Chapter 20 Chapter 20
Amelia
Maxwell and I locked eyes for a few seconds. The air felt heavy, tight. Then the woman beside him cleared her throat, breaking the moment. I quickly looked away and turned to Declan, forcing a small, awkward smile that didn’t feel real.
Mrs. Sinclair’s voice rang out, cheerful and teasing. “So, who is the lady sitting next to you?” she asked, smiling widely. “I hope she wasn’t rented for this occasion too.” She laughed, and her husband joined in.
Maxwell’s jaw clenched instantly. “I already told you, Mom,” he said firmly. “This is my friend, Camilla.”
Camilla smiled politely at everyone, her posture calm and composed. “It’s really nice to meet you all,” she said softly.
Mrs. Sinclair’s expression softened at once. “She’s lovely,” she said warmly, then turned to Mr. Sinclair. “Very well mannered.”
Declan scoffed and raised his glass. “Well-mannered is boring,” he said, his gaze drifting shamelessly toward Claire. “You look incredible.” Claire blinked, clearly caught off guard by the attention. “Thank you,” she replied, her voice uneasy.
His mother shook her head slightly just as the chef and a maid walked in, placing the dishes carefully on the table. The smell of the food filled the room, but before Mrs. Sinclair could say her prayer, Declan had already picked up his cutlery.
He dug into the food without a second thought, eating quickly and carelessly, like someone who had been starved for days. The sound of his cutlery against the plate felt unbearably loud in the sudden silence.
Every single one of us stared at him, shock and irritation written clearly on our faces. I could feel the tension at the table growing thicker by the second. When Mrs. Sinclair’s eyes met mine, there was a clear amusement in her gaze. Heat rushed to my face, and I immediately looked down.
I lowered my gaze to my plate, pretending to admire the neatly arranged food in front of me. My appetite was completely gone. My stomach felt twisted and tight, as if it were tied in knots.
I had never felt embarrassment like this in my entire existence.
The only sound left in the room was the soft clinking of plates and cutlery against porcelain. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, until Declan decided to break it.
“So, Claire,” he said, leaning back in his chair with an easy, careless grin, “how long have you been putting up with my brother?”
Before Claire could even open her mouth, Maxwell spoke. “Stop it, Declan.”
Declan only laughed, clearly enjoying himself. “Relax. I am just being friendly.”
I felt Maxwell’s gaze shift to me then, heavy and unmistakable. I kept my eyes lowered, focused on my plate as if it required all my attention.
Then Maxwell added, his tone colder now, “How about you give your fiancée the attention she needs? Or do you two have nothing to talk about? She looks like she feels alone at this table. My friend should be the least of your worries.”
“You haven’t eaten,” Mrs. Sinclair said suddenly, her voice soft but carrying that motherly concern. I flinched slightly at the attention.
“Oh, I will,” I mumbled, glancing nervously around the table. My eyes met Maxwell’s for a brief moment before I quickly looked down, my heart thudding in my chest.
Declan leaned closer, his arm brushing against mine. My stomach twisted as his hand settled possessively over my fingers. The smell of alcohol and smoke still clung to him, making my stomach churn. If I tried to eat anything now, I would probably throw up.
My body stiffened instantly, every instinct telling me to pull away but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Not with their eyes on us, all of them watching. I forced myself to stay still, forcing down the nausea, pretending everything was fine.
“I forgot to tell you,” Declan said lightly, his tone almost casual, “Amelia is a picky eater. But she will manage for tonight. Besides,” he added with a small, reassuring smile, “she’s just feeling a little overwhelmed and nervous.”
“She doesn’t look nervous,” Maxwell said evenly, his gaze fixed on me. “She looks uncomfortable.”
Declan’s laugh cut through the tension, loud and mocking. “All of a sudden you care about my fiancée?” he said, leaning back with a smug grin. “She’s mine, and whatever I do with her is none of your business.”
There was an edge to his words, a hidden warning beneath the surface, and I felt trapped between them, my stomach twisting as the weight of their confrontation pressed down on me.
Maxwell’s expression darkened, but he forced a small, smooth smile. “That’s interesting,” he said calmly, his voice even. “Because earlier, Mother seemed to think she was hired.”
Mrs. Sinclair raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued, but she didn’t say a word. The silence at the table thickened.
Declan leaned back slightly, shrugging as if the comment didn’t concern him. “That’s just a miscommunication,” he said casually, his grin bold and challenging. “Amelia here is my fiancée, we have been engaged for six years. Should I show you pictures?”
Nobody spoke for the rest of dinner. Declan, of course, continued to stare at Camilla now and then, giving her those weird, unsettling smiles that made the air feel heavier.
When the meal finally ended, we began to rise, preparing to move into the living room so everyone could say their goodbyes. But before we could take a step, Declan sprang up suddenly and darted toward the bathroom.
I guessed the combination of alcohol and the enormous amount of food he’d just devoured was finally catching up to him. I instinctively moved to follow him just to make it seem like I cared but Mrs. Sinclair’s hand gently pressed against my arm, stopping me.
“Don’t worry,” she said with a reassuring smile.
“I will check on him.” And with that, she stood and headed in the same direction Declan had disappeared.
My phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out and saw a client calling. I had no intention of answering, but it was the perfect excuse to slip out of the suffocating atmosphere at the table. Anything to escape the weight of their gazes and the tension that made it impossible to breathe.
“Excuse me, I need to take this,” I said, holding up my phone as I stepped out of the dining room. The cool air outside hit me like a relief, and I stayed there for a few minutes, letting myself breathe. Eventually, I heard the front door open behind me, and I decided it was time to go back inside.
The moment I turned, Maxwell appeared in front of me. I froze instantly, my heart hammering in my chest. I had prayed not to have a one-on-one encounter tonight.
His gaze was unwavering, “Can you explain why you are here with my brother as his fiancée,” he said, his voice low and controlled, “while I am still waiting for the signed marriage documents from you?”
He stepped closer, and instinctively, I took a step back. I raised my hands, palms outward, trying to stop him from advancing, though I knew it might not work. His presence alone made the air feel heavier, suffocating, and I could feel the tension crackling between us with every inch he closed the distance.
“Your brother and I were once engaged, I was going to tell.”
Shit, I thought immediately. Did I just say ‘once engaged’? I should have kept my mouth shut.
Maxwell’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t say anything right away. Then, his voice cut through the tension, low and sharp. “You convinced him to come here or he hired you to pretend to be his fiancée so Mom and Dad would forgive him? Or what?”
I frowned, my irritation and disbelief rising. “Does your brother look like someone who can afford to hire me to be here?” I asked, my voice steady despite the fluttering in my chest.
He chuckled, a sound that was dark and unsettling. “Exactly,” he said, stepping just a little closer, “which is why you shouldn’t have come to this dinner tonight. You shouldn’t have let Declan use you as a pawn in his stupid games. Once I start with you, he won’t be able to save you. As you can see, he can barely save himself.”
His words hit me like, I felt trapped, cornered, yet the fire of defiance inside me wouldn’t let me show it.
My jacket was inside, and the cold air outside had already started to seep through my clothes, making me shiver. “I, I need to go back inside,” I said, trying to sidestep him.
But Maxwell moved smoothly, stepping in front of me and pressing me gently but firmly against the wall. My heart pounded in my chest.
“What are you trying to do?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
He didn’t answer. He just stared first at my lips, then slowly downward at my boobs, lingering in a way that made me feel exposed. My body stiffened, I could feel every nerve on high alert, every movement of his gaze sending heat straight through me.
Then, suddenly, the door opened. Maxwell instinctively stepped back, breaking the tension.
Camilla appeared, her voice sharp and incredulous. “Babe, what are you doing?”
I let out a quiet breath I didn’t realize I was holding, grateful for the interruption, even as my heart continued to race.
Author's note: sighs😢, should I get rid of Declan🤔🤔