His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 35

Gabriel wearing a crumpled white shirt over black track pants that he wore to bed, and I was sure a few buttons mismatched because he was wearing them hastily on the way to open the door of our villa. As I stood behind the shut door of one of the empty rooms at the ground floor searching through the luggage to find something I can put on to rush outside, all I found myself thinking of was the voice outside.

A voice I recognised.

A voice I dreaded.

I put on the first thing my hands got on- a loose olive green cotton dress

with a bra who’s lacy straps were very visible

and did not match the vibe of a frock, I passed my fingers through my hair to tame my frizzy locks a little before rushing

outside.

And sure enough, the voice belonged to the same man I thought it did..

Arthur Geller.

He was in Venice.

He was at the house we were staying in.

“Oh, there is the wifey.” Arthur’s eyes narrowed on me effortlessly as if he was searching for me in the first place, and I could sense Gabriel stiffen. He didn’t have to turn back for me to know his jaw was locked. “I was vacationing in Venice and when I heard the two of you are here, I thought maybe I could drop in and apologise for how things went down between us. I hope you don’t mind, Sofia,

“If you want another black eye, I suggest you talk to me. Not her Gabriel’s voice was calm, but not in a welcoming way. In a cold way, in a way that predators are calm before attacking their next prey, and that was scary.

“Understood, Romeo. Arthur seemed unaffected as he stepped forward and put his hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. By then, I had frozen where I was, a good ten feet away from the two of them. I had no interest walking any closer, but I couldn’t just stay inside without seeing that Arthur really was here. In Venice. In the little bubble I and Gabriel had made in the past couple days.

Despite Gabriel’s threat, Arthur’s eyes found me again. “I must say, Mrs. Whitlock, you really have your husband around your little finger. The Gabriel I knew would never take a vacation from work.

his shoulder, stepping towards him. “I said, talk

a commendable job she’s done? I mean as an old friend of

wrap

I thought Gabriel was stiff before, I was wrong because I could practically see every muscle, every joint stiffen. His

Grant. That name seemed

my

1

so sorry, I didn’t know.” Arthur didn’t even try to feign being apologetic. He was nonchalant. His eyes found me. “Pleasure as always,

on Arthur’s jaw. I gasped, it

is Sofia Gabriel Whitlock. Gabriel pushed Arthur. “You understand what that means? My wife. Mrs. Whitlock

you

look at her again, let alone try to talk to her, I

place where no

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Chapter 35

find you from.

then, I left out the breath. The next breath I took went in, but didn’t. I couldn’t feel it. I felt breathless. There was no air in my

concern in Gabriel’s voice. I looked at him, but couldn’t q felt his touch on my arm, a safe touch, a

“I-“Words dried out.

instructed, “Come back to

My

on my breath till I could feel it again, till my vision cleared and I could see Gabriel standing in front

“I’m okay.” I muttered.

A frown etched

the early months when my

a panic attack.” His frown just deepened. “I’m going to

wasn’t- It wasn’t

Then what triggered it?”

from

lying, but dropped it anyway. “Okay,” Gabriel still didn’t sound too