One Night Mistake… Now I Carry the Mafia Heir

Chapter 58: 58/The Contempt in His Eyes

Chapter 58

Stephanie’s Point of View

I felt the sting of insult piercing my heart like a poisoned dagger. Did he truly dare to stand here and hold me accountable after everything he had done? Did he give himself the right to conjure the details of my private life from his own warped imagination? I took a step back, trying to gather my strength, and spoke in a sharp tone, struggling to hide the tremor that threatened to betray me. "What a filthy question, Cedric. How dare you ask me something like that?"

Cedric took a ragged breath as if the room were closing in on him, then pointed a trembling hand toward the dress lying neglected on the floor. Its torn white fabric suggested a world of chaos. "The dress is completely shredded, Stephanie!" he shouted through gritted teeth. "Look at it! What happened that night? Did Alex lose his patience to the point where he couldn’t even wait for a zipper? Did you surrender to him that easily?"

Oh God. I felt a lump in my throat as if the air had been sucked out of the room. I took another step back, clutching my chest, trying to push away the suffocation. "Listen to me closely, Cedric," I said, my voice rasping but my eyes burning with defiance. "Whatever happened or didn’t happen in this room is none of your business! You are the last person in this world who has the right to judge me or question my honor!"

He didn’t calm down. Instead, he drew closer, the veins in his forehead bulging from the intensity of his emotion. He shouted in my face so closely that the spray of his words reached me. "Really? Is that your defense? Did you let him touch you, Stephanie? Did you let him take Cedric’s place in your bed?"

I shook my head in flat refusal, tears burning my eyes. "Cedric, please... stop this filth and get out of here!" I said, choked by pure oppression.

A heavy, desolate silence filled the room a silence that frayed the nerves more than the screaming itself. Suddenly, Cedric’s contorted features relaxed in a terrifying way, and his gaze turned into a lethal, ice-like coldness. "Ah... now I see," he whispered, his voice devoid of emotion. "I understand everything now, Stephanie."

He looked at me with a gaze of harsh contempt a look that stripped me of my dignity entirely, as if I had turned into a fallen woman in his eyes in a single second. He turned violently and stormed out, slamming the door so hard it nearly flew off its hinges. The moment he left, Alex entered with anxious strides. His features were troubled as he scanned my pale face with eyes full of confusion and concern. "Stephanie, what happened? Did he bother you? Did he do anything to hurt you?"

I remained standing, frozen like a marble statue. The shock was paralyzing my thoughts. I thought about a strange irony: even Alex, when he discovered earlier that I had been with his brother, never looked at me with such a demeaning gaze, even though he was my lover and had the right to be angry. But Cedric the man who claims to love me is the one who did it now.

Alex approached me cautiously, reaching out a tender hand to touch my shoulder in an attempt to calm me. "Steph, what’s wrong? You’re as pale as death... talk to me."

I averted my gaze, feeling my body collapse under the psychological weight. "It’s nothing, Alex," I said weakly, my voice barely a whisper. "I just... I feel an exhaustion that is draining my soul."

Alex stepped back slightly, giving me the space I needed. "Alright, dear," he said with a calm full of understanding. "Rest a little. Perhaps sleep will ease this tension."

At that moment, I remembered my only hobby my constant escape from a bitter reality: drawing and design. I knew for certain that remaining a prisoner within these walls, amidst these conflicts and watchful eyes, would surely drive me to madness.

I had to find a way out, something to give me an independent identity away from being "Alex’s wife" or "the mother of Cedric’s twins."

"I want to ask you something about what you said before," I said suddenly, looking at him seriously.

He turned to me with full attention, dropping everything in his hands. "I’m listening. What is it?"

"A while ago, you promised me you’d find me a job," I said with a slight eagerness in my eyes. "Were you serious?"

He nodded with a reassuring smile. "Of course I was. I have a close friend who owns a major company specializing in high-end clothing and footwear design. I can speak with him tomorrow and show him your talent."

I interlaced my fingers nervously, asking with a skepticism I couldn’t hide. "But... will he accept to hire me just because you’re his friend? I mean... will I just be a ’nepotism’ hire there?"

He smiled tenderly and took a step closer to lift my spirits. "You have real talent, Steph. I’ve seen your drawings myself, and they are stunning. He will certainly appreciate your skills when he sees them. I will just be the door that opens for you; the rest is up to your creativity."

I sighed bitterly, remembering the days when I used to roam the streets with my designs. "I’ve tried so hard, Alex. I applied to many companies, taking my designs with me proudly, but the doors were always shut in my face for no clear reason."

"Perhaps those companies were full of employees who only worked there due to family recommendations," he replied firmly, shaking his head. "They didn’t look for raw talent."

I laughed with bitter mockery at my destiny that always eluded me. "And isn’t that the funny contradiction? Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing for me now? Recommending me to your friend?"

He answered cleverly, giving a subtle wink. "Alright, Steph, let’s do it your way. I’ll give you the company’s address and the manager’s name. You go and submit your portfolio yourself without mentioning my name at first... what do you think?"

I looked at him in a long silence, and questions began to gnaw at my mind. Isn’t this the man any woman would wish for? A man who appreciates her ambition, seeks her satisfaction in every way, and believes in her abilities, supporting her unconditionally. I began to compare him to Cedric involuntarily. Would Cedric have even allowed me to go out and work? Or would he have locked me in a golden cage?

Alex’s tone became lower and more intimate as he said, "Steph, I’m just worried that you’ll overexert yourself, and I’m also afraid for the little twins... how will you balance them and work?"

I stood taller, lifting my head with a determination I hadn’t felt before.

"Don’t worry about me or the children. I am a strong woman and I can manage my affairs. I need this work to feel alive."

His smile widened, his features looking proud of me. "If that is your decision, then so be it. I am completely confident you’ll get the job from the first interview."

"Thank you, Alex... truly, thank you," I said with genuine gratitude stemming from the depths of my heart.

"You’re welcome; we’re a team now," he replied, heading quietly toward the door. "Now try to rest. I’m going out to handle some business. Is there anything you need from outside? Anything I can bring back for you?"

I shook my head, feeling peace return to my soul slightly. "Nothing... thank you."

[FBC_9715 And Rockst3ady Thank you Thank you for your wonderful and amazing support, my beautiful girls. ]