Chapter 22: Story
Story
ERIC’s POV
I stopped in my tracks and turned around to find Rayne standing with someone, and something knotted in my chest when I saw it was a guy. I could read the surprise in her expression when she turned around to look at him.
“I’d call you later,” I said into the phone and ended the call immediately. I wanted to go to her, but then I decided against it when someone else showed up from behind the masculine figure. It was a girl, a brunette. Then she also said Rayne’s name. It seemed she was acquainted with these people. But, I could tell something was amid. I never saw a smile on her face while she talked with them. She instead had a look of perplexity on her, as if she was trying to comprehend something. Her eyes were locked on the couple’s intertwined arms. I could only wonder who they were and what role they played in her life before our wedding.
I quickly took a snap of them and sent the photo to one of my private investigators. “Get me information on the couple in that picture. I want it before sundown.” I told him.
I glanced over at them once again, before taking another route to the car parked a few inches behind Rayne. Sitting on the passenger side, I watched them with rapt attention, taking notice of the little drama from the couple, especially the girl who kept acting all gluey, and I faintly understood what was happening. If these people were trying to hurt Rayne, I swore I wasn’t going to forgive them.
The girl said something to the guy whose face looked distinctly familiar, then they started to walk away, leaving Rayne behind. I watched in anger as she clutched tightly onto her chest in pain. I felt my blood boiling. No one had the right to make her cry.
“Go get her,” I said to my chauffeur. I could hear my anger being stifled in my voice and it annoyed me further. He immediately hurried out of the car, and towards her direction.
When she returned with him to the car, her eyes were red and teary and she wrapped her arms around herself and threw her eyes out the window. By the time the car pulled into the mansion, she was already fast asleep.
RAYNE’S POV
I woke up fully aware of my environment. I was in my room and on my bed. The memory of what had happened at the restaurant was still vivid in my mind as if it had never left even while I was asleep, and again, I felt the pain of betrayal sting my heart like a bee, and I felt my eyes begin to well up uncontrollably, but I refused to allow them assess. Fred and Sarah didn’t deserve any more of my tears.
A knock on my door sent me sniffling back on the tears that were threatening to overwhelm me. I guessed it would be Elaina. I didn’t want to make her worry over anything. The door wound open and a masculine figure walked in, Eric. He had a tray with him and had a serious expression on his face.
“Good afternoon,” I said to him as he got closer. He put the tray down on my lap and grinned at me.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.
“It’s evening already, wife.”
I stared around in surprise, wondering for how long I had been asleep.
“That’s right, you have been asleep for too long. I was starting to think that you have become pregnant already.”
I looked up at him and saw him smirking at me, and I immediately looked away. He chuckled at my reaction and I felt my heart flutter. I thought he had one of the best laughs I had ever heard. It was both deep and lite, teasing and inviting, calling my eyes toward him. I did and saw the warmth in his countenance. And strangely, I didn’t want to look away anymore.
With long beautiful lashes, perfectly defined jaw muscles and strongly chiseled facial features, I was left in awe of his beauty, and I was left to wonder how a man could look so beautiful that he could even be considered more beautiful than a woman. He caught me staring and I immediately looked away, my cheeks turning red in embarrassment. I thought he was going to probably tease me about it, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply opened the dish on the tray for me and asked me to start eating.
I started eating and all the while, I felt his eyes on me, and it made me nervous.
“Do you want me to feed you?” He asked.
I looked up and stared briefly into his deep gray eyes, then I shook my head. “No, I am fine,” I said to him. I couldn’t afford him getting any closer than he already was, else, I wouldn’t be able to control my stupid nervousness.
ERIC’s POV
I watched her closely as she ate, and I suddenly felt the urge to wrap my hands around her to comfort her and protect her from all of her life’s problems. She deserved happiness. She had cried too much already. From the very first day we met at the hotel, all she had done was shed tears. And now that I knew the main reason behind all of those tears, I wanted to help her heal and was determined to deal with those behind her tears. She was my wife now, and that meant her problems were up to me to take care of.
When she had finished eating, I rang the maids and someone came in to get the tray.
“Come wife, would you like me to read you a story?” I asked her and for the first time, she nodded in agreement. “What’s your favorite novel?” I asked and saw her cheeks turn red.
“Beauty and the beast.” She answered and I couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction.