The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid

Gina paced nervously in the living room, her mind a storm of guilt and bitterness. When the door finally opened and Claudia stepped inside, her breath hitched. Relief flickered across her face. Her feet moved instinctively toward Claudia but froze mid-step as the flood of memories of their heated arguments filled her mind. The sting of abandonment still lingered. Her expression hardened, resentment bubbling to the surface.

Claudia, standing just inside the doorway, felt the weight of Gina’s gaze. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, she wanted to close the distance, embrace Gina, and soothe the guilt that clearly tormented her. But when Gina’s eyes flicked away and she turned aside, the moment shattered. The cold wall between them loomed large.

Gina’s bitter words from their last argument rang in her ears. The courage to step forward abandoned her, and she stayed rooted in place.

The charged silence between them was abruptly broken by Keith’s sharp and commanding voice. "Gina, go pack your things."

Gina’s head whipped toward him, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Pack my things? What are you talking about? Where are we going?"

"Can you stop asking questions?" he snapped, glaring at her.

"No," Gina shot back. "I want to know what’s going on. And if you can’t be honest with me, then don’t expect me to blindly follow you."

Keith’s temper flared, his voice rising like a crack of thunder. "Gina, I’m already on edge. Don’t push me right now."

"Push you? You locked me up in this house! You’ve been treating me like a prisoner. And now you expect me to just fall in line? No, I deserve answers!"

Keith opened his mouth to retort, but before he could unleash his fury, Claudia intervened, placing a firm hand on his wrist. "Keith, stop...Getting angry won’t solve anything."

Turning to Gina, Claudia softened her tone. "Sweetheart, please. Let’s not fight right now. There is no time to explain everything. We have to leave quickly."

Gina’s expression faltered, her anger wavering as she searched Claudia’s face for answers. "Why can’t you just tell me now?"