CHAPTER SEVEN

After a few hours of doing nothing but reflecting on my interaction with Kai, the topic of marriage came up, and I could not get Ken and me off my mind.

Due to my  stubbornness and my love for Ken at the time, my parents disowned me. I recalled my wedding to Ken. We could have had the wedding my parents wanted for me, but I could not have had the wedding I have always wanted, complete with my dream dress, décor, flowers, and other details.

But Ken was so broke that the money I received from my parents went towards planning how and where we would live. Since I loved Ken and would stop at nothing to make him happy, I agreed to help him with the money he needed to launch his business.

We all rely on my money for everything, and his parents did not help out. We had a church and a pastor who performed the blessings.

We went through everything together, and Yvonne, who was my best friend, assured me that she was there for me and had my back. I never suspected I was being duped; we came a long way. I could not stop wondering where it all went wrong.

I mean, there were warning signs, but I ignored them and never expected this betrayal.

Tired of my own thoughts, I slipped out of the room and was greeted by a large spiral staircase.

  As I ascended the stairs, my gaze swept across the immaculately furnished room. Ken and his damn parents could be bought with this luxury.

 The living room is luxuriously furnished, with clean white tiles and a large golden chandelier hanging from the high ceilings, casting a golden glow.

This was luxury at its finest. My eyes fell on the fireplace, which I had earlier missed, made of red bricks, and dull brown wood sat in it.

Kai, who were you? An aristocrat, maybe? Because how could he possibly afford such luxuries?

The image of Kai killing that man in cold blood came back to me, and I shuddered. Clara would have packed her things and fled from Kai, but this was no longer Clara; this was Chloe. I have a mission to accomplish.

I did not want to waste any more time wandering around when I had plenty of time to look around, so I went straight to the large double doors. I pushed it open, and my eyes were greeted with a large space; a large fountain stood gallantly in the middle with exquisitely trimmed flowers surrounding it. 

The peak of it all was the golden lion statue, which stood at the other side of the place. My eyes widened, and my lips parted as my eyes registered each and every detail of this place.

I took a stroll around and noticed a maid picking dead leaves from the ground. Her brown hair was tied in a messy bun, and she appeared lean and frail.

I cleared my throat. “Hi there.” I summoned a smile, hoping to have a conversation with someone that wasn’t my killer-husband-to-be or the wall. 

 She briefly raised her head, and I cringed at the possible thought of her head rolling off her bony neck. 

"Hello, madam," she replied with a polite smile.

My brow furrowed as I was not expecting a positive response from her; the first maid had been strangely bitter toward me.

My eyes shone with gladness; finally, a normal human to talk to.

“What is your name?” I gingerly asked, wanting to know more about her and probably ask why she looked dry like a twig. What on earth is going on in this place? Everything seemed off.

She looked at me from the flowers. With a gentle reply, "Cindy, madam."

"My name is …, and please stop calling me madam." I paused not because I do not know my name, but because I am unsure whether to say Clara or Chole. She is new to me; in fact, I do not trust anyone just yet.

When I joined her, I asked her how long she had been here, how well she knew Kai, whether she knew that he had shot someone, and other things I did not know. She raised an eyebrow but remained silent, only going about her work.

She gently placed the flowers down and said, "I have been with Sir for a long time and have not left since then."

I said, "Well, you can call me Chloe; that is my name. You do not have to keep calling me madam," just to keep the conversation going. If I were exposed to the outside world, I might also grow accustomed to being called Chloe. Haha, that is something.

I decided to try my luck and ask, "Does Kai have any of his family with him? I have not seen anyone here with him or so." I want to know more about Kai and everything in his life.

"We are not allowed to talk about the master," she said quietly, surveying the area. "That has always been the first rule we were given when we first got here." After picking the bouquet of freshly picked flowers, she stood up straight, gave me a quick glance, and started to enter the house.

I looked around for a few minutes to familiarize myself with the area where I would be spending the remainder of the year.

As I walked inside, I could not stop thinking about how I should spend my time because I could not afford to be distracted, and I needed to make the most of it if I wanted to achieve my goals. As I entered, I noticed a woman seated on the couch, occupied with her phone.

She stands up and extends her hand with a big smile on her face, having become aware of my presence. "Hello, my name is Sloane Graham, and I am your wedding planner. I look forward to working with you."

"Wedding planner?" What wedding planner? When I had brought up the idea of getting married to Kai, I never imagined that he would hire a planner to organize the event; all I wanted was a small celebration with his friends and acquaintances.

The wedding would provide me with an opportunity to be introduced to the world and make communication with others much easier. I could see Sloane's face saying "Well" as I looked at her.

"I never thought he would hire a planner for our wedding, but since you are here, let us hear what plans you have," I said professionally.

Why is she so involved in wedding planning? I can see all of her teeth, and I am sure her cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

It was as if she could read my mind when she said, "I have known Kai for a long time, but this is the first time I have heard that he wants to have a wedding, and I could not be happier to do this for him."

Did I just hear she had known Kai for a long time? I am sure I could get the information I need from her. I grinned at her and remarked, "It is unbelievable that you have known Kai for so long. I have not seen any women her"e. How did you get this close?" I asked.

Her eyes widened as she said, "Well, it is a long story," and then she asked, "Are you telling me you do not know anything about the man you want to marry?"

My heart fell, and the silence fell like that of a cemetery. I was unable to answer the question and kept my eyes from meeting hers.