CHAPTER 5

AMARA POV.

When I came into the dining room, Mr and Mrs Milton were already sitting at the breakfast table. It was quite a long table that had space for about thirty more people, and I thought it weird that there were no one else that was seated. I was under the impression that others also lived inside the manor. “Ah, Amara. There you are.” Clarissa said and motioned for me to take a seat. I looked over the assorted items that were being service and I thought it to be a bit much. There was a little of something of everything.

“Hope you slept well?” Clarissa asked and I nodded as I reached for a jug of juice and started to fill the glass in front of me. “Yes, thank you. The room is very beautiful.” I said and Clarissa looked satisfied with my answer, and she too poured herself some juice before looking towards the door that I just came through. "What is taking Ace so long?" Clarissa asked as she looked to her watch before ticking her fingers on the table.

"Maybe he forgot about the time by staring at himself in the mirror to further boost that ego of his." I commented snappily as I remembered the kiss we shared in my room before I came down for breakfast. For some reason I couldn’t blame him fully because I returned the kiss. What the hell was I thinking and what is wrong with me. I must be coming down with something.

Clarissa hid a smile behind her napkin, but I could see the sparkles in her eyes while her husband ignored me.

Just then, the bane in my new marriage entered the room. The smug look on his face as he locked eyes with me made me look away just as my cheeks flared red as I immediately thought back to our kiss in the room. Out the corner of my eye, I saw his mother look to me before looking back towards her son who was pulling out a chair and plopping himself next to me in it and I ground my teeth as I felt his hand fleetingly touch my back as he put an arm at the back of my chair’s head rest.

"Good morning, Ace, you seem to be in a good mood this morning." His mother greeted suspiciously as her eyes travelled to my stiff seating position to his relaxed one.

“Good morning, mother, father.” He greeted as he reached forward with his other hand and picked up the cup of coffee that one of the girls just filled for him. “Of course, I am. I’m married to a beautiful woman and will soon be taking over the reign’s from father just as soon as I come back from our honeymoon.” He said smugly before taking a sip. It was at that moment that I was about to take a sip of my juice when I choked on the sip.

“H-HONEYMOON!?” I sputtered out on a chocking cough. There wasn’t anything in the marriage agreement about having to go on a honeymoon! I thought to myself as I looked at Ace’s warning glare at my shocked outburst at the table. “But of course, the two of you will be leaving on your honeymoon soon, how else will I become a grandfather?” Hugo commented as he folded and laid the newspaper down onto the table and pinned a strict look onto me that made me swallow inaudibly. I felt intimidated and angry at the same time. “I-I mean… I didn’t know you wanted to leave so soon. I haven’t given my notice in at work and Peter is a wreck when it comes to organising and…” I stuttered. Last night I was a very emotional and angry when I let it slip to his parents that I didn’t want to marry their son, but the agreement was that I would not speak of it to anyone publicly or in private otherwise he would go back on his word and destroy everything my brother and Jared had worked for over the few years.

“He will manage!” Ace said with finality and drained his cup of coffee before putting it down on the table in front of him. The girl that poured his coffee the first time came forward to pour another, but he motioned her away. “I have already spoken to Peter and he was more than happy to accept the arrangement.” I looked at him in disbelief. The son of a bitch went behind my back, and I felt a little betrayed by Peter for giving in so easily. “Arrangement?” I asked and he pulled his hand back from the back of my chair and started to pile various types of meat onto his plate. A lot of meat. Bacon, sausages, beef cuts, meat balls and other things that one would not usually find at breakfast meals. “Yes, an arrangement. I offered to have Gerald fill in, in your place and Peter was more than happy to accept.” He said and took a large bite out of a sausage and smirked my way. I felt like I could murder Peter right now. “Really, Ace? You seduced my colleague friend with one of your hot friends? Of course, Peter would grab for the chance to look at another man’s ass for days on end.” I said angrily and went to reach for my glass of juice went I faltered. Did he just growl? I looked back at him questioningly before looking around. “Did you… Did you hear that? I asked and a snickering girl in the corner caught my attention before she saw me looking and sobered up quickly.

Something strange was going on. When I looked to his parents, they both were looking pointedly at Ace. I must be imagining things, I thought to myself as I shook it off.  It has been under a lot of stress recently. “Thank you, but I don’t think me going away at the moment…” I started to say but he cut me off. “It has been done. We will be leaving this evening.” He said before looking towards his mother. “Mother, will you make sure that Amara is packed accordingly for the trip that we will be taking?” He asked and my mouth dropped open. It was clear that I had no say in this whatsoever and apparently, I wasn’t privy to know where we were going either since he would have said so by now. Even though I was angry, I couldn’t help but be curious as to know where we would be going. I basically never left out little town. After me and Alex’s parents died, we stuck close together. Even after I finished school. That was when Peter offered me a job in his mother’s flower and gift shop. It wasn’t much, but they needed the extra pair of hands, and I haven’t thought of doing anything else since.

I watched in awe as Ace chowed down his breakfast in record speed before getting up. My mind was still reeling from the shock of the turn of breakfast that I didn’t have time to react when Ace swooped down and stole a kiss off my lips and turned away and walked out of the room. I sat there frozen. My stomach in knots as I stared after him where he was already out of sight.

I looked towards Clarissa and Hugo. Hugo was busy with a huge plate of his own but was at least eating it more presentably than his son whilst Clarissa sat and sipped her tea whilst watching me with an amused expression. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” She said and winked at me before taking another sip of her tea. "You should eat," Hugo spoke up as he swallowed a bite of bacon. "You are too thin and if you are going to bear my grand pups then I suggest you put some meat one your bones." He said and I stared at him. “Grand pups?” I asked puzzled and Hugo winced in pain as though he was pinched, and I saw Clarissa adjust herself more comfortably in her chair before clearing her throat to speak. “Come on dear. Have your breakfast then we can go shopping for your trip.” Clarissa said and this time I knew they were hiding something.

"I seem to have lost my appetite all of a sudden," I said as I looked at the two of them suspiciously. My mother-in-law nodded and didn’t press on that I should eat, but instead stood up from the table. "In that case, we should get going then." She said and leaned over to her husband and bent down to drop a kiss onto his head while he chewed on a piece of toast. "We have a long day ahead of us." She spoke and indicated for me to come with her.