hapter 70: The Weight of the Secret
**Thelma Zane’s POV**
“He took a leave and went home?” I asked, my voice steady despite the tumult in my chest.
“Yes, Miss,” the soldier on duty replied. “Sir Aldrich will return this afternoon.”
“Alright, thank you,” I said, though my shoulders sagged slightly at the news.
The imposing aura I had worked so hard to maintain faltered the moment I realized Aldrich wasn’t in the camp.
“You’re not allowed to retreat!” Maxine’s voice snapped at me from within, sharp and unrelenting.
“But he’s not here…”
“Then go to his house! Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten where Duke Frank’s mansion is.”
“Is that really necessary?” I asked, hesitant.
“Of course, it is! Listen, little princess, you and Aldrich didn’t just have a simple lovers‘ quarrel. This is bigger than that. If you want both sides to agree you’re done for, then sit here and mope. But if you still love him, get up and fix this mess! I don’t want to witness a drawn out, pathetic drama where you two idiots act like martyrs. Spare me the agony of being your unwilling audience!”
“We’re not done!” I retorted softly, though I wasn’t entirely sure if I believed it myself.
Even so, I did as Maxine suggested. I couldn’t risk anyone discovering where I was truly headed, so I asked the driver to drop me off at the park, pretending I had plans to meet with friends. Once the car disappeared from view, I hailed a taxi and directed it to the duke’s
mansion.
When we arrived, the security was as tight as I expected. The guard stopped the car before it could even approach the main entrance. His polite but firm tone underscored his authority.
“Apologies, Miss. This is private property. Unauthorized individuals are not allowed.”
“I’m here to see Sir Aldrich,” I said, keeping my voice calm and confident. “Tell him Thelma is here. He’ll understand.”
The guard made a quick phone call. After a brief exchange, he returned with a much friendlier demeanor. “Forgive me for the inconvenience, Miss. You may proceed.”
The heavy iron gates creaked open, revealing the sprawling estate beyond. As I walked across the manicured lawn, my heart felt as though it were suspended in midair, ready to shatter at the slightest misstep..
Chapter 70. The Weight of the Secret
The front door opened before I could knock. Aldrich was there, pacing anxiously. He froze when he saw me, quickly masking his worry with a calm facade, though he couldn’t quite decide what to do with his hands.
“he
“Good morning, Thelma,” he greeted, a strained smile on his face. “What brings you here?”
I inhaled deeply, summoning all the courage I had left. “We need to talk, Aldrich.”
His expression faltered for a moment before he nodded and gestured for me to follow him. We climbed the stairs in silence, the tension between us palpable. Once inside his room, the door barely closed behind us before he pulled me into a tight embrace, his face buried in the crook of my neck
1 froze, startled by the sudden contact, and instinctively tried to push him away.
“I don’t want to break up,” he murmured against my skin, his voice muffled but resolute.
“What?” I asked, caught off guard.
“I don’t want to break up,” he repeated, raising his head to meet my gaze. His forehead rested gently against mine. “If it’s something good you came here to say, you don’t need to say anything–I’ll do whatever it takes. But if it’s something bad, I won’t agree to it.”
“Then tell me, Aldrich,” I challenged, trying to maintain my composure. “What’s good, and what’s bad?”
“For example…” He pouted slightly, his expression softening in a way that made my heart. ache. “If you want to kiss me, that’s good. If you want to break up with me,
like yesterday,
that’s bad.”
I fell silent, unsure how to respond. Aldrich’s playful demeanor faded, replaced by a solemn
determination.
After a long pause, he reached for my hand. “Let’s not keep hurting each other like this, Thelma. Please.”
“You didn’t contact me,” I said, my voice trembling. “You didn’t call or send a single message.
Not one.”
“I know,” he admitted, pulling me into his arms once more. “That was my fault. I was afraid. I thought you were still angry with me, and I couldn’t bear the thought of making things worse. Every time I remembered the way you looked when you walked away yesterday, my chest felt like it was splitting in two.”
His words hit me like a tidal wave, and I felt the tears threatening to spill over. I couldn’t stand it–his apologies, his vulnerability, his pain. All of it only deepened the guilt gnawing at me from within.
“Stop,” I interrupted, stepping back and holding up a trembling hand. “Please, Aldrich, stop apologizing. You don’t even know the truth yet.”
Chap 70. The Weight of the Secret
3/
He froze, his brows knitting together in confusion. “The truth?”
I swallowed hard, willing myself to meet his gaze “I need to tell you something, Aldrich. Something I’ve been keeping from you.”
He said nothing, but the silence between us felt deafening.
Taking a shaky breath, I began, “Yesterday, I acted out of fear and insecurity. I know there’s nothing going on between you and Carolyn, but I couldn’t help it. I care about you so much that the thought of anyone else being close to you–of anyone else having feelings for you- drives me mad. I hate it, Aldrich. I hate feeling like this.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him. I wasn’t done.
“It’s not just that, though. You didn’t do anything wrong, Aldrich. I’m the one who’s been lying. From the very beginning, I’ve kept secrets from you–secrets from everyone. And it’s tearing me apart.”
His eyes widened, disbelief and hurt flickering across his face. “What are you talking about, Thelma? What secrets?”
My tears finally spilled over as I shook my head. “I can’t stand the thought of you loving someone you don’t truly know. I can’t stand the Lies anymore. I hate keeping secrets, Aldrich. 1 hate it.”
The weight of my confession hung heavy in the air, and I braced myself for whatever was to
come.
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Chapter 1 The Confession
Chapter 71: The Confession
