Alia’s eyes twitched. "I don’t want Caleb back," she lowly said.
Then, looking ahead, she ignored Emline to walk past her. She needed a sandwich and a drink. And to call her father to inform him that she was recovering well. She did not need to spend any more ti with Emline.
Their shoulders had barely even touched, but the second Alia moved from Emline’s side, the latter dropped to the floor in a yelp of pain. Her palms skidded against the smooth hospital floors, creating a squeaking sound while her knees fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
"Hey!" Alia exclaid.
Emline let out a tiny sob. "Why... Why did you push , Cousin?"
Alia stared down at Emline’s fallen figure, and let out the longest sigh of her life. Really? There was no audience, but she still had to put on a performance.
Emline should have gone into the entertainnt industry. Her skills were wasted as a socialite.
"I did not push you, but you should probably get a doctor to check your bone density," Alia said dryly. "Falling like this from a simple brush is unnatural. Now get up and stop embarrassing yourself. I’m embarrassed for you."
"Aren’t you going to help up?" Emline cried out, and Alia sighed. Her grandfather did say to be nicer to Emline. Alia could be the bigger person when it seed safe enough.
She reached down, but before she could pull Emline up, another new body ca barreling to her, slamming against Alia’s chest with deliberate force.
Alia wasn’t fully healed, so she couldn’t help stumbling back, only to end up caught by the person she least wanted to see on this earth.
Caleb Walton stared down at her with his moss green eyes, a small smug smile on his lips. "Careful," he said, his voice soft and barely even above a whisper. "Or I’ll think you’re falling for again, Millie."
On the other hand, the woman that knocked into her was none other than Kelsie Friesent, who glared at Alia as though she was scum found at the bottom of her shoe.
"How dare you shove Emline!" Her voice echoed through the corridor.
Then, her gaze sharply landed on the way Caleb’s arms all but cradled Alia tenderly in his hold. Kelsie’s eyes narrowed in on Caleb’s fingers, suppressing a twisted snarl.
She saw red, and hissed angrily, "Bold of you to preach about being a third party when you’re here seducing your ex-husband in front of his current partner, don’t you think?"
Alia was so shocked about their sudden appearance that her brain hadn’t even fully registered their presence. Once it did, she imdiately twisted herself out of his hold, a look of disgust on her face at the implication that she would want to have anything with Caleb.
However, Kelsie didn’t care about how Alia felt about Caleb’s help. While she fussed over Emline, the bulk of her attention was drawn towards Caleb.
She could not forget the sight of Caleb’s hands on Alia’s bare arms as he steadied her falling body. The gesture was both protective and possessive. Jealousy churned in her gut, and venom curdled up her throat.
This was utterly outrageous. Alia Kentwood had purposely pretended to stumble so she could fall into Caleb’s arms, just so she could seduce him with those pearly blues of hers!
Kelsie had noticed Caleb being quieter recently and more reluctant to hold her than before. She had not done anything different than usual, so it stood to reason that the culprit was Alia.
Her very presence was a distraction for Caleb, and Kelsie needed her gone!
"Don’t you forget," Kelsie continued, "Matteo is just there in the other room. Is he not enough for you? Or are you just so greedy that you want Caleb all for yourself too?"
Alia tried not to roll her eyes. She barely managed to restrain herself.
"You’re laboring under several false impressions," Alia said instead, crossing her arms as she raised a disdainful eyebrow. "First of all, I do not want Caleb back. I would never want him back, even if he was on his knees, begging for to give him a second chance."
He, in fact, had done such a thing before. Alia wondered if she had pointed it out, Kelsie would combust right then and there. She chanced a look at Caleb and was surprised to see that smug smile still painted on his face.
"Oh Alia, I know you well enough to tell when you’re lying," Caleb said, sincerity dripping off every syllable from his lips. In his eyes was pity, along with barely concealed mirth. "I can’t fault you for being unable to get over . What we had in those three years must have been incredible for you to experience."
Kelsie’s blood-red lips twisted. "I knew it!" she exclaid. "It’s about ti you showed your true colors, Alia Kentwood. Always acting so high and mighty when we all know that your act is the furthest from the truth. Like hell any woman would get over Caleb so quickly, let alone soone like you!"
Alia gnashed her teeth; her ex-husband was clearly out to make things more difficult for her on purpose.
"Soone like ?" Alia echoed with a scoff of disbelief.
"From the first ti Caleb talked about you, I knew," Kelsie said. "That was further punctuated when I t you in person for the first ti. You are nothing but a social climber. It was no wonder Caleb left you for ."
"It’s tough to accept that love has run its course, but I urge you to let go of us. I’m with Kelsie now," Caleb added. He wrapped an arm around Kelsie’s waist to punctuate his point, and Alia scoffed at his theatrics.
"Trust , I would not return to your side even if you were the last man on this solar system," Alia said frankly. "And as for incredible experiences... one night with Matteo was enough to overwrite three years with you, so I’m not bothered by your absence in the least."
Emline’s hands were balled into fists by her side; she was similarly upset at the reminder that Matteo and Alia had explored each other’s bodies carnally.
"Your size and skill leave much to be desired. If I was impressed by you, it’s because I didn’t know any better," Alia continued with relish, delighting in the way Caleb’s face almost purpled with indignant anger as she insulted his skills in the bedroom. "Your prowess was nothing more than the rcy of my ignorance."
A kinder woman would have stopped after such a devastating blow, but Alia wasn’t done. Perhaps she could destroy this unholy alliance between Kelsie and Emline, just to save herself the headache in the future.
She addressed Kelsie.
"Kelsie, I think you should reconsider your taste in friends. Before Emline fell, she was offering to help get back with Caleb so that I would leave Matteo for good. Isn’t Caleb the love of your life? As her best friend, you should be offended by Emline’s words. To think she would throw your love life under the bus to save her own!"
Kelsie’s eyes widened in shock and indignation. Alia didn’t miss the outraged glare she shot Emline before she recomposed herself.
"That’s ridiculous!"
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