CHAPTER 82: THE CONFRONTATION

Just as Mike hung up the phone, Alex and Danny simultaneously burst into quiet laughter, muffled into pillows and hands. Mike looked between them, feigning innocence.

"What? You two aren’t jealous of my flawless delivery, are you?" he said, grinning mischievously.

"Dude, that was... masterclass level," Alex said, still chuckling. "Honestly, if we didn’t know better, we’d think you were head over heels. That was some Oscar-worthy acting right there."

Mike laughed, sliding back onto the bed.

"Hey, I’ve got some convincing to do."He smirked, folding his arms behind his head.

"Don’t want her thinking she’s losing her grip just yet."

Danny shook his head, smirking. "You’re ridiculous. But... effective, I’ll give you that."

Alex leaned back, shaking his head with a grin. "Well... if anyone’s falling for the act, it’s definitely her."

Mike propped himself up on one elbow, his tone shifting. "But Alex... where are we really going with this? I mean, with Lila. We both know she’s moving on Sophia’s orders."

Alex’s smile thinned, but he kept his voice steady. "Just play along. She’s eager to meet us, right? That means she’ll show her hand soon enough."

He leaned back against the wall, eyes narrowing in thought. "I’m really curious, though... what’s actually running through Sophia’s genius mind?"

The room fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, though Mike was clearly wrestling with something. He kept glancing at Alex, then looking away.

"What?" Alex finally asked, a mischievous edge in his voice. "Don’t tell me you’ve really fallen for her?"

Mike snorted. "Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not Alexander Hale."

This time, both Danny and Mike burst out laughing, the sound echoing briefly before fading into the quiet of the room.

Mike exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. His grin fading as something else weighed on him.

He hesitated, then spoke, his tone lower.

"Y’know... I’ve been holding this in for a while. Danny too." He glanced at Danny.

"We didn’t really get the chance before but... seriously, Alex... who’s Victoria?"

Alex tensed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"When you called her earlier in the morning, the way you were talking to her... it sounded like you were talking to a girlfriend or something. Very intimate."

Danny turned his head, suddenly interested in the conversation.

Mike continued, "And I only know one Victoria who could arrange the kind of treatment Nina got today. The VIP suite, the top specialists, everything covered with just a phone call..."

He looked directly at Alex. "Victoria Blackwood. Please don’t tell me it’s her."

The silence that followed was heavy. Alex could feel both his friends staring at him, waiting for an answer that would either confirm or deny what Mike had clearly already figured out.

Mike leaned back slightly, eyes never leaving Alex. "So I was right... it really is her."

Alex weighed his options. After everything that had happened today, after learning about Viktor’s situation and the true scope of power structures in the world, lying to his closest friends felt both necessary and impossible.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "It’s her."

The words landed with weight, pulling the air out of the room.

Danny blinked, sitting up straighter. "Wait... Victoria Blackwood? As in... Sophia’s mother?"

Mike didn’t flinch, didn’t look surprised. If anything, his jaw tightened, as though a suspicion he’d carried for hours had just been nailed down. He leaned back, dragging a hand down his face.

"Fuck, Alex..." he muttered, voice low. "Out of all the people in the world, it had to be her."

Danny glanced between them, his confusion hardening into alarm. "Man, do you even hear yourself? That’s Sophia’s mom... we’re not talking about some random woman here.

The mention of Sophia’s name sent a ripple of unease through the room, heavier than any laugh or joke could cover. What had been half-suspicions and awkward guesses a minute ago was now undeniable fact.

"It’s complicated," Alex said, but he could see both his friends processing the implications.

Danny’s expression shifted from curiosity to something approaching alarm. "Dude, that’s... that’s Sophia we’re talking about. The same Sophia who..."

"I know exactly who she is," Alex cut him off.

Mike was shaking his head slowly. "This explains so much. The way you’ve been different lately, the resources you suddenly had access to..." He paused. "Alex, do you understand what kind of family you’re dealing with?"

"More than I did this morning," Alex replied grimly.

"This is insane," Danny said, running his hands through his hair. "You’re sleeping with the mother of the girl who destroyed you, and she’s one of the most powerful women in the country."

"It’s not that simple," Alex protested.

"Isn’t it?" Danny asked seriously. "Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’ve gone from being Sophia’s victim to being entangled with her mother. That’s not moving on, Alex. That’s diving deeper into the same toxic situation."

The room fell silent as the weight of Danny’s words settled over them.

Alex could see the concern in both his friends’ faces... not judgment, but genuine worry about where this path was leading him.

Alex contemplated his response carefully. He couldn’t tell them about the system, but he found himself thinking about his actual experiences with Victoria... how different she was from what people assumed.

At first, being around Victoria had just been another task, something he needed to endure.

But the closer he got, the more he saw past the image everyone else carried... the way she cared for him, the way her feelings seemed genuine.

Somewhere along the line, against his better judgment, he’d started to like her back.

"You guys are right to be concerned," he said finally.

"From the outside, this looks like I’m repeating the same pattern. But you’re judging Victoria based on her daughter’s reputation, not who she actually is."

He leaned forward, his voice gaining conviction. "Think about today. When I called her about Nina, she didn’t ask questions about cost, insurance, or what she’d get in return. She just acted. That’s not someone treating people like pawns."

Alex met both their eyes. "Sophia toyed with people because it entertained her. But Victoria... she’s not like that. With her, it comes from a place of care. Sure, she’s calculated at times, but underneath that... it’s real."

He paused, then added quietly, "I know it’s hard to believe that someone with that much power could be authentic. But sometimes the most dangerous assumption is that wealth and influence automatically corrupt everything they touch."

"And it’s not like I’m blind this time," Alex added, his tone firm but calm. "I’ll keep my eyes open... you guys don’t have to worry."

Danny leaned forward, his expression growing more serious. "What about Sophia’s father, Alex? Have you even considered what will happen when he finds out about all this?"

Alex’s response was quiet but carried an weight that seemed to shift the entire room. "He already knows."

The silence that followed was deafening. Both Mike and Danny stared at Alex with their mouths literally hanging open, as if his words had physically struck them.

"What?" Mike whispered, his voice barely audible.

Danny blinked rapidly, trying to process what he’d just heard. "Wait... he knows? James Blackwood knows you’re... with his wife... and he’s okay with it?"

"That’s..." Mike started, then stopped, running his hands through his hair. "Alex, that makes this even more complicated, not less."

Alex held up his hand. "Look, I know how this sounds. But you guys don’t have to worry about me. I promise I’ll tell you everything in detail when the time comes. It’s just... not yet. Please understand."

Mike and Danny exchanged a look that spoke volumes - a mixture of shock, confusion, and deep concern for their friend.

Danny was the first to find his voice again. "Just be careful, man. These people... you never know what they’ll do from one moment to the next."

He paused, his expression tightening. "And the fact that her husband knows and apparently doesn’t care? That doesn’t make me feel better about your safety... it makes me more worried."

Mike nodded grimly. "Danny’s right. Whatever game they’re playing, you’re in the middle of it now. Just... promise us you won’t lose yourself in all this power and wealth."

Alex gave a faint smile, leaning back against the wall. "You guys don’t need to worry so much. I’m not walking into this blind, not this time. I’ve got my own cards to play if things ever go sideways. Trust me... I wouldn’t be sitting here if I didn’t."

Danny studied him for a long moment, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. Finally, he let out a slow breath and nodded. "Alright. But let’s hope she really is the way you’re describing her to be."

Mike gave a reluctant chuckle, though it carried no humor. "Yeah. For your sake... and ours. Just... don’t make us say ’I told you so,’ Hale."

Alex smirked at that, grateful for the small crack in the tension. "Not gonna give you that satisfaction."

The room eased into silence again, no longer heavy with suspicion but weighted with a quiet, uneasy trust. For now, at least, they let the subject drop.

***

Author’s Note:

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