By the time I got to Brixton Park, the morning sun was already cutting through the cool breeze, glinting off the rows of white tents that lined the open field.
I pulled my jacket tighter and walked toward the main tent where Edmund was already speaking to one of the coordinators. His sleeves were rolled up, and a few strands of hair had fallen over his forehead.
“Morning,” I said, walking up beside him.
He turned, and that familiar smile tugged at his lips. “Morning, Dr. Gracia. Ready for another long day?”
“As long as there’s coffee,” I teased, and he chuckled.
We’d been working side by side since yesterday, checking equipment, reviewing logistics, ensuring the local clinics were ready to receive patients after the outreach. Somewhere between the shared laughter, the stolen glances, and the quiet car rides, I’d started to notice him again London’s hospitals, but the man who somehow made chaos feel steady.
not just the billionaire CEO who ran half of
Well that was until his wife showed
- up.
–
“Coffee is on the way,” he said, handing me a bottle of water. “Hydrate first.”
“Bossy,” I muttered under my breath, taking it anyway.
He smirked. “Efficient.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled despite myself.
“So. Where is your wife?” I asked, as we walked towards the lab tent.
He sighed.” She is still in the room,” he responded.
I simply nodded.
“Look I’m sorry I had to make you sneak into your room last night,” he added, “I wasn’t just ready for the unnecessary drama that would’ve occurred If she found out we were sharing a suite.”
I blinked. “But it’s separate rooms, how the hell-” I took a deep breath. “You know what? It’s fine. Whatever. See you later.”
I walked away.
“Come on Amelia! Don’t be like that!”
I rolled my eyes and huffed, but I didn’t look back.
By noon, the outreach was buzzing. Children ran around with balloons, volunteers handed out free hygiene
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kits, and people lined up for checkups. I was stationed at one of the tents, attending to a group of elderly women while Edmund handled media interviews and met with local officials. Every now and then, I caught his
gaze from across the field, a silent nod here, a small smile there. I rolled my own eyes each time and returned to my work.
Later in the afternoon, he walked over with two cups of coffee. “You look like you could use this.”
I eyed him and the coffee in his hands.
“Look Amelia, I’m sorry okay? I have no idea what I did, but I’m sorry.”
I shook my head, massaging my forehead. “You don’t need to apologize, Edmund,” I said, “you did nothing wrong. I have no reason to be mad at you.”
“Thank you.” He smiled, stretching the coffee cup towards me again. “So. Coffee.”
I smiled. “You just saved a life,” I said, accepting it gratefully.
“I’ll add that to my résumé.”
We sat down on a bench under a tree, taking a small break while the others wrapped up for the day. The air smelled faintly of roasted peanuts and grass.
He leaned back, watching the volunteers pack up. “You’ve done a great job today, Amelia. Everyone’s talking about how organized your team is.”
I shrugged, brushing off the compliment. “It’s a team effort. You set the tone.”
He glanced at me with a half–smile. “You always do that.”
“Do what?”
“Deflect when someone praises you.”
I stared at him for a moment. “Maybe I’m just not used to it.”
There was a silence between us, soft but charged. He looked away first, clearing his throat. “We’ll head back soon. Dinner with the sponsors tonight.”
“Right,” I murmured, finishing my drink. “I’ll go change after we leave the site.”
As we stood up, I noticed something shift in his expression, a flicker of hesitation, almost as if he wanted to say something more. But before I could ask, one of the organizers called for his attention, and he excused himself.
I watched him walk off, hands in his pockets, greeting people as he passed. For a man so composed, he had a strange way of making everything feel personal. It was dangerous. The kind of danger that made my heart betray me.
By the time we returned to the hotel, the sun had begun to dip. The lobby buzzed with activity, reporters still milling around after the day’s event. Edmund and I walked side by side, talking about the next day’s schedule
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when the sound of clicking heels echoed sharply across the marble floor.
I froze.
“Edmund.”
He stiffened beside me. Slowly, we both turned.
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Vikki. Every inch of her screamed perfection. A sleek black dress, diamond earrings that caught the light, and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Cameras clicked somewhere in the distance, and the entire lobby seemed to pause.
“Vikki?” Edmund said, his voice low, controlled. “i thought I told you to go back?”
She walked up to him, her heels barely making a sound, though the tension was loud enough to fill the room. “Is that how you greet your wife?” she asked, her tone sweet but sharp.
I felt my throat tighten. Wife. The word echoed like a slap.
“I came to support my husband,” she continued, turning slightly toward the onlookers with a polished smile. “And that is exactly what I will do, I couldn’t possibly stay away.”
The reporters nearby murmured, cameras flashing again. I caught one whispering to another: “That’s Mrs. Montgomery. The CEO’s wife.
Edmund’s jaw flexed. “You should’ve called first.”
“So what you’re saying in essence is that you’re not going back home?” He growled.
She smiled sweetly. “Yes my darling husband,” she said, “I’m staying here till the end of this damn outreach.”
Then her eyes turned to me.
The look she gave me was razor–sharp, like a silent, unspoken challenge. And just like that, I felt like an intruder in a life I’d once known.
I forced a polite smile. “I’ll give you two a moment,” I murmured, trying to step away.
But Vikki’s voice stopped me cold. “You’re Amelia, right?”
I hesitated, meeting her gaze. “Yes.”
“The same Amelia who works at that Hospital my husband bought?”
My stomach twisted. “That’s right.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t match her tone. “Well, isn’t it nice to see old faces being… useful again.”
Edmund’s expression hardened. “Vikki-”
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“Oh, relax, darling. I’m only saying it’s good you’re giving people opportunities.” Her words were sweetly venomous, her eyes never leaving mine. “Though some people don’t seem to understand boundaries.”
The air between us turned heavy, charged. People around had started pretending not to watch, but I could feel their eyes. My palms itched, my chest tight.
“Enough,” Edmund said firmly, stepping slightly closer to me. “We’ll talk about this later. Privately.”
Her eyebrow arched. “Of course. Privately.”
And then she smiled again, turning toward the photographers. “Now, why don’t we show them what a united front looks like, hmm?” She reached for his arm, looping it through hers like she’d done it a thousand times before.
He didn’t resist, not in front of the cameras. But his eyes met mine for a fleeting second, an apology, silent but clear.
I forced a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I’ll see you at dinner,” I whispered, my voice barely steady.
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked toward the elevator, the sound of her laughter trailing
behind me like a shadow.
As the doors closed, my reflection stared back, calm face, steady posture, but inside, everything was unraveling.
I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. I shouldn’t have cared. I told myself I didn’t. But the truth was louder than my denial. Seeing her there, seeing him beside her, made something twist painfully inside me.
It wasn’t jealousy. Not exactly. It was the reminder of everything that had once been and everything I thought I’d buried.
And somewhere deep down, I knew my heart had done something that I had no part of… Something I had to stop denying.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
