Carlos's eyes were only on Sapphire's face. Obviously he was anxious about her. On the other side she evaded his pointed looks. The breakfast table which was always cheerful amidst laughter and glitter is now gloomy and dull.
Akira was too young to understand the tension between her parents. Flapping her legs she was humming a song from the Cinderella movie she saw the day before yesterday and was having the toast.
"No singing while you are eating Princess." Carlos softly admonishes her and forks a piece of fried eggs to her mouth. Sapphire was sitting opposite Akira and Carlos. She kept to herself and eyes were stationed only to the plate. The maid was serving all of them orange juice in the glasses when after a few seconds there was a squeak of the dining chair pushed behind.
"I am sorry guys, I need to go. I have urgent work in the office." Sapphire wiped her lips with the napkin, setting it aside after use.
Carlos's eyes that were trained to her instantly looked down at her breakfast plate after her declaration and found the contents of it hardly touched.
"Sapphire" he called her low in a warning but audible enough to reach her ears and gave a grave look at the maid standing behind her. The servant immediately left the dining hall in fear, giving them privacy.
He pointed to her incomplete plate with his eyes in a profound look. Carlos did not want them to have a rift before Akira as such situations would have critical consequences in the psychology of the child.
Sapphire knew not to argue with her husband when his anger was out of boundaries. She completed her breakfast and was about to start when Carlos stopped her.
"I will drop you at work." He said without a glance at her. The chauffeur bowed to them and opened the door but Carlos shook telling him to take leave. He needed seclusion with his wife after the incident at the dining hall.
Akira was dropped off at her school and Carlos looked at her seriously. "Sapph, I do not like these pugnacious circumstances in the house. We do not need this. I am telling you earnestly. Place your resignation today." He emphasized.
Sapphire had told Pascal yesterday, she wouldn't be able to go to California. Pascal was an understanding senior. He assured her he would make an alternative arrangement but she thought a deeper change of place sounded a good idea for distraction from her tumult state.
An idea popped in her head to keep a track on Carlos's movements. Sapphire immediately ordered hidden cameras. The night before Carlos came home she got them concealed in their wedding photo.
The next morning when she went to work, she told Pascal she was ready for the trip. As expected he was very happy to receive the news.
That night Carlos enquired about her resignation. Sapphire not only responded to him negatively but also told him she was soon going on official work to California. The news obviously did not galvanize Carlos.
"I told you to resign the job and on the contrary you pick an assignment out of the city? If holding a job fascinates you to that extent, why don't you work in our own company?" He asked, flaring in annoyance and eyes turned red with ire.
"I am a model and you are a businessman dealing with pharmaceuticals and cotton textile. Is there a match in the professions we belong to?" Carlos did not reply to Sapphire but picked her up in his arms and walked to the hammock situated in the centre of their vast garden.
The night was cold and calm with an amorous atmosphere surrounding them. The moon was beautiful peeping at them from the branches of the tree. The fragrance of roses and lilies grown between the enormous green pastures swayed impassioned thoughts in them.
Carlos climbed on the hammock and took Sapphire on top of him. Without any words he captured her lips in an erotic entanglement. Into the smooch he poured out his unending affection, care and protection.
"Honey everything that is mine also belongs to you. The company is yours and you do not need qualification or experience to join a position in Pfizer. Name the post and it is yours." His voice went muffled between the kisses.
Licking on her lower lip, he trapped it between his rims and sucked her juices away. Sapphire moaned enamored, pulling his soft hairs. The heat exploded between them buttressed in the amatory climate. Unable to hold himself anymore Carlos carried her to their bed and the night ended in a passionate romance of two love birds.
Five days later….
"Mummy, what would you get me from California?" Akira asked in twinkles and smiled very enthusiastically at Sapphire. She knelt before her and combed her wild hairs with her fingers. "What does my princess want?"
Akira jumped with claps in happiness. "Mommy, I want a bicycle."
Sapphire tapped her cheek dramatically. "But we can get it from New York too. Why bring it from California?" Akira pouted and her eyes glistened. Before she would cry Sapphire hugged her. She wouldn't like to see her daughter crying before her departure. "Definitely my baby, anything for you." She gleamed.
Carlos looked at her solemnly. "Think about my proposal, Sapph. I do not want you to struggle and stress. You are the wife of a billionaire. You won't take orders but you give orders." He accentuated the last three words for her.
"Do not worry about Akira. Mom will look after her in my absence." He forced a smile on his staid features. "I would have booked our private jet for you. You would have been relieved of this cumbersome exercise." He looked around the busy airport in disapproval.
"That's okay…" Sapphire was speaking further when he held her face close to his and kissed her zealously, invading her mouth in a hurricane of love.
Sapphire cursed her suspicious mind for doubting her doting husband. She prayed to God for her to be wrong and boarded the flight. Landing in California, she unlocked the mobile to check on the hidden camera and the incident she saw in the phone made her fingers tremble like suffering an electric shock.
Walking through the sitting hall was an unidentified woman with Carlos to one of their bedrooms.
The complete trip to Sapphire passed in a blur. She wasn't able to concentrate but somehow managed to complete her work. The modeling assignment was over and by God's grace they were somehow able to satisfy Mr Benjamin, the owner of Signature for whom they finished the project.Pascal was beyond happy to receive the good news from Signature. This was going to be a new milestone they reached. He congratulated Sapphire and her staff who trained the models perfectly to suit the occasion. "In the event of celebrating our success and grabbing a contract from Signature, the largest clothing line in women's garments, I am organizing a party at the Park Hotel next weekend. Sapphire, I wish you to come and enjoy some champagne with us followed by a delicious dinner." He cheered on the phone before she boarded the flight to New York.If on
Sapphire tried to make her speech as casual as possible though there was a Tsunami of emotions in her heart. Carlos went closer to get her to another hug. For a few moments he did not reply to her and with each passing second, the beat of her heart only accelerated. "Oh Stella?" He gave out a constrained chortle. "Her car failed today when I was getting back home. So I offered her a ride. After dropping me off, the driver went to take her home." Sapphire noted that he was an excellent liar. He could conceal his emotions so well that for a normal innocent wife there was not even the dearest chance to catch him of his infidelity. He pulled her to one of the corners of the kitchen, so that nobody could see them
And when she came back home Sapphire was very happy. She found the best dress. It was a silver off shoulder gown which reached below her knees. In the center was a same color belt with a huge diamond pendant in the center. Though the shopping took a lot of time, she found the exact dress matching the jewelry Carlos bought for her last week. "Mommy look at this." Akira ran to Sapphire and showed her the drawing she did in her school's drawing class. It was a picture of a man and woman holding the hands of a little girl who was standing in the centre. "This is my mommy, daddy and me." Akira pointed to each of the pictures she drew and told Sapphire enthusiastically. "Is it? My bab
Ten minutes later Carlos parked his car before the Park Hotel. He persuaded Sapphire to walk with him to the exit but she wouldn't listen. Mumbling some incoherent words to him she ordered for another drink from the waiter. That's it! Carlos's irk was out of its boundary. Sapphire has gone drunk beyond retrieval. Taking out his wallet from the pocket he slapped a bunch of dollar bills on the bar counter which were more than sufficient for drinks on a fortnight. He took her purse and, lifting up Sapphire bridal style, he nodded at Pascal before carrying her out. She shivered with the sudden breeze from the cool weather and stared at him in shock. He was the last she was supposed to meet in the present state. He brought her closer to his chest to give h
The next day… Carlos was smoking facing the window deep in thought. It was ten past ten. Akira went to sleep. As usual Carlos tucked her to bed telling her a bedtime story. Sapphire repented for her past actions. She cleaned the kitchen putting the leftovers in the fridge and walked to the place Carlos was standing. "You tell me not to smoke and you do the same?" She hugged him from behind, landing her head on his back. His scent of musk and hue brought an unknown tranquility in her heart. Thank heavens! It was only her imagination about him - her heart volunteered.
Chapter 11 Drained of energy for the psychological affliction he suffered in the fear of losing his family Carlos was mute running his hands softly on the back of his little daughter in an unspoken consolation. His eyes glistened with several emotions ruling his mind as he comforted Akira. He tunes his face a little down and kisses her forehead while continuing to soothe her wails with an arm ceaselessly running on her back. After sometime the loud cries of her reduced to soft whimpers. His other arm was wrapped around his wife. Turning his face towards her, he looked at her in an endless love. Sapphire gazed back at him in desideratum. Slowly he dipped down his head and kissed her in a potency of pure pleasure.
Chapter 12 That night Carlos didn't return back to the cottage and Sapphire now clearly knows the reason. All the time at the restaurant he was trying to win her trust on him. "Darling, she is just one of the models our company hired. You know we are the leading chain of clothing brands in the United States and I had to do a photo shoot with her along with other models. You remember two years ago we were launching 'Allure' - The men's formals at an affordable price?" He asked with curiosity in his eyes. "I am a famous billionaire businessman. I cannot avoid such things even if I want to, Honey." He told her with a hint of pride. Sapphire did not reply but continued to eat the dinner in silence. Carlos's self esteem was trashed but he would not wish for an audienc
Sasha tapped her fingers on the table. "Because after a relationship of seventeen years with a person, he would not be able to hide such serious things." There was no wavering or hesitation but a clear determination and resolve in her speech. "But either way I have a solution which can save you." She smiled. The next day after lunch Sasha took Sapphire to a well-known psychiatrist Dr Scrolls who was also her classmate and friend from school. He had his clinic in the west wing of his house which was an example of medieval construction and inbuilt elegance. The place inside looked costly and neat. It was obvious he earned plenty. As soon as they visited the clinic, the receptionist took the details of Sapp