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Todos los capítulos de THE ARRANGED BRIDE : Capítulo 41 - Capítulo 50

95 Capítulos

41

OLIVIA'S POVWe pulled up in front of this Fancy restaurant, valet service, with a long line of luxury cars parked in front. I hadn't been to one of those in ages, and for one fast second, I wondered whether I overdressed or underdressed. Smoothing the fabric of my dress once more, I watched as Kellan stepped from the car and came around to open the door for me.He nods and extends an offering hand. "Ready?" he asks. I hesitate half a second too long before I take it, let him pull me from the car. "As ready as I'll ever be."Inside was just as breathtaking: soft lighting, everything in a warm glow. Tables were set so that each table would be in privacy and the soft hum of conversations moved through the air. A waiter gestured us to a table by the window, and I couldn't help but be very aware of Kellan's hand on the small of my back as he guided me toward it."Thanks," I whispered, as he pulled the chair out for me.Kellan sat down across from me and for a minute we didn't say a word.

42

KELLAN'S POV“You killed that deal, Kellan," Brian said, still smiling as he clicked his glass to mine across the corner booth at our regular lunch place. "I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were born to close deals like this."I laughed, shaking my head. "It's all in the presentation. If you act confident enough, they will believe anything you are selling."Brian threw himself backward in his chair, laughing. "Well, whatever it is, it's working. Speaking of which… how's it at home? You and Olivia seem to be getting on all right these days."The thought alone brought a smile to my face. "Yeah, actually. Things have been… surprisingly good. We have been spending more time together, talking-actually getting along. I think she's starting to thaw up to the fact that maybe we can make this work.""That's great to hear," he said. "I knew it was only a matter of time. You two just needed some space to figure things out.”I didn't even have time to say anything before I found Brian

43

OLIVIA'S POV I lay on the bed, tucking my legs under me, and began absently scrolling through my phone. That Afternoon was quiet, too quiet, actually, and I was trying to distract myself from the constant hum of anxiety that always buzzed around the back of my mind for days. Things had been better between Kellan and me; no doubt. We'd been talking more, sharing meals-even laughing at times. It almost felt as though we were normal. Almost.But it had always been there, something had. The huge weight that I couldn't shake. Perhaps deep inside, the fear that finally found peace wouldn't last would eventually be ruined by something or another, and I'd be back right to square one: hurt, angry, and doubting whether any of this could really work.I ironed out random posts that mostly didn't pique my interest and scrolled down through my social media apps. Then I saw it.The headline."Adopted Heiress Sparks Controversy: Brooke Family's Desperate Attempt to Merge with Eastons?"It felt like

44

KELLAN'S POVThe morning started off normal with a drive to Mom and Dad's with Olivia in tow on a call with Brian. He had called an hour before Mom did; he was there, way ahead of us, doing what he does best, trying to get everything fixed. I simply couldn't wrap my head around it, how could things have spiraled this out of control this fast?Olivia sat beside me, never a twitch, her hands in her lap looking out the window. I knew she wasn’t okay. She hadn’t been okay since yesterday after those horrid postings, but she just got up quietly this morning and followed me out the door. By this time, my conscience really began to gnaw on me.I leaned over, taking her hand in mine, giving it a soft squeeze-my other still on the wheel. "We're going to sort this out," I said, and my voice was low, even firm. "I'm going to fix it."She didn't turn to me, but her hand squeezed mine. That much was a lifeline. We were just going to have to get through it because we didn't have a choice.The two f

45

OLIVIA'S POV“You knew this would happen, Kellan!" his mother's voice cut through as if a sharp, bitter blade. "It is utterly because of her past with you."Kellan stood across from his parents, his jaw clamped, fists at his sides. His father didn't say a word to him. He just sat in silence, arms across his chest, though disappointment filled his eyes."I hadn't known Sharon would pull something like this," Kellan returned; the evenness in his tone strained. "I ended things with her after I married Olivia.""That does nothing for the fact our family name is dragged through the mud," she snapped, frustration decidedly laced into her voice. "Nor would that have happened if you hadn't gotten involved with her in the first place."I leaned against the edge of the side wall and watched this scene play itself out before me. My heart was racing in my chest, my stomach twisting with that cold, heavy feeling. It was Kellan they rebuked, but somehow-it felt like I was at the center of this. My

46

OLIVIA'S POV“Kellan, do you really think this is such a good idea?" I asked low as we walked to the hotel. My heart was racing, my stomach twisting with a bad feeling. Coming here to meet Sharon in a hotel room just felt off. But she had insisted on the location. Then his features set, he turned to me: "I have to see this through to the end Olivia. And you wanted to come. We'll go through it together."I nodded, my hands clasped tightly in my lap, as the car pulled to a stop. But this was no longer just about Sharon anymore; this was about everything: our reputations, our families, our lives. Yet there was something in the insistence of Sharon to meet in private that sent a quiver down my spine.We went to the lobby, and he had only to ask for the room number. His voice didn't shake, but I could trace the tension across his jaw. The hum of the elevator was silent between us as we went higher. I reached out for his hand, squeezed as we approached the room."I'm with you," I whispere

47

OLIVIA'S POV“Kellan!” I shrieked, no louder than a whisper, but that was all my stricken lungs could manage as my room began to spin.It was flying directly at me, and I didn't bat an eye as my entire body was paralyzed. My time froze anyway and I was frozen with it, incapable of movement, incapable of blinking. I could only scrunch my eyes shut tight and wait for the impact. It never came.But before anything could happen, strong arms yanked me clear out of the way. I heard the resounding crash of the vase shattering against something, and my eyes flew open in panic.Kellan.He was clutching me, his body protectively shielding mine. Relief hit for just that instant until I saw the pain in his face; his hand went to his head, his fingers touching the side of his scalp. Blood.My heart bottomed out. "Kellan!" I yelled again, grabbing for his arms as he swayed briefly. His eyes glossed over as he blinked at me, and then, just like that, his legs buckled.I panicked as I tried to catch

48

BRIAN'S POVI gripped the steering wheel, parking in front of Sharon's house. My knuckles whitened on my clutched rage with my jaw clenched as my inside burned with fury. Outside, the quiet of the neighborhood was deep, parents and children probably all tucked away in their beds-but a storm raged in the pit of my stomach. Kellan was lying in a hospital bed because of her. This time, she had crossed the line, and I wasn't about to let her get away with it.I got out of the car, shut the door behind me. Crystal clear with every step that I took from the car to her front door was what needed saying: she really needed to understand that at this point, this was no more a game; people were getting hurt and unless she backed off, serious consequences were in the offing.I rang the doorbell-my finger jabbing the button a great deal harder than it needed to. In a little while, I heard movement inside and the door swung open. Sharon was standing there, her face going from mild surprise directly

49

KELLAN'S POVI woke up to my head banging like a sledgehammer against my skull. For the first few moments, everything was fuzzy: the sharp white of the hospital lights cut into my vision enough to further inflame the ache within my head. For a couple of seconds, I had no clue as to where I was; I was hot, my throat parched. It felt like some truck ran me over, and my body was a million pounds. Then, in a rush, it came to me– the vase, Olivia, Sharon's screaming face.I blinked a couple of times, fighting to bring my vision into focus. And when my eyes finally did come into focus, I saw her: Olivia, pale seated beside my bed with her eyes red from crying. The instant she saw me wake up, she let out a gasp, her hands flying up to cover her mouth."Kellan," she whispered hoarse with fear. Immediately, she started to well up with tears.I wanted to reach out in comfort, but it was as if my arms were too heavy to lift. "Olivia." My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. "You okay?

50

OLIVIA'S POVIt had almost been my second home, and with every conscious minute of the day, I knew a duty called to sit beside Kellan's bed and make sure he was fine. Days had run their course since the accident, and once the doctors reassured me that everything was all right, nothing else mattered but hovering over his bed like a mother hen. It was no longer something that I felt I needed to do, but my reason to want to go. Somewhere in a big way, I became attached to him much more than I ever expected.Minor things, really. The way in which he would glance at me, teasing and bright-eyed glinting, the softening of his voice when my name was spoken by his mouth. When his eyes crinkled up with laughter over my serious nature-in that infuriating and yet-at-once curiously disarming.Today was like all the days before it: Kellan was his usual impossible self.Olivia," he groaned, puffing out an exaggerated show of agony with his hand pressed against his forehead. "I think… I think I might

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