CHAPTER 2

Stella Romilly's pov

            I froze as I stared at him in shock. The gunshot vibrated within me and I felt my heartbeat quicken. I slowly turned my head to look at the wood he had just shot and gasped for air. I turned back to look at him bewildered. He averted his gaze from his target and moved to another. 

“Go back to bed Stella.”

I shook slightly, unable to bring myself back to reality.

“Stella” he called but I was far from hearing him. 

He sighed and held my hand, quietly leading me back to the room. 

        He set me down on the bed. I stared at him momentarily before lying on the bed. He draped a blanket over me and kissed my crown before leaving the room. 

I didn't understand his actions and I didn't even ask where he was going when he left with a gun in his hand. 

Why had he pointed the gun at me? Couldn't he have asked for me to move aside? 

I almost had a heart attack.

I couldn't ask these questions because my eyes fluttered close.

          I woke up this morning with a headache. I wasn't able to sleep properly last night and Antonio still hadn't come back to bed last night. I wanted to question him about the gun. I was still shaken and wondered deep down if he wanted to kill me last night but changed his mind. 

I removed my night robe and went to freshen up. Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me. Antonio would never do it. He loved me. 

             When I went downstairs, Anna was there preparing breakfast. I smelled her cinnamon pancakes, bacon, and eggs and my mouth watered. I directly entered the kitchen. 

“Good morning Mrs,” she smiled. I nodded in response. I opened my mouth to compliment her cooking but she spoke first.

“Mr Dante wants to speak to you. He told me to tell you once you come downstairs. He's in the living room.”She bowed before resuming what she was doing.

         A perplexed me walked slowly to the living room. Was he going to apologize for almost killing me? I clutched my blue dress that flowed past my legs. I caught sight of his face when I entered the room. His black hair. His cold blue eyes. And his black suit. But he wasn't alone. There was another woman who sat by him. 

            I couldn't recognize her. I hadn't seen her before. Her blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail and her features were prominent. High cheekbones. Sharp jawline. Deep brown eyes. She wore a short red dress with black heels and bright red lipstick. She was pretty. 

“Antonio?”I called, drawing their attention. Antonio's expression was grim. I saw papers and a file on the table. What was this? 

“Sit down Stella,” he said, gesturing to the black sofa across them.

           I caught sight of the blonde eyeing me from head to toe with a certain gaze in her eyes.I sat down, waiting for Antonio to explain. Antonio removed another paper from a suitcase beside him and threw it on the table in front of me. I grabbed the piece of paper, eyes widening at the bold letters written on the paper. 

DIVORCE AGREEMENT.

No. No. 

My hands shivered as I stared back at him. His gaze held no emotions. My eyebrows furrowed.

“What is the meaning of this?” I asked brusquely.

“As you can see,” the blonde nodded at the paper. I raised my eyebrows angrily at her. Which position was she in to interfere like that? 

“I wasn't asking you.”

The blonde rolled her eyes before focusing on her red nails.

“Antonio?” 

His eyes flickered to mine

“What is the meaning of this?” I asked, waving the papers. 

“You know what it is Stella.”

“No, I don't know” I blinked, staring at the divorce papers in fake confusion.

There was silence except for the occasional clink of the blonde's heels. 

He stared at me. 

“Okay, fine. Let me introduce you to Lisa Haven,” he said. I glanced at the woman sitting across me like she was nothing. But then it clicked. Lisa Haven. It was the woman Antonio talked to me about. His ex.

“Your ex?”I yelled, standing up and looking at her again.

He didn't answer. 

“What is she doing here?”I thundered. 

“She is here to stay.”

“Here to stay?”I yelled furiously. 

“Yes, Stella. She is here to stay.” he said firmly. 

“You can't bring her here. She can't even work as a housemaid!”

“She is here as my wife!” he yelled back, taking me aback. I fell back on the couch as he stood up and took the papers.

“You know what? I'm just making it easy for you. All you need to do is sign the papers. Everything else will be sorted” he said annoyingly. 

I looked at him, appalled. 

“You are just making it easy for me? Since when was divorce easy? And where the hell did you get that idea from?” Tears pricked my eyes but I refused to let it show. 

          Not when he did not even care to show an ounce of pity. And certainly not when this Lisa whatever her name was was staring at me and smirking.

I fixed my gaze on her and then back to Antonio. 

“Is it because of her? I pointed my hands accusingly. 

He didn't answer. 

“Answer me, Antonio!”

“I love her!”

“No, you don't!”I spat, my tears betraying me. 

This can't be happening.

I walked towards him, holding his strong arms with my hands. 

“Antonio, if this is a joke. It is a very bad one. Stop” I begged, staring at him, praying that it was true. For him to suddenly smile and say ‘You are very easy to fool Stella’. And I will laugh and tell him never to repeat the same. Except that didn't happen. 

He looked at me in the eye and said,

“If it's money you want, I can give you.”

I was horrified. 

“Why the hell do you think I would want money?”I yelled, holding my head and closing my eyes. This can't be happening. Please. 

“You think our marriage was based on money? You think our love was based on money? Tell me!” I hit his shoulders. He grabbed my hand tightly to stop me. 

“Just sign the divorce papers!”

I shook my head, moving away from him. 

“I'm not signing it. I will not sign it,” My head was pounding but I didn't care. I was walking out of the room when he shouted after me. 

“If you don't sign the divorce papers..”

I stopped walking and turned. 

“You will have to deal with Lisa and I living as a married couple!”