chapter Four

Caspian's POV

I brought Camelia back to the mansion that evening. I was tired of hiding the mother of the Houston heir away like some secret.

Aurelia's car wasn't in the driveway. I noticed its absence but didn't think much of it.

Inside, the house was unusually quiet. I expected to find Aurelia locked in our bedroom, probably crying with her face buried in a pillow. I had almost prepared myself for a scene, because that would have been easier to deal with than silence.

But the bedroom was empty. So were the living room and the study.

I found the dining room last. The long table was set for two, with candles that hadn't been lit.

She had gone through all that trouble for me.

Poor Aurelia, I thought, a smirk forming on my lips.

But the smile soon faded.

Where else could she have gone? The thought of it unsettled me.

"Cas?" Mrs. Doyle, our housekeeper, stood in the doorway with her hands folded. She had worked for this family long before I got married. "Mrs. Houston left on Christmas, sir. She only took one bag, and she hasn't returned."

"She's sulking," I replied. "She'll be back."

Mrs. Doyle glanced at the candles on the dining table before looking at me again.

"Yes, sir."

She said it in a way that made it clear she didn't believe me.

"Baby!"

Camelia's voice came from upstairs. I told Mrs. Doyle she could leave for the night before taking the stairs two at a time.

I found Camelia stretched across my bed, one hand resting on her stomach.

"Honey, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not. I'm having a little pain in my stomach. Could you please massage it?"

I sighed, but I sat beside her and gently rubbed her stomach. She closed her eyes and smiled, looking quite pleased with herself.

Just then, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She reached for it almost immediately. A little too quickly, if you asked me. Her eyes moved across the screen, and for a moment, her expression changed. But she quickly turned the phone face down.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Nobody. Just a random SMS."

"An SMS?"

"Darling." She laughed and gently pulled my hand back to her stomach. "Don't be paranoid. Keep going."

I shrugged and continued the massage. I had other things on my mind.

A moment later, the doorbell rang.

"Who could it be at this time?" Camelia asked, looking at me.

My first thought was Aurelia. She had been gone for days, but I knew she wouldn't stay away for long. Despite everything that had happened, I was certain she still loved me too much to walk away from our marriage. She would come back eventually, probably hoping I had changed my mind about the divorce.

I stood up quicker than I intended, and Camelia noticed.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To see who's at the door."

"Are you expecting someone?"

"Not really. Let me go and check."

I headed downstairs, straightening my shirt as I went. I had already decided what I would say to her. I'd let her stand there for a minute before making it clear that if she wanted to stay in this house, she would have to accept things as they were.

I opened the door, but it wasn't Aurelia.

A courier stood outside in a reflective jacket, holding a thick brown envelope.

"Mr. Caspian Houston?"

"Yes."

"I have a package for you. Please sign here."

I signed for it, and he handed me the envelope before walking away.

I remained by the door, staring at it. I hadn't ordered anything. My eyes moved to the sender's name, and something cold settled in my chest.

Whitfield & Grant, Attorneys at Law.

I tore the envelope open right there in the hallway.

PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE.

My name, Aurelia's name, and the date of our wedding were printed on the first page.

I read the first page twice, finding it hard to believe what I was looking at. Aurelia had actually sent the papers. She had beaten me to it.

"Really, Aurelia?" I muttered. "You're going to regret this."

I flipped through the pages, expecting to find some demand for money, the house or other assets. But there was nothing of the sort. She wanted nothing from the marriage except her freedom.

That should have pleased me. Instead, it only irritated me.

"Cas?"

Camelia stood at the top of the stairs, wearing my shirt, her hair falling over one shoulder.

"What is that?"

"The divorce papers." I tried to sound casual. "She sent them herself."

For a moment, her eyes lit up. She hurried down the stairs, took the papers from my hand and glanced through the first page.

"Good," she said. "That saves you the trouble."

She picked up a pen from the console table and held it out to me.

"I was going to send them myself."

"But she did it first." She smiled and handed the papers back to me. "So, sign them."

I looked down at the documents, my fingers resting on the edge of the pages.

I hesitated.

It was only for a moment, but Camelia noticed.

"Cas." She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "What's there to think about? This is what we wanted, isn't it? You, me and our baby."

I looked at her, then at the papers in my hand.

"Yes. Just us."

"Then sign it, darling." She placed a hand on my chest. "You promised me we wouldn't have to hide anymore. I want to build a family with you without worrying about another woman standing between us. Our baby deserves a peaceful home."

She glanced at the papers in my hand, then back at me.

"Unless you've changed your mind?"

I looked at her.

"Of course not. You know how much I love you and our unborn child."

"Then don't make me doubt you, Cas."

She held the pen out again.

"Sign it.”

I glanced at the papers. A small yellow flag marked the space for my signature, just below Aurelia's name.

Her signature was neat and steady. It didn't look as though her hand had shaken at all.

I took the pen from Camelia and signed.

As soon as I finished, she took the papers from me and dropped them on the table. Then she wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.

I kissed her back, and before long, she was leading me upstairs.

Later that night, Camelia was asleep beside me, but I was still awake, staring at the ceiling.

I couldn't quite explain it, but something about the room felt different.

The bed was the same, the curtains hadn't changed, and everything was still in its usual place. Yet the house felt strangely quiet without Aurelia.

She used to leave little things around without even realising it. Her perfume always lingered in the hallway, she often left a book on the armchair, and the lamp in the study was almost always on.

Now, none of that was there.

I turned to look at Camelia sleeping beside me. A moment later, the clock down the hall struck midnight.

It doesn't matter, I told myself. It's only been a few days.

Aurelia had nowhere to go. She had no family to turn to, and she had spent years depending on me. She would probably spend a few weeks feeling sorry for herself before realising she couldn't manage without me.

Eventually, she would come back.