Chapter 5
1890 Words
Selena’s POV
“Selena, meet my husband, Mathew. Mathew, this is my friend Selena, the one who saved my life.” Stella introduced.
But her voice felt distant, as I was just too shocked at this moment.
My wide eyes were stuck on the man standing in front of me. The man whose scent matched exactly with the one who had purchased me last night. The unique, distinct scent of cologne still lingered in my memory, wrapping around my senses like an iron chain. And the bandage on his forehead… The same place where I had struck the man last night.
My breath hitched.
‘Is he the same man? Is this world really so small for me to run into my tormentor here like this?’
But then, how could he stand here so calmly, as if last night had never happened? Or is it just a coincidence that he is wearing same perfume and has an injury at the same place?
‘Could this really be a coincidence?’
My mind raced, flooding with unanswered questions.
A light touch on my shoulder jolted me out of my thoughts. “Hey, Selena, you okay?”
I blinked, snapping out of my trance. My gaze shifted to Stella’s concerned face before flickering back to the man in front of me.
‘He’s her husband? She introduced him as her husband.’
I forced down the lump formed in my throat by swallowing hard. I have to pull myself together. I can’t say anything reckless, not when I have no proof. If I accused the wrong man, I’d be hurting my friend Stella.
I quickly composed myself, masking the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.
“I’m okay, Stella. I was just… thinking about something.” I said, forcing a small, polite smile. “Sorry, I just spaced out for a moment. What were you saying?” I pretended as if I hadn’t just lived through a nightmare in my own head.
“It’s alright,” Stella said, her usual bright smile returning. “I was just introducing you to my husband.”
My stomach twisted as Stella stood beside him, smiling ear to ear, oblivious to the tension knotting inside me.
‘I hope he is not the monster from last night.’ I prayed.
‘But what if he is?’
“Hello, Miss Selena. I’m Mathew Miller, Stella’s husband,” he said, his voice smooth and polite. He stretched his hand toward me for a handshake, a seemingly genuine smile on his face.
Discretely, I studied him.
Every fiber of my being screamed at me to recognize him, to find even the smallest trace of familiarity in his expression.
But there was nothing.
Not a flicker of recognition.
Not a hint of deceit.
Not a single sign that he had ever seen me before. As if he was truly seeing me for the first time.
‘Was he really not the man from last night? Was he innocent, or just terrifyingly good at pretending?’ I wondered.
Yet… somewhere deep inside me, a nagging sensation twisted in my gut.
I feel like this isn’t the first time I am seeing him.
Not wanting to appear rude in Stella’s eyes, I reluctantly placed my hand in his briefly, for a quick handshake before pulling away. “Selena Hart.” I introduced myself, keeping my voice steady.
Mathew smiled, his gaze warm yet unreadable. “I really wanted to meet you in person, Miss Selena, after I found out how you saved my Stella. And now that I finally got the chance, I want to say that I’m really, really grateful for what you did. I can’t thank you enough.” Mathew said, his voice filled with sincerity.
For a moment, doubt crept in. Am I suspecting the wrong person?
I focused harder on his voice, trying to recall last night. I had heard my captor speaking when he was giving orders to his bodyguard, but his voice had been muffled, distant—blurred by my own terror.
Now, I regretted not listening more closely.
“You don’t have to thank me, Mr. Miller. I just did what I had to do. Anyone in my place would have done the same,” I said, keeping my tone neutral.
And as always, I was doing an excellent job in hiding my internal turmoil.
“See?” Stella beamed. “I told you she’s a wonderful person. She doesn’t even like taking credit for her own good deeds.”
A small, genuine smile tugged at my lips upon hearing the admiration in Stella’s voice, but it vanished just as quickly when Mathew said, “You made a good friend.”
Stella’s smile widened even more at his words. “I told you that you will really like her.”
“You were right.” The way he said those words, directly looking into my eyes, made something shift uncomfortably inside me.
There was something in his eyes, something I couldn’t decipher.
A question burned at the back of my mind. And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out of my mouth. “How did you get hurt?”
Both Stella and Mathew blinked at my sudden question.
I instantly regretted it. It was too direct, too sudden.
I quickly composed myself and added, “Only if you don’t mind telling me, of course. I was just asking out of concern.”
Stella was the one to answer. “He got into a car accident last night.” Her face fell with concern.
I stared at Stella, her words ringing in my ears.
A car accident?
Mathew placed a reassuring hand on her back. “It was just a minor accident, love. See? I’m completely fine, standing right in front of you.”
‘He was in car accident? Does that mean he is not the same person I thought he was? But was he really in an accident? Is it possible that he might have made up a fake story about getting into an accident after getting hit by me? There is no proof of him getting in an accident, is there?’
But then Stella added, “It wasn’t just a minor accident, Matt. Don’t forget your driver and secretary—they’re both badly injured and are admitted in the hospital.”
I inhaled sharply. There’s proof. Real, tangible proof.
If Mathew had been in an accident severe enough to put two people in the hospital, it meant he couldn’t have been the man from last night.
Right?
Mathew cupped Stella’s face, his eyes soft with adoration. “I know, love. But thankfully, they’re both out of danger. And I’m not that badly hurt, so please don’t worry.”
I observed him carefully.
The love in his eyes for his wife seemed… real. Sincere.
Was I suspecting a wrong person?
The perfume—yes, it was unique, almost custom-made, but it wasn’t impossible that someone else used the same cologne. No matter how unique the scent was, it couldn’t be one of a kind.
And the injury? Maybe it was just an unfortunate coincidence, nothing more.
I forced myself to push the suspicion aside.
“I hope you get well soon,” I said, steadying my voice.
Mathew smiled. “Thank you so much for your concern, Miss Selena.”
Yet, despite all the logical reasoning, despite the evidence clearing him, something still felt off.
I couldn’t shake the uneasiness settling in my bones.
For some reason, this man made me uncomfortable.
Forcing a polite smile, I nodded at him before turning to Stella. “I’ll get going now. You take care of yourself, okay?”
Stella smiled and nodded, “I will.”
I was about to turn away, ready to go back to Sophie’s room, when Mathew’s voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I would like to invite you to dinner.”
I turned to face him, my eyes slightly widening in surprise.
His expression remained calm, but before I could respond, he looked down at Stella.
“Right, honey?”
Then, his gaze met mine again. “I’d like to properly thank you by inviting you to have dinner with us.”
I opened my mouth to decline, but Stella was already nodding enthusiastically.
“Yes! Yes, please, Selena. I’ve been meaning to invite you for dinner at my house after I got better.”
“But—”
“Please, Selena, don’t refuse,” she said, stepping forward and taking my hand in hers. Her eyes were hopeful, filled with excitement. “I would be so glad if you come. Please…”
I hesitated.
‘Do I really want to associate myself with this man, who for some unknown reason is making me feel so uneasy?’
Something deep inside me screamed at me to say no.
But looking at Stella’s eager expression, I couldn’t refuse.
“…Okay.”
Her face lit up with happiness. “Great! We should fix the day soon and meet again for dinner.”
I forced a smile and nodded. “I’ll text you when I’m free.”
Just then, Mathews’ phone rang. He glanced at the screen before excusing himself to take the call.
“Thank you again, Miss Selena,” he said one last time before stepping away.
I turned to Stella. “I will get going.” I said, she nodded and gave me a brief hug. “See you.”
With that, I turned and walked toward Sophie’s hospital room.
But then I paused, as I remembered sister Agnes telling me about her headache before I came out for some fresh air.
‘I should get coffee for both of us.’
Turning on my heels, I made my way toward the hospital entrance. There was café across the street where I can grab some coffee and breakfast for Sister Agnes.
As I reached the steps leading outside, I saw a group of ward boys rushing past with a patient on stretcher.
I stepped aside to give them space. But in the process, I felt my ankle twist.
A sharp gasp left my lips as I lost my balance. The two steps in front of me were higher than I thought and before I could brace myself-
I was falling.
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the hard impact against the ground—
But it never came.
Instead, I felt strong arms catching me. One arm wrapped around my mid-back, the other securing my legs.
Warm breath fanned against my face.
I stiffened.
The scent. A very, very familiar scent hit my nostrils.
My eyes snapped open—
And I froze.
Cold gray eyes glared down at me. The same gray eyes that had burned into me last night.
My heart stopped.
Him.
Panic surged through me, and I instantly tried to push away, to get down from his hold.
His jaw clenched as he lowered me back to my feet.
And then—
He slightly pushed me away, making me stumble back on my feet.
“Is it your hobby to fall into the arms of rich men, or I am your only target at the moment?” his voice dripping with cold disdain.
The air in my lungs turned to ice as I thought,
‘Could this day get any worse?’
- Writer
