When Hearts Surrender: An Angsty Arranged Marriage Billionaire Romance (The Orchid) by Victoria Lum

Author:Victoria Lum [Lum, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Eternal Hearts Publishing
Published: 2024-10-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

The next hour passes by in a blur as everyone takes their seats at the assigned tables. My parents have arrived and are sitting with Linus and some executives from McKenzie Atelier. Dinner is served by an army of staff members decked out in crisp black tuxes and dresses.

Mora outdid herself with the pan-seared foie gras, caviar with crème fraîche served on thin butter crackers, truffle deviled eggs, canard à la presse—a perfectly roasted duck breast with the creamiest bread pudding, and a swordfish dish that’s perfectly tender and flavorful.

But I barely touch my meal, my mind on Maxwell, who still hasn’t shown up yet. A flash of light temporarily blinds me and I see a press photographer discreetly taking a photo. Security is as tight tonight as it would’ve been at the Christmas Ball at The Orchid. While the press may send one photographer and reporter per major news outlet, the usual antics of the paparazzi are strictly prohibited unless they want to be blacklisted by the Andersons—an industry death sentence.

I put on the fake society smile I’ve spent years perfecting, fighting the urge to go and find my husband, who must be sweating bullets because of his upcoming speech.

“Is he coming down soon?” Taylor asks to my right, clearly thinking about the same thing.

“I think so. The speech is in twenty minutes. We’ve rehearsed it and I think he’s ready, but the pressure is getting to him. What he needs is alone time and not us hovering over him, so I’m going to do that.”

The answer is more for myself than for her because I want nothing more than to run up to his studio, where he’s most likely holed up, and give him a big hug for support.

Since I found out he secretly invested in BSUA, fired Bob, and converted the shelter into a no-kill shelter, our relationship has thawed somewhat. I still don’t appreciate his overbearing, domineering personality, but at least he knows he’s in the wrong for resigning from BSUA on my behalf without consulting me beforehand.

But he still doesn’t kiss me or undress me whenever he comes into my room once a week to fulfill his “husbandly duties.” He still has me pressed face down on the bed, the room cloaked in darkness like he can’t bear to see what we’re doing even as he delivers the most efficient orgasm to me and slakes his lust inside my body.

And I’m still not pregnant. It’s like adding salt to the wound.

My chest aches every time these thoughts cross my mind. I wish I could break down this thick wall between us.

I wish I could have my Silas back.

The sound of a chair scraping on the parquet floor and the whiff of sandalwood and amber alerts me to his presence as he takes a seat next to me.

“Belle,” he murmurs. “The gala is going well. You’ve held up your end of the bargain.”

The bargain. The pressure in my chest increases. I have to remember that’s all there is to it.

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