Chapter 108: Are You Happy, Audrey?

Chapter 108: Chapter 108: Are You Happy, Audrey?

The Saturday morning sun was bright and warm.

Alexander kept one hand loosely on the steering wheel while the city skyline slowly faded into the quiet, tree-lined streets of the suburbs. He was wearing a simple Henley shirt and jeans, completely leaving his celebrity persona behind in the city.

"I am serious, Audrey," Alexander said, glancing over at her with a teasing smile. "If your mother tries to give me a fourth serving of mashed potatoes today, I am going to politely decline."

Audrey laughed out loud. It was a bright, genuine sound that completely filled the quiet space of the car. It was the first time she had truly smiled since she stepped off the plane from Europe.

"You know that is a complete lie," Audrey countered easily. "You will eat the fourth serving, you will tell her it is the best thing you have ever tasted, and then you will ask for the recipe."

"I have an image to maintain," Alexander argued playfully. "I have to fit into a tailored suit for a premiere next month."

"My mother does not care about your suits," Audrey grinned, leaning back against the passenger seat. "She just thinks you need fattening up."

Alexander shook his head, but his warm eyes were completely happy. He loved her family. He loved the easy, normal weekends they spent away from the flashing cameras.

He was incredibly good to her, and in moments like this, Audrey felt entirely lucky to have him.

The Ellis family home was completely different from the massive, silent Calloway estate.

It was a modest, two-story house with a small front garden that was slightly overgrown. The driveway was cracked in a few places. The front porch was entirely crowded with potted plants and a pair of old rocking chairs.

It did not look like money. It just looked like a home.

Before Alexander even had a chance to knock on the front door, it swung wide open. The incredible, rich smell of roasted chicken and fresh bread instantly spilled out onto the porch.

Audrey’s mother, Claire, stood in the doorway wearing a flour-dusted apron.

"There she is!" Claire beamed. She stepped out and pulled Audrey into a massive, tight hug.

She let her daughter go and immediately turned to Alexander, pulling the tall actor down into an equally fierce hug.

"It is so good to see you, Alexander," Claire smiled warmly. "Come inside. The food is almost ready."

"It smells amazing, Mrs. Ellis," Alexander said, stepping inside.

Audrey looked around the hallway. The walls were completely covered in old, slightly crooked family photos. There were pictures of her as a little girl, pictures of her high school graduation, and recent photos of her and Alexander laughing at a holiday party.

"Where is Dad?" Audrey asked.

"In the backyard," her mother sighed, waving a hand toward the kitchen window. "He is fighting with that old lawn mower again. I told him to just buy a new one."

Alexander immediately set his keys down on the entry table.

"I will go check on him," Alexander volunteered.

He walked straight through the kitchen and out the back door. Thomas Ellis was kneeling in the grass, covered in a little bit of engine grease, glaring at a rusted metal engine part.

Alexander rolled up his sleeves and walked directly over to the grass.

"Need a hand, sir?" Alexander asked cheerfully.

Her father looked up. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead and laughed.

"You know how to use a wrench, Hollywood?" Thomas teased.

Alexander grinned, crouching down next to the dirty engine. "I can learn."

The family lunch was incredibly loud and entirely chaotic.

They sat around the small, scratched wooden dining table. Everyone talked over each other. Plates were passed back and forth. The room was completely filled with warmth and easy laughter.

"You need to try the carrots, Alexander," Claire insisted, scooping a massive spoonful onto his already crowded plate.

"Mrs. Ellis, I really am full," Alexander protested weakly.

Claire completely ignored him. She dropped the food onto his plate anyway.

"Nonsense," her mother said dismissively. "You are entirely too thin. The cameras make you look bigger than you are. Eat."

Audrey laughed behind her water glass. Alexander just smiled and obediently picked up his fork.

Her father leaned back in his chair. He took a sip of his iced tea and looked across the table at the young couple. His eyes twinkled with familiar mischief.

"So," Thomas asked casually, dropping a massive bomb into the middle of lunch. "When are you finally making an honest woman out of my daughter?"

Alexander choked on his drink.

He coughed loudly, quickly grabbing a napkin to cover his mouth. His face turned entirely red.

Audrey’s eyes went wide. "Dad! Stop!"

"I am just asking!" her father laughed loudly, raising his hands in defense. "The boy is practically living in our kitchen every weekend anyway!"

Alexander finally caught his breath. He looked at Audrey, and then he looked at her father. He was embarrassed, but he was completely smiling. The entire table erupted into laughter.

It was perfectly relaxed. It was easy. It was the exact opposite of a tense, formal dinner in a cold billionaire’s mansion.

After lunch, the house quieted down.

Thomas and Alexander went back outside to finish assembling the lawn mower parts. Audrey stayed in the kitchen to help her mother clean up.

Audrey stood at the sink, running warm water over the plates. Her hands were busy, but her mind was completely somewhere else. She kept staring at the soapy bubbles, completely lost in thought.

Claire dried a clean plate with a towel. She watched her daughter carefully.

She did not ask about the billionaire CEO. She did not ask about the viral newspaper article. She just stated a simple, undeniable fact.

"Something happened on your trip," Claire said quietly.

Audrey hesitated. Her hands stopped moving in the warm water.

She quickly forced a casual smile and looked down at the sponge.

"Nothing happened," Audrey lied smoothly. "Work was just incredibly stressful. The press conference was chaotic, and the editors were pushing for early drafts."

Her mother did not argue. She did not raise her voice.

Instead, Claire just kept drying the plate.

"When you were little," Claire said softly, "every single time you lied about sneaking a cookie before dinner, you looked directly at the sink instead of looking at me."

Audrey completely froze.

She slowly turned her head and looked at her mother.

Claire set the towel down. She looked into her daughter’s eyes. She asked the exact question Mason’s parents were entirely incapable of asking him.

"Are you happy, Audrey?"

Audrey felt a sudden, massive lump form in her throat. She looked toward the window and saw Alexander outside, wiping grease off his hands and laughing at something her father said. He was a good man. She had a good life.

"Yes," Audrey answered quietly. "I am."

A long pause hung in the quiet kitchen.

Claire smiled softly. It was a slightly sad, deeply understanding smile.

"Good," her mother whispered.

She reached out and gently tucked a stray piece of hair behind Audrey’s ear.

"Just remember, sweetheart," Claire added quietly. "Peace and happiness aren’t always the exact same thing."

Audrey stared at her mother. The words hit her so hard she physically lost her breath.

Outside in the warm afternoon sun, Thomas threw a dirty rag onto the wooden workbench.

The old lawn mower sputtered, choked, and finally roared to life.

"We did it," Alexander cheered, wiping his greasy hands on a towel.

Thomas smiled proudly. He turned off the machine and leaned against the wooden fence. He looked at the younger man. He saw the way Alexander had willingly ruined his expensive shirt just to help him with a stupid chore.

The teasing completely faded from the older man’s face.

"Take care of her," Thomas said quietly.

It was not a threat. It was a quiet, simple plea from a father.

Alexander stopped wiping his hands. He looked directly at Thomas. There was absolutely no hesitation in his voice.

"I will," Alexander promised firmly. "Always."

The drive back to the city was quiet.

The sun was slowly setting, casting long orange shadows across the highway.

Audrey was completely exhausted. She had leaned her head against the cool glass of the passenger window and fallen fast asleep. Her breathing was soft and even.

Alexander kept one hand on the wheel. He glanced over at her.

He smiled softly, looking at the peaceful expression on her face. He reached out and gently tucked her jacket a little closer around her shoulders.

The car slowed down and stopped at a long red traffic light.

Alexander looked back out at the road. Slowly, his warm smile started to fade.

The quiet silence in the car did not feel comfortable anymore. It felt heavy. He remembered how entirely distant she had been since she got back from Europe. He remembered the way she stared blankly at the wall during dinner, completely lost in a world he was not allowed to enter.

He reached over the center console. He gently slid his warm hand over hers, holding her fingers tightly.

Audrey did not wake up. She continued sleeping peacefully against the glass.

But even asleep, her fingers remained completely loose. She did not squeeze his hand back the way she always used to.

Alexander stared at their hands. The traffic light turned green, and he slowly drove forward into the city, carrying a quiet, growing fear in his chest.