Codename Black: Rise of the Fallen Commander

The Truth

Stepping closer to Alex, Victoria tugged at his sleeve urgently. “Alex,” she whispered under her breath. “You need to leave. Now. Please. I can handle this on my own, but you... if they figure out who you really are—”

Alex gently grasped her arm, preventing her from pushing him toward the door. “Victoria, I’m not going anywhere,” he said firmly. “I’ve told you before, I can handle this.”

She shook her head frantically. “No, you don’t understand! Dorian’s dangerous. He could—he will hurt you! I can’t let that happen.”

Victoria’s pleading eyes met Alex’s calm gaze. He gave her a reassuring smile, squeezing her arm gently. “Victoria, you need to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you, and I’m certainly not going to let anything happen to myself. I’ve got this.”

Victoria stared at him, her heart torn between the overwhelming urge to protect him and the growing realization that Alex wasn’t the helpless man her family thought he was. He was strong—stronger than anyone she had ever known. There was a confidence in him that reassured her in ways she couldn’t fully explain.

“I can’t just let you stay,” she whispered, still conflicted. “What if something goes wrong?”

“Nothing will go wrong,” Alex replied calmly, his hand gently tilting her chin so their eyes met. “Look, I know you’re scared. But I’m not the one who’s in danger here. Dorian can’t touch me, and he won’t hurt you as long as I’m around. So stop worrying about me, okay?”

Victoria hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. She took a deep breath, finally stepping back from him, her eyes searching his face for any signs of doubt. “But promise me,” she said, “if things start going south, you’ll leave.”

Alex just smiled and gave her a playful look.

***

Dorian Blackwood sat in the backseat of the luxury car, his eyes narrowing as he processed Kingsley’s words. “So, there’s no son at all?”

Kingsley, sitting beside Lord Edward in the front seat, nodded, though he hesitated under Dorian’s intense gaze. “None. I confirmed it through some trusted sources. Heinrich only has a daughter. Whoever this man is, he’s lying.”

Dorian’s jaw clenched, and the muscles in his face tightened. “Lying,” he repeated, his voice simmering with rage. “That filthy lover of hers. I knew he was too good to be true. She dared to flaunt him like he was something special. She’s been playing us for a fool!”

Edward remained silent for a moment. “We need to handle this delicately,” he finally said, choosing his words carefully. “If the truth about this imposter comes out publicly, it could tarnish your reputation, Dorian. You mustn’t act recklessly.”

Dorian scoffed. “Tarnish my reputation? She’s the one who’s tarnished it! Parading around with some nobody, some con artist pretending to be from the Lancastriel family. Do you know how humiliating this is for me?”

Lord Edward exchanged a glance with Kingsley before responding. “I understand your anger, but Victoria’s family is still bound to us. If you act too aggressively, it could ruin our arrangement.”

Dorian leaned forward. “The only thing that’s going to be ruined is Victoria. She’s defied me for the last time. Her and her pathetic lover won’t survive what’s coming.”

Kingsley shifted uneasily in his seat. “What are you planning to do?” he asked cautiously.

Dorian’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “First, I’ll expose that fraud for what he is. Then, I’ll make sure Victoria regrets every moment she spent with him. She thinks she can humiliate me, betray me, and get away with it? She’ll pay for her arrogance.”

Edward frowned, trying to control Dorian’s anger back. “You can’t just act on impulse, Dorian. If this man really isn’t who he claims to be, we need proof. We can use that to our advantage, but we must be smart about it.”

Dorian’s fingers drummed impatiently against the leather seat, but he nodded curtly. “Don’t worry, Edward. I’m not stupid. I’ll get my proof, and once I do, Victoria and that fraud will both wish they’d never crossed me.”

The car continued down the road toward Victoria’s ancestral home. "She won't get away with this," Dorian muttered, staring out the window. "Neither of them will."

Kingsley exchanged a concerned glance with Edward, but neither of them said anything further. They knew that once Dorian’s mind was set on revenge, there was little they could do to stop him.

***

Dorian’s convoy pulled up to the grand entrance of the ancestral home with the rumble of multiple engines filling the air. A swarm of black-suited bodyguards emerged from the cars, standing imposingly by the doors as Dorian, Lord Edward, and Kingsley stepped out.

Inside, Victoria’s heart sank as she peeked through the window. Her face paled and her hands trembled slightly. "They're here," she whispered. She quickly glanced at Alex, who sat across the room, completely unbothered. He looked as though he was merely enjoying a calm afternoon, casually sipping tea.

Victoria whispered urgently. "This is going to get ugly..."

Alex cut her off with a soft chuckle, placing the teacup down gently on the table. "Relax, Victoria..."

Victoria wanted to argue, but the conviction in Alex’s calm voice reassured her, even if only a little. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as the door flung open and Edward stormed into the room, with Dorian right behind him.

"Where is she?" Edward’s voice boomed, echoing through the hall. His eyes landed on Alex. "And you... the pretender."

Dorian stood just behind Edward, glaring at Alex with pure hatred.

Victoria quickly stood. Her heart tightened as she instinctively positioned herself between Alex and the intruders. "What do you want?" she demanded, her voice shakier than she intended.

Edward sneered at her. "What do I want? Well, I want you to apologize to Dorian for the utter humiliation you’ve caused him. You’re supposed to marry him tomorrow, and instead, you’ve been running around with that—" he gestured dismissively at Alex, "—con man!"

Sir Thomas hurried into the room, trying to defuse the situation. "Edward, calm down. There must be some misunderstanding—"

But Edward was having none of it. "Misunderstanding? The only misunderstanding here is the one you’ve fallen for, Thomas." He turned to Victoria with disgust. "I don’t know what lies you've told your poor father, but Heinrich Lancastriel has no son. None. This whole story you concocted about your ‘lover’ being his adopted son is nothing but a sham. A lie, crafted by you and this lowlife to get out of your engagement."

Victoria’s face paled further, the revelation shaking her to her core. She could feel all eyes on her now. Dorian’s seething gaze, Edward’s condemning glare, and her father’s questioning stare.

"Victoria?" Sir Thomas turned to his daughter. "Is this true? Did you lie about Alex?"

Victoria swallowed hard as her throat became dry. She wanted to defend herself, but her mind was spinning, desperate for a way out. She hurriedly glanced at Alex, unsure of what to say.

Before she could speak, Dorian stepped forward. "This is what you left me for, Victoria?" he spat. "This pathetic liar? Do you think playing games with my life comes without consequences?"

Alex set his teacup down gently and rose from his seat. He took a decisive step toward Dorian, causing him to pause.

"And what consequences would those be, Dorian?" Alex asked calmly. "I'm curious to hear what you plan to do."

Dorian clenched his fists, and the muscles in his jaw flexed. "You think you can stand here, lie about who you are, and walk away unscathed?"

"I didn’t lie about anything," Alex replied evenly. "But even if I did, that’s between Victoria and me. Not you, or anyone."

Edward snapped back into focus. "Enough of this! Victoria, you will come with us now and make amends for your betrayal. And you," he turned to Alex, "will be removed from this house and never seen again."

Victoria's father, Thomas, still in shock, looked back and forth between his daughter and Alex. "Victoria..." he pleaded, "what’s going on here? Just tell me the truth."

Victoria hesitated, feeling trapped. But before she could respond, Alex stepped forward again, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Victoria has made her choice," Alex said firmly, locking eyes with Edward. "She will not be marrying Dorian. And I suggest you respect her decision, or things will get far more unpleasant than they need to be."

Dorian let out a low growl, his body twitching with barely restrained fury. Edward quickly grabbed his arm, stopping him from lunging forward.

"You think you can just walk in here, say a few words, and take her away?" Edward snarled. "You’re nothing. A fraud. And I’ll see to it that you regret ever crossing us."

Alex’s eyes didn’t waver. "I’m not going anywhere, Edward. And neither is Victoria." His voice lowered. "So unless you want to test me, I suggest you leave now."