SWNOVELS Chapter 130
I couldn’t believe how quickly the evening had turned awkward. One minute we were all laughing and chatting, enjoying each other’s company, and the next, Aston and I were stuck in an uncomfortable silence. It was like a switch had been flipped, and suddenly the tension between us was reactivated.
Mara had to open her big mouth and ask us about our trip. I knew she was not just trying to make conversation, she was curious to know what we had been up to and even though it wasn’t anything to hide, it wasn’t anything to discuss either and frankly, it was none of her business
“We didn’t do much,” he said gruffly, not bothering to raise his head and look at her.
Mara looked shocked “Oh, okay. Well, did you at least get to relax a bit?” she asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
Aston shrugged. “I was busy with meetings most of the time.” I didn’t know why Aston would lie. The only thing he was busy with was bringing in girls and making my life miserable. Was that so hard to admit?
The conversation went downhill after that and we ate the rest of our food in awkward silence. No one wanting to speak. After dinner, Mara asked me to clear the plates, and I did so without hesitation because I didn’t even want to have any reason to speak to her. I was scarred I was going to beat her the hell up if I did. But as I was gathering the dishes, I caught Aston’s eye, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something there frustration: maybe, or annoyance. It was a fleeting moment, but it was enough to make me feel uneasy,
“Is everything okay?” Mara asked, noticing the look too.
Aston shook his head. “No, everything’s fine.”
But it wasn’t fine. I knew it, and Aston knew it too. We just didn’t know how to fix it.
As we headed upstairs, Mara made to follow Aston into his room but he stopped her. “I would like to be alone tonight.” He informed her and I didn’t show it but it made me so happy to hear.
Her plans of probably giving him welcome back home sex was just cancelled.
I headed up to my room with joy.
I woke up feeling a little tired but mostly just hungry.
As I went downstairs, I saw Aston already in the living room, looking a bit tired and worn out. His eyes had dark circles under them, and his hair was messy.
“I’m starving,” he said, as soon as he saw me. “I need a decent, home-cooked meal. It’s been a while since I’ve had one.”
Mara, who was sitting next to him on the couch, raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean it’s been a while? Didn’t you ear well on your trip? That’s why you took Kira along, right?”
Aston sighed, rubbing his temples. “Mara, I just meant that I’m tired of eating out. I want a proper meal, cooked at home. You know, something with some real flavour and nutrition.”
But Mara wouldn’t let it go. “So, you’re saying Kira didn’t take care of you on the trip? That she didn’t make sure you were -rating well?”
I knew where she was going with it and so did everyone in the room.
Braxton, who had been quiet until now, spoke up from his spot on the armchair. “Can we just drop it? Aston’s hungry, I’m hungry too, let’s just make some breakfast”
Chapter 130
But the tension was already there, and it only seemed to grow thicker. Aston got up and started making a cup of coffee for himself, his movements stiff and awkward. Mara sat at the table, her arms crossed, looking upset. I tried to make small talk, asking Braxton about his night, but it fell flat.
The house was a disaster, broken furniture and shattered glass everywhere. And everyone looked like they had their breakfast covered as they all reached the pancakes that Mara had made carlier.
“Braxton, why haven’t the maids and guards come back to work?” Mara asked, her voice laced with frustration and a hint of
accusation.
Braxton shrugged, his expression nonchalant. “I forgot to tell them to come back. I’ll let them know today, but they won’t be back until tomorrow.”
Mara’s face turned red with anger, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “Tomorrow? The house is a mess now! Who’s going to clean it up?” She threw up her hands, exasperated.
Mara looked around the room, her eyes landing on me. “Not all the maids are gone, are they?” she said, a sly smile spreading across her face. I could sense a trap being set.
Aston raised an eyebrow, his expression curious. “Who’s left?” he asked, his voice soft but expectant.
Mara pointed at me, her finger jabbing the air. “Kira’s still here. She can clean up the mess.” Her voice was dripping with condescension, and I felt a surge of frustration,
Me? Clean up the whole house? It wasn’t fair. I had already done so much for Aston on our trip, and now they expected me to handle the clean-up on my own? I thought about just stabbing Mara in the eye but that wasn’t a reasonable option now
was it!
“Kira, can you do it?” Aston asked.
I hesitated, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to clean up the mess, but I also didn’t want to any drama.
“I…I suppose I can try,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. I felt a weight settle on my shoulders, and I knew I had a long day ahead of me
As I began to clean, I started by trying to sweep up the broken glass that littered the floor. I carefully moved the broom, trying to get every last shard. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt by accidentally stepping on a piece of glass. But just as I was making progress, Mara stormed over to me, her face red with annoyance..
“What’s taking so long, Kira?” she snapped. “You’re being too slow. There’s no more glass on the floor, just move on to something else!”
I felt a surge of frustration at her tone. I was trying my best not stuff the broom down her throat. But I bit back my retort. I wasn’t in the mood for a fight with Mara, not today. So I left the broom and decided to move on to the burnt curtains instead.
“Fine,” I muttered, trying to keep my cool. I walked away from the glass and over to the curtains, which were hanging limply from the window. They were beyond repair, and I knew I had to take them down.
As I reached up to grab them, I realized I couldn’t quite reach. I stretched a bit farther, but my fingertips still couldn’t grasp the top of the curtains. It was frustrating.
I spotted a stool in the corner of the room. I walked over to it and climbed up, trying to steady myself as I reached for the curtains again. The stool wobbled slightly under my feet, and I held my breath, hoping it wouldn’t collapse.
“Be careful, Kira!” Brax called out from across the room, concern etched in his voice.
“I am, I am, I replied, trying to reassure him. I carefully pulled down the curtains, trying not to touch the burnt edges. They smelled of smoke and ash, and I wrinkled my nose. They could have burned down the entire f****g house! The place looked like a crime scene and the criminals were laid back while I did all the work. How was that fair?
As I climbed down from the stool. I felt a sense of accomplishment. At least this part of the clean-up was done. But as I looked around the room, I knew there was still so much more to do. The walls were stained with soot, and the furniture was covered in dust. And with Mara’s evil eye on me, I felt like I was in for a long and difficult day. I just hoped I didn’t kill anybody by the end of it.
As I thought I was finally done with the curtains, Mara pointed out that I needed to clean the windows too. “And stop being so lazy, Kira,” she added, her voice dripping with hate. I felt a surge of frustration at her tone, but I held back. I didn’t want to give Mara the satisfaction of getting a rise out of me.
So I sighed and grabbed the stool again, climbing up to reach the windows. I just wanted to be done so I could be free from Mara. As I was cleaning. I wasn’t really careful about squeezing out the sponge, and some soap spilled onto the tiles below. I didn’t think much of it, but as I shifted my weight on the stool, it started to slip on the soapy tiles.
felt a jolt of fear as the stool let out from beneath my legs, and I fell directly onto the pile of shattered glass I had swept up earlier. I cried out in pain as the glass dug into my skin, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over me. What the actual f***k?!