Formal introduction

I woke up the next morning quite late, my body still feeling the lingering exhaustion of the night before. I dragged myself out of bed and took my bath, letting the warm water wash over me as I tried to clear my head.

When I finally got out of the bedroom and stepped into the upper hallway, I saw Matthew sitting on the plush sofa. The heavy, dark atmosphere he always brought into the house immediately settled over me.

“Good morning,” I greeted him, keeping my voice soft and obedient.

“My son is back from the States,” Matthew said, not bothering to look up at me at first. He adjusted his watch, his tone commanding. “And I will introduce the both of you. Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”

“Okay,” I nodded, keeping my emotions completely masked.

I went back to my closet and changed into a comfy short gown. It was simple, but it hugged my curves just enough to remind me of the woman I used to be before I became a prisoner in this house.

Taking a deep breath, I went down the grand marble staircase to the living room. As I walked in, I saw the father and son already seated, clinking their glasses of wine together. In the daylight, Matthew’s son looked even more imposing, his broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his dark designer shirt.

“Come and sit here,” Matthew motioned, tapping the empty cushion right beside him.

I walked over and sat down, my posture rigid.

Matthew looked between the two of us, a smirk playing on his lips.

“You guys must have met before.”

I held my breath, my mind racing back to the midnight encounter in the kitchen, the way I had drooled over his shirtless body in the dark.

Before I could answer, his son spoke up.

“No, we haven’t,” he replied, his voice a cool, smooth lie as his dark eyes locked onto mine. “Who is she?”

“She is my wife, the one I told you about,” Matthew said proudly, wrapping his arm around my waist, making me internally flinch. “Her name is Elena.”

“Oh, I see,” he said, tilting his glass toward me.

“And Elena,” Matthew continued, “this is my son, Archie.”

Archie. The name sounded cool on his tongue. We both shared glances across the table, the silent tension between us so thick I was terrified Matthew would feel it.

“Nice meeting you, Elena,” Archie said, his eyes scanning my face, dropping for a split second to my lips before locking back onto my eyes.

“Same here,” I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He kept looking at me, completely unbothered by his father’s presence. There was a dangerous, mocking challenge in his eyes that made my skin flush with a sudden heat.

Suddenly, Matthew’s phone rang, He glanced at the screen and groaned, it was a  business call.

“I will leave you two to catch up,” Matthew said, sliding his arm off my waist.

He stood up, went outside into the courtyard, and picked up his call.

The moment the glass doors slid shut behind Matthew, it felt still inside. The living room became a vacuum of suffocating tension.

Archie leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at me with a slow, wicked smirk.

“So, you are my stepmom,” he said teasingly, his deep voice dripping with dark amusement.

I kept quiet and did not say a word. I gripped the fabric of my short gown, terrified that if I spoke, I would give away how fast my heart was beating. I just stared back at him, trying to look cold and unaffected.

“Well, nice having a young stepmom,” Archie murmured, his gaze dropping down to my bare legs before he slowly stood up. “See you around.”

He turned on his heel and started walking out of the living room.

I didn’t move an inch. I kept staring at him while he walked away, my eyes locked onto the broad line of his back and the confident, powerful stride of his legs.

As I was about to leave to the sitting room myself, trying to escape before Matthew finished his phone call, my nerves got the better of me.

The door to the patio opened slightly as Matthew stepped further away on the grass.

In my rush, I tiptoed quickly across the marble floor and almost fell. My foot slipped on the polished surface, and my body tilted forward.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed me from behind and forcefully pulled me up.

My breath caught completely in my throat.

I didn’t know when he had gotten so close to me, or how he had moved so fast, but Archie was standing right there.

His hands were wrapped securely around my waist, his warm chest pressing lightly against my back.

“Watch where you are going, mom,” Archie said near my ear, a slow, mocking smile playing on his lips as he used the title to tease me.

I felt completely embarrassed and flushed all over.

“Thanks,” I muttered, twitching my eyes nervously as I tried to pull away from his overwhelming grip.

“Don’t mention it,” he replied smoothly, his hands sliding off my waist.

He gave me one last intense look and went back to sit on the sofa, picking up his wine glass as if nothing had happened.

Shaking and breathless, I shamelessly turned around and returned back to my room, my heart hammering violently against my ribs the entire way up the stairs.