team. They’re shutting the story down, clearing Zabelle’s name, and a statement has already gone out.”
Alejandro sighed, shaking his head. “You should’ve told me. We’re brothers, Antonio. You don’t have to handle everything on your
own.”
His voice was softer as he realized that even though Antonio appeared calm, he was on edge, and scolding him wouldn’t do <b>any </b>good.
Antonio’s shoulders dropped a fraction, but he didn’t respond.
Alejandro pushed himself away from the desk and walked over to the window, watching the light dance across the polished floor. “I get it. You want to protect Zabelle. But isting yourself isn’t the way. We’re in this together. We always have been<b>.</b>”
Antonio sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know. I just didn’t want to drag you into more drama, especially after your dinner with Nivera’s family.”
He wasn’t even going to ask how Antonio knew he had dinner with Nivera’s family.
“How was it, by the way?!”
Alejandro grimaced. “Terrible!”
More like it ending with a fist connecting with a very deserving face, but s, he digressed.
Antonio chuckled despite himself. “Sounds about right.’
“But I’m not the subject of discussion,” Alejandro said, turning back.
“It’s not your mess. Someone’s clearly out to ruin you. The question is -Who?”
Him asking was just a formality, as he knew Antonio already figured out who was behind it.
“Vanessa,” Antonio said darkly.
Ah. Zabelle’s sister. Alejandro thought to himself. Nivera and Zabelle did have a lot inmon, and <b>one of </b><b>such </b><b>was </b><b>that </b><b>they </b><b>both </b>
14:42 Fri, 1 <b>Aug </b>6 0 0
had terrible families.
Alejandro blinked. “Vanessa? I don’t get it. Why would she”
“I was drugged at the g,” Antonio interrupted. “By her.”
Alejandro straightened. “Drugged?” he repeated, stunned. “Why the hell didn’t you start with that<b>?</b><b>” </b>
“You didn’t exactly give me the chance,” Antonio muttered, and Alejandro smacked him on the arm.
“You’re insufferable!” He remarked. “But go on.”
“Vanessa drugged me at the party, and when I went to the bathroom to ssh water on my face, she cornered me and tried <b>to </b>seduce me. When I put her in her ce, she kissed me as she saw Zabelle approaching.”
“First she took Jeremy, and now she’s trying <b>to </b>get you. It’s not a matter of her catching feelings; it’s a matter of her not being able to stand Zabelle being happy.”
Just like Vivian.
Antonio gave a sharp nod. “You’re right.”
“I get that Zabelle is a nice and forgiving person<b>, </b>but this one shouldn’t slide.” Alejandro gritted his teeth.
Letting people off the hook would just give them another chance to strike, and that was like he liked to destroy his enemies as soon as they came.
The same way he was going to destroy Ss and the rest of Nivera’s family.
What she wanted wouldn’t matter, just the way she didn’t matter to them.
She was holding on to that string of thread that they were her family and one day they woulde around.
But he knew they wouldn’t, and he was speaking from personal experience. No one who meant well would ever treat their child in such a way.
It was better he took care of them before they would
take care of her.
“Luckily for me, she has already given permission to take care of Vanessa.”
“Good, so what’s the n?”
“I’ll take care of Vanessater; right now, I need to focus on protecting Zabelle and making sure she’s okay after everything that . happened.”
“How did she take the news?” Alejandro asked.
“She’s fine, thankfully,<i>” </i>Antonio said. “Now tell me about how it went with Nivera’s family!”
“I already told you how it went<i>,</i><i>” </i>Alejandro frowned.
“A one–word answer is not telling me how it went,” Antonio retorted.
“Yes, it does!” Alejandro persisted. Of course, the idiot would want to poke his nose into his fucking business.
14:42 Fri, 1’Aug
“No, it <b>doesn’t</b><b>.</b>”
“Fine. They did what you’d expect, and I punched her sister’s husband then threatened to punch her father again he summarized.
“Again? You’ve punched him before.”
“And I’d do it again!” Alejandro responded without missing a beat.
He and Antonio were brothers and best friends, but there was no need to tell him about Ss and what he had done to Nivera
That was between him and her.
“Antonio,” he called.
“What?!” As soon as the question came out of Antonio’s mouth, Alejandro hit the back of his head.
“What the fuck was that for?!” Antonio growled as he proceeded to attack.
Alejandro, who had seen iting, easily dodged and backed away!
Comine
All because the fool didn’t answer his call, he was forced toe all the way down here, and it interrupted what would have been <b>a </b>very steamy afternoon with Nivera.
She had surprised him by initiating a kiss, and he would have been a fool not to reward her, but that didn’t happen.
“Because you deserved it!” Alejandro responded as Antonio lunged at him.
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