[XII]

"What took you so long?",he spoke sternly, his voice booming in the void hall, making cold sweats trickle her forehead.

She just managed to mumbled a small word 'bath' and slipped on the chair kept an arm length away from his.

He didn't said anything but his peripheral vision was keenly observing her every actions from her nervous gestures to her shaky hands busy in playing with the hem of her dress.

"I'm going out for a few days",he spoke out of the blue while wiping the corners of his lips with the napkin, focussing his gaze on her thunderstruck face which was shocked at first but he can sense her internal happiness from her useless attempt to hide her smile.

"No need to be so happy! Meanwhile, You'll be with me throughout the trip so pack your stuffs. We're leaving in few hours from now",this was all he said and strode away from her gloomy sight.

She heavy heartedly turned towards her room when she heard the landline phone ringing. She waited for few seconds for the maid to arrive and receive the call as she was forbidden from even touching it, let alone the thought of receiving it. When her patience was dead, she gave a loud call twice but got no response.

Sighing, she dragged her feet towards the side table. Her heart was thumping loudly against her ribcage as if it was about to explode. With her quivering hands, she finally held it's body when it stopped ringing. Sighing she turned around when again, its loud voice perked her eardrums.

"Hello?",she whispered in a soft voice.

There was a slight pause on the other end of the call when finally the voice spoke",Kayden...?"

"He isn't home currently!",she replied curtly hearing the feminine voice and was about to hungup when the voice again boomed from the receiver",Who are you, btw?"

She hesitated for a moment whether to introduce herself as the wife of the beast but eventually after few seconds of reasoning, she spilled the beans...

"I'm Aurora Wilston Romero, Kayden's wife!And who are you?",she back questioned with a bit hesitation in her voice after she didn't hear any response.

"Nice to meet you, daughter in law!",her words took her by surprise and for a moment, her whole body froze.

"Daughter in law?",she mumbled the phrase again in a low whisper, unable to digest her new mother in law's claim who was not existing in this world for her few moments ago.

Her trance broke abruptly by her sudden laughter",Kayden is such a jerk for not telling you about me. I'm Roselle Romero, kayden's mother! Since I've finally heard you, I would like to meet you personally.."

"Um...Mrs. Romero, actually I...",she was hesitant because it was impossible for her to step out of this mansion without his permission.

"Don't try to resist honey! If you're scared that Kayden will know about this than be rest assured. He won't know anything",she emphasised the word again to compel her to agree for this little encounter.

"O...Ok but I'm leaving for a business trip with him in a few hours. If you can make up in these hours than...",she paused on her phrase befuddled whether she's doing the right thing or not! What if he got to know about this? He won't spare her.

"Don't worry! Visit to your nearest coffee shop and wait for me there. I'll be there in few minutes",she replied in a flick before Aurora could think straightly.

"B-But Mrs. Romero!! How would I recognise you?",she asked being quizzical, somewhere cursing herself mentally for picking up the omnious call. If by any chance, kayden will know that she's tried to step out of this mansion, she'd be surely doomed that instance.

"I'll wear something white, plus I have jade eyes and blonde hair. You'll identity me easily dear"

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Aurora's POV:

I kept peeking at my wrist watch from time to time, looking for her but still she was no where in sight. After about twenty minutes of waiting, I finally decided to leave but as I turned around, I got collided with something hard, rather someone hard..

"Ah!Sorr...K-kayden?", a cold sweat trickled down my brows when I came face to face with my biggest fear who was standing in front of me with bloodred eyes, clenched jaws and malicious look.

Not alone, there stood a woman whom I was waiting for so long but she ditched me. Infact, now I got in trouble because of her!!

"Get in the car!",he spoke sternly while striding towards me to drag me along with him when the lady came in between.

"Kayden! Leave her. It was me who called her even after her resistance. She d...",she was cutoff by his one murderous glare and without thinking for a second, he tightly wounded his hand around my frail arm and started dragging me along.

Author's POV:

This time her mouth was sealed completely while tears started clouding her vision but she didn't dared to protest.

After making her forcefully sit inside the car, he pushed the key into the ignition and pulled the car to an abrupt speed, not caring if he's gonna meet an accident.

"Why did you leave the house when I've ordered you to not?",he asked, his voice booming in the whole car making her suddenly flinch in her place with the intensity of his voice.

"I-I've not!!",this was all she could mutter, clutching her seatbelt tightly as if her life depended on it.

"So this was all that maid's fault?",he asked, scanning her face keenly that was all wet with tears.

She frantically shook her head in negative, hiccuping audibly when she couldn't conceal her fear and tears.

"Either of the two is to blame. I'm giving you the liberty to choose, which one of these is guilty? Whoever you decide will be punished severely for going against my orders",his voice was detached and distant, cold as always which compelled her to regret her decisions to marry the beast.

"Me...",she finally uttered after a long pause, her head hung low in defeat.

He didn't spoke anything and turned the car towards the airport.

All the way to the airport, her gaze was stuck on the road ahead while silent tears kept rolling down her rosy cheeks which she kept wiping with the back of her palms from time to time.

"Where's your ring?",his question snapped her out of the reverie and instantly her gaze landed on her ring finger which was empty.

Where is the ring?,a wave of terror travelled down her spine when she couldn't remember where had she kept the ring before taking her bath.

But before she could react any further, he swiftly held her hand in his and adjusting the car on airplane mode, he shifted a bit on his seat and pulling out an Asscher shaped red diamond ring, he shoved it inside her slick finger.

"Never remove it again",he whispered lowly leaning more towards her face.

His hot minty breath was fanning few tendrils that kept caressing her earlobe while her heart was elevating abruptly with each passing second, with the close proximity between two bodies that she could hear his heartbeat...

"Otherwise I'll break your finger!! Understood?"

He instantly pulled away while leaving her brain in daze with her eyes still stuck on the sparkling scarlet gem studded in the platinum frame.

Hola lovelies,

Happy Mafia Monday,

Sorry for late update but my classes has started for my neet exam so I'm not able to update regularly. (╥﹏╥)

But keep supporting me because I'll not stop updating at any cost!

Stay safe and healthy reading...｡◕‿◕｡