The Unwanted Attraction (#1) (Preview)

Chapter 9

The sun was shining brightly, and everything seemed calm and serene.

Accompanied by chirping birds, Ornelia sat in the huge garden of the mansion, feeling lonely.

Four months—that's how long I've been alone. What sort of marriage is this?

It is quite long for a newly married couple.

God only knew how Maximus managed to stay alone for such a period of time, without his wife.

Ornelia was sort of slipping into depression.

"Mrs. King," the housekeeper's soft motherly voice brought her out of her thoughts, "it's getting pretty late. You should come inside now. Dinner will be served in a few moments."

Ornelia nodded and gave Mrs. Bernard a weak smile.

Oh, how she wished! If only she could go back to school again with Emily . . .

Even though they were at the top of their class, they had their share of craziness—the Harry Potter movie marathons, food fights. She missed her a lot.

* * *

After dinner Ornelia made her way toward the huge plasma TV in the living room that had an L-shaped sofa settee and two love seats. She sat on the comfortable sofa and switched on the TV to watch some news. There was some sort of celeb gossip going on which she hadn't paid much attention to until . . .

"Maximus King, the famous investment firm CEO was seen out getting cozy with a beautiful blond model. He has been rumored to have gotten married in a hush-hush wedding a few months ago. I am sensing some trouble in paradise—"

Ornelia couldn't take it anymore. She switched off the TV and went straight to her room with a bottle of wine in her hand—yes, her room, because her dear husband thought it would be better if they stayed in separate rooms.

She was all alone, all alone—a good reason to drink herself to sleep.

Shut up, Nella. Stop being so fucking dramatic, she scolded herself.

Ornelia's mind wandered around all the different scenarios.

Was Maximus really sleeping around? Do I really mean nothing to him?

The latter question was stupid, given the fact he'd pretty much made it clear to her that nothing could ever happen between them.

She gulped a glass of wine down for each question that popped up. She'd had five glasses, or more; she lost count.

She decided she was done being sad about him. She kept the wine aside and lay down on the bed, waiting for sleep to engulf her.

* * *

Crash . . .

The loud noise of something falling reached Ornelia's ears, and she was up immediately in a defensive stance. Alert and slightly tipsy from all the wine in her system, she made her way toward the kitchen with a pillow in her hand. She saw the light illuminating the kitchen and a tall silhouette of a man with broad shoulders standing near the fridge with a bottle in his hand.

She moved closer to him and threw the pillow at his head. The silhouette finally came into view, swaying and barely standing.

There he stood awkwardly, looking dishevelled, like he hadn't slept in a few days. She'd noticed him pouring himself a glass of scotch before she rudely interrupted him with that pillow.

"Out of everything else in this house, you decided to protect yourself with a pillow? Were you planning on playing a pillow fight with the intruder?" Maximus snickered at her.