Once Upon A Lie 2

Forty-three

They met at the hotel that Mal had stayed in the previous year with his mother and Genya. The two of them had brunch in the tea room. "This place always felt too fancy," Mal commented. He was wearing a suit that looked a little too big on him. Alina wondered if he'd rented it. He wasn't really a fancy dress kind of guy, although he had married Zoya, so what did she know?

She laughed. "I know. But they've got the worlds best waffles."

"Is that your pregnancy craving?" Mal asked with a smirked.

Alina blushed. "Yes, but fortunately, Aleksander's gotten very good at making them for me. Or ordering from the diner up the street."

Mal frowned. "Well, that's uh..."

She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say nice things about him if you don't want. As long as you don't say terrible things."

Mal ran a hand over his head. "Thanks. That was kind o the last thing that I wanted to do. You don't know..." he sighed. "I'm happy you're happy, Alina. But I really, really, hate seeing you with him."

She took a bite of her waffles, trying hard to keep any anger that she felt at bay. Mal had never gotten to understand Aleksander like she had. She knew he was difficult, but he wasn't the monster that everyone thought that he was. Especially not since they'd gotten married.

"Listen," said Mal, "I know that Zoya and Aleksander are still seeing each other."

Alina tried to keep her face calm. She knew why he was doing this. Because Zoya had fooled him into thinking that he still had a chance. But the pictures that he was about to show her of the two of them were ones that she had taken herself.

"These were sent to me this afternoon," he said, "I don't know by who but-----"

Alina stared at the pictures, keeping her face calm. Even a few months ago, seeing images of Zoya and Aleksander meeting would have sent her round the bend. But she was in a different place. She was married, and having his baby, and she knew all of this was for show. She could make it through this meeting with Mal. She had to if she wanted to keep her family safe. "Do you think it could be Magnus Opjer?"

Mal flinched. He knew. He had to. He knew what Aleksander had done. There was no other reason for him to be there if he didn't. He thought Aleksander was guilty, that he was going to jail, and that he would be there to comfort her in her time of need. "Who?"

"Magnus Opjer," Alina said, "he's Nikoali's father. He was the one that arranged the whole mess that happened between me, Zoya, and Aleksander. We don't know if he's alive or dead. Aleksander's looked into it, but he seems to be missing."

He hesitated. "Maybe it could be him."

"Maybe Zoya and Aleksander aren't meeting because they're having an affair, maybe they're meeting because they are trying to catch Magnus."

"I don't know, Alina," he said, "I know Zoya. She always gets what she wants, and they look pretty intimate. I know that you want to believe that Aleksander's a good guy, but..."

"He is, Mal," said Alina, "if you want to worry about someone worry about your wife. Any trouble that's started, Zoya has always been at the center of it. That's just the kind of person that she is. Whatever is going on is probably because Aleksander is trying to clean up a mess that Zoya started."

"How can you have so much faith in him?" Mal said. "Even after seeing these."

"Because, I've known Aleksander my whole life. I'm carrying his child. The same can't be said for you and Zoya. Ask her about Magnus. See what she says when you tell him that he might be back. You'll see. Her real colors will come out."

"He's got you so fooled, it's kind of sad. But when everything blows up, Alina, I'll be here for you. Okay?"

She glared at him. "I know Aleksander, Mal. What you should worry about right now is if Zoya is someone that you should trust. Because otherwise you might end up exactly like Nikolai did. Especially since Magnus Opjer might still be there."

Alina got up and left, and Mal watched her go. Feeling more uncertain than he had in a while.