Truth Untold (Eligible Bachelors #1)

Chapter Fourteen

By 8:23 PM that evening, he was home. Carson had come to him when it was minutes just shy of six o'clock and said that there was something they needed to talk about. Instead of going straight home as initially planned, he and Carson had gone to a bar a few streets over. They'd had a few beers, talked a while, and the main thing Carson wanted to share was the details on the authenticity of the photo.

It was fake. It had been photoshopped by someone who was quite handy and talented but after running the photo through different software, it came back that the original photograph had been altered, a few effects added, and the picture itself glossed over with editing tools to make it appear as though Vanessa was the woman in the picture. The private investigator, like Carson, had speculated that the photo was specifically chosen because the face of the actual woman, was barely visible. Therefore, it was easy to add a few effects, a few layers of paint, and misconstrue the woman's identity.

Alexander didn't care much for the real identity of the woman. He had an inkling that it was Daphne, but he was so over her and anything to do with her. He didn't care if she screwed every paparazzi or wannabe computer expert up and down the streets of the city. He just wanted the Steins to leave him alone, and he wanted his wife's name cleared.

When asked what he wished to do with the evidence, Alexander told Carson to keep hold of it. Soon enough, if push came to shove, and the photoshopped image was leaked to the press or online, they would release the evidence they had found.

Vanessa was already at the dining table, being served dinner by Mary and Rhoda when he returned home. Shrugging off his coat, he sat down and together, they ate in relative silence. It was not an awkward one since they broke it ever so often to exchange a few words.

With dinner had, and the maids clearing away the table, Alexander scooted his chair closer, and started to rearrange the utensils immediately within his wife's reach. She cast him a quizzical stare, her eyes following all his movements as he removed the eating utensils and placed it farther out of her reach.

"What're you doing, Lex?"

"Mmh," he hummed, shifting the water glass farther away across the table. "Creating a safe zone because I have something to tell you, and I'm scared you'll kill me with dinnerware. I'd hate to make your Million Dollar Widow idea a reality."

"Ha!" she scoffed, swirling the red wine around her glass. "I don't have to resort to violence to get rid of you. I could just leave you."

"Funny," he retorted dryly, narrowing his eyes at her. "Funny, funny. Anyway," he continued, grabbing her wine glass as well.

Vanessa protested. "No, not my wine. Give it back."

"What if you don't like what I have to say and hit me over the head with it?"

Vanessa growled, catching his nose between her middle and index fingers and pinching. "I will hit you if you don't give me back my wine." She squeezed his nose harder, and he protested, swatting her hand away as he set her glass back down. A contented smile on her face now, she took a sip and waved her hand. "Continue. Whatever it is that bothers you, fellow human, do tell."

Despite himself and the gravity of what he was about to share, he still smiled at her silliness. Yes, he could definitely see a future with her, and he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life married to her. At least there would never be a day he didn't laugh.

"I want to do something on Friday evening, and I'll need your help."

"Go on," she encouraged.