Chapter 3
754 Words
waiting.TheChapter 3
Warm sunlight filtered softly through the curtains.
Ella stirred beneath the blankets with a quiet groan, her head throbbing painfully, for several seconds, she remained still, trying to remember what happened the night before.
Then the unfamiliar scent in the room hit her.
Her eyes snapped open.
This wasn’t her bedroom.
Panic rushed through her instantly.
Ella sat upright too quickly, wincing as dizziness slammed into her head. Her gaze darted around the luxurious room.
Black-and-white curtains.
Dark marble floors.
A crystal chandelier overhead.
Everything about the room screamed wealth and control.
Her breathing quickened.
Where was she?
Then she noticed the tall figure standing near the window,her heart nearly stopped.
Andrew Stuart.
Morning light outlined his broad shoulders as he slowly turned toward her, calm and composed as always.
“What am I doing here?” she blurted.
“You passed out at SKY,” Andrew replied evenly. “You walked into my private lounge completely drunk.”
Fragments of memory flashed through her mind.
The drinks.
The hallway.
His face.
Then darkness.
Oh God.
Ella buried her face in her hands.
“I’m so embarrassed.”
A faint smirk touched Andrew’s lips.
“You should be.”
She looked up in horror.
Then suddenly remembered vomiting.
On him.
Her soul nearly left her body.
“No way…”
Andrew folded his arms calmly,“You have terrible aim, by the way.”
Ella groaned loudly.
“I am so sorry.”
To her surprise, Andrew simply handed her a glass of water,“drink this before your headache gets worse.”
Ella accepted it carefully.
For someone with such a terrifying reputation, he was being unexpectedly patient.
That confused her more than anything.
“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked quietly.
Andrew raised an eyebrow.
“Would you prefer I throw you outside?”
Ella immediately shook her head.
A low chuckle escaped him, the sound caught her completely off guard.
For a brief second, he looked less intimidating,almost human.
“Come downstairs when you’re ready,” he said. “Breakfast is waiting.”
Then he walked out.
Ella stared at the closed door long after he left.
This wasn’t the cold monster she had imagined, and somehow, that made him even more dangerous.
---
The dining room looked elegant enough to belong in a luxury magazine.Ella sat carefully across from Andrew, trying very hard not to stare.
Unfortunately, she failed.
Morning light fell perfectly across his face while he calmly ate breakfast,everything about him looked controlled and effortless.
Dangerously attractive.
“You’re staring again.”
Ella nearly choked on her juice.
“I was not.”
Andrew looked unconvinced.
“You blush too easily for someone denying it.”
Heat rushed instantly to her cheeks.
This man was impossible, to her surprise, amusement flickered briefly across his face.
The terrifying businessman from yesterday suddenly felt strangely normal.
And that unsettled her.Ella cleared her throat awkwardly.
“I didn’t expect my future husband to act like this.”
Andrew lifted an eyebrow.
“Like what?”
She looked away quickly.
“Annoying.”
A deep laugh escaped him.
“I’ve been called worse.”
The tension between them eased slightly,not comfortable.
But lighter,then Andrew’s expression slowly turned serious.
“You don’t have to pretend to like this arrangement.”
Ella looked up immediately,for the first time since meeting him, his voice sounded genuinely honest.
“I know this situation isn’t fair to you,” he continued quietly.
Something inside Ella softened unexpectedly,maybe he hated this arrangement just as much as she did.
“I still don’t understand you,” she admitted softly.
Andrew held her gaze.“That makes two of us.”
The silence that followed felt strangely intimate.Ella stood abruptly.
“I should leave for work.”
Andrew nodded once.
“I’ll drive you.”
She wanted to refuse,but considering her car was still parked outside the bar, she had no choice.
---
The drive to Nella Corporation was painfully quiet.Ella kept stealing glances at Andrew while pretending not to.
Unfortunately, he noticed every single one,when the car finally stopped outside the company building, she reached for the door quickly.
“Hope you enjoyed the view.”
Ella froze instantly,Andrew looked completely serious.
Which somehow made it worse,her face burned with embarrassment,without replying, she hurried out of the car.
Behind her, Andrew leaned back against the seat with the faintest smile,for the first time in years, someone had managed to make his mornings interesting.
- Writer
