Chapter 4 Ties That Binds

"Marry Chloe, seal the bond and claim your inheritance."

His father's words echoed like a gavel in the cold dining room at the Everett mansion.

James clenched his fists, staring down the silver fork he hadn't touched.

Across from him. Ricardo Everett sat like a judge on the throne, Marlena was seated beside him with her ever-present glass of wine and smug of expression.

"This again?" James said, his voice strained.

" You want to ship me off to America like some spoiled legacy pawn?".

Ricardo's gaze hardened.

"It's not about you, Son. It's about legacy and duty.

I made a promise to fulfil White's last wish

His daughter is single, of age and capable of running the White's estates. Together, your marriage would tie two empires."

"You are not even hiding it anymore"

James muttered.

Yelling out with rage.

"You are pimping me out for a merger"

Then, Marlena cut in smoothly.

"It's not a bad match darling, Chloe is beautiful, and educated. She even does charity work."

"I don't care if she can walk on water."

"Maybe your other son should accomplish that."

James replied thunderously

Ricardo stood up, slamming his hand on the table.

"Then maybe you don't want the company!"

Mr Everett yelled, the words crept through James's spine like an electric shock.

Silence fell.

James stared at him, standing up to his feet, pulse rising.

"Are you threatening to cut me off?"

He asked, gripping tight to the dining seat.

"I'm giving you a deadline". His father snapped.

"Fly to New York this weekend and reconnect with Chloe. Start courting her properly or don't bother calling yourself an Everett"

Marlena leaned in a voice like silk lace with venom. "You know how to make the right choice, sweetheart."

James stormed out of the room before he could say anything that he'd regret, or wouldn't.

Later that day.

He didn't go home.

He didn't go home.

He didn't call Tomas.

He got into the cab and went straight back to The Velvet Room.

The bar was dim, just like before. But this time it flew emptier, colder.

He searched every corner, every table scanning faces for hers.

She wasn't there.

He asked the bartender, describing what he remembered. The curve of her cheeks, the softness of her eyes, the scent of jasmine and warmth.

"She was working here the other night."

James said, leaning in.

"Kind of small, long hair, quiet, soft voice".

"She helped me."

The man squinted. "You sure it wasn't the red-haired?"

"No, she was gentle, a little sad, dark-haired, Filipino."

The bartender shook his head.

"Could be anyone, we rotate girls every other night. They come and go, some don't even give their real names".

James sat back, defeated.

What kind of fool gets attached to a stranger after one night.

But he couldn't shake it off.

There was something about her touch, her voice, her eyes. It wasn't just lust.

It was a connection, real unfiltered and maddeningly out of reach.

Lily...Xena... whoever she is, I need to know.

But she had vanished, like a dream at dawn.

Meanwhile, in New York...

Chloe Williams sat at her mother's dining table, absently twirling a diamond bracelet around her wrist.

The luxury of her surroundings seemed suffocating and her mother's sharp gaze made her feel even more trapped.

"Mother I told you, James isn't going to marry me just because you want it, or because there is a will somewhere".

Chloe said, frustration stepping into her voice. She Had been hearing these lines for years. About being a perfect match for James.

Her mother, Cassandra Williams, took a sip of tea, completely unfazed by her daughter's defiance.

"You are being naive Chloe, James is stubborn, yes, but he'll come around. He always does. His father would pressure him into doing what's right for the family."

Chloe stood, pacing in the lavish penthouse.

"I'm not some pawn, Mother. This is my life!".

Cassandra put down her cup with a sharp smile. No darling. You are the queen, and you'll secure the Everett crown, whether you like it or not."

Chloe stared back at her mother, angrily.

"And if he refuses?"

Her mother's eyes glinted.

"He would not refuse. Boys who drink themselves numb and waste away usually end up crawling back to what feels familiar."

The strength and coldness in her voice sent a shiver down Chloe's chest. It hit hard like a stray bullet.

She stared at her mother again, seeing her for the first time as a figure of authority, her words stung.

James was her feature, no matter how much she resisted.

Back at the hotel in Manila.

Alexa slipped through the service entrance, her eyes darting nervously to avoid anyone who might recognize her while she was sneaking in.

The last thing she needed was Roman de Luca to see her, the rich guest who always had a way of finding her.

His eyes were always too intense, and his compliments were always a little too much. He made her feel like a prize to be won, not a person.

She had been polite, of course, she never showed anything but professionalism.

But every time he looked at her, she felt exposed.

Weeks passed and Alexa's body began to betray her. A missed period and a stomach that won't settle.

She hadn't gone back to the Velvet Room, she couldn't.

The moment she woke up that morning and saw that he had vanished, something inside her snapped.

It was naive, stupid even. But that night had meant something.

Now she was curled in a cramped clinic waiting room in Quezon City. Holding her breath as the nurse returned.

"Alexa!"

The nurse called.

She stood, and her legs felt hollow.

Her fear blossomed into a cold undeniable truth.

"Your result". The nurse said gently.

"You are pregnant, six weeks."

The paper trembled in her hand.

"No, no, that can't be right."

The nurse gave a sympathetic look.

" I know it's a lot. But the sooner you start parental care, the better."

Alexa sat back slowly, her stomach twisting.

"Six weeks!" She whispered.

That night.

The man whose name she did not know

The man who called her Lily, the man who vanished into thin air.

"How do you raise a child when you don't even know the father's real identity?"

A question she asked herself while she continued with her thoughts.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't let them fall.

"Not yet"

She folded the paper slowly, and whispered "Who are you?".