The playroom still shined with the soft gold of mid-morning. "Fort Aaron" stood proudly in the center, a masterpiece of blocks and imagination — a symbol of innocence surrounded by the heavy air of, well.....adult secrets.
Aaron was still beaming, his small hands dusted with bits of wooden powder, when Noah's voice came from the doorway.
"Hey, little boss," he said with an easy smile, hands tucked in his pockets. "Your papa wants to see you in the west wing. Urgent stuff."
Aaron perked up immediately. "Papa wants to see me?" He turned to Alexa, eyes bright. "I'll be right back, promise!"
Alexa smiled and gave him a mock salute. "Go, Commander. Don't keep your general waiting."
He grinned and dashed out, his quick footsteps echoing down the hall until they faded completely.
When the quiet settled back in, Alexa began forgetfully rearranging a few blocks — rebuilding, refining, adjusting. The silence felt heavier than before, and that was when Noah's voice cut through it, calm but sharp.
"So…" he began, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe, "you've noticed it too, haven't you?"
Alexa looked up, confused. "Noticed what?"
"The shift." His eyes darkened slightly, the usual humor gone. "Marcus has started asking questions. About you. About me."
Her fingers froze mid-movement, a block slipping from her grasp and clattering onto the floor. The sound was small, but it rang like a warning bell.
"What do you mean 'about you'?" she asked carefully.
Noah sighed, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. "He called me into his study yesterday. Asked if I knew where you go when you disappear at night. He even asked if I've been covering for you."
Alexa's stomach twisted. "And what did you tell him?"
"I told him nothing." His tone was firm, but there was an edge of weariness in it. "But Alexa, he's not buying it. He's watching everyone now — especially you."
Alexa stood, her posture stiffening. She turned her gaze toward the window where sunlight filtered through the curtains. "It's only a matter of time before he connects the dots," she murmured.
"Yeah," Noah replied quietly. "That's what I'm afraid of."
She paced a few steps, every movement calculated, every breath sharp. "He wasn't supposed to suspect me this early. Not yet. Not before I…" Her voice trailed off, but the weight of her unfinished sentence filled the room.
Noah frowned. "Alexa, you need to slow down. Whatever mission the admin's got you on — it's bleeding into this life. You can't keep walking that line forever."
Her jaw clenched. "You think I don't know that? Every time I leave this mansion, I take a piece of that risk with me."
He watched her, concern tightening his expression. "And one day, that risk is going to catch up with you."
Alexa met his gaze, her icy composure cracking for just a moment. "I don't have a choice, Noah. Until I find out the truth about my parents… about who killed them… I can't stop."
Noah stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Then at least lie low for now. If Marcus is on to you, it's not just your cover at stake — it's your life."
Her eyes flickered with conflict — defiance and fear warring inside her. "He doesn't know who I am. Not yet."
Noah gave her a grim look. "Maybe not. But he's starting to doubt who you pretend to be. And that's worse."
She turned away, staring down at Aaron's fortress — its neat walls, its fragile towers. "I've built everything here so carefully," she whispered, almost to herself. "But it only takes one crack… one slip…"
Noah softened, his tone gentle but firm. "Then don't give him that crack. Keep your head down. Blend in. No sudden moves until I figure out how deep this goes."
Alexa took a long breath, then nodded slowly. "Fine. I'll lie low. But if Marcus makes one wrong move toward Aaron…"
Her eyes hardened, the warmth draining away, replaced by that deadly calm Noah had seen too many times before.
"…I won't stay still."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The room felt too quiet, too heavy. Outside, the sound of Aaron's laughter drifted faintly from down the hall — bright, innocent, unaware of the storm brewing just beyond his walls.
Noah exhaled and said softly, "You know, sometimes I forget you're human under all that steel."
Alexa turned to him, offering the faintest smirk. "That makes two of us."
Scene 2
The air in the playroom hadn't yet settled when the sharp click of heels echoed down the hall. Alexa's head turned just as Nina appeared in the doorway — perfect posture, perfect hair, that same practiced smile that always seemed to hide something poisonous beneath.
"There you are," Nina said, voice honeyed but laced with something smug. "Claudia's been looking for you. She could use an extra pair of hands in the kitchen."
Alexa blinked, tension still hanging around her shoulders from her talk with Noah. "Now?"
"Yes, now." Nina's eyes flicked briefly toward Noah before settling back on Alexa. "She said it's urgent."
Noah leaned lazily against the wall, one eyebrow cocked. "Urgent kitchen business, huh? Sounds serious. Hope no one's knife skills are under question."
Nina's lips twitched, the faintest smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Not everything is a joke, Noah. Some of us actually work around here."
He gave a soft chuckle, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket. "Oh, I know. You work very hard at watching other people's business."
Her smile tightened, though her voice stayed smooth. "You'd do well to mind your own too. Mr. Delacroix doesn't appreciate… misplaced loyalties."
Alexa glanced between them, her instinct began buzzing like a warning siren. Nina wasn't just pasing along a message — she was probing, as usual. Still, Alexa forced a calm tone. "Tell Claudia I'll be right there."
Nina's eyes glittered. "Of course," she said sweetly, before sweeping out of the room, her perfume lingering like smoke.
As soon as she left, Noah muttered under his breath, "And there goes the resident vulture."
Alexa gave him a quick look that said not now, before heading toward the door. "Be careful with what you say around her," she murmured. "She doesn't just listen — she reports."
"Yeah, I've noticed," Noah replied, voice low and sardonic. "I swear she probably dreams in tattletales."
Alexa shot him a quick, weary smile — the kind tht didn't quite reach her eyes — and then left the room. The door clicked shut behind her.
Noah turned, looking out the window, letting out a quiet sigh. "Never a dull day in this madhouse," he muttered to himself.
Then, from behind him, came a small voice.
"You don't like Miss Nina, do you?"
Noah spun halfway, surprised. Aaron was standing by the door, his little head tilted, expression thoughtful — innocent, but far too observant for his age.
Noah chuckled, trying to ease the edge in his tone. "Let's just say she and I speak different languages, kid."
Aaron frowned slightly, his brows furrowing in the same way Marcus's did when he was deep in thought. "Papa says people who smile too much hide sharp teeth."
Noah smirked, shaking his head. "Smart man, your papa."
Aaron beamed, clearly proud. "That's what I think too."
Noah crouched to meet his eye level, lowering his voice like it was a secret. "Just remember something, kid — people who hide sharp teeth usually bite when no one's looking. So keep your distance, yeah?"
Aaron nodded solemnly, though there was still that glint of childish curiosity in his eyes. "Okay… but Alexa says not everyone who's scary is bad."
Noah paused, studying him for a long moment, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "She's right about that."
Just then, Claudia's voice floated faintly down the hall, calling for help — and the moment broke.
Aaron looked toward the door, then back at Noah. "Do you think Alexa's mad at Papa?"
Noah's answer came with a sigh heavy enough to fill the room. "I think… grown-ups have a way of making things messy, Aaron. Even when they don't mean to."
Aaron blinked at him, clearly not understanding all of it but sensing the weight behind the words. He gave a small nod anyway, then quietly returned to his fortress of blocks — as if rebuilding his little world could keep the cracks of the bigger one from seeping in.