Marrying My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter Two

The mansion wasn't a bit welcoming.

It calculated. Just like its owner.

Celine felt it the moment the iron gate slid open; everywhere was still and quiet. One could hear a pin fall. Celine sat quietly at the back seat of the car, Hudson cuddling her, his tiny and fragile fingers curling into the fabric of her dress.

Celine had been speechless almost all day long, and she still was. She couldn't comprehend what her life had become; she was only attending Diane's engagement, and now she was the one who was engaged and about to get married to Scott.

Just a year after her husband, Daniel, died.

What would people say about her?

That she got over her husband's death too quickly.

And while most people on the outside didn't know about Diane's and Scott's relationship, the few who knew- what would they say?

That she was having an affair with her cousin's fiancé.

Oh my God.

The car rolled forward over a silent driveway, coming to a halt at the front of the mansion.

Hudson stirred beside her.

“Mummy”, he whispered, still sleepy. He looked around the unfamiliar surroundings as they came out of the car. “Where are we, mummy?”

“We're going to stay here for a while, okay sweetie”, Celine said, caressing his cheek.

“When are we going back home”

“Soon, sweetie”, Celine sighed, holding her son's hand.

“Welcome, Mrs Hale. I'll show you to your room.” Celine looked at the woman she assumed to be the headmaid or so, wanting to correct her that she wasn't Mrs Hale yet, but she had had enough for the day, so she just nodded, letting the woman lead them.

They were led up the staircase, their footsteps echoing along the marble.

The door to the room that was assigned to them opened, and for a moment, Celine was frozen.

The room was huge, though Celine grew up in wealth; she had lived a very humble lifestyle, especially when she met and married her dead husband, Daniel, who didn't grow up in wealth. They had lived a simple life and were in love.

Standing here, in this enormous room, in another man's house, felt odd.

It was not familiar.

There was no life.

“This would be your room”, the head maid said.

“I'll show your son to his own room”, she continued, and that made Celine whip her face to her.

“What”, she asked, her voice sharp.

“I said I'll show…”

“I heard what you said, but what do you mean by his own room?” Celine's voice cut through the night, firm and unyielding. Hudson clutched to his mother, confused about everything.

“My son stays with me”, she said.

“I understand your concern, but Mr Hale said…”

“I don't care about what he said; my son stays with me”, she repeated with finality.

The headmaid bowed slowly. “I'll inform him, ma'am”.

Please do.

She didn't feel the need to say the word out loud.

The headmaid left the room, making it quieter than it already was. It was just her and Hudson now.

Just her and her precious little boy.

Hudson jumped on the bed, bouncing lightly before settling down, “It's so bouncy, mummy”.

An exasperated sigh left her lips as she joined her son on the bed.

“Do you like it?” Hudson nodded frantically.

“Good”, she squeezed his cheek.

Their happiness was short-lived, as the door swung open, revealing none other than Scott Hale.

Good lord.

He stood by the entrance, his suit from the engagement now gone; the sleeve of his shirt was rolled, revealing his tattoo.

Celine's eyes locked on his tattoos; she didn't know he had them, and they seemed to run up the rest of his clothed arms. His hand rested inside the pocket of his pants.

“Eyes are up here, Mrs Hale”, Scott cut in her exploration of his tattoos.

Mrs Hale, the hell was that. She wasn't married to him…yet.

“Celine”, Celine said firmly. “My name is Celine Michaelson”.

Scott's face glinted in amusement. “We'll see about that”. His eyes locked on Hudson, who was still on the bed. He looked scared and out of place.

He stepped out of the room, gesturing to Celine to follow him. He stopped a few feet away from the room and turned back to Celine.

“I heard you have a problem with the room arrangement”

“I just want my son to stay with me.” Celine crossed her arms, standing her ground.

“There's a room prepared for him”.

“He's not using it”.

A pause.

Scott walked closer to Celine; she made an attempt to move back, but Scott's hand grabbed her by her waist and pinned her against the wall.

A shocked gasp left her lips. Good lord, that gasp did a lot of things to Scott, and he wanted more of it.

His hand roamed around her tiny waist, which fit so perfectly in his hand. His fingers trailed up her waist, slowly and sensually, reaching her breast.

Celine holds back a shock gasp as his fingers circle her breast in a feathery touch.

Scott's gaze lifted to Celine, and the look on her face made his lips twitch up in a smirk. His fingers trailed from the middle of her breast up to her neck, where he wrapped his hand around it, lightly, not to hurt her. He lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes.

“This house runs on structure”, he began, calmly and controlled but not missing its authority.

“My son and I are not part of your structure “, Celine cut in.

Scott smirked at her. “The engagement earlier says otherwise, Mrs Hale”. He emphasised the last name, knowing it annoyed her.

“You and your son live with me, under my roof, so yes, you are part of my structure.” The air shifted, tensed.

“Everything in this house is”, he added, his hand no longer around her neck.

He moved farther from her a little, his hand back in his pocket as he looked at her with a sharpened gaze that made Celine's heart thump loudly in her chest.

“Fine, he stays with you.” Celine breathed out a sigh of relief; never would she have allowed her son to be alone in this man's house.

“But there will be no negotiations in the future, so get used to it, for your sake, and Hudson's.” A shiver runs through Celine's body as her son's name leaves his lips.

“Dinner is at seven; I hate lateness,” and with that he left her, alone with her thoughts.

Celine slumped against the wall, falling to her knees.

What have I gotten myself into?

She could have refused till the end, but she remembered her parents; she couldn't have done that to them, make them lose everything they worked so hard to build

, the company.

If marrying Scott Hale would make them not lose the company, she was ready to.

She was ready to endure it all.