A Shotgun Wedding with the Mafia Don
Chapter 70: Insecurity. Uncertainty. Blind jealousy
Stunned, she gasped as soon as a fist came flying in the air.
One minute, Aaron held her in his arms as she cried. Next, he was sent to the floor as he took a hard blow to the face.
On the other hand, she was flung to the nearby wall from the impact, barely able to keep herself upright.
Stunned. Paralyzed. In shock. She just watched as the two familiar figures exchanged blow for blow.
No words were spoken. Just pure anger and hatred oozed from their eyes as they boxed and wrestled like madmen.
Until she had had enough.
"Stop it." She finally snapped out of her stupor, bracing herself between the two raging male testosterone, not minding the threat of getting hurt.
She pushed one chest while blocking the other, completely confused as she looked from one to the other.
At that moment, two burly security guards finally arrived to end the brawl. At the same time, she finally noticed the hospital staff and bystanders who had gathered in the hallway, enjoying the spectacle.
In the meantime, four eyes locked onto her face, and both seemed apologetic and embarrassed about the way they had conducted themselves.
"What’s wrong with you, Oliver?" This time, she took that opportunity to scold the man in front of her. To the man who threw the first punch. "Have you gone insane?"
Maybe he did. That was the only explanation she could think of since nothing about his action made any sense.
"Why did you hit Aaron?" She asked, baffled by her husband’s uncharacteristic behavior. It was so unlike him to act this way.
Why would someone who had always been in control suddenly lose it? Did something happen between these two idiots that she was unaware of?
"You’re crazy, man." But even Aaron appeared clueless as he looked at his cousin with displeasure. Then, with a handkerchief he took from his pocket, he wiped the blood that was gushing from the deep cut on his lower lip.
However, her husband had said nothing. Oliver offered no reason or explanation. Instead, he just glared at his cousin with an unadulterated fury. He acted as if he had every right to do what he did.
When he finally spoke, he only said three words. "Come with me." But before she could say anything else, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her along the hallway until they ended up in an empty room.
She could hear Aaron’s voice behind them. "Oliver, what are you doing?" But Aaron probably knew there was nothing he could do. So, he didn’t bother to follow. "Take it easy." He shouted instead.
After all, they were husband and wife. As long as Oliver didn’t lay a finger on her, an outsider had no business meddling in their affair.
"Hey, let me go..." She pleaded with him, feeling a light numbing in her arms from his tight grip. "You’re hurting me." But honestly, it was not really that painful, just uncomfortable.
But he only slightly loosened his hold on her, but still didn’t let her completely go. Instead, he pinned her by the door as he closed it behind them.
Before she knew what he had planned, his lips descended on her face, pinning her lips in a demanding and urgent kiss.
It was far from tender. Actually, she believed her lips would probably bruise from its intensity. It was as if he had been punishing her for something she did.
In her opinion, she had done nothing that deserved such treatment. But still, despite her indignation, her traitorous body relished the attention he gave her. In truth, she didn’t want the kiss to stop.
However, all good things had to come to an end as she finally came to her senses, remembering that he still had some explaining to do.
"Let me go..." She thrashed against him, hoping to escape from his cage. But he only gave her a slight breathing space, just enough for her to tilt her head and look into his eyes.
The suspicion was still subtly laced in his voice, but his eyes gazed at her with such naked hunger. It was as if he wanted to dig into her thoughts and uncover her every secret, but at the same time, he wanted to take her then and there.
In the end, common sense kicked in as he finally let her go and allowed her to move further into the room.
A few seconds later, he broke the silence. "What were you two doing?" In a calmer voice, he asked, but his eyes still had traces of unbridled infuriation and what appeared to be undisguised jealousy.
If she had not been mistaken.
"What?" At first, she was confused by the question.
Honestly, her mind was still a muddled mess. Her body was exhausted from lack of sleep and the stress of everything that had just happened in the last twenty-four hours.
For a moment, she just stared at her husband with a blank look, trying to read what he was trying to imply with his words.
"Are you two..."
She cut him off before he could say something that he would not be able to take back. It suddenly dawned on her what he thought she was doing.
Of course, she believed he had assumed wrong.
"Don’t accuse me of anything unless you have solid proof to back it up." She warned him. "Ask me anything you want, but don’t go acting like a wild animal, assuming you know everything."
Suddenly, this scene reminded her of six years ago, when this very same man had wrongly judged her without letting her defend herself.
Was he repeating the same mistake again? Would he let some misunderstanding destroy what they were trying to build this time?
"Okay, fair enough." As if the anger had been drained from his face, Oliver gradually stepped back. He looked like someone who had just realized he had made a mistake.
This time, she turned to face the window and looked outside. At that moment, she didn’t want to see the judgment in his eyes. She didn’t want another reminder of how their love story had ended the last time.
"So, what are you really asking me?" She deliberately toned down her voice, not wanting her animosity to show in the way she spoke or acted.
While she waited, she kept her gaze on the street below, with the cars moving from different directions. She noticed a few dots that she assumed were people, strolling along the sidewalks.
"What is really going on between you and my cousin?" He walked closer to her, but he didn’t touch her. He just stood behind her, watching her or the world outside, she couldn’t actually tell.
Still, she felt his breath, warm against her skin. She sensed his presence, overwhelming, electrifying, and captivating.
"Nothing." She finally understood why he acted the way he did. What he had witnessed earlier between her and his cousin must be misleading.
After all, he had caught her in Aaron’s arms.
"I was in a hurry to catch Ashley when I accidentally slipped and almost fell on the floor. Then, Aaron suddenly appeared from nowhere and caught me." She explained, omitting the part that she was crying. She was hoping that he didn’t notice that part.
The last thing she needed at the moment was to explain her child to her husband. Then, a thought had abruptly caused her heart to stop beating.
The report.
Where did it go?
Closing her eyes, she remembered the paper slipping away from her hand through the commotion.
Damn! She had to find it. She just hoped no one had seen it.
"That was all." She continued. "Aaron is your cousin. We also work together at your company. Nothing else is happening between us."
Although she knew Aaron was a real flirt. But she could not do anything about it.
Nonetheless, the incident earlier was nothing but innocent. Aaron was just genuinely comforting her.
"I’m sorry if I jumped the gun. I don’t know what came over me." He looked sincerely apologetic as his hands reached out to her shoulders, holding her with such tenderness as if she could easily break with pressure.
"But I know my cousin. I have seen how he looks at you." He paused as if he was fighting an internal battle inside his head. "I couldn’t help but be afraid that he would take you away from me."
Then, there it was.
Insecurity. Uncertainty. Blind jealousy.
His eyes were filled with raw fear. Something she had never expected to see in this ruthless, arrogant man.
Was this the same man that she had loved six years ago?
"I hope you will also try to get to know me. I’m not that kind of woman who jumps into another man’s bed." She spoke with a voice that demanded he listen. "When I married you, I entered a vow with you that I don’t intend to break."
This time, she turned to him. "If you can’t trust your cousin or any other man, trust me." With that said, she leaned forward, gave him a soft peck on the lips, and strode unhurriedly and steadily toward the door.
She didn’t look back. Instead, she hurried to return to Caleb’s room, hoping she could still find the paper she had lost.
But it was nowhere. She couldn’t find it as she searched the corridor, pacing back and forth.
"Damnit, where did it go?" She ran her fingers through her hair as frustration weighed her down.
Then, the door of Caleb’s room opened. "Looking for this?"