Fallen 41 Summary
Alaric senses something wrong as soon as he enters the building, noticing the uneasy glances among his employees and security. Tyler, his assistant, looks terrified, which only fuels Alaric’s anger because Tyler had made Meadow, someone Alaric cares about, cry. Despite their recent breakup, Alaric is furious that Tyler still holds such power over Meadow. However, a more urgent matter awaits him in his office—a visit from his mother, Ingrid Ashford, whose presence alone unsettles everyone.
Ingrid’s rare visits always leave a strong impression, and Alaric’s employees respect her power. When she arrives, her cold demeanor contrasts sharply with the warmth she shows only to her sons. She greets Alaric affectionately but quickly shifts to probing him about his life, especially his recent marriage, which she only learned about through a tabloid. Ingrid is clearly upset that Alaric kept this from her and is determined to meet his wife, whom she disparagingly refers to as the woman he “settled for.”
Their conversation reveals tension and unresolved issues. Ingrid accuses Alaric of needing someone, implying he is not truly happy alone. She questions whether his new wife can touch him as deeply as his past lover, Clarissa, did, a name Alaric reacts to with cold anger. Despite Ingrid’s probing and sharp remarks, Alaric remains guarded, unwilling to reveal too much about his feelings or his relationship. The chapter ends with Ingrid smirking darkly, challenging Alaric’s silence and hinting at deeper conflicts to come.
CHAPTER 0041
Alaric’s POV:
Something felt… off.
I knew it from the moment I stepped into the building. The frantic side eyes that the employees and security officers exchanged with each other gave it away.
There was only one person who had the power to make my employees feel uneasy with just her appearance, even without saying a word.
And when Tyler greeted me at the elevator, the bastard was pale as fuck, eyes wide like he was terrified.
My eyes turned hard as I looked at him. My jaw clenched, hands curling into fists as I tried to fight the urge to slam him against the wall and squeeze his neck until he gave up the ghost.
He made her cry.
Above all other things, I was pissed that he still had the power to make Meadow feel that way. And no, I didn’t give a fuck that it’d been only two weeks since their breakup.
I wanted to kill him. But right now, there was a more pressing issue in my office.
“Sir,” he said. “There’s… a woman here to see you.”
I didn’t stop walking. I already knew who it was.
I guess I didn’t have to wait until the party after all.
Tyler didn’t know who my mother was. If he did, he wouldn’t just call her ‘a woman.‘ My older employees knew what she could do. She barely ever came here, but when she did-
She made sure to leave an impact.
“I tried to stop her but she-”
I paused, turning around to narrow my eyes at him. “You tried to stop her,” I echoed slowly.
Tyler stepped back, like the look I was giving him was strong enough to push him back.
Thing is, I was just surprised that he was still standing there after he tried to stop Ingrid Ashford from getting into her son’s office.
“Cancel my schedule for next hour,” I said firmly just as the door to my office slid open. “And for goodness sake, Cross, go downstairs and ask about my mother before you make a mistake that’ll cost you your life.”
I didn’t care about his life.
1/4
CHAPTER 0041
+15 BONUS
I just wanted to be the one to end it.
I stepped into the room to see my mother standing at the window, back facing me, wearing a long, navy-
blue tailored coat.
My mother loved her coats.
Her grayish blond hair was pulled back into a sleek bun, hands behind her back as she exhaled sharply.
“Alaric.” Her voice was ice cold. “Are you going to teach that assistant of yours some manners or should I do it for you?”
I said nothing in response, but as I strode toward her, she finally turned around.
And then, her eyes lit up, her lips pulling up in a wide, soft smile that she preserved only for her sons.
“Mein Herz,” ‘My heart,‘ she cooed fondly, pulling me into a warm hug. “How I have missed you so.”
“Mutti,” I murmured into her hair, wrapping my arms around her. “Been a while.”
She pulled away, then leaned in again to kiss both my cheeks and pulled back again to study me.
Something flashed in her eyes–she knew I couldn’t feel her, but she never stopped trying.
And I never failed to disappoint her.
She covered it up with a cold stare. “You look tired,” she said, twisting her lips like the word itself
disgusted her. “And pale. Are you eating properly?”
I stood to my full height, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. “I didn’t realize you were in the city. Nolan
must’ve failed to mention that when he broke into my house last night.”
“Ach bitte. He doesn’t know I’m here. I just had to come see you and see for myself the face of the man
who broke my heart when he didn’t tell me he got married,” she said, a sarcastic bite in her tone as she
pulled out my chair and sat in it.
And then she tilted her head. “So I suppose we’re both filled with surprises, aren’t we?”
I didn’t answer, I just glanced toward the coffee maker, and then the bar cart.
There was only one thing that would get me through this meeting without pulling my hair out of my
scalp.
So I went to the bar cart and poured myself a drink. It wasn’t even noon yet, but it didn’t matter.
“A wife, Alaric,” my mother continued. “And I only found out because one of my friends sent me a fucking tabloid article.” Her accent thickened, voice still low.
“And now, of course, they must think I look like a fool.”
2/4
CHAPTER 0041
+15 BONUS
“You don’t look like anything,” I muttered under my breath, taking a sip of my bourbon. Trust my mother to make everything about herself.
“What was that?” she asked sharply.
“I said,” I turned to face her again. “You don’t look like anything, Mutti, because it’s not about you.”
She blinked slowly, crossing one leg over the other. “Of course not. Because when is anything ever about
me, hm?” Then she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes this time. “I want to meet this wife of yours.”
“Why? So you can try to scare her off?”
I loved my mother. I did. However, I also knew that she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
Who she wanted. I’d hoped getting married would shut her up, but obviously, it hadn’t.
Ingrid rolled her eyes. “I just want to see the face of the woman you… settled for. Who is she? What family
is she from?”
“Drop it, Mutti,” I said coolly. “Nolan told me about your little party. We’ll be there, and you’ll see her then.”
“Scheiße,” ‘Shit,‘ she hissed, rising to her feet. “Months ago, you told me you were fine with being alone for the rest of your life.”
“Yeah? Well after I told you that, did you stop hounding me with questions about marriage?” I asked,
running a hand through my hair. I knew where she was going with this, and frankly, I wasn’t ready to
deal.
“Well, no!” She exclaimed, heels clicking against the ground as she made her way to me. “Because you needed somebody.”
I sighed. “And I have somebody now, M-”
“Can she touch you?” She suddenly cut in, pinning me with a glare.
There it was. The almighty question.
Now, of course, I could’ve answered honestly, because she would still find out from Nolan anyway. But I didn’t.
“That’s not the point.”
“Nonsense,” she hissed sharply. “It is. If you can’t feel her touch like you felt Clarissa’s touch, then she’s not the one for you.”
Something in my chest hardened.
“Don’t say her name,” I bit out coldly. Nolan’s near–mention of her name this morning made me hit him. He knew he wasn’t supposed to say that name.
3/4
CHAPTER 0041
+15 BONUS
And so did my mother.
Who now had a dark smirk on her face as she stepped closer to me, crossing her arms in front of her
chest. “What name?” She chuckled softly. “Clarissa?”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
Summary & Review: Fallen
