"Good morning Ma'am Elena" Clara the head of the maid greeted her with a warm smile.
" Good morning Clara" Elena replied her voice still a little breathless from the stairs she had just come down from.
"Should I set the table for you ma'm,your breakfast is ready"
Elena stole a glance toward the dining area, Xavier was there, a wall of silence and gravity ready to start his meal. The sudden smell of food made her stomach growl with fierce hunger,but she hesitated. The memory of her first day in his house stung like a fresh wound. Clara has called her down to the dining table then. But the moment Elena was about to sit, Xavier had stood up and left the table without another word.
The pity in Clara's eyes that day had been harder to swallow than the food.
Elena swallowed hard trying to hold herself"Am not hungry yet, Clara" Elena lied forcing a small smile to mask her sad face, her stomach was protesting but she had to ignore it, The maid knew she was serving but she didn't push it and Elena was greatful for that.
"I just came down for water,that all"
She hurried to the dispenser, she could feel Xavier's eyes on her, as his presence in Tge next room feels like an heavy pressure against her back. She didn't dare look at him again.
After a quick swallow of water , she mummered a polite goodbye to Clara and the others before she hurried out,preferring the emptiness in her room to the freezing silence of a breakfast with a man who wished she never existed.
...…
Elena had longer forgotten about going back down for breakfast as she scrolled through her phone laughing at post, as she laid on the bed in only a transparent gown. She had felt so comfortable in them abd decided she did spend the afternoon playing with her phone.
" Why are you calling me, Elena?, it's always when you are craving you call me, You have a husband don't you?, Tell him what am you are the baby are craving" A baritone voice over the phone sighed.
Elena pouted at the phone, Even thou Carlos could not see it, She had been scrolling through social media when she saw a photo of a Chesse Pizza appeared and the craving had fiercely hit her like a blow. Every nerves in her body now craved a cheese pizza, a very large one at that, with a very creaming strawberry flavoured ice cream.
She knew Carlos office was just a few drive to the pizza shop, She didn't want to be inconsiderate but Carlos was the only person who could never say no to her.
"You know how things are between us,Carlos." She mumured, her playful voice fading.
Carlos knew everything, He and Natilie were her only confidant's, the ones who knew her fairytales marriage to Xavier blackwell was not as sweet as the world sees it,they knew it was a cold and silent prison.
Carlos had lectured her so many times asking why she had let her parent forced a marriage on her, A marriage with a man who clearly despised her, but Elena never had an answer. Maybe it was her imaginary hope for a complete family, or a fool fantasy that maybe one day he might he might actually love her, because her secret love for him still kept growing despite his cruelty towards her.
"Please Carlos, do it for the baby, Don't you even feel sorry a bit for the hungry baby inside of me?"
When she heard his heavy sigh on the other end, she knew she had won a d a small triumphant smile tugged at her lips.
"Fine" She heard his mmm grumbled" But only because I don't want the kid to starve"
"I love you the most Carlos" She teased.
"Tsk, You love me being your delivery guy, Just wait for your cake"
An Hour later her phone buzzed.
Without looking to see who it was, Elena bolted off the bed,her heart lifting at the thought of satisfying her cravings. She descend the stairs happily, mindful of the life she was carrying. She hurried past the security guard to where Carlos's black Lexus was idling.
She practically launched at the brown paper back as soon as he stepped down smiling.
"Someone's hungry" He chucked as he reached for the other brown bag, He had brought an extra Streak for her from her favorite restaurant.
"I can smell stream, did you buy some ?"
"Okay,I think this baby is making you immortal,because this was clearly packed well" Carlos squinted his eyes as he handed her the second bag.
"Never forget Carlos, I love you" She teased as she put the bag aside.
Elena couldn't wait to go back inside as she tore into the pizza bag, humming in delight as the cheese pizza touched her tonge, she closed her eyes savouring the flavor.
"Still a messy eater" Carlos whispered as he reached out, his thumb gently brushing away a bit of ice cream from the corner of her lips.and Elena gave him a thumbs up nodding her head.
The moment was warm and familiar until a loud defeaning and aggressive blast of a car horn shattered the silence.
Elena jumped so violently the pizza and ice cream slipped from her hands splattering into the pavement and some on Carlo's suit pant. The hell?
She looked up angrily but her heart dropped to her stomach as a sleek black familiar car was inches away from Carlos's bumper.
Xavier.
What was he doing home at this hour, it was barely mid afternoon and she was not use to him coming back this early or he was never home this early.
Elena looked at Carlos before looking at her cheese pizza scattered everywhere on the placement.