Chapter Eight

Maya’s POV

Disappointment washed over me as Alexander pulled away, his smirk evident in the curve of his lips. I had hoped for a different outcome, but his teasing chuckle only served to deepen my sense of dejection.

“What were you expecting?” He asked, his tone teasing as he let out a small laugh. 

I turned red with embarrassment and I loved away from him, struggling to find the proper words to say to him. “I… no- I wasn’t expecting anything,” I stuttered. 

Before I could think of anything else to say, he moved closer to me, raised his hand and brushed the stray starves of my hair away from my face before tucking it behind my ear. His touch was gentle and tingles spread across my body. I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hop reignite within me at his tender gesture.

“You look very beautiful, Maya,” he said. I was surprised by his compliment and my eyes widened as a blush crept up my cheek.

I tried to find what to say to him or even compliment him, but my brain wasn’t working. 

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper but filled with sincerity.  Only then did I notice the way he looked in his suit as he stood before me. The snug material cling to him, outlining his muscles and at the same time looking comfortable and elegant. 

His dark hair was styled to the back and his handsome face was on display with nothing to distract you from his beauty. But out of everything that stood out, his eyes were the most significant. They were and beautiful and something about his eyes kept drawing me to him. Something akin to vulnerability flashed across his eyes but it was gone as soon as I had seen it. 

His eyes captivated me and I found it hard to look away from him. 

He cleared his throat, causing me to look away. He stretched out his hand and I took it before he led us out of the house and to the car that was waiting for us. 

Every step felt like forever as we walked closer to the car in silence. My chest felt heavy with the one question I wanted to ask him but I wasn’t sure if I should or not. Not being able to bear it anymore, I decided to ask, I really wanted to know what happened to Sarah and why he was suddenly acting all calm and collected when he had gone bat shit crazy less than an hour ago. 

“What did you do to Sarah?” I blurted out, unable to contain my curiosity any longer.

I saw him clench his jaw and his calm expression vanished into thin air, immediately replace by a cold and detached look. 

“Don’t ask me stupid questions, Maya,” he replied in a voice as cold as his eyes. “You have no right to.”

My heart fell into my stomach and I realized that my question had ruined his mood. I mentally slapped myself for allowing my curiosity make things tense and uncomfortable. 

Finally, we got to the car and he opened the door for me, waiting for me to sit down comfortable before he closed the door and walked around the car to get in. The driver started the car and we headed to our destination, the air thick with tension and a suffocating silence. I didn’t bother saying anything else, not wanting to add to his anger, I could deal with his silence but never his anger. 

Few minutes into the ride, he reached for his pocket and pulled out a small ring box. He outstretched his hand before opening it, and inside it, sitting beautifully was a diamond engagement ring. 

The ring was very beautiful- more beautiful than every other ring I had seen. The band the diamond rested on was rose gold and I couldn’t help but admire it as the ring shone and reflected around the car. 

Without a word, Alexander extended the box towards me, his eyes fixated on mine. “Wear it on your finger,” he said softly, his tone commanding. 

With trembling fingers, I reached for the ring and carefully placed them on my finger. 

Feeling excited and happy as the ring balanced on my finger, I immediately realized that this was getting real and I couldn’t believe that it was happening. The ring looked expensive- too expensive and I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t worth it. But, once I turned to look at him, the look on his face was enough to shut me up. 

I swallowed my words, silently promising to keep the ring safe and make sure nothing ever happened to it. It was worth more than my miserable life and I didn’t want to find out what Alexander would do to me if I misplaced it. 

We finally got to the destination after a few more minutes. I was about to get down but Alexander stopped me. “Sit back and isn’t get down yet,” he ordered firmly and I swallowed before nodding.

He opened his side of the door and got out before he walked over to me. My heart fluttered as I saw him open my side of the door with a small smile on his face, he extended his hand out and I took it, placing my hand in his. 

Tingles coursed through my body at the contact as he helped me get down from the car. Surprisingly, he leaned into me before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. 

He straightened, before he wrapped his hand around me and gently nudged me toward the entrance and I could help the blush that crept up my cheek at how close we were to each other. But, I immediately got ahold of myself and shook the feeling away. 

“It’s just for show,” I reminded myself silently, forcing my emotions back under control. “This is all just an act to make our fake relationship real.”

Letting out a small sigh, I straightened and walked with Alexander into the hall, preparing myself to act like the perfect fiancée. 

The party was already in full swing when we got inside, the guests were chatting with each other and soft music was playing in the background. Everything screamed elegance and money as I took in the environment, different people with different profession from all over the world was present and I was marveled. 

I started feeling nervous but Alexander’s presence was enough to calm me down a little bit. He tightened his hand around me and legs me through the crowd. I knew that he was leading me to his parents and I couldn’t help but feel nervous and scared all at once. 

His father stood tall and imposing, his sharp features exuding an air of authority that demanded respect. He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit and everything about him screamed wealth and power as he looked around the room. He looked like an older version of Alexander and I could tell that they would be similar in many ways. 

Standing beside him was a beautiful woman that didn’t look a day older than thirty. She was the definition of elegance and beauty and I watched her as she greeted people that came to them, her warmth was contagious and I could tell I would love her. 

“Hi mom and dad,” Alexander greeted the moment we got to them, a smile on his face as he dropped my hand and pulled his mom into a hug. “This is Maya, the person I’ve been talking to you about.”

Realizing who I was, they both turned to me with a bright smile on their face, a contrast to what I was expecting. “Maya, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Alexander’s father said, extending his hand to shake me.  

I greeted them politely, feeling a rush of nerves as I shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure for me too,” I replied. 

Alexander’s mother pulled me in a hug, taking me by surprise. Like I had imagined, her touch was warm and filled with love. 

“Finally, I get to meet you,” she cooed, her voice filled with excitement and warmth as she pulled away from me. “You’re even more beautiful than Alex has described. I can’t believe he was able to pull someone like you.”

Her words made me smile and I turned to look at Alexander would had a small smile on his face. “Thank you,” I said to her, my voice sincere and soft. 

“I can’t wait to get to know you more than this,” she said again. “I’ll invite you over for dinner very soon and you must form. I insist.”

“Who am I to say no?” I replied her with a smile, feeling relieved that she liked me. 

I let out a small breath, grateful that I had only been worrying and that she was accepting me as I was.