His ExWife (edited version)

Chapter 21

Mariella had not stopped thinking about her first kiss after the incident that had occurred yesterday or last night if she put it correctly. When Iyan had dropped her back home, he had insisted she keeps her jacket even though it was already cold for him too.

The moment she had stepped on the threshold, she had been scared Rupert Lewis would already be there, waiting for her, but luckily nothing as such happened. 

Rupert had been in a deep slumber, and she had also quietly gotten into her own room, locking it just in case he did wake up. But she lied in her bed for a long time, unable to sleep.

She knew she was dragging it too far but she had been drawn to Iyan, she had indeed felt it a few times that he understood her, without her having to say a word at all. 

She imagined if he really liked her that much...the blush from her cheeks refused to leave her alone with her thoughts and her cheeks heated up at the thought of his arms engulfing her, protecting her from the world while he held her still, kissing her.

The night fell and the day was already here, at 6 am sharp, the knock on her door startled her, bringing her out of her reverie. She realized she had not even slept all night.

"Out of the room, on the breakfast table," Rupert yelled on the other end of the door.

"Yes sir," she cried from in bed, her heart was in her mouth by now. 

Everything about Rupert Lewis struck fear in her heart, the kind of fear she could not get rid of, even if she wanted to.

She had no other choice, this was the routine she had to follow every day when Rupert Lewis was at home, breakfast at 6, news at 7 and leaving for work at sharp 8. 

At night, he was already on the dinner table at 7.30. He liked to follow the clock's rules very strictly and made sure Mariella did too.

Mariella stood up, she felt a bit weak because of the lack of sleep, but still got up and brushed her teeth to reach the breakfast table that was on the ground floor.

Rupert was in the kitchen when she arrived at the breakfast table. It was a grand table that could easily accommodate more than 20 people at once. 

She took the seat as far as she could, on one far end of the table and waited. 

Mariella recalled the first time when she had come from Italy and tried to prepare breakfast for her father as a gesture of peace, after all, who else was she left anyway in the world but that had been her first mistake: entering the kitchen without asking Rupert. 

And the punishment that she had gone through, still made her heart go still every time she thought of it. 

"You don't go lurking around in my house without my permission!" was the loud response she had received.

Rupert had then locked her in the cold freezer for 3 hours. 

That is just how he was, he reacted well and normally when everything went his way, but one had to let things get out of his control to see what he really was- sick to the core.

Rupert got out of the kitchen now, he placed the benedict omelette and some orange juice on the table and sat right opposite to her. She waited for him to sit down, no one could start eating until he did.

Rupert John Lewis was a man now in his fifties, he had not gotten married after his relationship with Mariella's mother, Lucy. 

She had been the last woman he had been attracted to and he was heartbroken after she had left. He was still as fit as a fiddle, he really took care of his diet and physique, that was probably the reason he did not age much, his face barely had any wrinkles upon them and his nose sat sharp, like that of a wolf dog.