chapter 8

After waking up to the alarm I set earlier that morning, I went to the bathroom to take a shower.

I showered carefully making sure I didn't touch my hair. I wrapped a towel around me and exited the bathroom after I was done.

I picked out a black lace panties with a cute black bra that had no strap as the dress I was going to wear to the gala was an off shoulder dress.

I brought out the dress and jewelry and shoes I had set aside in the morning and started getting ready.

I combed out my hair and left it down like that. I put on a slight clean makeup. After I was done with getting ready, I looked at myself in the mirror and satisfied with what I saw, I picked up my purse and left to go downstairs.

As I reached the living room, I saw Alexandria waiting on the couch with his eyes closed. He looked so good. The black suit he wore complimented his physique, I stood admiring him for about a minute before coming to my senses.

I cleared my throat making my presence known, he opened his eyes to look at me, he stood up from the couch eyeing me from my head to toe as if he was eyeing a prey.

Ignoring his look, I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up his hands signaling me to stop.

"Joanna, joanna", he called out loudly.

"Yes sir, you called" replied Joanna, as she came out from the kitchen standing in the doorway.

Yes, your missus and I are going to a party tonight, so there will be no need for dinner tonight, you may go home.

Thank you sir, she replied.

He walked towards Kiana, linking her arms in his, they walked out of the house together to the driveway where David, their driver, was waiting in the car.

Opening the passenger door for her and waiting for her to enter, he closed her side of the door before turning around to enter the car using the other side of the car.

Before wearing his seat belt, he turned towards me saying.

"Aren't you going to wear your seat belt or do I have to do it for you?".

Looking away, I wore my seat belt quickly, trying to avoid any type of physical contact between us.

"Don't worry I won't touch you unless you ask for it", he said while smirking as if reading my mind.

"And you look beautiful by the way", he said as he eyed me once again.

"Thank you and you look good too", I replied shyly.

Giving David the signal to leave through the front mirror, we left the manor.

The entire ride to the gala was in silence. The only noise you could notice was the occasional typing on my phone as I asked Zoe if she was already on her way to the party.

It took about twenty minutes for us to reach the venue.

"Wait here", alexandria said as he came down from the car and walked towards my side of the car, he opened the car door and offered his arm for me to link.

I took his offer and linked my arm in his, and we waled hand in hand into the hall.

The ballroom was beautifully decorated, with a live orchestra playing classical music.

I looked around checking for familiar faces like either Zoe or Zoe's aunt. While I was looking around, a tall blonde woman who looked almost like a direct replica of Alexandria walked towards us. Smiling Alexandria, we released our arms and hugged her.

"Hello brother", she said, "you look good".

"And hello to you too, Vera, I can see you're enjoying your husband's money", he said laughing.

I had never seen this side of him before, was this the man that was rumored to be a cold man?, I thought to myself.

Smiling, she turned to me in acknowledgment, "and you must be the famous Kiana James", she said as she hugged me and proceeded to kiss both of my cheeks.

"Yes I am," I said and you are.

"Oh, I am sorry that was rude of me, I am Vera Cartwright, Alexandria's elder sister".

"You have an elder sister", I said looking at him, "how come I've never heard about you?".

"Yeahh, I get that a lot. Actually I went to school abroad right from my high school to my university, so I wasn't at home much. It is only my family members, a few of my friends and some of my family's workers that know I exist.

"And again I married a Swiss man almost after my graduation, so I've been in Switzerland for almost twenty five years now and counting".

"Ohh wow, it's very nice to meet you", I said.

Come, let me properly introduce you to the family, she said while leading the way to their table.

She led us to a table where she introduced their mother and their father to me.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Cartwright", I said smiling while shaking each of them.

"Hello, dear", they replied smiling at back at me, you look beautiful, their mother replied

They looked much different from how they looked on my wedding day, maybe I couldn't recognize them well, because I blacked out throughout that day.

Their mother, Margret Cartwright was a very beautiful woman likely to be in her early fifties. She had beautiful green eyes and blonde hair like her daughter but with some silver streaks in it.

While their father, Josiah Cartwright was a handsome man in his late fifties, he was average in height, with a brown hair that had almost gone gray, he had this stern look on his face throughout our meeting that day.

Together with the help of Margaret's family they co-founded Cartwright and Co group, which was a big investment company, of which their son alexandria was the CEO.

Their daughter Vera was a practicing plastic surgeon who married a banker, they used to live in Switzerland until recently they moved back to town her (her hometown).

I sat down beside Vera as she told me all of this and also some of their family history, while alexandria sat beside his parents as they talked about company matters.

After talking for a while, alexandria checks his phone and excused himself.

Vera and I kept talking the whole night. We talked about a few different things. I was so occupied that I forgot to meet up with Zoe.

She took me to meet a few people in her inner circle. I met her best friend, Maya, the only daughter of Gracino enterprises.

I also met her childhood friend, Peter, who was also her collegue in the same hospital.

After the introduction we chatted for a long time before we said our goodbyes.

I looked for Alexandria, so that we could go home. I tried to call his number but remembered that we didn't have each other's number. "What kind of couple don't have each other's number?", I asked myself.

I went to the male restroom to check him and found him in the hallway with a woman's arm holding his hand tightly.

Not wanting to know what was happening for my own peace of mind, I cleared my throat making my presence known.

They turned their heads towards me at the same time, not acknowledging the woman, I spoke to alexandria.

"The event just ended and the car is waiting for us, should I leave alone as you have some matters to discuss, " I said nonchalantly.

Can't you see we are in the middle of a discussion , the lady said.

"No, we are leaving together as we came together", he replied, ignoring her.

I took a good look at the lady and noticed her features. She was a red haired woman who wore a tight fitted black gown that accentuated her figure.

Quickly removing the lady's arm from his, he walked towards me trying to hold eye contact. Ignoring him, I walked out of the hall towards our car and entered the car. The entire ride back to the house was in total silence.

I didn't even bother asking him about the lady, as it was none of my business.

When we reached home, he tried getting me to talk to him, ignoring him. I walked into the house, climbing the stairs and into the hallway leading to our room.

He stopped me just as I was about to enter my room, with his hands blocking and trapping me in between his body against the door.

"Look at me" he said, with our bodies almost touching each other, our breaths mixing as the distance between us became smaller every passing second.

"Does it not affect you, that you saw a woman holding onto me?", he asked, as he tucked my hair behind my ears.

Putting up a fake smile, I replied, "no, it doesn't affect me".

"Why", he asked as his face moved closer to mine.

"Because it's your life, and the life you live is none of my business, to me this is just a marriage of convenience", I replied looking straight into his eyes as I delivered these mean words.

"So you don't feel anything, even as our bodies and face are almost touching each other", he said as he looked straight into my eyes.

"No I don't", I said as I maintained eye contact.

Suddenly, his lips crashed onto mine, my mouth opened up letting him in. his lips were surprisingly soft, our tongues mingling trying to dominate each other.

The feeling it gave was marvelous. The kiss lasted for about two minutes before he suddenly pulled away.

Breathing heavily, we looked at each other for a minute, tucking my hair behind my ears as my cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

As I turned to enter my room, he held my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.

"Should we continue this in my room?" he asked.

I looked at him for a long time, contemplating my answer. Do I lose my pride and say yes or ignore the feelings in my stomach and say no, I thought to myself.

I, I..