Chapter 2: The Substitute

Amaia was half lying down on the queen-sized bed, her legs hanging by the edge as she stared aimlessly at the white ceiling. The master bedroom exuded opulence with its pristine white walls, providing a serene backdrop. A soft ray of morning sunshine filtered through the yellow curtains, casting a warm glow that embraced the room. The sizable attached balcony was slightly open, offering an expansive view of the manicured garden of the exclusive Sinclair Estate. A majestic pink bougainvillaea tree adorned the balcony, its vibrant blooms creating a picturesque scene and enhancing the room's elegant ambience.

The more peaceful the surroundings became, the more anxious Amaia was getting. Her parents had returned from the Levinson Villa late at night when she was almost asleep. Since then, they have been really quiet. The storm that had been raging through the whole house for two days had suddenly died down. She had no idea about the conversation that took place between her parents and the Levinsons. However, she was sure that there was no news about Alyssa yet. She was still nowhere to be found, which meant the wedding wasn't going to take place tomorrow.

It's not like the wedding was announced publicly. It was going to be a private wedding ceremony with only the close members of two families present. They decided to announce the wedding once the merger of the two companies was over, which would probably take around two years after her father's term as governor-general ended. He had been the governor-general for two consecutive periods, and it was his eighth year. He was going to retire after his term ended this time. Usually, they live in the governor's house, which was also used as his office; however, they moved to the private Sinclair estate a week ago for the wedding ceremony. Since then, Amaia has been staying in this room, not allowed to go out of the estate without her parent's permission since they didn't want any blunder at the wedding because of her. Amaia let out a scoff at the thought.

They forced her to skip university for around a week. She was currently in her third year of university, majoring in business management. A degree she didn't even pick! It was her father's wish. He made his elder daughter study international politics and then ordered her to study business management. His initial plan was to make Alyssa join politics after she married Adriann Levinson. Adriann would take care of the business, and Alyssia would take after her father, continuing his legacy. And her? He initially didn't have any plans or expectations regarding her. He just wanted her to join his business and work under Adriann's shadow. Sounds perfect, right?

A sudden, subtle knock on the door made Amaia snap out of her thoughts. She turned her head and glanced at the door before slowly sitting up.

"Come in." She called out softly while fixing her hair and her clothes slightly. The wooden door slightly cracked open before a small, petite figure walked in. Amaia instantly recognized her as the youngest helper in the house, Linda.

"Good morning, Ms. Sinclair. Your father has requested your presence in the living room." Linda politely greeted her before passing her the message. The news made Amaia frown as she stood up from the bed.

"Do you have any idea what it is about?" Amaia questioned; her expression showed signs of being wary.

"I have no idea. However, there are a few more guests present too." Linda answered softly, making Amaia raise her brows.

"Who are they?" She asked while grabbing her phone to check the time.

"I have no idea, Ms. I'm new here." Linda looked at her apologetically, making Amaia sigh.

"It's okay. I will be there in 10 minutes." She informed the maid before dismissing her. After that, she quickly changed into a blue knee-length semi-sleeved dress. She then quickly rushed in front of the mirror before fixing her hair and face a little. She needed to look presentable, or else her parents would be upset. She didn't want to get reprimanded by her mother for something like this. She couldn't disappoint them.

Once she was finished and satisfied with how she looked, she left her room to finally go downstairs. On her way, she couldn't stop wondering about the guests Linda mentioned. Who could visit them in this situation? When she reached the staircase, she noticed a few familiar people sitting on the sofa in the living room. The atmosphere looked equally tense as the previous day.

"The Levinsons," Amaia whispered to herself as she slowly walked down the stairs. There were a total of nine people present in the room, including her parents and Aunt-Uncle. Amaia's eyes silently scanned the room before finding their way to the man she had been wondering about since the day before yesterday. Adriann Levinson. The clicking sound of her heels made the people present in the room turn around. Just as they turned around, Amaia placed the fake smile on her face, which she had practised for years. Her turquoise eyes collided with a pair of grey eyes. As their eyes met, Amaia noticed the hint of coldness in his stare. There were no feelings of friendliness in those eyes; instead, they were completely indifferent. A sudden sinking feeling hit the bottom of her stomach, making her feel anxious. He never looked at her like that; he never saw the hint of hostility in his eyes directed towards her. Amaia couldn't bear his stare, so she quickly averted her eyes before turning her gaze to her father.

"Here she is," Marlene announced cheerfully before standing up from her seat. Amaia was slightly startled by her sudden enthusiasm because all the people present in the room had grim expressions on their faces.

"You asked for me, Papa." Amaia smiled at her mother before walking towards her father. Edward glanced at her before nodding slightly. The sudden change in his demeanour didn't escape Amaia's eyes.

"Sit down." He ordered her calmly. There was no warmth in his voice, which made her a little hurt; however, she had long learned not to hold any expectations from them. She nodded before walking towards the other side of the sofa and then sitting next to her mother. As she raised her eyes, her eyes met with four people from the Levinson family, making her smile politely at them.

comment 0 comment

Vote

SEND GIFT

Load failed, please RETRY