Chapter 6 The Jealous Woman
951 Words
The following morning,warm sunlight poured through the tall windows of the mansion,
filling Amara's bedroom with a golden glow.
It should have felt peaceful,instead,only reminded her that hadn't slept.
Every sound she had heard during the night still echoed in her mind.
The strangers' warning. The hidden camera. The shattered glass.
The screaming.The hooded man with a pistol and her picture.
Alexander's promise that someone inside the mansion wanted him dead.
Or perhaps..
Wanted both of them dead.
After freshening up, she.slowly made her way downstairs.
The mansion was unusually quiet.
She found Alexander standing beside a sleek glass desk in the living room,dressed
in another perfectly tailored black suit.
Several files lay open before him, but he seemed deep in thought.
Without looking up, he asked, “Did you manage to get any sleep?:
Amara gave a tired smile.
“Not really.”
Only then did he lift his eyes to meet hers.
“The camera kept replaying in my mind,” she admitted. “I couldn't stop thinking about it.”
Alexander closed the file in front of him.
“I removed it.:
“I know.”
She hesitated.
“But what if there are more?”
She hesitated.
His expression hardened.
“There probably are”
Amara felt her stomach tighten.
“ This house has been watched for a long time.”
His calm voice somehow made the words even more frightening.
“Wgich means you need to stay alert”.
She nodded slowly.
“I will.”
Before either of them could say another word, a sharp voice echoed across the grand hall.
“Alexander!”
Amara turned immediately
There stood Claire.
The ex fiancee of Alexander!
Claire stood at the top of the staircase dressed elegantly in a fitted cream dress.
She looked breathtaking.
Until Amara saw the pure hatred burning her eyes.
Each click of Claire's heels against the marble floor echoed through the mansion as she descended.
She stopped a few steps away.
“So..”
Her gaze swept over Amara.
“ This is your new wife.”
Alexander's voice remained calm.
“Claire, you remember Amara.”
“I remember her.”
Claire smiled.
“But I didn't expect her to still be here.”
Akexander stepped closer to Amara.
“She'll be staying here for now”
Claire raised an eyebrow.
“For now?”
“The arrangement lasts one year”
Claire laughed softly.
She looked directly to Amara
“So this marriage is temporary.?”
“Yes, “Alexander replied.
“But until that year is over, she is my wife.”
His voice became firmer
“ And no one touches her.”
Claire folded her arms.
“ Still giving me orders?”
“I'm giving you a warning.”
Silence settled between them.
Claire slowly walked towards Amara.
The closer she came, the colder the room seemed to feel.
Amara fought the urge to step backwards.
Claire stopped only a few inches away.
“You really don't know what you've walked into, do you?”
Anara swallowed.
“No.”
Claire smiled.
“I can see that.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“You think you've married the most. powerful man in the country”?
Her smile disappeared.
“What you've really done is paint a target on your back.”
Amara's heartbeat quickened.
Claire continued.
“Every woman who has ever loved Alexander Knight has ended up broken.”
She glanced briefly at Alexander before returning her attention to Amara.
“Some lost everything they owned.”
“Some lost the people they loved.”
Her voice dropped almost to a whisper.
“And some…”
She paused deliberately.
“..didnt live long enough to tell their story.”
A chill swept through Amara.
Alexander stepped between them.
“Enough Claire.”
“I'm not lying, I am only telling her the truth.”
“No.”
His voice colder than before.
“You're trying to frighten her.”
Claire laughed.
“She should be frightened.”
“If you want to survive in this house,remember one thing.” as she looked at Amara once more.
“You listen.”
“You watch”
Her next words came as a whisper
“And you never trust anyone.”
“Not even your husband."
For a brief moment, Amara noticed something strange.
Alexander didn't look angry
He looked..
Hurt.
The expression disappeared so quickly she wondered if she had imagined it.
“Claire.”
His voice was dangerously quiet.
“Leave.”
Claire smiled triumphantly.
As she brushed past Amara,she whispered just loudly enough for only her to hear.
“Your first lesson begins today.”
Amara felt goosebumps rise across her skin.
“You think danger knocks before it enters?."
“It doesn't."
“It slips through locked doors…”
It hides behind familiar faces..”
“And wait until you stop looking over your shoulder.”
Without another word, she walked away.
Her footsteps echoed through the mansion until silence returned once again.
Alexander rested a reassuring hand on Amara's shoulder.
“Ignore her.”
Amara looked up at him.
“Can I?”
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead,he stared towards the corridor where Claire had disappeared to
When he finally spoke, his voice was low.
“You'll have to learn quickly.”
“This mansion isn't home.”
Her eyes met hers.
“It's a battlefield.”
Amara slowly looked around the magnificent house.
Its sparkling chandeliers.
Its polished marble floors.
Yesterday,she had believed she was entering a life of luxury.
Now she knew better.
Behind every beautiful wall..
Someone was hiding a secret.
And one of those secrets could cost her everything.
- Writer
