Chapter1
Aurora
It felt like I was in a trance.
But then, every bit of this moment feels so real, and this room feels nothing like mine.
The unfamiliarity of the atmosphere is as glaring as the harsh morning sun seeping through the curtains.
Before I could grasp my consciousness, strong, firm arms pulled me even closer, and I snuggled back inside, letting myself feel the warmth all over again, but then it hit me, and my heart skipped a thousand beats.
That scent!
Oh, it can't be, it just can't. What have you done Aurora?
That thick, strongly unforgettable, masculine cologne, an intense mixture of Oud, Patchouli, and Vetiver filled my nostrils.
It was all too familiar.
I had barely opened my eyes but my heart had begun to make a knowing sound in my chest.
The Archie Malcolm.
Aurora Lopez, you f*****g slept with a Malcolm?! My chest screamed.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, sluggish from too much alcohol and less sleep, praying it was some hallucination that I could scold myself for later.
But when they met the figure before me, I gasped for breath and quietly wriggled out of his arms, away from the unbelievable sin I had gotten myself into.
He was fast asleep and I knew that if I ran now, I would save myself whatever it is that I'm supposed to face if he were up.
But what about work?
The man lying before me is also my boss. I can't avoid him forever.
How…did I…let this happen?
I stared at him as the previous night came in bits, but not enough to flood my memory with the one answer I needed.
How did I end up in bed with Archie Malcolm, the very man I shouldn't be an inch close to?
I shut my eyes again, a mix of frustration and confusion filling me instantly as I prayed a silent mantra.
Gosh! It's got to be a dream. Somebody just pinch me awake now.
But when my eyes flipped open, and I looked down at my bare skin, I knew that this was no dream.
Not the kind of dream I would have ever wanted to have.
Anger filled me as the very man I hated with every fibre in me breathed peacefully.
It was supposed to be a night of celebration with the team, and you only had one drink, one drink Aurora.
Or was it really just one? I slowly looked around the room.
Memories of the previous night flashed through my head in longer bits, but somehow, the memory that landed me here, or what happened right after I had the shot I remembered to be my last, eluded me.
I turned to him, glaring as he slept, but the anger I was supposed to be feeling wasn't there anymore, even though I badly wanted it there.
I badly wanted to blame him and anyone else for this, anyone else but myself.
But deep down, my heart couldn't, because it knew this was my mistake.
Disappointed, I quietly got up, making sure not to wake him.
There's just about a certain amount of shame I can face right now, and his waking up to see me like this isn't part of it.
I scanned the floor with my eyes until I found them, my clothes, my underwear, my jewelry, they were all scattered on the floor, in different directions.
Oh my gosh, this keeps looking worse.
Putting my underwear and pants on, I wore them, I didn't waste a second before throwing on my shirt, but just when I was about to pick up my earrings, my phone buzzed and I cussed out inwardly as I hurried to the side the sound came from.
There was only one person who would be worried sick, trying to reach me since last night.
I really need to get out of here.
There you are, gosh!
I gasped as my gaze scanned and found my phone lying just beside his shirt, and I quietly reached for it, and…..
Uhmm...
I paused, squinting my eyes like that would help quench my curiosity as I saw the piece of paper trying to fly away after I had picked up my phone.
I reached for the paper with shaky hands, unsure and a lot more curious to see what it was, and when I saw the words, my heart froze.
My eyes scanned through the words frantically holding my breath as I read.
“Good gracious God, it can't be….” My voice, merely a whisper, my tone cracked in my lungs.
I shut my eyes, praying it was me who wasn't seeing right, hoping this time that this one isn't real.
But when I opened them back, the boldly written words “MARRIAGE AGREEMENT” stared back at me.
My heart thumped like it would break free from my chest any minute.
Slowly and carefully I read through the words, “This contract is binding…..” …..and in the presence of…”
My gaze trailed off, strolling down to the very end of the paper.
Two familiar names, way too familiar, and not just that, their signatures stared back.
Archie Malcolm
Aurora Lopez.
It was me. I signed a marriage agreement with the traitor.
My knees felt weak instantly. The pounding on my chest and the resounding ache in my head seemed to be in rhythm as I tried to hold my stance.
In one night. In barely 24 hours, I had not only slept with Archie Malcolm, but I had also gotten married to him.
Oh, how I wish I could scream!
This can’t be happening, this doesn’t make sense, I…I can’t, I just….
While I was still all up in my head, he woke up.
And before I could stop myself, I turned to him and my gaze met his.
He stared back at me in the most melting way.
Those eyes, those alluring stares, all these years I had been haunted by them.
All these years I had tried to break free, but somehow, this handsome devil of a man would always find a way.
Without another pause, I found my voice, as my rage grew. My voice trembled as tears welled up in my eyes.
“Archie? What….did you do….to me?”