Chapter 1
Aleena Gibbons smiled at her best friend who was lying on her bed. She was happy. Finally, her life pieces seemed to be falling in place.
“Are you excited?” Kyla McDonald asked. She couldn’t believe it! Her best friend. Her very own best friend was engaged. She would be getting married. And she would be there to watch it and she would be the maid of honour.
“Extremely excited, Ky.” Aleena looked at her outfit and smoothed down the fabric. She loved her fiancé, soon to be husband.
“I get it, love. Now turn around; I need to do your hair. This engagement party needs to be perfect, including the fiancée.” Kyla said as she softly pushed Aleena into a chair.
Aleena had never been serious about men. She had all she needed. She thought they were a waste of precious time and space in one’s life. But now, at 38, she was ready to settle down and be happily married to a good, rich man who loved her deeply. It was evident to anyone with at least half a brain cell that Louis McKay and Aleena Gibbons were in love the moment they met. Even Louis was adamant it was love at first sight.
“Oh, my goodness. You look perfect.” Kyla began hyperventilating.
“Oh, stop you! You’ll ruin your makeup.” In truth, if one cried; the other would join. Kyla laughed and hugged Aleena.
“Okay. The guests are about to start pouring in.” They held each other’s hands and walked out into the backyard. That’s where the party was being held.
The place looked magnificent. The gardener pruned the plants diligently, and the designers and decorator had gotten their hands dirty. Now the place looked straight out of a magazine.
“Oh, my! It’s beautiful.” Kyla turned to fangirling. Once Kyla started fangirling; no one could bring her back into our current universe. Aleena left her there and went looking for Louis, who was nowhere to be seen.
“Hi. Maud. Have you seen Louis?” Maud was the housekeeper. She had come by to help prepare the place before the party. “And you’re still available right?” Aleena had had to force Maud to come attend. Maud made up excuses, which made no sense whatsoever until she gave up and promised to come. At least for a few hours.
“No, ma’am. I haven’t seen him. I did see him enter his office a few hours ago.” Maud was as stiff as a board every time she spoke to anyone, not a helper at the mansion. She acted like she was whipped on a daily basis; Aleena had tried so hard to make her feel at ease. She was still trying, but none of her methods had worked on Maud. She still acted stiff and formal, even around Aleena.
“Oh, and he hasn’t come out yet?” Aleena asked. She knew Louis hated any interruptions when he was in his office. Not even she was allowed in it until a certain time, or unless she was called. It felt like being summoned sometimes.
“No. He might have. But I was in the kitchen the whole time, I might have missed him.” Maud looked at her timidly. “You could go check, ma’am. You know how unhappy he becomes if one of us goes in there.” He’d get unhappy even if she went in there. Regardless of her being his fiancée and all, he was still rigid with his laws. Laws such as no one enters my office when I’m working unless I call for them.
“Okay. Thanks, Maud. By the way; its Aleena. Not ‘ma’am’. It makes me feel old.” She winked at the open-mouthed Maud. Maud always reacted that same way whenever Aleena told her to call her by her name and not ‘ma’am’.
Louis wasn’t in his office when Aleena went to check. His office was empty, his computer off and the desk neat. The neat desk indicated he hadn’t worked there since that morning. Maud cleaned the office every morning because Louis was incapable of keeping it clean. Especially his desk.
“Oh well. He’ll be here soon. His car is in the driveway. Which can only mean one thing. He’s not gone far.” Aleena thought to herself as she shut and locked the office door. Besides, this was their engagement party, he was obligated to be present.
