Chapter 2
634 Words
Chapter 2
The city lights blurred outside Ella’s window as she drove through Mayfair,her chest still felt heavy. Marriage.
The word repeated endlessly in her mind.
Not love,not choice, just a transaction.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.All her life, Ella had imagined marrying someone who looked at her with warmth,someone gentle,someone who loved her.not a man the entire city feared,a bitter laugh escaped her lips.
How ironic.
The more she thought about it, the harder it became to breathe.
Without thinking much further, she turned toward SKY, the luxury bar she occasionally visited with her friends.
Tonight, she wanted silence,or maybe she just wanted to forget.
---
The moment Ella stepped into the private lounge, soft music wrapped around the dimly lit room.
She ordered drink after drink without hesitation,at first, the alcohol burned.
Then gradually, the pain became dull,her thoughts slowed.
Maybe this was easier,maybe numbness was better,tears slipped quietly down her cheeks.“What kind of marriage will this even be?” she whispered to herself.
She imagined cold dinners, and empty conversations,a husband who looked at her like an obligation, everything hurt more than she expected.
By the time Ella stood up, the room was spinning.She grabbed the wall for support and stumbled out of the lounge.
Her vision blurred,the hallway stretched endlessly before her.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
---
Andrew rarely visited SKY anymore.
But tonight, his mind was too restless for work.
He sat alone in the VIP section, sleeves rolled to his forearms, a glass untouched in his hand.
The dim lights cast shadows across his sharp features,anyone who saw him instinctively kept their distance,then suddenly, the door burst open.A girl stumbled inside.
Before security could react, she crashed directly against him.
Andrew’s body stiffened instantly,his first instinct was to push her away,but then she looked up,those soft eyes he recognized them,that familiar face.
Ella.
Drunk,very drunk.
She blinked slowly at him,then unexpectedly, she reached up and touched his face.
“Why are you so handsome?” she mumbled.
Andrew stared at her in disbelief,his bodyguards looked equally shocked,nobody touched Andrew Stuart.
Nobody.
But Ella simply smiled sleepily before collapsing against his chest,Andrew caught her immediately,for a moment, he just stood there.
Frozen.
Her small fingers clutched weakly at his shirt while she slept peacefully against him,something strange settled inside his chest,carefully, he removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
Then he lifted her into his arms,his bodyguards exchanged stunned glances.
Andrew ignored them completely.
“Bring the car around,” he ordered.
---
The drive home was silent.
Ella slept quietly beside him, her head resting against his shoulder,Andrew glanced down at her occasionally,without the tension from earlier, she looked softer.
Fragile.
Too fragile for the ruthless world he lived in.He frowned slightly,why was he even thinking about her this much?
Suddenly Ella stirred.
Then,she vomited all over his shirt,the driver nearly choked trying not to laugh.
Andrew closed his eyes slowly.
“Wonderful.”
---
Minutes later, Andrew carried her upstairs himself,the mansion staff stared openly.
Nobody had ever seen their young master bring home a woman,especially not one sleeping in his arms.
After the maids cleaned Ella up and settled her into the guest room, Andrew remained standing quietly beside the bed.The room was silent except for her soft breathing.
He should leave.
Instead, he stayed,his gaze lingered on her peaceful face longer than necessary.
Then quietly, almost unconsciously, he brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead.
“She cries too easily,” he muttered.
Yet his touch remained surprisingly gentle,After a long moment, Andrew finally stepped away.But before leaving, he looked back one last time.
And for reasons he didn’t understand, the sight of her sleeping peacefully in his house gave him a strange sense of calm.
- Writer
