Page 20 of Alpha’s Fake Marriage

He left that lingering as if I was going to tell him my name. But if he didn’t tell me his then I wouldn’t give him anything.

“So, where is your family if they aren’t here with you?”

“My mother is in Aspen.”

The man’s relentless interrogation continued, each question chipping away at my resolve as I struggled to maintain the façade of normalcy. But when he inquired about my father, a chill swept through me, sending a shiver down my spine. “And your father?”

My breath caught in my throat, the memories of my tumultuous past threatening to overwhelm me. I forced myself to remain composed, to push aside the lingering pain and fear that clawed at the edges of my consciousness.

“I don’t have much contact with my father,” I replied, my voice strained as I brushed off his inquiry. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

“Have you never had much contact with your father? Or is this a new thing?”

“I don’t think I need to give you all my family background when I don’t even know you, Sir.”

He leaned on the counter and smirked. “Hey, this is a friendly town. I’m just interested in getting to know the newbie; that’s all.”

“Well, I’m not a newbie. I’ve been here for over a year…”

“So, why have I not seen you before?”

My blood ran icy cold. I truly felt like I’d been caught out. I needed to be smart, to get out of this somehow. “Well, I wasworking from home, so I wasn’t out much. Maybe that’s why. I’ve just recently started helping out my fiancé here.” I checked my watch. “He’s on his way now. Please stick around to talk to him. I’m sure he’ll want to know all about your visit…”

To my relief, the man seemed to take the hint, his menacing smirk fading as he turned and walked away. A wave of relief washed over me as I watched him go, the tension draining from my body as the threat of his presence dissipated.

As he disappeared from sight, I couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief, grateful that the encounter had come to an end. But even as I resumed my duties in the shop, a sense of unease lingered in the air, a silent reminder of the dangers that lurked just beyond the shadows. Whoever that man was, he was a part of it, I was sure. I might have never seen him before, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t involved with my father. Dad was involved with everyone shady…

The door opened again.

I jumped, fear gripped me hard.

But thankfully, this was a face I knew all too well.

As Octavio entered the shop, his presence alone brought a sense of calm to the storm of emotions swirling within me. I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief wash over me as I turned to face him, ready to share the unsettling encounter I had just experienced.

“Octavio,” I greeted him, my voice betraying the unease that lingered just beneath the surface.

His brows furrowed in concern as he approached me, his eyes scanning my face for any signs of distress. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone laced with worry.

“A weird, suspicious man was just here. He just came in out of nowhere with this creepy smirk on his face,” I explained, my voice trembling slightly. “He started asking all these questions,like where I’m from, about my family... It was like he was trying to pry into my life.”

Octavio’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing as he listened intently. “Did he say why he was asking? Or what he wanted?”

I shook my head, a shiver running down my spine. “No, he was very vague about it. But it was... unsettling, to say the least. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about him. He wouldn’t give me his name or anything, but said it was a friendly town. He wasn’t working for my father when I was back home, I would have recognized him, but…I’m not sure.”

Octavio’s expression hardened, his gaze flickering with a silent rage that mirrored her own unease. “I don’t like the sound of this,” he muttered darkly. “We need to be careful. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

As I recounted the mysterious man to Octavio, his expression grew increasingly grim with each passing word. His jaw tightened, a steely resolve settling over his features as he absorbed the details of my description.

“He had this... menacing smirk and dark hair. Dark eyes too, with a scar just above his lip,” I explained, my voice trembling slightly with the memory. “And his black eyes... they seemed to pierce right through me.”

Octavio’s face hardened at my words, a silent fury burning in his eyes as he pieced together the puzzle. In that moment, I could see the gears turning in his mind, the realization dawning upon him like a bolt of lightning.

“It was Brian,” he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

The name sent a shiver down my spine, the gravity of the situation sinking in with each passing moment. I didn’t know any Brian, but I certainly knew that I didn’t like him at all.

“Brian is a Blackpaw,” Octavio continued. “But he’s rumored to have ties to the Bratva, so we need to be really careful.”

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