Chapter 18 Starting A New Life
‘His affection must have started after he left for London because before that… it was nothing, right?…
Closing her eyes, she remembered a statement William once made about her while getting ready for work.
“Helena, you and Arabella are the same for me. I can’t possibly think about her romantically,”
Her chest constricted to remember it as she smiled sadly to herself.
“If you had, you would have confessed, right?”
Clutching the pendant and deciding to wear it to work today.
A shiver went down her spine, hands turning numb, praying she wouldn't stumble on him as she had no idea what to do or how to react and she didn’t want to embarrass him either.
Arabella was still in a dilemma if she made the right choice or not. If the path she had chosen was going to result in redemption or ravage.
And leaving those stressful thoughts hanging, she was at work, discussing some work with her male co-worker.
“At this price they get a house where a murder has happened,” He joked around.
“Seriously,” She giggled.
Clutching her clipboard close to her chest, stopping near her cabin and found Willaim there, engrossed in his phone.
“I am going to collect the payments then,”
“Okay,”
He cleared his throat and walked away after seeing their boss.
“Okay,” She nodded, curling her toes to control her vexation when his eyes locked with hers as he slowly cut the call.
His eyes scanned her to his deepest extent.
Finding her not meeting his gaze as usual, biting her bottom lip nervously, she shifted closer and whispered innocently.
“I am sorry for talking to him, I-I didn’t know you are here, he-he came to ask for the mortgage collections,”
His brows furrowed at her stammer, almost baffled.
“So? What’s with the explanation?” Putting the phone back, he chuckled faintly.
“Well, I know I am an extremely strict Boss but you are my exception-”
He was about to continue playfully only to get cut off stressfully by her, slightly ashamed, she tugged her hair behind her ear and looked away.
“...Luke used to ask- interrogate… what I said, why I smiled, why… um, he hated it,”
An awkward silence came between them.
Fidgeting her fingers around her dress but before discomfort could brim, William placed his hand over her head.
Her heart skipped a beat, glancing at the large hand over her head, giving it a soft ruffle, unbothered by the whispering that went around.
“My, my, special treatment from the Boss huh?”
“Well, they had known each since childhood,”
“Do you think it’s more than family friendship?”
Her lips parted to call him, “Uh, Sir?”
“It’s alright.”
But not hearing further, he walked away, leaving her in a daze, almost forgetting how it felt like to not be questioned, to be trusted.
Tracing her finger over her head after gaining some assurance before entering her cabin only to find a small bunch of white roses on her table along with a card.
‘I hope you won’t throw them away like before,’
With a feeble smile adorning her lips, her fingers brushed against the petals, sniffing their scent and this time-
She decided to replace her fake dusty flowers in the vase on her table with his, staring at them with a sorrowful thought.
‘This is all I could do, take care of what you provide. I hope you will notice and it will help your afflicted heart,’
William walked past after his work was done and caught a glimpse of her holding the flowers, curling her lips upwards.
Putting them in her vase that provided a shore to his havoc, soothing his heart effortlessly, just by holding them.
‘Oh, your slightest care is a medicine for my afflicted heart,’
Smiling to himself, after gaining instant relief.
“Sir-” Recognizing the scent, her eyes went up quickly, linking with his.
Clearing his throat, he smiled, shifting his eyes shyly and also left for his work because he couldn’t care less about this one.
His sole reason to come under the mark of survey was to see her once, just once to get him going through his unworthy life- according to him.
After meeting each other, sharing small greetings for the next few days, loosened their tightness gradually.
Since they weren’t living together nor like actual couples, it helped them in getting comfortable until one night she was unable to find solace and her phone rang.
“Hey,” William beamed as usual and her tone was dead.
“Hmm?”
“How are you?”
“Did you call at midnight to ask this?” She sighed, rubbing her temples.
“Say, we truly got married, right?”
“Mhm,”
“Okay, still not a dream. Now I can sleep peacefully. Good night,” He chuckled.
Solace rushed into his veins when she confirmed it and was about to cut the call but she stopped him.
“William, wait,”
“Hmm?”
“I..” Her voice broke, pressing her head harder on the pillow.
“I feel horrible… Why did Luke do this to me? Am I not good enough?”
Hearing her dejected resonance, he became utterly serious. He knew he couldn’t rip the ache of betrayal nor replace it with his fondness.
All he could provide her was comfort.
“His loss, his misfortune, he will realize it instantly when he will see us about what a gem he lost and then he will regret,”
“You think?”
“Yes,”
“William, I-” She sniffled to suppress the tears forming a screen, “I…”
“What is it, Bella?”
She quiver each time she remembered how easily he discarded their in-depth love and out of desperation, a whimper escaped.
“I want him to chase me back, to realize he did wrong,” She confessed.
“I know you love him a lot but I want Luke’s heart to break terribly!”
Shutting his eyes, a sharp pain went through William’s chest.
Turning his head to the side, cursing mentally because his decision might be self-centered but his adoration for his brother was… unchanged.
“Please, please, please, help me with that. I want him to regret his actions,”
It was so unfavorable.
He couldn’t do this, but when the request was given from her side then how about becoming self-centered once again?
“Of- Of course, that is why I am here for you,” He forced those words.
“R-Really?”
“Mhm…” William suggested sweetly, concealing his ache, “You should sleep now else you won’t be able to work properly.”
“Okay, good night,”
After gaining his reassurance, covering her face with her hands, struggling to not think about what would happen.
The moment when Luke will find her as his brother’s bride sent a deadly shiver down her spine, knocking some senses in her.
“Now you will see Luke-” Senses sank in. Her eyes went wide because- “What will Helena think? How can I face her!?”
That she created a wall between her beloved brothers!?
‘Oh Lord, I think I have made a decision in haste…!’
It made her heart beat so loudly that she felt like it would leap out of her chest, groaning, she pulled her hair.
‘I was so depressed that without realizing what destruction it can cause I agreed to give him a chance. What is going to happen now?!’