The Cat's Out of the Bag

LUCY

The sun peeked through the curtains, waking me harshly from my slumber. As I opened my eyes, a mixture of excitement and nervousness filled my heart.

Today I decided to make my relationship with Alex public at the office. If Carolina or Beatrice said anything to others, there would already be a new rumor waiting for me.

I sighed and sluggishly made my way to the kitchen, where Gemma had already prepared breakfast for us. "Buongiorno, Lucy!" Gemma greeted me with a broad smile. "Nervous about today?"

I sighed and nodded. "A little. I hope everything goes well."

Gemma chuckled and gave me a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't worry. Everything will be just fine. Now, let's focus on getting these little rascals fed and ready for the day!"

As we sat around the table, Vicky and Jay joined us with their unruly bed hair and contagious energy.

Vicky plopped down beside Gemma, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Mamma!Alex is still coming to pick us up, right?''

I grinned at his excitement. "Yes, he is.''

Jay, like always, took a seat next to me. "I hope he isn't as boring as last time.''

Gemma leaned forward, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Oh, come on, Jay. You secretly like him. Your mom told me how excited you were to cook with him."

Jay's cheeks turned slightly pink, and he attempted to hide a smile. "That was just a one-time thing."

Vicky nudged his brother, a wide grin plastered on his face. "Jay secretly wants to be CEO when he grows up, just like Alex!"

We burst into laughter at Vicky's comment, and even Jay cracked a smile.

After breakfast, we rushed to get ready,

Vicky ran around the house, while Jay took his time to put everything in order.

Just as I finished fixing Vicky's tie, my phone rang. It was Alex, letting me know that he was waiting in front of our apartment building.

Vicky squealed in delight and started bouncing around the apartment with excitement.

"Slow down, Vicky!" I called out, trying to rein in his enthusiasm. "We don't want you tripping over your own feet!"

But Vicky paid no attention and continued to run around, searching for his backpack. "Vicky!" I called after him, but he was already out the door.

Jay smirked at me. "Don't worry, Mom. I'll take care of him." He said and followed Vicky.

I sighed and shook my head, smiling. I looked at Gemma and waved her goodbye before making my way out.

As I made my way downstairs, I couldn't help but smile at the sight that greeted me. Alex and the kids were gathered near his sleek black car, laughing and talking animatedly.

Alex spotted me approaching and his face lit up with a smile. He walked towards me and planted a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Good morning, you look beautiful," he whispered.

I blushed, feeling both giddy and nervous. Still remembering things we did yesterday and I can't believe the word love came into my mind.

''Good morning.'' I said, struggling to meet his gaze.

''Mamma!'' Vicky called out, his eyes sparkling with excitement. ''Guess what? Alex and I were just discussing our plans for the weekend. We want to go to the amusement park!"

I chuckled and pinched his cheeks. "That sounds like a lot of fun. But let's focus on getting to school for now. We can talk about the weekend plans later."

Jay, who was standing next to Vicky, nodded in agreement. "Mom's right. First you need to finish your pending homework.''

Vicky pouted and glared at him. ''You are no fun Jay!''

''Okay alright! If we don't start now, we will be late for school. Come on now.'' I said, interrupting them.

Jay may be rude, but he loves Vicky to death and always thinks of protecting him. Even when Vicky snaps at him or takes advantage of Jay to make things go his way, Jay never complains.

It happened a lot when I first adopted them. Vicky took Jay's food instead of asking me for more or taking his toys and destroying them for fun, but I never saw Jay getting angry at him. Not even once.

While it's common for kids to behave like that, they should laugh, cry and fight together. It's all in the past. They are growing and learning together now.

The car ride to school was filled with laughter and playful conversation. Vicky and Jay eagerly shared stories from their class with Alex, while he listened intently. I sat back and watched my little family interact.

Woah, don't go there yet. It's too soon.

After dropping the kids off, we went to the office. We pulled into the parking lot, and Alex turned off the engine.

Before I could unbuckle my seatbelt, he leaned over, cupping my face and kissed me hungrily, leaving me giddy and breathless. "It was hard not to kiss you, Tesoro." he murmured, his voice sending shivers down my spine.

"I know" I said, biting my cheeks, as I felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

Alex smirked, his hazel eyes sparkling mischievously. "You know, I can't resist you. It's a good thing we're here at the office; otherwise, I'd have a hard time controlling myself."

I couldn't help but laugh, swatting his arm playfully. "Oh, please! We have work to do, Mr. CEO. Let's not get carried away."

He held my hand as we stepped into the grand entrance of the office. Suddenly, everything went silent. I looked around and saw everyone staring at us with wide eyes. I gulped, feeling a mixture of nervousness and anxiety and Alex squeezed my hand as if he could feel it too.

''Let's go in my elevator.'' Alex said, pulling me along with him, but I slipped my hand from his grip, stopping him.

''Uh-ah, no. I'll use the employee's elevator as usual. I don't want to take advantage.'' I winked at him and turned around.

As I entered the employee's elevator, I felt a hand slip into mine, joining our fingers. I looked at Alex and smiled in disbelief. ''What are you doing?''

''Well, didn't you say that you didn't want to keep our relationship secret anymore? So I'll walk you to your office today.'' He replied playfully and pressed our floor numbers.

As I began to relax, I realised that we were not alone. My heart skipped a beat as I turned and looked at the shocking faces. There are a few people in the elevator and Carolina is also one of them.

I bit my lip and tried to ignore them, but the weight of their stares felt heavy. I felt Alex squeeze my hand and looked at him. He smiled at me reassuringly and it helped a bit.

When my floor arrived, Alex stepped out of the elevator along with me. Leaning down, he captured my lips in a sweet kiss. "I'll miss you," he whispered against my lips, sending a warm shiver down my spine.

I blushed and shook my head as I watched him retreat to his private elevator. I turned around to face the office, only to be met with a sea of eyes fixed on me.

Some looked at me with utter disbelief and some gave me nasty glares. I could hear the whispers as I made my way towards my desk.

''Was that our CEO?''

''I can't believe what I saw. Did he just kiss Lucy?''

''Wow! That was unexpected.''

''So the rumors were true. She finally got the CEO'S attention. Maybe I have a chance too.''

''She is definitely after his money. Such a gold digger.''

''They look so good together, don't they?''

''What a slut! She just went up a thousand notches in the office hierarchy!''

I sat on my chair and huffed loudly. Some people are just heartless. Always assuming the worst about others.

Thank god for Rocco being my boss. His energy and playfulness made me almost forget about the gossip. But he gave me more work though, to keep me occupied and busy.

Lunch time arrived and I made my way to the cafeteria. I looked around and saw Nat at one of the tables. I took my food and went to her.

Her eyes were filled with concern as she saw me. "You won't believe the kind of rumors going around. People are saying all sorts of things about you and Alex," Nat whispered, her voice tinged with disbelief.

I let out a sigh and nodded. The thought of how my private life was becoming a spectacle for the entire office makes my heart sink.

"I know. It's been really tough dealing with all this," I said weakly. Guess all the whispers and judgment from everyone had taken a toll on me.

Just as my lunch was about to finish, Beatrice joined us at the table. Nat and I shared a look. Her presence was unexpected and I felt a surge of unease.

Beatrice cleared her throat and looked at me with determination. "Lucy, I want to apologize for the way I've treated you during all this. I was wrong to believe those rumors and to have spread negativity," she admitted, her words laced with genuine regret.

I looked at Beatrice, surprised by her confession. "You mean, you weren't part of those who were making nasty remarks?" I asked, furrowing in confusion.

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't. In fact, I was trying to counter those rumors with positive ones, but I guess the negativity spread faster," she explained, her tone remorseful.

Nat chimed in, her eyes widening in realization. "So, you were actually trying to help Lucy by spreading good gossip about her and Alex?"

Beatrice nodded. "Yes, exactly. I realized that I was contributing to the toxic environment, and I wanted to make amends."

My heart felt lighter as I absorbed Beatrice's words. It feels like some of the weight on my shoulders was lifted, "Thank you. I appreciate your honesty and your efforts to set things right," I said and smiled at her.

For the rest of the day, that smile didn't leave my face. I'm grateful that there are atleast a few people on my side.

I'm sure that all this will pass and my new normal will begin with Alex by my side. I mean, what more could I ask for? I have everything I'll ever need. A great boyfriend and two beautiful kids.

Little did I know that my perfect world would collapse and everything I thought mine would be threatened to take away from me.