Semua Bab Accidentally Married again: Bab 11 - Bab 20

KATIE“Dammit! I'm late already.” Maria’s loud hiss woke me up from my slumber. My eyes blinked open, groggy and confused, my head throbbing faintly. A dull ache lingered in my back and neck, remnants of last night’s awkward sleeping position on her lumpy couch.I sat up and followed her gaze to the window, where the faint sunlight peeked through the corner of the curtain she never quite closed properly. The sky was already bright. Crap.Time was far gone.“Don’t worry, I'll prepare something for you to eat.” I said, springing to my feet. “I’ll make tea.”She didn't answer me. Instead, she continued dressing up. She must have woken up far earlier than I did, but at the wrong time nevertheless. Maria was pacing the room, her work blouse half-buttoned and hair still wrapped in a messy bun. I moved into the tiny kitchen, trying to shake off the sleep as I filled the kettle and pulled settled to prepare her tea.“You better eat something,” I called over my shoulder.“No time! I’ll eat at

KATIEAbout an hour later, the cab I boarded dropped me at the supposed location.Stepping out, I surveyed the surroundings of the penthouse. Honestly, with the way my eyes darted around, I probably looked like someone about to pull off a heist and searching for possible escape routes. I couldn’t help it.At strategic points around the property, men in black suits stood stiffly, looking all ready and prepared for whatever. What's going on? Their sheer alertness suggested something more. Why does this look like some Mafia setup? Or some underground expedition?I shivered a bit at the thought. I wasn’t a stranger to tense environments, but this unnerved me.Still, I straightened my back and moved forward, pretending not to notice the way a few of the guards’ eyes tracked my every step.‘You’re here now, Katie. No backing out.’ I said to myself.I tightened my grip on the strap of my bag and forced my legs to move, heading toward the entrance like I belonged there. Like I wasn’t second-g

KATIE“Did something happen?” Maria asked as soon she returned to the sitting room. She was already cleanly dressed in a short loose gown. I jolted back from the realm of my thoughts upon hearing her voice. “Nothing. Why do you ask?” I say, a bit absentminded.Maria seemed not to understand what I was saying. Truth be told, I din't either. “I thought you said you were going to get us something to eat. Yet, you haven't moved an inch.” “Oh, my!” I stood up quickly, smoothening imaginary wrinkles off my clothes.“I..I had to quickly attend to something on my phone,” I said, trying to offer a sheepish smile. “Didn’t realize I was taking that long already.”Maria gave me a long, searching look but didn’t press further. She looked better than before; less teary, more human. I took that as my cue and headed into the kitchen to fix us something light. There wasn’t much left in the fridge, but I pulled together a modest meal—boiled eggs, avocado, toast. Something warm. Something comforting

KATIETwo hours.That was how long I sat in that room, on the edge of the impossibly soft bed, legs crossed, phone in hand, doing absolutely nothing. I scrolled through my socials, opened and closed random apps, re-read old messages, and still, my mind felt like it was floating.Not because I was distracted, but because I was waiting for Evan to show up and end my misery. I needed to know my place in his life, in his house. I just badly needed to talk to him. And waiting for him drove me mad.After my divorce with Mark, I’ve learnt that Evan Blackman had a way of making you feel like every second not spent dancing to his tune was borrowed time. I can't believe I had my eye on him at some point in my life.I sighed and sank back against the headboard, letting the silence stretch. The air in the room was scented faintly with vanilla and something expensive I couldn’t place. Even with all its comfort, the space felt... sterile like a room you were allowed to stay in, but not belong to.A

CHAPTER 19KATIE “Hey, Katie. You're taking so long to get into that dress.” Maria’s voice jolted me out of my reverie.Before I could respond, she had already drawn the curtain slightly to the side and peeked in, her brows lifting. “Do you need help?”“I can use some help with the back,” I replied, forcing a tight smile even though my hands were trembling.Maria stepped in and began zipping the gown up slowly. “Wow,” she whispered, once it was secured. “Katie, you look absolutely breathtaking.”I turned slightly to face the mirror. The gown clung to my figure like it had been stitched just for me.It was perfect.And yet... I felt nothing asides being numb. No happiness, anxiety or positive feeling whatsoever.Like I was watching someone else’s life unfold in front of me, someone else's reflection in that mirror. My mind was still echoing with Mirabelle's voice and her piercing glare.Maria’s hands settled gently on my shoulders. “You okay?” she asked softly, peering into the mirror