The wedding day finally came and the ceremony was to begin at 6 p.m. Wendy showed up as soon as she closed from work. She was dressed in a beige silk dress similar to Kate’s.
As Kate expected, her mother complained about her choice of wedding dress, even though it had a high neck and stopped at her ankles. Kate’s belly hadn’t started bulging yet, but her bosom had doubled in size. She was grateful for the increase because she was naturally deficient in that area.
While Wendy was putting the finishing touches to Kate’s makeup, someone knocked on her bedroom door.
“May I come in?” Chris asked from outside.
“Oh, god,” Kate groaned. She’d been dreading this confrontation for days.
“Do you want me to send him away?” Wendy asked her.
“No, let him in,” said Kate wearily. “Let’s get this over and done with.”
“Look, don’t let your brothe
After dinner, Chris and John helped Kate carry her bags into Tony’s rental Chevy truck. They’d already taken photos together with Laura’s mobile phone, thanks to Wendy the unofficial photographer.When it was time to head to the airport, Kate joined Tony in the back seat of the truck while Charles sat on the passenger side beside the driver. Her parents and Wendy followed them in their car, while Chris and his family returned to their home in Prime Valley.“This feels surreal, doesn’t it?” Tony said conversationally.“It does,” Kate agreed. She felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension about this next phase of her wild adventure.“I know this might sound a bit strange, but I admire your bravery,” said Tony.Kate chuckled softly and said, “I’m not sure bravery is the right word to describe what I’ve just done. I don’t quite have a word for it yet, but it surely i
To Kate’s surprise, instead of heading to the check-in counter, she found herself following the men through another exit toward the hangar.“Where are we going?” She asked Tony suspiciously.“To the hangar to board the jet,” Tony answered casually.“The jet? What jet?” Kate asked in confusion.“My jet,” Tony answered calmly.Kate was stunned. They reached the hangar and behold, a white Cessna Citation M2 jet with ‘DaCosta’ written on it was right there, waiting for them. The porter loaded their bags in the jet and left.A pretty blond lady who was the air hostess was waiting at the foot of the steps to welcome them. Charles went ahead of Tony and Kate.“Shall we?” Tony asked Kate softly.She simply nodded and let Tony escort her into the aircraft.“Good evening, Mr DaCosta. Welcome on board,” the air hostess greeted him with a wide
Kate couldn’t be bothered to admire the opulent mansion as Tony led her upstairs to his quarter. Her mind was troubled by the disturbing scene that had just played out downstairs.Tony led her into a huge suite that was furnished like a Renaissance palace with gold-framed furniture, large oil paintings on the walls, and green plants in big flower pots around the room. There was also an ornate fireplace which gave the room a true vintage vibe.An arched entryway led to the bedroom where a king-sized bed stood. There was a dressing table on one side of the bedroom and a walk-in closet on the other.“This is my suite,” Tony informed Kate calmly. “But it will be your bedroom from now on. I’ll ask a maid or two to clear out my things from here and move them to Agne’s room over there.”He pointed at a door beside the fireplace. Kate had thought that the door led to the bathroom.“Who is Agnes?” She as
Kate wasted no time in unzipping one of her bags and bringing out her most comfy pajama set and her toothbrush. She went into the bathroom and found herself in the most luxurious bathroom she’d ever seen.Everything here was done in white and gold. The shower stall with its marble tiles, was big enough to fit four people comfortably. The boat-shaped bathtub looked like a mini swimming pool.“I could live in here,” Kate laughed to herself.After a deliciously relaxing hot shower and brushing her teeth, Kate got dressed and returned to the bedroom. She was so exhausted that as soon as she got on the extremely comfortable bed, she fell asleep.She was woken by the sound of her phone ringing. It was morning already and she couldn’t figure out where her blasted phone was ringing from.Kate dragged herself out of bed and traced the shrill sound to her purse which she’d carelessly tossed on the ottoman at the foot of the bed
As soon as Kate got to her assigned suite, she heard a knock from Agnes’ bedroom door. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, but then she remembered that Tony had spent the night there.“Come in,” she said, hearing Tony unlock the door.When he showed up, he was wearing a black silk dressing robe over pastel-colored pajamas and soft slippers similar to the one Kate was wearing. He noticed her distress immediately and hurried towards her.“What is it, Kate? Are you alright? Did something happen? Is the baby fine?” Tony asked almost breathlessly.“Everything is not fine,” Kate confessed on the verge of tears. “And the baby is the reason why I’m in this situation, so I don’t care if it’s fine or not!”“Please, don’t say that,” Tony told her tenderly. “What happened.”“I woke up very hungry, so I decided to go downstairs and grab
While Tony showered in the bathroom, Kate continued eating and wondered why Tony wasn’t willing to tell her more about Agnes. Maybe he hadn’t gotten over her death as he claimed in Sommerville.After finishing her sandwich, Kate drank the orange juice that came with the meal in three gulps. She felt full and didn’t think she needed to participate in the family breakfast meeting.Maybe she should tell Tony that she didn’t feel so good so that he’d let her stay up here while he dined with his kids.“You’re not a coward,” Kate whispered to herself. She couldn’t hide in here forever.Tony emerged from the bedroom dressed in a mint sweatshirt and joggers combination with a pair of white sneakers. This casual outfit made him look young and attractive, and Kate was surprised that she actually found him appealing.“How do I look?” Tony asked her playfully.“Youthful,” Kate said immediately and bit her lip in regret. She hoped Tony didn’t feel insult
Kate could barely eat anything after that disturbing showdown with Athena and Adonis. Tony on the other hand ate his English breakfast heartily as if nothing was amiss.Kate guessed that he was already so used to clashing with his children, that it didn’t bother him anymore. It bothered Kate though. The thought of having a baby in this chaotic environment disturbed her too.Fredrick showed up in the dining room, dressed in a suit that Kate now believed to be his uniform. His bald head shone like an oiled egg.“Good morning, sir,” he greeted Tony and then turned to Kate and said, “Good morning, ma’am.”“Good morning, Fredrick,” they both answered him.“Sir, Martha informed me that you would like to have a meeting with all the staff at 10 a.m.,” said Fredrick.“That’s right,” Tony confirmed. “Please summon all of them and let them meet us in the sunroom.”
“I would like to get back to work soon,” Kate informed Tony.He looked at her with an expression of confusion on his handsome face. “I don’t understand. Why do you want to work?”It was Kate’s turn to look confused. “Why not? I’m a professional pastry chef and I enjoyed my job very much before I lost it.”“I don’t doubt that at all, but I don’t think you should work just yet,” said Tony. “You’re pregnant, remember?”Kate rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, I am pregnant, not handicapped. I can’t sit around all day doing nothing.”“You don’t have to,” Tony said with a grin. “There are tons of relaxing activities you can engage in to keep you busy every day. You could take on painting, gardening, or even learning a musical instrument. There’d be no spare time for you to be bored. There’s even a library here
Fredrick greeted them warmly at the front door and ushered them into a silver Bentley that was waiting in front of the mansion.“He’s not getting fired, is he?” Kate asked Tony softly in the backseat. She didn’t want the driver to overhear her.“I don’t want to,” Tony admitted. “He’s practically a member of my family. He has been here since my children were little.”“Do you trust him?” Kate asked Tony.“More than I trust the others,” he answered.Kate nodded and relaxed in her seat. That was that then. Fredrick would not lose his job. She couldn’t have that on her conscience too.They drove up to Willowbrook where one of Tony’s restaurants was located. When they arrived, the head waiter showed up promptly to take them to their table in a secluded VIP section. It was curtained off and unavailable to anyone else as long as Tony and Kate were there.
Tony succeeded in getting through the three hours of lying down beside Kate and not jumping her bones. The last time he was this attracted to a woman was many years ago, on the same evening he met Agnes.The sun was already rising in the sky and Kate was still asleep. Tony wondered if he should leave now or wait for her to wake up.She was sleeping on her right side, facing him. He studied her peaceful face, admiring those perfectly curved eyebrows. Her full eyelashes spread out above her cheek like a curved hand fan.Her nostrils flared slightly as she inhaled deeply in her sleep. Tony’s eyes traveled down to her lips. Hmm… would he ever get to kiss them?Kate’s eyes fluttered open and they met Tony’s. He became a bit embarrassed to be caught staring, so he smiled and quickly started to get up.“Good morning,” Kate said sleepily and yawned.“Good morning,” said Tony. “I only just woke u
“The police are on their way,” Tony announced as he came to join her in the living room. “I took an extra precaution by binding Bryan’s arms with a pillowcase. If he wakes up before the police get here, he won’t be able to get up.”“Who is he?” Kate asked Tony.“Bryan? He’s one of our oldest staff,” Tony explained. “Agnes hired him specifically because of his exceptional culinary skills. One of her favorite dishes was oxtail stew, and no one else made it like Bryan did. That’s one of his specialties.”“I see…” said Kate. “So, he was going to carve up my head tonight and make stew out of it for Agnes’ spirit?”“I am deeply sorry about this,” Tony apologized. “I’ll fire all the staff in the morning. I can’t trust any of them after this incident.”“Thirteen people shouldn’t los
Tony’s panicked voice startled Kate. She woke up suddenly and turned her head to the side, just as the intruder’s dagger sank into her pillow.Kate screamed and rolled away, but her attacker jumped on the bed and went after her. She couldn’t see who it was because the room was dark, but she knew it was a man. He was dressed in all black with a black ski mask hiding his face.“Die, you stupid bitch!” The man growled as he reached for Kate’s neck.Tony ran forward and dove onto the bed. He landed on the intruder’s back and locked him in a chokehold.“Let her go!” He shouted at the intruder.Despite Tony’s strong grip on the intruder, the man wouldn’t let go of Kate. She was busy wrestling with the man in an attempt to break free from him.With all of his strength, Tony reared backward, taking the intruder with him. Kate finally broke free as Tony and her attacker landed on the f
Tony was surprised by Kate’s unexpected gesture of comfort. It took him a while to recover and wrap his arms around Kate. They stayed in each other’s embrace for nearly two minutes before Kate stepped away from him.“Thank you for that,” Tony said softly.Kate smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”“Have you had dinner?” Tony asked her.“No,” Kate responded. “I was waiting for you.”Tony smiled and said, “Give me a few minutes to change my clothes, and then we’ll go downstairs for dinner.”“Can we eat here instead?” Kate asked. “The dining room is so huge and we look kind of silly, just the two of us eating on that incredibly long table. How about we have a cozy dinner up here for a change?”“That’s fine with me,” said Tony. He turned to leave, but Kate’s next question stopped him in his tracks.“Did you mean what you said to Athena?” She asked him quietly. “You know, what you said about me making you happy.”Tony faced her
“What are you talking about?” Kate asked Athena while doing her best to remain calm.Athena’s smirk expanded. “I did a bit of digging and I found out that you met my father a few weeks ago when he traveled to Sundance on business.“You discovered his identity and managed to seduce him into marrying you. That way, he could fund your father’s church-building project while you would have permanent access to his money as his wife.”Kate suppressed her sigh of relief. She’d thought Athena had found out about her pregnancy. Thankfully, that was not the case.“So, that’s my secret?” Kate asked her.“Isn’t it?” Athena countered. “You came here acting like a princess who has lived a life of luxury until now, meanwhile, you’re nothing but a poverty-stricken nobody from a tiny town in Wyoming.”“I never claimed to be what I wasn’t. You drew those conclusions by yourself,” Kate told her calmly.“Well, guess what?” Athena continued triumphantly. “
Kate felt energized to continue her day. She no longer felt the need to take a nap. She went to her closet to check out her clothes.Tony’s things have since been moved to Agnes’ suite. Kate’s wardrobe wasn’t impressive, but she managed to find a lovely pink linen dress that matched her current mood. It was a Christmas gift from Aunt Lauretta.“Gosh, I owe her a phone call,” Kate said to herself.She went into the bathroom to relieve herself and then returned to the bedroom to get dressed. She styled her hair in a half-up half-down hairstyle and accessorized with some of her favorite Bohemian jewelry.After checking out herself in the full-length mirror, Kate went downstairs to find Tony. She was finally ready to start playing her role as his wife.When she got to the entrance of his study, she knocked on the door but there was no response. A maid was passing by, so Kate stopped her to ask about Tony’s wher
“Do you want to leave?” Wendy asked Kate over the phone. “You’ve only been there for a few days.”“I know. I just can’t stand the nastiness anymore,” Kate cried.She’d tearfully narrated her experience in the DaCosta home since her arrival on Thursday evening. She was afraid that this was what her life would be for as long as she remained married to Tony.“Take it easy, Kate. Don’t make rash decisions because you’re upset,” Wendy advised.“Stop crying and listen to me,” she continued. “There’s nothing for you here in Sommerville. Tony did you a favor by securing your future when he married you. Don’t ruin that just because his children hate you. You didn’t expect them to fall head over heels in love with you at first sight, did you?”“No, but this level of hatred from them is too much,” Kate complained. “They don
Tony returned to his seat behind the huge desk and said, “Now that that’s out of the way, let’s schedule an appointment with my doctor. We need to know how far along you are and what medication you should get on for your health and the baby’s wellbeing.”Kate wasn’t interested in that right now. She leaned forward on the desk, looking into Tony’s eyes.“Please, tell me the truth, Tony. Why did you marry me?”“Are we back to that again?” He asked with a chuckle. “Don’t let what Charles said to bother you, my dear. I’m not losing my mind. The things I proposed to give you are a small fraction of what I’m worth. My children already have their share of all of that, so don’t worry about them. Trust me.”“I want to trust you, but I feel as if you’re not being completely truthful to me,” Kate confessed. “Why am I here?”&ldqu