Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Aurora’s Pov:

“Let me help,” I told Malena who hasn’t rested a moment in the kitchen. She was making little doughs with lettuce and honey as toppings. Watching her, she was very good at her work and despite her old age, she was still filled with agility and vibrance. She used the back of her palm to wipe the sweat on her forehead and on her face causing the flour to smear on the corner of her nose. The sight almost made me laugh, I tried to suppress the laugh building in me as she had that all serious look across her face while kneading.

“I told you, this isn’t your job but mine. You are Fraser’s wife and none of Fraser’s wives spent time in the kitchen everyday like you are doing now….” She trailed off when a little snort escaped me. I placed my palm over my mouth, trying not to laugh at the way the flour smeared her face.

She raised her face, pulling her gaze from the flour on the board to me. “What’s funny? What’s making you laugh? I certainly believed none of what I said was funny.”

The look in her eyes and the way she positioned her l*ps even made it funnier. I didn’t laugh, I bit my lower l*p, biting back the laugh threatening to escape. Everything about this older woman made me laugh, the way she acted and the way she chose to put her words. I had never found anything that would bring a smile to my face but this woman was trying to bring that smile I never thought I would be able to bring out. I cleared my throat, suppressing the laughter in me. I motioned to her forehead and the corner of her nose.

“You got a little bit of flour on your forehead and nose,” I pointed out.

“I must have looked that funny for you to be entertained merely by looking at me.”

“I’m sorry.” I apologized.

“I was joking, you don’t have to apologize over every little thing. You should know when it calls for little jokes and teases. Loosen up, child.”

A smile crept on my face at the reassurance and welcoming voice and words of the woman. If it was in my father’s house, I wouldn’t dare snort, talk more of laughing. When it comes to emotions, I wasn’t allowed to feel anything. I dared not cry or laugh, I wasn’t free to feel all sorts of emotions. nor converse with any of my family members just as I’m conversing with Malena.

“So can I help now?” I fixed my gaze on her hoping she would allow me to cook. Living in this house, doing nothing bored me to the brim. I didn’t feel bored at my father’s house because I was overworked from morning till night everyday. Though we had workers who took care of everything in my father’s house but because my stepmother had sheer hatred toward me, she made me one of them and my father never talked about it or talk on the ill treatment I get from her.

dif Sometimes I wondered if he ever loved my mother. Why wonder? Their marriage was solely based on politics, business related sort of marriage. A contractual marriage just like I’m having with Otto Fraser. What if my marriage turned out to be like my parent’s marriage? What if I disappear and he

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Chapter 22

moves on to the next woman and makes her his fifth wife? Though I didn’t know the full details on what it meant by his previous wives meeting the same fate, I know I ain’t an exception. I’m more likely to meet the same fate too.

But what is

him? Che same fate? Is the fate a thing that had to do with them ending their marriages with

him? Curiosity spiked up my sleeves to ask about his previous wives, what they were like. I couldn’t remember if I had asked this question before, maybe I have but I don’t remember. I parted my l*ps to ask and have more insights and information about his first wife to his third when adoud sound distracted me.

It was the Malena phone ringing at the top of one of the kitchen counters. I brought the phone to her but she signaled me to wait as she walked over the sink to wash her hands. After she was done, she took the phone from me and luckily it was still ringing. She excused herself but before exiting the kitchen entirely she asked me to knead the flour and add the lettuce and honey as she did to the rest..

I took over and started kneading the flour. This was the only thing I’m good at, cooking and designing the foods. Making them appeal to the eyes. The flour felt so sticky on my hands, particles of the flour getting stuck in my fingernails but I couldn’t care more and went on with the kneading. I felt someone’s presence behind me, I thought Malena had returned but I wasn’t ready to let go.

“Can you let me knead some more?” I queried but got no response. “Let me help you a bit more than staying here, doing nothing. I’m restless if I don’t have something to do……also, did I mention I was a prodigy in cooking and designing in my high school days?”

I got no response from Malena and I thought she might not care about how I aced my cooking classes or designing classes and what is wrong with me? I wasn’t the type who shared her personal info with others but Malena, that woman makes me want to be myself around her. She makes me want to open up to her but………

“I’m sorry, Malena if my story bored you.” Still got no response which got me thinking. Why was she keeping silent? I promptly swift my head to look behind me, my hand in sync with it but my heart raced when I saw him standing there, His hands were tucked in his pants pockets.

I gasped when a flour smeared his right cheek as a result of how I turned. He stared at me, not moving an inch. His intense piercing gaze remained on me, making me uncomfortable. Whenever he retains his gaze on me, I always feel helpless before him. Most times, I feel unclad. I swallowed hard, watching the unreadable look across his face as the tiny flour added to the look on his face. I didn’t want to laugh but the look on his face coupled with that flour made him look like the ‘grinch‘ and I was trying hard to suppress the laughter building in my throat.

“I’m so sorry,” I hurried to him to clean off the flour on his cheek but ended up smearing more on his face. I gasped again, wondering what to do next. In my quest to clean the mess I made on his face, I added more. He grabbed my wrist, halting me. He gaped at me.

His flour smeared face couldn’t stop me from suppressing the snort. A little chuckle escaped me as I pulled my gaze from him.

“Are you laughing?” He queried, a surprised look gracing his face.

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Chapter 22

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“I apologize,” I returned my gaze to him. Biting my l*ps to avoid laughing. Never in my wildest dream did I believe he could be my source of laughter. I mean his face looked ridiculously funny right now.

“It’s just that your face…..” I gestured to his face as another snort escaped me.

“How is my face making you laugh and by the way I didn’t know you can laugh. You always have a teary and sad face.” He asserted, letting go of my wrist. “Well, you look good with a smiley face. rather than a teary face. I should name you Crybaby.”

“Crybaby?” I tilt my head to the side. What’s up with this attitude? The attitude of standing here with me and teasing me. He wasn’t the type, I never pictured him as the type to have a sense of humor. He always kept a straight face so having him tease me to the point of nicknaming me was so uncommon of him. I never expected it.

Silence fell between us as we locked gaze with each other. His eyes as usually were unreadable but they had a soft glint in them. They had a sort of playful look in them and the more I stared deep into these emerald green eyes, the more I get drawn, the more I get lost in them. The more I get melted in them. His eyes alone were enough to get a woman down on her knees. No wonder he was able to pull off the feat of marrying three different women.

His eyes were beautiful, Seductively beautiful and I could gaze in them all day.”

“I guess my face is some artifact you can’t stop staring at,” when his voice came and when his words registered in me, realizing what he meant, I pulled away from him. Taking conscious of how close we were, the proximity between us. I looked away from him, ignoring the redness of my checks. Feeling utterly embarrassed.

I was reacting this way because I haven’t been close to any man in a long time and because he was. good–looking, I tried to convince myself.

I cleared my throat. Returning back to knead the flour. “Sorry about that, I just wanted to wipe off the mess I made on your face.”

“Was that really what you were trying to do, crybaby?”

Was he using the nickname he gave me already? It was supposed to annoy me but for some reason I rather find it funny.

“Crybaby? Who’s crybaby?” Malena strolled back. Placing back her phone on the kitchen counter. She gasped when her eyes fell on Otto’s face. “What happened to your face? Why is there flour on

your face?”

“I told you to help me knead the flour not design his face with it.” Though my gaze wasn’t on her, I knew she was directing that statement to me.

“I’m sorry, it happened to be a mistake.” I mumbled, trying to will myself not to look at him.

“Wait a sec,” Malena said, prompting me to look at her. A devious glint played in her eyes and a

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A

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Chapter 22

playful smirk spread across her face. “What is going on here? What’s with the tense atmosphere? Did something happen in here while I was gone? Considering the fact there was flour on Otto’s face……was their a couples play while I was gone?”

“No!” I snapped. Startling both him and Malena at my quick response. I was also startled too. “The flour on his face was unintentional.” I added in a more quiet tone.

“Nothing of that sort happened.” Otto said.

I shifted my gaze to him but I caught him already staring at me. My pulse quickened, my heart made that quick fl*p flop as I quickly looked away from him. I thought he would say more but he didn’t. He turned and left the kitchen.

“Something definitely happened,” Malena nudged my arm. Throwing me a teasing look and smile. Come on, girl, spill the bean. What happened between you and Mr cold bones while I was gone?”

“Mr cold bones?” I raised a brow in query.

“That’s the name I gave him, you know. He’s always cold and hardly talk so I gave him the name. It suits him perfectly judging by his personality, don’t you think?”

A small nervous smile appeared on my l*ps.

“But don’t call him that. He hates it whenever I called him that so refrain from using it on him. I’m the only one who gets to call him that because I gave the name to him.”

I chuckled.

“Now, spill the beans of what happened in here.”

She doesn’t give up, does she?

I strolled the compound of the amazing villa. Taking in the sweet scent of the gentle breeze, letting it carress my skin and I didn’t know why but I was in a happy mood but it wasn’t because of him. It’s been long I experienced this freedom to roam around the house not locked inside.

“I said I can’t come over now,” I overheard someone say and it happened to be the voice of the doorman, Mr Smith. “I can’t leave my job and come over, can’t you stay with her? When I’m free, I will come visiting.”

He was answering a phone call and I wondered what sort of phone call he was answering because his face clearly proved he was worried, concerned and afraid.

“The last time I left my post, Otto’s new wife went missing and it was my fault because I left my post and rushed home to you. It got Otto so upset so I wouldn’t want to upset him again. So don’t worry, I will come visiting next week.”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Just look after her. I will be there next week. Don’t stay angry for too long.

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Chapter 22

“I will go,” I interrupted him. “I will go on your behalf.”

“Ma’am?” He jolted and turned to me. A startled look gracing his face.

“I might not know what you are discussing about over the phone but let me be of help and go in your stead. It sounds urgent.

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