The Grace of a Thousand Stars (PREQUEL)

Chapter 16- The Truth Unveiled

--Alaric POV--

"Oh, thank god you're finally here. If I had to spend another moment with him then I would surely have perished." Maxwell couldn't hide his joy when he caught sight of Ines and I walking onto the yacht after we decided that we wouldn't be letting Malachi ruin our day. 

Since he very clearly wouldn't be leaving if we asked him to, and I doubt he'd simply watch after us if we were the ones who decided to leave.

"You're here as well?" I didn't even try to hide the displeasure as we made our way to the back of the yacht where all the entertainment was, leaving Malachi to himself at the front of the boat.

But not noticing my displeasure, Maxwell ran forward with open arms as he tried to hug me, but I quickly sidestepped him, and quickly recovering from the rejected hug, his attention turned to Ines, relief flashing over his features as he smiled at her warmly.

"Are you okay?" He asked her as she nodded.

"Thank you, Maxwell." She gratefully whispered, and his grin widened, a hint of pride behind it.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a changed man." He shrugged.

"How did you even know we were here? I didn't tell anyone." I asked, turning his attention back to me as I raised a brow with crossed arms.

"Ines." He gestured to the woman standing between us.

"Ines?" My brow raised higher as I turned to look at the woman who innocently shrugged. How or rather why, would she tell Malachi where she was? She hated him more than I could ever know, and she didn't even own a phone.

"He has a sort of tracking device on her."

"What? Isn't that illegal?" But Ines had lost interest in this conversation as she turned to head over to the bar, looking over all the assortment of drinks on the shelf before finding satisfaction in the fruit bowel, picking it up in her hands and throwing some grapes into her mouth as she went to go sit on one of the outdoor sunbeds.

"Not in this situation. I can't exactly go in depth since I, myself don't properly understand. But it has something to do with that signet ring on his finger, I'm guessing it's a sort of communication device between the two or something..." His words drifted off as he spoke in a not very convincing manner, itching the back of his neck as he did.

"Whatever. Since you're all here intruding on my date, you may as well have called the whole gang to come and party." I sarcastically mumbled with an eyeroll, going to sit beside Ines.

"Well, actually... Now that you mention it..."

He nervously started as I sat up straight, turning my head back around to look at him, a warning glare slowly creeping onto my face as I prayed, hoped, and almost begged for whatever he was about to say to be nothing but a joke.

But he didn't need to finish his sentence for me to know that this day was only about to get worse from here on out. I should have read a prayer or something as soon as I woke up to keep anything or anyone from ruining the happy day.

"Let's get this party started losers!" 

Of course, this woman smelt parties from miles away before the so-called party even had the chance to start.

"Why is she here? Tell me this is a joke; How do you even know her!?" I whisper shouted, jumping off my seat as I went and grabbed Maxwell by the collar of his shirt.

"We used to date, but we're just friends now. And she had a shoot half an hour away from here so I thought; If there's anyone that could liven a bleak mood, it's her, Sandra Levine." He explained, raising his arms in surrender, and while his words did make sense, I couldn't get passed the fact that the two of them once dated.