Page 23 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride
I can’t wait any longer. I’m sure he won’t mind if I take a few minutes of his time to ask. Then I can take my time getting ready while I wait for him.
With a skip in my step, I leave the sun-filled living room behind and walk through the entrance foyer towards the stairs that lead up to his office.
“Who are you?” a sharp, but elegant voice asks.
It catches me by surprise as I turn towards the open front door and see a beautiful woman standing there in a tight red dress, holding a set of car keys and a phone, her nails painted as red as her dress and her lipstick to match.
“Who are you?” I ask, instead of answering her. I’m the one who lives here—she doesn’t get to ask the questions.
She pulls her mouth tight, her eyes roaming up and down my body slowly. I tilt my chin higher, refusing to let her make me feel self-conscious under her scrutiny.
“I’m here to see Ardalion. He and I are…" She smiles coyly. “We’re very close. I wanted to find out if he was free tonight for our usual fun.”
“Fun,” I repeat, narrowing my eyes. What does that mean? Are they together? Is this his lover? It’s certainly what she’s implying.
She walks further into the house, moving with smooth confidence. “Oh, sweetheart. Ardalion is insatiable, I’m sure he’ll be very happy to see me.”
I press my lips together, wondering how to deal with her. It’s none of my business if he has a lover, yet it’s disappointing. He’s been flirting nonstop with me. Making suggestive comments. He had me believing he thought I was attractive.
“Ardalion is at work.” It’s not really a lie. He is at work. I don’t have to be specific about where.
“That’s disappointing. Will you let him know I stopped by? Ask him to call me.”
“It might help if I knew who you were,” I snap rudely.
“Lydia. The one and only.” She laughs musically, and it makes me want to punch her in the throat.
“Okay, Lydia,the one and only, I’ll pass the message on.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. Bye now.” She waves her hand in the air as though dismissing me.
Lydia spins on her ridiculously high heels and sways her hips as she leaves the same way she came in.
For a long time, all I could do was stare at the open door.
Why would it bother me so much that Ardalion has a lover?
But no matter how much I try to ignore it, I’m hurt by it. I’m disappointed. Definitely disappointed.Why the hell am I disappointed?That’s so stupid.
Anger flares inside my chest like a fire sparking to life. Anger at myself, not Ardalion.
I’m fully aware of Ardalion’s reputation as a womanizer and a bad boy. I’m angry at myself because I was reckless enough to let it get to the point with him where I might be even the slightest bit jealous.
And I’m more thanslightlyjealous.
This is bad. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to face him.
I feel like such a fool right now. All the charm I was falling for was just his usual bullshit that he uses to pick up women.
I roll my eyes with extra drama and stomp my foot.
I don’t need him to take me to lunch. I’ll go on my own.
Since Ardalion and I have been getting along, he halved the guards around the property. There wasn’t a need for them because he trusted me not to escape. Well, I trusted him not to play me with the same game he plays all the other women in his life, so suck it up, Ard. I’m not waiting for your permission to leave.
Upstairs in my room, I change into a prettier top to match my fitted jeans, throw on a pair of crisp white sneakers, and grab my purse. It’s far easier than I thought it would be to leave. Ardalion has a rack of car keys in the garage, and I select one of them and just drive out. The guard even waves at me. Obviously, they’re assuming I have permission. Joke's on them. And Ardalion.
All the way to the restaurant I wanted to go to, I’m fuming. Honestly, it’s silly. I don’t want to admit it, but I’m using my anger to cover the hurt.
