"Shattered Vows: A Tale of Toxicity"

21. Noah

Silence greeted him, broken only by the distant ticking of the clock. Panic began to rise within him as he searched every room of the house, but there was no sign of Amelia.

Fearing the worst, William rushed to the butler, demanding answers. "Where is Amelia?" he implored, his voice trembling with anger.

The butler hesitated for a moment before revealing, "She insisted on going for a walk in the garden, despite her fever. I tried to stop her, sir, but she was adamant."

Without a moment's hesitation, he ran out into the garden, calling out her name into the darkness. And then, just as despair threatened to consume him, he spotted her figure in the moonlight, slumped against a tree.

"Amelia!" he shouted, rushing to her side, his heart pounding in his chest.

She looked up at him, her eyes weary yet filled with relief at the sight of him. "William," she whispered.

Rushing towards her, William, grasped her arms tightly. "Amelia, where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere. I thought... I thought you'd run away," he stammered, his words filled with emotion.

Amelia winced as William's grip tightened, the pain evident in her eyes. "William, please, you're hurting me," she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

Realizing his mistake, William released her arms immediately, his expression filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Amelia," he murmured, his voice filled with remorse. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay," Amelia replied softly, her gaze searching his face. "But why did you think I would run away?"

A wave of sadness crossed over William's face as he struggled to find the words to explain. "When I couldn't find you in the bedroom, I... I was terrified," he confessed, his voice trembling with anger. "I thought I'd lost you. For a second, I forgot the reality that there's no way you could ever run away from me."

Amelia couldn't understand the depth of William's words. Her eyes softened at William's deceitful words, and then she reached out to gently caress his cheek. She reassured him with her voice filled with love. "I'm here, William. I'm not going anywhere."

With a heavy sigh of relief, William warps Amelia into a tight embrace, holding her close as if she will slip away any moment. Together, they made their way back into the mansion.

                               ~~~

It had been two weeks since Amelia had recovered from her fever, and William was determined to spoil her with a shopping spree. William and Amelia strolled arm in arm in the marketplace.

Amelia smiled when William sifted through racks of dresses, his brow furrowed in concentration. Suddenly, a voice called out her name from behind. Turning, she saw a familiar figure making his way towards them."Amelia!" the man exclaimed, his face breaking into a wide grin as he approached. "Is it really you?"

Amelia's smile widened slightly as she recognized the man as Noah, her senior in college who she hadn't seen in years.

Before she could react. Noah reached out as if to embrace Amelia, but she subtly withdrew, extending her hand for a handshake instead. "Noah, it's been so long," she said, masking any hint of discomfort in her voice. "When did you come back from abroad?"

Seeing Noah William's expression darkened, his overly possessive instincts kicking in.

Noah chuckled, his eyes twinkling with happiness. "Just a week ago," he replied, his gaze flicking over to William. "And who might this be?" he asked, gesturing towards him.

Before Amelia could respond, William stepped forward, his tone clipped. "I'm Amelia's husband," he stated firmly, his voice filled with dominance.

Noah's demeanour shifted slightly, he looked surprised for a fleeting moment than he regained his composure. "Ah, I see," he said, extending his hand towards William. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. William. I'm Noah, Amelia's senior from the college."

William's grip was firm as they shook hands, and there was an underlying tension in the air.

Sensing the awkwardness, Amelia attempted to diffuse the situation. "Noah, why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow?" she suggested, her eyes pleading with William for his approval.

William's expression tightened, but he reluctantly nodded. "My wife is inviting you, so I suppose we'll see you then," he said, his tone curt.

Noah flashed a grateful smile at Amelia before turning to leave. As he walked away, he discreetly asked for Amelia's phone number, causing a pang of jealousy to blaze in William's heart.

Once Noah was out of sight, William turned to Amelia; his expression looked frightening. "Are you sure he is just your senior and nothing else?" he asked, his voice low.

Amelia sighed, reaching out to gently squeeze his hand. "He's just my senior brother, William," she reassured him. "There's nothing to worry about."

But despite her assurances, William couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over him.

                                ~~~

Amelia stood in the spacious kitchen, the apron tied securely around her waist as she stirred the bubbling sauce on the stove. The aroma of garlic and herbs filled the air, mingling with the tantalizing scent of roasted vegetables. Noah, her college senior and esteemed guest for the evening, was due to arrive shortly. She glanced at the clock, noting the time, and felt a flutter of nerves mixed with excitement.

The butler, assisting Amelia with the final preparations. Together, they set the table with precision, arranging the fine polished silverware with care.

"Thank you," Amelia said to the butler gratefully, putting down her apron. "I think we are almost done with the preparation."

The butler nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You've done splendidly, madam. Allow me to handle the rest. You should go and get ready yourself. Our guest will be arriving shortly."

Amelia hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a grateful smile across her face. "Thank you,. I'll go and get ready."

As Amelia finished getting ready in her bedroom, slipping into a beautiful white dress and applying minimal makeup, she heard the familiar voice coming from downstairs. William had returned from the office.

He entered the bedroom with a tired expression; his face darkened with the work stresses. "Who are you going to seduce today?" he asked, his tone teasing but with a hint of menacing lingering beneath the jest.

Amelia chuckled softly, turning to face him. "Why would I seduce anyone when I have you?" she replied playfully, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

William's expression softened as he moved closer, his hand reaching out to rest gently on her shoulder. "I liked the way you answered my question," he said, his voice filled with warmth as the tension within him from before melted away.