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Chapter 27/The Wrong Name

Chapter 27: 27/The Wrong Name

Chapter 27

Stephanie’s Point of View

Cedric opened the car door for me with refined elegance. I sat down quietly, trying to arrange the hem of my red dress, which suddenly felt heavy. He slid behind the wheel, looked at me with a confident smile, and said, "You’re going to love the place we’re going."

"It seems like a beautiful place," I replied in a faint voice, trying to mask my internal chaos.

"It is," he said briefly.

He began to drive smoothly, while my mind was boiling in a cauldron of dark thoughts. What would my fate be? I felt trapped between two merciless fires: Alexander, my first love, whom I realized with bitterness I hadn’t forgotten still drawn to his gaze and audacity like a moth to a flame... and Cedric, who ignites a completely different kind of desire in my body, a desire that feeds on my proximity to him. And now... I carry his twins in my womb.

I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the madness of Alex’s boldness haunting me. Even while Cedric was in the bathroom getting ready, Alexander wouldn’t leave me alone; he followed me downstairs as I waited, leaning in so close I could smell his cologne. He whispered in my ear in a husky voice that sent shivers through my entire body: "Steph... you look so sexy."

"Alex... please!" I whispered, my voice trembling in a plea.

"I can’t stand it, Steph," he hissed with a mix of challenge and pain. "I can’t accept that you’ll be with Cedric tonight."

When I caught sight of Cedric descending the stairs in his elegant suit, I gathered every ounce of strength in my soul. I acted as if nothing was wrong, as if my heart wasn’t on the verge of stopping.

Cedric suddenly broke my train of thought. "Why are you so distracted?"

I turned to him in a daze, and because of the chaos in my mind, the words slipped out without thinking: "It’s nothing, Alex..."

An oppressive silence immediately filled the car a silence so heavy I felt the chill of death. Cedric’s gaze snapped away from the road for a moment, and he spoke in a terrifyingly calm tone that made my blood freeze: "Did you just call me... Alex?"

I hadn’t realized I called him Alex! Damn it, what have I done? I felt my heart drop into a bottomless abyss, but I swallowed hard and tried to fix it with forced coldness: "I called you Cedric... what’s wrong with you?"

Cedric slowed the car, his grip tightening on the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. "Am I imagining things? I heard ’Alex’, Stephanie!"

"Oh... maybe just a slip of the tongue," I said, looking away.

He turned to me sharply, his eyes burning with jealousy and rage. "You’re calling me by my brother’s name? And you call it a slip of the tongue?"

I was in deep trouble a mess that could destroy everything. But if one thing had changed in my personality over the years, it was that I had become an expert at maneuvering out of tight spots.

I suddenly turned toward him, and instead of defending myself, I chose to attack. I shouted in his face with a force that made him recoil into his seat:

"What is with you and your brother? I just met you both! Are you my husband? Have I known you for years?"

I paused to catch my breath, then continued with deliberate harshness: "Even when you fucked me... you didn’t even tell me your name!"

I saw his features shift instantly; the look of suspicion vanished, replaced by tension and embarrassment, as if I had thrown a fireball into his lap. "Calm down..." he said in a low voice, trying to soothe me.

"I won’t calm down if you’re going to scrutinize everything I say!" I screamed, gesturing wildly, fully embodying the role of the wronged and resentful woman.

Cedric relaxed his shoulders, looking as though he had lost his weapon in this confrontation. "I’m sorry," he said with genuine regret.

But I decided to push the "angry mode" further to maintain control of the situation. "I want to go home," I said sternly. "Take me back, now!"

"Stephanie... I’m sorry, forgive me," he pleaded, trying to mend what his suspicion had broken.

Internally, I felt I had overplayed it a bit, but I had successfully steered the conversation away from Alexander. "Fine," I said curtly, turning my face toward the window.

I watched the reflection of my face in the glass; I was perfectly calm inside despite the storm I had just performed. I looked at the road and thought... I’m actually convinced by my own performance. Maybe I really should go into acting.

We remained silent for the rest of the ride, a heavy silence broken only by the hum of the engine, until the car stopped in front of a stunning restaurant built of ancient wood and warm stone, overlooking the sea. Cedric stepped out and opened my door with dignity. I got out, gathering the hem of my red dress.

When we entered, my eyes widened in shock. The restaurant was completely empty, filled with roses and candles that emitted a faint scent and light, signaling a truce. "Did you book the entire restaurant?" I asked, trying to hide my amazement.

"Yes... do you like it?" he replied, watching my reaction closely.

The place was magical, but I decided to keep my cold mask on. "It’s okay," I said indifferently.

We sat at a table in the center. Outside, the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks felt like celestial music yet to be played by human hands. The waiter approached quietly and poured wine for Cedric. When he moved to pour a glass for me, Cedric cut him off firmly: "She doesn’t drink. Give her only water."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise; he remembered what the doctor told me regarding the pregnancy.

The waiter poured my water and then asked politely, "What would you like to eat, sir?"

"The usual dishes," Cedric replied without hesitation.

I objected immediately, feeling a sudden urge to provoke him: "What does that mean? Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?"

He looked at me calmly and said, "I thought you’d like to try something new."

"Trying something new, or making me your follower?" I snapped back.