Chapter 5- He is mine.

Andrea’s POV

The sudden loud banging on the door had me springing to my feet, utterly disoriented. For longer than a second, I stood staring into space, my eyes wide open while my mind remained half-sleep.

It took another round of excessive pounding on the door to jolt me fully into awareness. I glanced around confused: where was I? Gradually, everything returned to me—the overwhelming events of yesterday.

One minute, I was reluctantly attending Dad’s wedding, the next, I had clearly walked straight into a trap. I wiped my eyes, freeing them completely from sleep.

After Kieran's abrupt revelation and hasty exit last night, I curled up on the floor and cried myself to sleep. Crying had always been my therapy, a way to free myself when worries clung to my chest. But this time, the tears brought no relief.

Perhaps it was because I knew I had signed a deal with the devil. My father was the devil sent to turn my life inside out. If nothing else, I should be glad that Kieran had taken the initiative to leave this marriage as it was-a sham. What would I have done if he had decided to consummate the wedding last night?

No matter how I tried to convince myself that everything would sort itself out, I couldn’t shake off this dread that consumed me.

But on the bright side, this arrangement gave me what I desperately wanted -two things in fact. First, Dad promised Mom could get the surgery she needed to get better if I agreed to this marriage to Kieran Vasques. How could I possibly say no to that?

Second, this fake marriage granted me access to something else—answers. As Kieran Vasques' wife, I now had unlimited access to the Glamor Hotel and everything that went on there. Finally, I could expose Jasper Vasques as the murderer I knew him to be.

“Kieran, I know you’re in there! Open the damned door!” I heard a loud very feminine voice.

Oh, gosh, someone had been knocking. It was probably, what was her name…? Ms. Ada. Yes, the woman Kieran had said would come put the house in order. I had been unable to take a step from where he had left me last night. I hadn’t checked anything out. All I knew was that this house was messy and too big for just me to live in.

I rushed to the glass window, winced at the disarray of my appearance, and patted my hair in place. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I had slept with an empty stomach. I didn’t want anyone to see me this messy and feel sorry for me. Not Kieran and not Ms. Ada I hadn’t even met yet.

A quick pat down of my rumpled dress, and I hurried to the door unlocking it. God help me, because I almost gasped audibly.

The lady standing before me was breathtaking. There was no way this was Kieran’s cleaning lady. Maybe more like his paramour. The woman was the embodiment of elegance, with high cheekbones and flawless, sun-kissed skin that seemed to glow in the soft light.

Her dark hair was swept into a sleek, sophisticated bun, and she wore a tailored black dress that hugged her slim figure, every detail screaming sophistication. Her poise and effortless grace were impossible to overlook; she looked like she belonged more at a high-society gala than cleaning Kieran’s house.

“Who are you?” the lady frowned upon seeing me, glancing into the house. “Where’s Kieran? Move, I need to speak to him.”

Without waiting for me to answer either questions or an invitation inside, she stepped around me entering the foyer.

My confusion deepened as I watched her assertive entry, her presence commanding attention and clearly not one to be dismissed easily. I stood there for a moment, my mind racing to catch up with the unexpected turn of events. Who was this woman, and why did she seem so certain of her right to barge in?

I followed her into the foyer, trying to regain my composure. The elegant woman had already started to look around, her eyes scanning the space with a mix of familiarity and disdain.

“Kieran!” she called out sharply, her voice echoing through the expansive room. There was an air of urgency in her tone, and I could see her frustration mounting as she waited for a response.

I cleared my throat, finally finding my voice. “I’m not sure where Kieran is at the moment. Can I help you with something?”

She turned to me with a gaze that could have frozen ice. “Who are you?” she asked again. This time her eyes focused on me. “You’re not Ada. What’s your name?” Her words came all at once.

“Andrea.”

“Okay, Andrea, where’s Ada?”

Oh, that explains it. I knew she couldn’t be Ms. Ada.

I clasped my hands in front of me, this woman’s presence was unsettling. “Ms. Ada is yet to arrive. I have been waiting for her to make an appearance.”

“Okay, I guess, Ada needs some assistance around the house. As Kieran interviewed you?”

“Interviewed me?” I asked perplexed.

“Yes, for your new role as a help…?” She arched a brow at my confusion.

Oh, God, she thought I was here as a maid? I glanced down at myself; I must look pathetic.

“What? Is that not the reason you’re here, in Kieran’s house?”

“I’m afraid not. I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. But that can be sorted out if you tell me who you are and why you want to see Kieran.”

“I don’t need a reason to see Kieran. I can be here whenever I want.”

My gut wrenched. I knew I shouldn’t ask because her next words were unlikely to be what I wanted to hear, but I couldn’t stop myself.

“Why is that?” My words were almost a whisper, and I had no idea why my heart was racing.

“Kieran is mine, that’s why. I am his fiancée and pregnant with his child.”

The earth seemed to shift beneath me as I stood rooted to the spot, my feet feeling as though they were sinking into the floor.