Chapter 1

Carla~

Something didn't feel right.

Xavier was finally returning from his three-day trip, and I was supposed to be excited. Happy, even.

However, I just couldn't shake off the odd feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to be at ease.

Should I just...

"Excuse me, Madame!" A voice suddenly chirped from behind me, startling me out of my thoughts.

I turned to see one of the maids, Gemma walking toward me with a steaming tea cup in her hands.

"I brought you something to help with the nausea." She said, earning a grateful smile from me.

"Thank you, Gemma." I mouthed as I took the tea cup from her, instinctively inhalinh the sweet scent.

For a couple days now, I'd been having really serious episodes of morning sickness and the only thing that helped was Gemma’s specially made tea.

She would always make me a cup or two after I'd successfully puked my guts out. And I almost feel bad for having to worry her that much.

Perhaps I'll be able to get Xavier to accompany me to the hospital when he comes back. I had a feeling I might need to run some tests.

"Is my husband back already?" I suddenly asked, after taking a few sips from my cup.

Gemma couldn't help but sigh at the question that I was probably asking for the umpteenth time.

"No, Mrs. Lockwood." She answered grimly.

"But I'm sure he'll arrive soon enough."

"Of course." Was all I could mutter, as I slowly turned to stare out the window again.

Maybe I was just missing him too much and it was beginning to take its toll. Xavier had been gone for over a week and every single moment felt like torture. I wanted him back already.

"How are the preparations coming along?" I asked, suddenly excited again.

I heard Xavier had travelled all that way to close a multi-million dollar deal and it turned out successful, I decided to organise a small welcome celebration for him.

Gemma suddenly took a step forward.

"Almost complete, Madame." She answered excitedly, clapping her hands together.

"Although we haven't decided on flowers yet, and we might need you to do a little inspection on our work."

I let out a small chuckle at her words, finally turning to look at her again.

"With you supervising it, I'm sure it turned out perfect." I said, making her smile.

"And as for flowers, go for Lilies. They're my husband's favourite."

Gemma’s eyes lit up at the information and she nodded wordlessly before turning on her heels to go finish the job.

My smile faded once she left and I couldn't help but collapse onto one of the nearby sofa in the room.

Xavier’s study.

I'd been spending way too much time in here, ever since he left. Reading his books, snooping through past projects and admiring trophies he'd hung on the wall.

My husband was one hell of a workaholic. He was always focused on making new achievements regardless of the cost and maybe that was what made me worry constantly about him.

We'd been married for over two years now and the only time Xavier genuinely looks peaceful is when he's in the middle of work. He even had a small desk brought over to our bedroom and on many nights, he'd sit there working his ass out.

There was no way to tell him to take it slow. He wasn't particularly known for listening to anyone. Not even me, his wife.

I was honestly beginning to worry about our future together, if he continued like this. I needed to find a way to be closer to him.

Memories of the last night we spent together began flooding my head, suddenly making me feel hot and bothered.

I bit my lips as I remembered how he touched me, how he looked down at me as he...oh God!

No matter how many times I touched myself, I never came close to how Xavier made me feel. It drove me fucking crazy like an animal in heat.

The door suddenly creaked open again, making me snap my head up.

This time, it was one of the security men.

"The boss has arrived." He announced in a single breath, making me jerk upright.

"What?" My eyes widened.

And before I could stop myself, I was running toward the door like an excited child. He was back!

My husband was finally back!

Running down the hallway, I suddenly came to a halt as I looked down at what I was wearing. I was so focused on when he was coming back that I didn't give much thought to how I was supposed to dress.

Pyjamas from last night, messy brown hair and some flip-flops was definitely not how I wanted to appear before him, but I was sure Xavier wouldn't mind. I mean, he hadn't seen me for days now.

With that thought, I began running again, skipping some steps on the staircase.

The entire mansion had been decorated for his arrival and I could see everything was in order as I ran past the master living room.

The household staff were all lined up with big smiles on their faces. I couldn't help but smile back, knowing they had worked really hard to make everything perfect. And it was.

As soon as I stepped outside, I was greeted by the familiar sight of Xavier’s mini convoy pulling into the driveway.

With every vehicle that drove past, my heart skipped a beat. My breath hitched in anticipation and probably a little impatience.

One by one, I watched the vehicles come to a stop. Doors began to open and men in black suits stepped out first. They were his personal security team.

And finally, coming out of a sleek black Rolls Royce was the man I'd been longing to see for so long.

Xavier Lockwood.

The sight of his dark cropped hair, poking out of the car was enough to have me gasping for breath. He had finally come back to me.

And I couldn't stop myself as I dashed forward to throw my arms around him.

"Xavier!" I squealed excitedly.

But the sound died in my throat as soon as it came, my body suddenly forcing itself to a halt.

My husband was reaching into the car for something...or someone. He hadn't come alone.

I watched in utter bewilderment as a pair of perfectly manicured hands were suddenly grabbing his arm for support.

A woman. A tall, beautiful redhead woman was stepping out, right after him. Matching outfits and all smiles.

They were close. Too close.

And seeing this stirred something in me that I was unfamiliar with. Something ugly.

Who the hell was that woman? And why did Xavier bring her home?