Her Peculiar Husband

CH 6 || A Probable Threat

Olivia

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Not only did I want to meet Millers instead they also wanted to have a conversation with me before the wedding. I was no less than a bundle of nerves before meeting them. So many things were recurring in my mind back and forth.

It seemed as if I stood between the devil and the deep blue sea. The Parkers were the devils and Millers were the deep blue sea of the depth of which I hadn’t fathom. Moreover, I wasn’t any swimmer.

My woolgathering near the window where I was standing, staring at the outside view was broken when I heard Alicia, “Olivia.”

She wasn’t alone as Alex her husband was with him. His disgusted eyes looked at me and then he removed his gaze mumbling something.

“Tell her not to open her stupid mouth in front of them. Noah Miller belongs to our Ava.” Alex said when I was about to leave with Alicia, glaring at me as if I was to be blamed for Ava’s escape.

“Don’t worry, honey. She knows what she has to do. Right, Olivia?” I nodded hearing them keeping a tight rein on myself for not cursing them.

“Remember our deal. One word against us or Ava and I would ruin your best friends’ life.” Alicia whispered to me smiling when she took me to the floor the Millers were on. They were inside the room which was on the extreme right at the end of the hallway on the third floor.

I knocked on the door after Alicia left only to receive a reply from Noah’s father, Nicholas Miller.

I had met both of Noah’s parents twice before. Both of them were great people as per my knowledge but whether they were fake or not could only be known after the meeting.

But I was unconscious of how they were going to behave with me as they had chosen Ava and not me for their son. Betraying them was making me feel ashamed of my act but I hadn't had any choice.

When I walked inside Nicholas Miller, Noah’s father, and Nina Miller, Noah’s mother were sitting on the tuxedo sofa on the right of the entrance.

The room was deprived of the sunlight as only one window was open that could only let a few rays of light inside.

"Olivia, please come here." I heard Nicholas's voice.

Edgily I walked to them and sat on the armchair kept near the couch they were seated on. The Miller couple wasn’t infuriated but had a frail smile on their faces.

The couple had a grownup son yet they looked younger than their age. The grey hair on Nicholas' head was a complement to his striking personality while Nina didn’t look any less than a supermodel. I had heard she had done some ad shoots when was young but she suddenly left the glamour world and started her own NGO. The apt reason behind her decision was unknown.

I was inarticulate for I was puzzled on what to say. But I came out of my dilemma when Nina who was sitting close to me squeezed my hands gently that was kept on my lap.

"I know what we are putting you through. We are so sorry about it." Nina left me stupefied with her words. She and Nicholas both looked remorseful. They were apologizing for something my sister should have been culpable for.

"It isn't even your fault. Ava got...kid...kidnapped and now I have to chip in. It's me who should be sorry. If I had paid attention she wouldn't have been kidnapped." I blabbered.

"Don't blame yourself. We should have chosen you before. The mistake was on our part." Nicholas had left me dumbstruck at his words. I was still struggling to understand what he meant when Nina's left made me befuddled than I already was as she said,” I know you might be confused but please don’t hate us for this sudden proposal we offered to your family.”

I was not able to connect the dots. I couldn’t get what she meant by the proposal she suggested to my fake family. I wanted to question them what they meant but Nina had more to say.

“I can understand your state right now. Your sister is missing and then this wedding is happening out of the blue. But we have to do this.” She seemed guilty. My already spinning head started swirling more.

“Don’t worry, we will find Ava. The cops are already informed. I have sources, they are looking into it. Ava will soon come back and about the wedding…” Nicholas stopped in mid and sighed before he continued,” We will talk to Ava personally when she will be back. Don’t worry. Okay?”

I had so much to clear, so much to ask but they had got off the seat. Nina stroked my hair and said, "We would be outside. You guys can take your time."

Uttering those words she turned around towards the window which I had presumed to be closed. That’s when I noticed a tall figure there. Noah was there all the time and I thought he didn’t want to see me.

In my timorousness, I had failed to notice Noah. Nina and Nicholas left giving me an assuring smile.

The figure in the dark turned his head a bit right. I knew he could see me but his face wasn’t visible to me. Staying in that position for a jiffy he turned his attention back to the outside of the window view.

Noah was tall. He looked six feet taller while I was five feet five inches. Even from the back, I could say he had a good physique. His left hand rested on the left side of the window and his right was in his pants pockets. I wondered whether he wanted to even have a conversation with me or not.

‘Maybe he didn’t even want to have a look at the girl he was about to marry’, said my inner self.

He was aware of my presence. I was scared he must be feeling despair. Ava was his love, who left him and I had a feeling he would blame me. I wasn't given much time by Alicia so I had to break the ice between us.

I cleared my throat before I started apologizing.

"I know none of my apologies would work on you. But still, I am sorry for what you are being put through. I might not understand what you are going through but..." He didn't let me complete as his husky voice reached my ears, “What’s your name?”

He was at the same place but awaited an answer from me. Regarding his question only one thought came to my mind, “Was that his way to humiliate me?”

There was no way I could believe he was oblivious of my name. I agree that the Parkers would have been least interested in mentioning me to them but the elder Miller couple knew my name.

To affirm whether I heard it right I questioned him,” What?”

“I don’t repeat myself.” His reply was solemn and also not prompt. He was testing the patience that I lacked.

‘Does he not know my name?’ I mused.

‘Maybe Ava didn’t let him know about you, after all, she has always been insecure of you.’ replied my inner-self and I couldn’t agree more.

“Olivia,” I replied.

“Olivia.” He repeated after a few seconds.

My name from his voice erupted the goosebumps on my whole body. It was so smooth that I almost shivered. The way he took my name made me feel different as if he liked my name.

"You should get ready. I don't like latecomers. We don't have much time left for the wedding."His indifferent, harsh tone made my blood curdle.

When he turned around I found a beautiful pair of blue eyes that held no emotion. He looked like ice and was intimidating. His daunting personality was something that could be admired but was scaring me at that moment.

He took slow steps while his blue orbs bore into mine. His chiseled jaw made me believe he received his persona from his mother. Coming closer to me he bent to my level. In reflex, my back touched the arm of the armchair. I gulped in fear. I was about to lose my senses but then gripped the other of the chair from my left hand I was sitting on as tightly as I could. My right hand was holding my dress.

He hovered me but I didn't budge. He was staring at me and so was I. He looked robotic. I tried harder to read his face, his eyes but couldn't. I had never seen someone who was that arduous to read. Noah brought his right hand to my face, removed the hair from my left cheek, and caressed it lightly with his fingers.

My heartbeat quickened its pace. My eyes fluttered at his act and I hissed in pain when his fingers brushed my bruised cheek. I reminisced about the harsh slap I had received a few moments ago. Feeling ashamed I averted my gaze.

His fingers kept on caressing my skin. I closed my eyes and a tear slid down my left eye which was instantly wiped by him.

I bite my lower lip to prevent the sob from leaving my mouth. I decided to leave before I let him witness my susceptible side when I heard him asking, "Who did this?"

"No one," I replied and got up pushing him away from me. I ran out of the room hurriedly as the man who was going to be my husband seemed a probable threat to me.