Chapter 13 CONNER’S COLD SMILE
Sophie ? Are you alive?" I heard a soft voice say, waking me from my sleep. I winced at the brightness of the sun in my face as my eyes slowly open, I was extremely comfortable in the bed and really didn't want to get up.
A knock sounds from my door and I quickly get up with a groan, opening it to find Allison holding a tray in her hands with a large smile covering her face.
"Good morning miss, I brought you breakfast!" She says, and I smile softly as I took the tray while carefully walking over to the bed trying to not drop anything.
"Thank you Allison." I say as I open it to find steaming hot chocolate chip pancakes with syrup and fresh fruits, a glass of orange juice on the side.
I almost drool at the sight of the food and quickly dig in to the sweet pancakes.
"Wow, he really went all out with these gifts." Allison says as she looks around the room.
Everything was still where it was kept, untouched.
"You can take them, I don't want any of it." I say as I stuff my face with the food, looking outside through the large window.
"Why don't you want any of it? I'm sure Mr. Conner spent a lot of time picking them out for you." She mumbles and I almost want to puke at the mention of his last name that I'd have to get my own changed to soon.
"I'm sure the maids he sleeps around with had a fun time picking them out." I snort, my pancakes nearly gone now.
Allison looks confused for a second until she looks over at my face that was probably still putty from crying last night.
"Did you cry miss? If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" She asks, a worried expression covering her face.
I debate on telling her or not but decide I would, she was my only friend here and the only sensible one around this place.
"Conner and I kissed last night and he just stopped at one point and started to text someone and next thing you know a maid comes in." I mumble, thinking back to how pathetic I was.
Was it a short blonde? That's Elizabeth White, she swears she's in a relationship with Mr.conner but we all know the truth." Allison gasps, fuming with anger and I nod my head at the description.
"I just don't understand, how could you kiss someone you know already hates you and then just like that bring another woman in. I felt pathetic, and angry that I even let him kiss me." I mumble, my appetite lost. I focus my attention on the large room that seemed to be my own at this point which I didn't mind at all.
"Allison, let's go on a walk." I say all of a sudden, before she is able to respond to my ranting.
"But miss the weddings tomorrow you must save all your energy and there's no way Mr.
Conner would let you outside-"
"What's the worst he can do? Shoot me?" I say, as I walk over to the bathroom to freshen up.
" See, that was easy!" I say, as I take in the fresh air, trying to distract myself from all Allison had said about Conner’s fuck buddy.
I wanted to not care but little me wishing for my own prince to marry was having her dreams crushed right in front of her, and I hated every second of it.
I hated every second I had to be with him
The sun kissed my skin for once in a long time and I turn to Allison who was looking around frantically, scared someone would find us.
" Oh come on Allison loosen up!" I say, and as she's about to say something a scream leaves my mouth when the sprinklers suddenly turn on, the cold water soaking me.
"Oh no, you're getting all wet! I'll go turn it off miss!" Allison says, running to go find a way to turn the water off but I ignore her as the shock from the water turns into me enjoying it as I run through the sprinklers, the soft grass underneath my now bare feet as a laugh leaves my mouth at Allison's fear of the water getting onto her.
It was stupid, but I never got to swim in pools like jasmine got to do when we were younger, and this was the closest I'd get to it so I was enjoying my time before I had to go back to the depressing prison indoors.
"Sophie , what the hell are you doing?!" I hear someone yell from a large balcony and I freeze in my spot, looking up to see Matteo dressed in a suit, and on the large balcony with him were 20 other men dressed in suits looking like they were in some important meeting.
I feel my stomach drop at the sight and I look down at myself drenched in water, dressed in a plain t-shirt that went past my shorts.
I hear the men laughing as they looked down at me and I turn red in embarrassment, my eyes moving back up to see conner standing there looking down at me with his hands in his pockets, an angry look on his face.
He was dressed in a black suit, his dark hair cleanly pushed back and his eyes burning into my own. I could barely even make eye contact with him and I hated to admit it but I couldn't deny how attractive he looked.
"'What a beautiful young lady! She's just having fun, don't be so serious." An old man laughs, looking over the balcony at me.
"What's your name sweetheart?" He says and I look up, pushing a piece of my wet hair behind my ear as I clear my throat. I was away from where the sprinklers had been spraying water everywhere, unfortunately. I was having fun until this situation I put myself into.
"My name is Sophie ." I say quietly, trying to avoid Conner’s angry gaze burning through my head.
"Where's your father? You shouldn't be out here all alone." He says, and I scrunch my eyebrows together in confusion.
"She's my fiancé." I hear a low voice say and the old man turns to conner thinking he was joking until he notices the seriousness in his face. He was looking straight at me as he said those words and I clear my throat, looking away from him.
" Fiancé? I apologize Mr. Conner i never expected her to be so young!" The old man laughs, no reaction coming from Conner. He gives me one more glance before turning around and walking back to the large table the men were sat at.
Matteo gave me a small smile and the water slowly turns off as I stand there rethinking my existence.
"Well, at least the waters off?" Allison laughs nervously at the other side of the large gardens and I quickly walk over to where she was standing, hidden away from the view of the men.
" He had the nerves to be angry at me after expecting he could just lock me up in a room my entire life." I rant to her, squeezing the water off of my wet shirt and I look up when she doesn't respond, a confused look on my face when I see her looking out at the balcony.
"What is it?" I say and she turns her head to me, pointing up, my eyes moving to where her finger was being pointed.
I feel my smile drop as I look at the woman Allison was talking about, Elizabeth, dressed in a short maid uniform and being extra touchy with conner as she placed a drink in front of him.
" She has no shame." Mouthes Allison, shaking her head and I nod my head. I couldn't deny the beauty Elizabeth had though, no wonder she got the attention from Conner when he's so cold towards everyone else.
"Let's go, I need to take a shower." I say, laughing at my current state. I looked like a wet dog.
We start walking back inside, my shoes back on and my hair almost dry now until I trip over someone's foot, landing straight on my face with a groan. I feel my body ache at the fall, and my knees bleeding from the force against the hard ground.
" Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry please let me help you up." I hear a voice say and move my head up to see Elizabeth standing, her eyes watering as she held a tray of wine glasses.
"It's okay, I'm fine." I say getting up, wincing slightly at the cut on my knee. Elizabeth starts crying though and I look over at Allison who was giving Elizabeth a disgusted look.
Why was she crying?
Um..you okay?" I say, not really knowing what to do in this situation. She had her head bowed down as she cried, her blonde hair covering her face.
"Do you need anything?" I ask, about to put my hand on her shoulder but she quickly moves back, dramatically falling with the glass going down with her and shattering everywhere. Coincidentally all the men had finished their meeting and were walking in at the worst time.
As soon as the men stepped in she grabbed onto my leg, weeping now and I look down at her with my eyebrows scrunched in confusion. Why was she grabbing me?!
"Please, don't hurt me!" She screeches and I try getting her hands off of my legs but she had a death grip on it.
"What's going on?" Matteo asks and just after he says that Conner walks in, his hands in his pockets.
He makes eye contact with me before looking at the scene in front of him.
"I accidentally bumped into her and she got mad and pushed me to the ground." Elizabeth cries and I roll my eyes, crossing my hands over my chest.
I knew what she was trying to do, and It was embarrassing to say the least.
" Really? All of this for him? At least try to get better at acting if your not going to make your taste in men any better." I say to her, feeling his eyes burning into my head. I know he wanted me to look up at him but I refused to.
"You, clean up this mess." Conner says to Elizabeth and she looks up at him, confused.
Her face had dropped from anger to sadness and for some reason I kind of felt bad.
"You don't know my nam-?" She doesn't get to finish her sentence before he walks straight past her,grabbing my arm and dragging me away from the scene and everyone who was watching it.
Me? I'm the one playing games? Funny world you live in." I scoff, my hands crossed over my chest.
"Listen princess , I'm not here to deal with your jealousy problems, there is no real feelings with this marriage so stop getting so sensitive about a relationship that was never there between us, intros?" He says, a laugh nearly leaving my mouth.
" I was never jealous, but now that you've explained it all there should be no problem in me seeing other men too right?" I reply, watching as his eyes darken before a small smirk grows on his stupidly handsome face. I was surprised he hadn't shot me to death already.
"Not at all." He says, moving off of the wall and walking away. I let out a breath against the wall, pointing my middle finger up at his back before quickly walking the opposite way.
Asshole.