Chapter 10 Confused

Eleanor Blackwood arrived in London with an unfulfilled promise. Her friend Margaret Roberts had asked her years ago to oversee the delivery of her inheritance to her daughter Amelia when she turned twenty-one. Now, with Amelia twenty-four, Eleanor was finally coming to settle this unfinished business.

The morning after her arrival, Eleanor showed up at the Roberts mansion. Penelope, Amelia's stepmother, opened the door, her face tensing in recognition.

"Eleanor, what a surprise to see you," Penelope said, unable to hide her discomfort.

"I need to see Amelia," Eleanor replied directly. "Is she home?"

Penelope took a deep breath before answering.

"Too bad you came just now. Amelia is away on a trip, you know how she is, always moving from one place to another."

Eleanor stared at her, noticing the signs of nervousness on her face.

"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I'll stay in town until I get back. In fact, I'll take the opportunity to visit Roberts Enterprises. I'm interested to see how Amelia runs her mother's business."

Penelope's face turned pale.

"Sure, I'm sure Amelia will be happy to show you around when she gets back."

As soon as Eleanor left, Penelope ran to the phone to call Malcolm, warning him about the visit.

Meanwhile in Brighton, the mood was completely different. Terrence, Oliver, and Alexander were spending their last day of vacation at the amusement park, giving in to Oliver's insistent pleas.

"The roller coaster! Please, please!" Oliver shouted, jumping up and down and tugging on Alexander's sleeve.

"Are you sure?" Alexander asked with a smile. "It's quite high..."

"Yes! Come on!" Oliver insisted.

Terrence watched them go as Mrs. Thompson sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you prefer to go with Mr. Roberts," he murmured. "At my age, those things would give me a heart attack."

In line, Alexander noticed Oliver watching the roller coaster with a mix of excitement and nerves.

"I'll tell you a secret," he said, bending down. "The first time I got on one, I closed my eyes the whole way. You know what? It wasn't fun. The best thing is to scream at the top of your lungs, especially on the downhills. Shall we have a contest on who screams the loudest?"

Oliver nodded enthusiastically, forgetting his nerves.

As they rode, their screams mixed with laughter. "Faster!" Oliver shouted on each downhill, while Alexander feigned exaggerated terror, making him laugh even more.

Terrence was waiting for them at the bottom, smiling at their happy faces when they got off.

"Dad, that was amazing!" Oliver exclaimed, running up to him. "Mr. Roberts screams like a girl!"

"Hey!" Alexander protested, laughing, his hair completely disheveled. "We said we'd keep it between us."

Terrence looked at Alexander, his cheeks flushed with excitement and that genuine smile, and felt something turn in his stomach.

"I'm glad you two had fun," he said, trying to ignore the feeling.

They spent the rest of the afternoon trying out different rides. Oliver insisted that Alexander join him on all of them, while Terrence and Mrs. Thompson preferred the quieter rides.

Near the exit, Oliver stopped dead in front of a shooting range. A giant teddy bear caught his eye.

"Look how big it is!" Oliver exclaimed.

Terrence tried to win it first. He missed all three shots.

"Let me try, Dad," Oliver asked. His shots didn't even come close.

"Last try," Alexander said, taking the ball. To everyone's surprise, especially his own, he knocked over all the bottles.

"He won! Mr. Roberts won!" Oliver shouted, jumping for joy.

Alexander received the bear and handed it to Oliver, who first hugged the teddy and then launched himself at Alexander to hug him.

"Thank you! It's the best!"

Terrence watched the scene, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Seeing Alexander like that with Oliver provoked feelings he didn't know how to handle.

Back at the hotel, with Oliver asleep, Terrence and Alexander shared a glass of wine on the balcony. The night was pleasant, with a gentle breeze blowing through Alexander's hair.

"Thank you for today, Roberts," Terrence said quietly. "I haven't seen Oliver this happy in a long time."

"You don't have to thank me," Alexander replied with a sincere smile. "The truth is, I had a lot of fun, too."

A silence fell between them, but it wasn't awkward. Terrence found himself staring at Alexander longer than necessary, noticing details he shouldn't be noticing in his assistant.

"Sometimes I worry that I'm not enough for Oliver," he confessed suddenly. "If I'm giving him everything he needs."

Alexander looked at him with understanding.

"Sir, if I may be honest," he began softly, "Oliver is an extraordinary child. And that's thanks to you." He decided not to mention that she treated him too harshly at home.

Terrence smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Roberts. It's just that... sometimes I think he needs a mother."

Alexander heard the vulnerability in her voice.

"Sir," she said almost in a whisper, "what Oliver needs is love, and it's obvious that you love him more than anything. That's the bottom line."

Their eyes met and time seemed to stand still. Terrence felt an almost irresistible urge to move closer, to...

"No!" he mentally scolded himself. "What are you thinking? You like women, and he's your employee."

He pulled away abruptly.

"It's late," he said in a tense voice. "We leave early tomorrow."

"Of course, sir," Alexander replied. "Get some rest."

That night, Terrence barely slept, his mind filled with confusing thoughts and feelings he didn't want to examine too closely.

The next morning was fraught with tension. Every accidental brush, every fleeting glance, seemed to carry an extra weight that neither of them knew how to handle.

The trip back to London was especially difficult for Terrence. Sitting next to Alexander on the plane, he was painfully aware of his presence, the scent of his cologne, the heat of his body when they accidentally touched.

At one point, their hands brushed together as they reached for the same magazine. Terrence felt an electric current run through his body at that simple contact.

Alexander was also struggling with his own feelings. Terrence's closeness tortured him sweetly.

"You can't fall in love with him," he reminded himself. "This is all a lie. When he finds out the truth, he'll hate you."

Arriving at the Westcott mansion, the butler greeted them at the entrance.

"Welcome home, sir. Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"Thank you," Terrence replied. "Roberts, please help Oliver with his luggage while I take some calls."

During dinner, Terrence noticed that Alexander was unusually quiet.

"Roberts, is everything okay?"

"Yes, sir," Alexander replied without looking at him. "I'm just tired from the trip."

That night, Alexander went down to the kitchen to get water. He was so distracted that he almost collided with Terrence, who was standing there in his pajama pants.

"I'm sorry, sir," Alexander apologized, backing away. "I didn't know you were here."

"It's okay," Terrence replied hoarsely. "I couldn't sleep either."

They stared at each other in silence, the tension between them almost palpable. Alexander's eyes involuntarily scanned Terrence's bare torso.

Suddenly, Oliver appeared in the doorway.

"Dad, I had a nightmare," he said in a small voice.

Terrence seemed to come out of a trance.

"Okay, champ. Let's go to bed."

Before leaving, he looked at Alexander one last time, feeling confused by what he was doing to him.

"Good night, Roberts."

"Good night, sir."

Alone in the kitchen, Alexander leaned against the counter, trying to calm his racing heart.

"This can't be happening," he thought, anguished. "I can't fall in love with him, not when it's all a lie."

The next day, at the corporate office, during the meeting with investors, the door swung open. An older man entered, leaning on his cane.

"Grandpa," Terrence said, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

The old man looked around with disdain before fixing his eyes on his grandson.

"Terrence," he said with a cold smile.

The investors shifted uncomfortably as Terrence clenched his fists.

"We're in an important meeting," he said, holding back his anger. "Can we talk later?"

"This will be quick," Grandpa replied maliciously. "You have one week, Terrence. One week to introduce me to your fiancée, or you'll lose everything."

Terrence stood stock-still, pale as a ghost, staring at his grandfather with a mix of anger and despair.