A Shotgun Wedding with the Mafia Don-Chapter 37: His contracted wife; Her mother’s instinct

The image of Hazel, hovering over her, acting as if she were still the lady of the house, snapped her back to reality.

Damn!

After all these years, Hazel still looked stunning. She was still the epitome of beauty and class. A socialite through and through.

"Get real, Amelia. Wake up." She mentally chastised herself for losing sight of her goal and falling under the delusion of her dream.

Oliver didn’t care about her. He only married her because he needed to present a wife.

Besides, Oliver only saw the illusion she presented to him. The beautiful, alluring, and sexy woman he had agreed to marry.

Not Amelia. The fat girl that he used for his amusement.

"You don’t need to explain anything. She is your ex-wife and the biological mother of Caleb. Whether I like it or not, Hazel would come and go in your life." That was the fact that she could not avoid.

"Besides, what we have is a contract that would eventually end?" She had to burn that into her brain before she started believing that there could be more in this relationship.

"I will fulfill my end of the bargain, while you also kept to your word." Making it clear that she didn’t plan to cross any line.

At least, that was what she wanted him to think. Once she gained access to his important files, she could finally start working on his downfall.

"I always keep my word." He assured her, but his eyes never left hers as if he was waiting for her to make or say the wrong thing.

"I think I should get back inside." She quickly said, breaking the spell that prevented her from looking away.

Fuck it, Sophia!

There was no room for her to make a mistake. She could not fall apart every time she looked into his eyes.

"Well, the last thing you want is a sunburn." He seemed to agree with her. "You’ve been out here in the sun for far too long." He pointed to her shoulder that had already turned slightly pinkish.

Suddenly, she became too aware that she barely wore any clothing. But she fought hard not to cover herself, reminding herself that she was not the same woman who was ashamed to show her flabby skin.

Compared to her past, she now possessed the body of a model whose pictures appeared on billboards and magazines.

"Oh, I probably forgot to put on some sunscreen." Remembering earlier how her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of him with his ex-wife and those other women, before she ended up passed out due to exhaustion.

But now, looking down at her body, she was proud to say that she looked stunning. All her efforts to lose weight truly paid off.

"Come on inside. You need to put an ointment on that before it worsens." Finally, he stood up and waited for her to follow.

Grabbing her things, she walked behind him, following him until they reached their bedroom.

Since they returned from their honeymoon, this would be the first time they would be alone in the same room.

Honestly, she didn’t know how to act around him. It was not as if they were truly a real couple. At least, not anymore. At this point, she could say they were more like strangers.

"I’m just going to take a shower." She said, hoping to get some space between them.

But before she could step away from him, he already grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back into his arms.

What was he doing?

Her first impulse was to push him away, but she fought hard against it. Instead, she just stood still before him, just waiting.

"Sit down," Oliver ordered, but he was already gently pushing her to the edge of the bed.

Expecting that this was it, he would finally have his way with her, she was surprised when her husband turned toward the bathroom.

It suddenly made her wonder what was going on in his mind. He didn’t exactly say anything else. So, she had no choice but to wait patiently until he came back.

But the suspense was killing her as the seconds ticked inside her head.

When he returned, he carried a tiny tube in his hand. "You need to put a burn ointment on your skin, or it will sting once it gets wet."

"Oh! Okay." She sighed when she saw what was on his hand. She knew she should feel relieved. But why did it feel like she was more disappointed?

Was she expecting a condom instead?

Damnit, Sophia! Again, she needed to get a grip on her dirty thoughts.

Nonetheless, it appeared that he had already taken a shower as his damp hair hung loosely around his head, and a white towel was wrapped around his waist.

Well, it certainly didn’t help.

Admittedly, only a blind woman would not see how gorgeous he was. Except for the scar above his eyes, his face was perfect.

Regarding his body, she could simply describe it with one word. Adonis. He was a Greek God in human form.

"Let me do it." He said, offering to help her as he stood before her.

What the fuck!

If she didn’t move her eyes away, she would be staring at his six-pack abs and his V-line that pointed to only one thing.

"No, I can do it." She tried to swipe the tube from him, but he easily avoided her hand.

Without alcohol, blurring her vision and muddying her mind, she could clearly remember everything about him.

In a flash, the memory of how her fingers ran through his chest and traced all those lines replayed in her mind.

Suddenly, she was questioning her plans again.

Could she really be intimate with this man without rekindling her old feelings?

But the more important question was.

Could she even stop herself from wanting him again?

Fuck you! Oliver!

Shouting it at the top of her lungs inside her head, while keeping her composure as she kept herself still and silent.

"Don’t be stubborn." He sat beside her on the bed. "Turn." Ordering her, as if she had no other option, but to turn her back to him.

Damn! Those fingers stung her skin more than the burn itself as he gently applied the cooling gel.

After finishing her back, "Turn around," he compelled her as his fingers dug into her arms to guide her body until she faced him.

Damn! Those eyes. The way he was looking at her.

It reminded her so much of the man she once loved.

"I think I can manage this one." This time, she snatched the ointment, ran toward the bathroom, giving him no chance to stop her, and locked the door behind her.

"Get yourself together, Amelia." She spoke to the image that stared back at her.

Honestly, at this point, she was starting to question if she could actually go through with her plans.

It was clear as day that she still felt something for him, despite how much she wanted to hate him.

But what about what he did? What about her son? Would she just let him get away?

Of course not. Her son demanded justice. And Oliver and his father had to pay.

But first, if she wanted him to trust her, or even fall in love with her, she needed to be prepared to fulfill her obligations as his contracted wife.

She had to keep her emotions in check and never fall into her own trap.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Soft banging on the door snapped her out of her reverie.

Well, she guessed it was time to face the music.

"Wait! I’ll be right out." She quickly jumped out of the shower, letting the cold water run down her skin.

Then, she grabbed a towel, wrapping her body like a burrito before heading out.

But surprisingly, it was not her husband.

"Caleb?" She found the young boy standing outside the door.

"Mom..." Caleb called to her with tears brimming in his eyes.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" She asked, wondering what had happened. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"You have to help me." The boy said, seemingly in distress.

Quickly, she inspected the boy’s body for any injury. "Where does it hurt?" She asked.

But her search went in vain.

Caleb had already changed into clean clothes and appeared to be physically unharmed.

"No, it’s nothing like that," Caleb said, reassuring her that he was fine. But there was definitely something wrong with him.

"Do you like me?" The young boy suddenly asked, slightly catching her by surprise.

In truth, she found the boy adorable. But she also felt the same way about most of the kids she knew.

However, there was something about Caleb that made her feel that he was special.

When she first hugged him, she felt a connection that she had never felt with the other kids.

The more she spent time with him, the more she wanted to be by his side.

And when his well-being was threatened, she only wanted to hold him and keep him safe.

"If only Caleb..." She stared down into the boy’s familiar eyes. The same eyes that belonged to his father. "You are my son." She spoke gently. "But even if you’re not, I still love you very much, Caleb."

It was the same feeling that she felt when she was pregnant with her child.

"That does mean that you’ll not let Hazel take me away." He looked at her with those innocent doe eyes, pleading and hopeful.

It was probably her mother’s instinct, as she immediately felt like enveloping him in her arms to protect him from all harm.

"Of course, sweetheart. I will not let her take you away from me." She affectionately said as her fingers captured his soft cheeks.

"You promise?" Caleb asked with a slight hesitation and disbelief, which made her wonder how many times his mother had broken her promise and his tiny heart to make him feel this insecure.

Probably, too many times.

"I promise." Then, the sweet, young boy instantly rewarded her with a radiant smile that easily brightened her day and eventually filled the void in her heart.

"I love you, too, Mom."

In that moment, she knew that she would do anything and everything for her son. Blood or not.