Chapter 004 - What Have She Done?

Her jaw fropped to the pristine white floor. She was so shaken by his unexpected admittance that she was unable to say a word.

After staying silent for a long while she pulled herself together to as ask him the question that had been bothering her inside. “Do you have kids with her?”

Under normal circumstances, she will never have asked such personal question. But the words were already out. Perhaps it was the drinks that gave her the strength to try.

“Thank goodness we don’t.” He replied, Something that resembled relief flashed din his eyes.

“But why?” She was prying too much in his private life but she can't seem to stop now. Her stubborn mouth couldn’t stop talking.

“Because she attempted to murder me on our honeymoon night.” He hissed.

Ember froze.

Ember immediately sensed his fury and was swept by instant regret. She fell into silence. Her gaze lowered to his shoulders.

What kind of woman would do that to her husband? She thought while her chest throbbed painfully.

Could it be that his ex-wife was the reason why he hated women?”

She forced herself to look at him and mumbled the words, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” He responded

“I-I feel r-responsible anyway. I've overstepped your boundaries and I'm extremely sorry for that...”

Her face bowed on the floor but he quickly lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. “You shouldn’t be.” He paused, lifted her cheeks up until her eyes were drawn to her and he added, “Are you happy now?”

“I feel bad.” Sadness draped on her phoenix eyes. “I've been betrayed by my lover too. I know how painful it feels.”

“Steel is a fool for letting you go,” He told her. Each word overflowed with sincerity. “You did the right thing when you called off the wedding.” He added.

His fingers traced the curve of her jaw.

“The ex-groom will be extremely pissed off if he sees you’ve altered your wedding dress.” He looked at the gown she was wearing and the faint smile curled on his lips.

The atmosphere lightened

Ember chuckles at his remark. “I hope he does.” She replied, her gaze drawn to him like magnets.

In spite of his intimidating demeanor, there was something about him that put her at ease. She felt comfortable enough to discuss her engagement breakup like she had known him for years.

“Kiss me as if you mean it. Think of me, not your ex-fiancé.” His muscular arms pulled her closer until her chests were intimately pressed to his muscular torso.

She stared fixedly at his dazzling white teeth, which would make a toothpaste commercial model green with envy. Kissing him won’t be so bad at all, she thought to herself.

Ember sucked in a deep breath. Heart pumping in her chest, she closed her eyes as his lips descended on hers.

She felt her universe shift its axis the moments their warm lips touched. Planets collide at her feet, creating a fountain of fireworks reaching all galaxies existing in the universe.

As sudden as it occurred, the kiss ended abruptly.

She was hurled back into reality.

When the kiss ended, she saw everyone staring at her in shock and disbelief.

Color rose in her cheeks.

What has she done? She thought, panic building inside her. Now everyone will think she's throwing herself onto Ice Clayton Blackstone after a failed engagement.

Ember pulled away from him. When she had the chance, she dashed to the door without a backward glance, leaving her left shoe behind her.

As soon as she entered her room, she went straight to the bed and collapsed. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that it felt as though she had just finished running a marathon.

While she lay still in her dimly lit room, she had a flashback on how her engagement failed miserably

*FLASHBACKS*

“Where could he possibly be?”

She had woken up in her bed alone. Her lover was nowhere to be seen. The smooth sheets where he should be lying remained iron-smooth, telling her he didn't even touch it.

Is it possible that Thunder has gone outside to smoke on the balcony? For all of Thunder’s complaints about his insomnia, she gave the idea some serious thought. Perhaps he had fallen victim to another round of his sleeplessness.

Despite her internal groaning, she forced herself to stand up.

She walked across the carpeted floor in her bare feet to the open door leading to the balcony.

When she opened the door a crack further, she saw only an empty space.

“Damn it! He’s not even here.”

Worry swelled inside her, but this time she’s unable to quell the feeling.

Finding her night robe still hanging on the rack, she put it on, and made her way to the door while still struggling to tie the sash. She skittered across the empty hallways passing through doors of snoring guests.

She stopped at Chloe's room to ask for help.

Taking a deep breath, she shamelessly knocks on the door to wake her up. No one's opening the door so she finally gave up.

Cursing Thunder for subjecting her for this ordeal, she turned away from the door, subconsciously reaching for the knob surprising her as it yanked open on its own.

Disbelieving, she stared at the open door with her eyes wide open.

While Chloe is the sociable type and loves to sleep with a variety of men, she is not the type to recklessly leave her door unlocked and put herself in harm’s way.

Ember, fearing for her cousin’s safety, scurries inside the room, only to quickly grasp the reason it had been left unlocked.

She saw Chloe first, sprawled naked like a baby, her strawberry blonde hair spread on the white sheets above her head. Her eyes then shifted to the man lying beside her cousin and saw his rugged features. That's when her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyebrow shot to the ceiling.

She fully recognized the naked man in Chloe's bed and it was her future husband.