by T. R. Iyer
“F*ck!” she cursed under her breath.
That was it. That was her undoing. Ornelia came once again, and she took him with her this time.
Maximus groaned and stilled as he reached his orgasm. He all but fell on top of her.
He gave her another kiss and got up from the couch to get dressed. He then carried Ornelia back to her room and tucked her in her bed before getting ready to go home, his heart heavy that he had to leave her and Kayden.
Ornelia held on to his T-shirt. “Don’t go. Stay.”
That was all she had to say.
Maximus took off his jeans and T-shirt and got into bed with her in nothing but his boxers.
Finally, things were settling down. Now, he just hoped everything remained steady.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Ornelia woke up to Maximus’s soft snores. He and Kayden looked so similar; it was uncanny.
She dropped a soft kiss on his lips and forehead before going ahead with her regular routine. Kayden was still on leave from school. She would have to ask Sofia to look after him as she had some important paperwork to take care of.
She was making breakfast and brewing some coffee when she felt a pair of arms snake around her waist. She instantly knew it was Maximus.
Who else could it be?
“Good morning, beautiful. I could get used to this,” he said while planting soft kisses on her neck.
“Mhm. Me too, but I have to get ready for work. Sofia will come at any moment now, for our son,” Ornelia said, giving him a peck on his lips.
“Why don’t I look after Kayden today?” Maximus suggested.
“Are you sure? I thought you had to work with Jake at the clinic.” Ornelia knew they had pending work.
“In all honesty, my employees can handle that. I came to the clinic every day just to see you,” he confessed.
“Aw, aren’t you cute?” Ornelia pinched his cheek. “You can stay with him if you want to. Sofia lives right the opposite if you need any help. I’ll put down a list of emergency numbers just in case,” she said. She scribbled numbers on a sticky note and attached it to the fridge.
She quickly got ready for work.
Once she was done, she gave both her boys kisses and warned them not to make a mess, then she left.
***
Ornelia greeted everyone at work. She couldn’t find Emily anywhere, but Jake was with the architect in his office, going through the final plans.
She quickly tidied her desk and then printed all the pending reports for her clients. She had one session for that day, which meant she could get done early and go back home for some quiet time. She might ask Maximus to take Kayden out for a ride.
***
The rest of her day was pretty uneventful. The only thing that seemed fishy was that Emily wouldn’t pick up her calls. Jake had also left quite early.
Ornelia finally made her way home, ready to crash into her bed.
As soon as she reached her doorstep, she shuffled through her handbag for her keys. She opened her door and screamed in utter shock when a yell came, “Surprise!”
Everyone was there—Sofia, Emily, Jake, Maximus, and Kayden.
Amidst all the chaos, Ornelia had completely forgotten her own birthday.
“You guys, this is so precious.” She all but sobbed while cutting the cake and feeding Kayden and Maximus a little slice of it. Thank you so much for this.” She hugged Jake, Emily, and Sofia.
“Don’t thank us. Thank your husband here. He planned everything,” Emily said, pointing at Maximus, who was holding their son.
Kayden had a box in his hands. Maximus put him down, and Kayden waddled toward her and got down on one knee. Maximus followed suit.
Ornelia began feeling nervous.
Maximus helped the poor boy, who was struggling with opening the box.
Kayden let him do the work, all the while flashing his toothy grin at her. She couldn’t help but smile at them.
Oh my God! What is he doing? she asked herself, when Maximus was still on his one knee.
Is this what I’m thinking . . . ?
“Ornelia, I know I wasn’t the ideal husband the first time around. I also know, I treated you with anything but respect. But trust me when I say I’ve lived to regret every word I ever said to you. You made me realize what a strong woman you are and what a fool I was to let you go or ever doubt your pure intentions.”
Oh please, just say it, she said to herself.
“After letting you go, I had a lot of time on my hands to introspect, and I realized you are nothing like my mother. You are nothing like that gold-digging, conniving b*tch she was. Her memories had clouded my judgement about everyone, but you changed all of that.”
Is he trying to kill me?
“Ornelia, will you please give this husband of yours another chance to be better for you? To love you and cherish you? Will you marry me once again, Ornelia King?” Maximus wiped stray tears that had slipped out of his eyes. He’d just popped the question.
Ornelia couldn’t bring her brain to produce words, so she nodded vigorously, letting him know that she did want to be his wife again—that she was ready to give him another chance.
“Mommy! Yes.” Kayden jumped up and gave her a hug.
Maximus joined in.
The whole room erupted with cheers and claps as Maximus slipped the ring on her finger. She noticed he still kept her old ring and had added a diamond to the plain band. His band still adorned his ring finger.
Ornelia’s happiness knew no bounds that day. She was ecstatic to have her family back to her. She just hoped that this happiness would last forever.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It had been two months since Maximus’s proposal. He’d made sure he was present and aware of everything that was going on with her and Kayden. When the man promised he’d changed and would continue trying to be better for her, he wasn’t kidding.
It almost seemed like the assh*le she’d met four years before had been kidnapped, and this one was sent in as a clone to lure her to her doom. Everything just seemed too good to be true, but Ornelia was trying not to jinx it by not thinking too much about it.
She had asked her parents to come down to London so that they could have more discussion about the wedding. As much as they were against it, they were also—just like Ornelia—ready to give Maximus another chance. For them, her happiness mattered more.
Ironic. It didn’t seem to be that way the first time around.
That was a lie. Ornelia knew how much it had bothered them to go through with the wedding the first time around too. Back then, Ornelia was a barter to a deal that no sensible parent would want their child to be a part of, to be traded off as payment to a debt. As much as they disliked the situation all those years before, they were legally bound to give her away.
Her parents weren’t billionaires like her “to-be-again” husband, but they had always lived a comfortable life. And although Ornelia could’ve had whatever she wanted, she didn’t take advantage of their kindness. She made sure that her demands were never over-the-top. They were good, supportive people, and she couldn’t have asked for better parents.
Maximus had requested his best friend to come over too, since he was the only family he seemed to have.
Ornelia was still curious about Maximus’s parents. She knew that his grandfather had passed away the year they’d first gotten married, and his grandmother much earlier. However, she had absolutely no clue about his mother and father—what they did for a living, or if they were still alive or not.
“What goes on in that beautiful mind of yours?” Maximus asked, as he joined her at the dining table.
Kayden was too busy playing with his food to notice his arrival.
“Nothing. I was just thinking about stuff,” Ornelia said as she set up a plate of mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, and some caesar salad.
“About?” Maximus held Kayden’s face and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
“You
r family. I mean your parents. You’ve never talked about them. I’m not sure if this is a sensitive topic for you, but since we are getting married again and with Kayden in our lives, I just thought I should know—”
“Enough,” Maximus cut her off. “Not today, okay?” He gave her a tight-lipped smile.
Okay . . . definitely a sensitive topic.
“I am sorry,” she apologized. “Take your time.”
Ornelia kept quiet for the rest of the dinner.
***
“How was your day?” Maximus asked her. All his animosity disappeared.
“Just same old same old. Mom called, saying they’re landing on Tuesday. What about Ethan?” Ornelia asked so that she could plan the get-together dinner according to everyone’s convenience.
Emily and Jake were free only during the weekends, but they said they would make time.
Maximus had asked her and Kayden to move in with him to his estate on the outskirts of London. She had to discuss that with Jake and Emily, like how she would travel for her sessions.
“Ethan is coming down tomorrow. We can expect company with him.”
Oh, that’s news.
As far as Ornelia knew, Ethan Mars was a self-proclaimed bachelor for life. His bringing company was something fresh.
“Don’t worry. It’s just his secretary,” Maximus said as he noticed the look of shock on her face.
Ornelia eased a little after hearing that.
“I’ve already made arrangements for all of them, so you don’t have to overwork yourself at home or tend to everyone after coming back from your sessions,” Maximus added.
God, this man is truly something else.
“What would I do without you?” Ornelia asked dreamily. Maybe she loved him a little?
“You would still be an amazing mother, and on top of that, a phenomenal woman.”
Maybe just a bit more than that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was moving day. All of Ornelia’s and Kayden’s things were packed. Their new home was incomparable to the small apartment they lived in. It had a backyard for Kayden to play in and had good neighbors. It was also away from the noise of the city and closer to great private schools.
Maximus took their son with the first load of their stuff. Ornelia was going with the second one.
Maximus had insisted he come back for the second load, but that would mean leaving Kayden unattended, even if there were servants and butlers around.
If he was to bring Kayden back again for another trip, the truck would be too cramped and uncomfortable for all the three of them and the driver.
Ornelia just had to sit in the moving truck, which didn’t seem like a lot of hard work. This would also save Maximus and Kayden another trip back and forth.
She got in the truck. It was 5 PM, and it would take two hours to reach the place.
Her parents were supposed to land in London in about two and a half hours, so she still had enough time to move things and go receive them.
Her husband had hired help to set all of their stuff in the new house, so that task was out of the way, but she still had to call him to let him know that they had left before he threw a fit.
Her man had the tendency of being a little overly protective. She wasn’t complaining though. In fact, she liked this version of him way more than the previous one, who didn’t give a sh*t about anything. This one gave a sh*t a little too much, but manageable. This one also cared and showed that he did. His temper was still the same, but he said he was working on it.
She didn’t want to face his wrath as it was such a good day. They were finally going to start living as a family, instead of Maximus coming around only on weekends. She was excited for this new chapter and the progress they were making in their relationship.
From “I don’t think you are important enough for me to stay the night” to “Will you marry me once again, Ornelia King?” they had come a long way.
The first two months had been exhausting but satisfying. After her birthday Maximus made sure to take her out on dates and spend time with her. He would also take Kayden to school every once in a while and out for playdates, birthday parties, and parks whenever she had to work overtime, which gave the boys the chance to bond more.
They also had movie nights, where all three of them would huddle up on her small couch and watch a movie, mostly Kayden’s favorite movies. And on some occasions, they played games and had karaoke nights with Jake, Emily, and Sofia.
Halfway through the ride, only an hour’s worth of drive left.
She decided to call Maximus to let him know where they had reached. Ornelia was reminiscing all the good memories while waiting for him to pick up his phone when, suddenly, she felt everything turn upside down, and all around her became dark.
***
Maximus had been pacing around on their porch for almost two hours. He’d put Kayden to sleep after feeding him dinner. Ornelia should have reached already, but she didn’t. He’d called her almost twenty times after having missed a call from her, which had never happened, and when it did, she was treating him like this. Maybe he pissed her off real good this time.
He’d called her friends to check if they knew anything, but no one did.
Did she decide to leave him and Kayden just like his mother had?
Maybe she found someone richer and more loving than him. After all, she had every right to hold a grudge against him. He wasn’t very proud of his initial behavior with her either, but maybe he drove her away by being too nice this time around.
His mother had decided to up and leave his father and him after she came to know that his father wouldn’t inherit a penny from his grandfather’s business, since he’d barely shown up at the office and thought gambling was more fun than giving him a stable family life.
Maximus was the same age as Kayden when his parents separated. As a child, he didn’t understand much of what was happening, except for the fact that his mother was no longer around and his father drank a lot. He came to know the truth when his grandfather introduced him to their business and told him everything. Since that day, Maximus had made it a point never to trust a woman.
Maximus was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his phone ring.
“Hello? Any updates?” he asked as soon as he picked up his phone.
“Max, Nella!” He could hear Emily sobbing uncontrollably.
“You are not clear, Emily. What is wrong? Why are you crying?” Maximus started to get worried, but he tried his best to remain positive.
“Emily, tell me. What is going on?” he asked once again, but all he got in return were more sobs, so he told Emily to give her phone to Jake.
“Max, Nella . . . she met with an accident. The moving truck that she was in toppled over after trying to avoid a drunk driver. They have taken her to the hospital. I am messaging you the address. They called Emily because Ornelia had listed her as an emergency contact. Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are on their way,” Jake calmly explained everything and in the meanwhile also sent him the address.
Adrenaline rushed through Maximus’s body after Jake broke the news.
“What are you going to do about Kayden?” asked Jake.
“Jake, I’ll see you in the hospital,” he said and hung up.
He informed the housekeeper about the situation, and she assured him she would look after Kayden for the night while he was away.
“Are you sure about this?” Maximus asked Mrs. Humphry.
“Yes, sir. Please don’t worry about the little one. I will stay by him as long as it takes. Please go to Mrs. King. She needs you more,” the kind old lady replied.
“Okay, if he gets up in the middle of the night, just read him a story or give him warm milk. That usually knocks him back to sleep,” Maximus threw around instructions while putting on his jacket.
He slipped into his shoes and grabbed his car keys. He rushed out of the house with the determination of a man, ready to go to any lengths to get his woman back
home safe and healthy.
He hopped into his car and drove to the hospital, all the while hoping and praying Ornelia was alright.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As soon as he reached the hospital, Maximus asked for Ornelia at the reception. They informed him that she was undergoing surgery, so the nurse directed him to the waiting area.
Jake, Emily, and both of her parents were already there. Emily was the first one to notice him. She ushered him to come sit next to them.
Maximus was at a loss for words. He didn’t know what to say or how to react. His brain was in overdrive with the worst case scenarios running around everywhere.
He greeted Mr. and Mrs. Dawson and sat next to them. Mr. Dawson gave him a half hug, trying to comfort him and letting him know everything was going to be alright.
“How long has she been in there?” Maximus asked, breaking the deafening silence.
“Almost three hours now,” Jake replied.
Emily was still softly sobbing.
“Did, uh, did anyone see her . . . before she went in?” Maximus wanted to know what to expect out of it.
“No, I was only asked to sign the form of consent. They’d already taken her to the operating room when we arrived,” Mr. Dawson replied.
Everyone’s face was sombre, each one of them equally worried. They were anxious to know how she was, praying she was okay.
Ornelia was an integral part of their lives—a dear friend to Jake and Emily, a dutiful daughter to her parents, an excellent mother to Kayden, and she was the love of his life. That was Ornelia. The mere thought of losing her was driving Maximus insane.
They sat there for what felt like an eternity, waiting for someone to come and tell them what was going on. Maximus’s anxiety was skyrocketing.