Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

Chapter 171: We’ve Got The World And All It’s Charms

[FROLO]

Katya’s breath hitched at that letter.

He had been honest with Alek once on a drunken night. Had let out his sorrows in the kind of way that he’d never told anyone other than his friends.

And Alek never judged him.

He’d just held Katya closely, let Katya mourn that which could have been. He wasn’t jealous, just comforted him like that was part of life.

Alek had said it even then.

That it wasn’t Katya’s fault.

Now, months later, he was saying it too, and Katya’s heart constricted for a moment. The thoughtful senator who made him smile and cry happy, confused tears at the same time.

The tenth letter was similar to the others, talking about his day. The thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth, too.

The last letter was the one that had been delivered earlier today.

Katya opened it, gently, his hand shaking from anticipation.

Or maybe it was because he knew the senator was just a good person, and Katya was sitting there comparing his roses to lilies and a rainforest scent that didn’t even mean anything.

"My dearest little rose. I’ve been writing for a while now with no response. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not easy with everything and the weeks you’ve had. But I worry, little rose. I worry that you’re not okay.

"I haven’t seen you anywhere. And I don’t want to invade your privacy by coming to your penthouse without your permission. Just... Please let me know you’re okay. Even if you’re not okay, please let me know too.

"I’ll drop everything and come over. I’ll do anything to make it better. If you don’t want me to come ever, at least turn on your phone and send a hello text. You don’t have to say anything more. Just hello.

"...That will be enough proof of life for me. I’m sorry if I sound nagging. I’m just worried about you, my little rose. Let me in... Please... Yours ~ Alek."

Katya sniffled at the last one.

At how the alpha was so considerate, even when Katya wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. This man was so understanding that it was breaking and mending Katya’s heart at the same time.

Katya turned on his phone.

But he didn’t text a hello.

He called.

Maybe because, after everything, the alpha needed to know that he was okay.

Alek picked on the first ring.

"Little rose," the senator breathed like a suffocating man who had finally found fresh air. He sounded like he’d been to hell and back, just staring at his phone, waiting for something, anything.

"I got your letters," Katya said, chuckling softly.

"I’m sorry if I crossed a line... I just... I tried to stay away. To let you reach out first. But I didn’t know where you were, and I couldn’t think straight. So, I sent the letter with the flowers. I’m sorry," Alek said.

Katya sniffled, making the senator’s breath stop for a moment.

"You’re crying," Alek breathed like a broken man.

"They’re happy tears, I promise," Katya said before he switched to video call.

The alpha didn’t even hesitate.

"Little rose," he whispered like a prayer when he finally saw Katya.

Katya saw the relief on the man’s face, and it was honestly the first time he’d seen someone in that state for him.

Someone waiting.

Someone who genuinely wanted to hear about his day and his well-being.

Yaroslav had been good to him, but the lies and the pain had made Katya no longer hope for anything anymore.

But Alek...

He stared at Katya with soft eyes, like the omega was his world and he’d do anything to take away his pain.

And even when he was so curious, he still managed to stay a gentleman.

"My beautiful little rose," Alek whispered as he traced Katya’s face on the screen.

It was something that had Katya smiling sheepishly, his heart thrumming in his chest.

Oh, but the alpha made him giddy.

"How’s the city’s favorite senator?" Katya asked as he looked at the alpha.

He was in his office at the Senate building. Katya knew because they’d had video calls before, and Alek had given him a tour of the lawmakers’ building.

"Missing his dearest little rose... I almost went crazy with worry. I’m so glad you’re alive and well," Alek said in earnest, as he looked at Katya like the omega was the only thing worthy in his world.

Oh, Alek.

"I was at my parents’ manor... Just came back to pick up a few things before I go to work tomorrow," Katya said.

Alek stared at him softly.

"Can I come drive you over? It’s okay if you say no," Alek offered.

Katya didn’t even contemplate. He could see the way the man looked at him, and honestly, there was no crime in spending time with his boyfriend, right?

’Burn the lilies and throw away the rainforest-scented items then,’ his subconscious dared.

"Of course. I missed you too, Alek," Katya said, and the senator looked to his side, and Katya heard him talking to his secretary about cancelling his whole day.

Katya didn’t protest.

How could it be?

This man was choosing him.

No one had ever chosen him so openly before...

Right?

Thirty minutes later, the senator arrived at the penthouse. Katya was already waiting at the gate. So when the alpha stopped, Katya just got into the passenger seat, putting his black backpack with rainforest-scented items in the back.

"You look so beautiful," the senator said before he drove off to the Romanov manor.

Somewhere along the way, Alek pointed out something that had Katya stiffening for a moment.

"You always carry the rainforest bag with you... it must really be important," Alek said, genuinely curious.

"Yeah, Svet gave it to me," Katya lied smoothly. And the senator didn’t ask again, just continued their journey in comfortable silence.

When they got there, Katya looked at him before kissing the senator on his cheek.

He was about to get out when Alek called softly.

"Little rose... M... May I kiss you properly?"

"Alek..."

"No, it’s alright, let’s get you settled," the senator said, and Katya stared at him.

"Yes," Katya said, and the senator opened his driver’s side.

"Yes, you can kiss me," Katya said as he leaned in.

At the roundabout a few meters ahead of their car, a group of construction workers was gossiping about the senator and his boyfriend and how they were being sweet.

But one of them...

He’d stayed eerily still.

Like a man who had just seen the devil with his own eyes.

Like a man who had just realized he’d arrived too late.

"Don’t do it, Sergei," came a voice in his earpiece.

But he was far too gone.

"I’ll go say hello to the senator," Sergei said, gripping his tools and setting them aside as he walked ahead.

A few construction workers seemed to share his idea, too, because soon a band of workers was headed toward the senator’s car.

But when they got there...

Sergei walked past that car, his heart aching in his chest at the sight.

The love of his life was in another man’s arms.

And he had allowed it instead of being honest with his intentions.

It was his fault.

"Sergei..." Anya’s voice came in his ear.

"Bring all my meetings forward. I’m coming back to work," was all he said, like his heart wasn’t breaking in a tune he’d never heard before.