My Forced Husband Is A Billionaire

Chapter two

Ava

I walked into the mansion, the familiar grandeur of the place reminding me of how things used to be. Some things never change, including the way the place still had that imposing, elegant air about it. As I stepped into the grand living room, the old memories flooded back, but I pushed them aside. I needed to focus on the present.

My mother was seated in her favorite chair in the living room, her posture as intimidating as ever. Heaven knows I was scared of this woman. She looked up when I approached, her gaze devoid of warmth and affection. Not that I expected anything different.

“Hello, Mother,” I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Oh, Ava, you’re back,” she said, her tone flat and unwelcoming.

“Yes, Mother. How have you been?” I asked, trying to bridge the distance between us with politeness.

“Oh, I was fine until now,” she replied, the words carrying an unspoken weight. I knew better than to press further.

She pointed out the obvious—my old room had been reassigned. “Oh, you won't have your old room. Tell one of the maids to take you to the servants' quarters. I gave your old room to someone else.”

I didn’t argue. My old room didn’t matter much to me. It was just a room, after all. I had more important things to find out.

I asked, “How is Father? Can I see him?”

“No, you will not ask about my husband. Neither will you go beside him,” she said, her voice firm.

“But he’s my father. I should be able to see him,” I protested, but my mother’s resolve was clear.

Before I could argue further, a familiar voice cut through the tension. “Oh, your father, huh? Wow, sister, you look terrible.”

I turned to see Natalia, my older sister, standing there with a smirk. She had grown into a strikingly beautiful woman. I felt a pang of surprise and jealousy as I took in her appearance. I moved to hug her, but her arms stayed firmly by her sides. Okay, awkward. Thank God there weren't people around to witness me embarrass myself again.

Why did I even think that Natalia would reciprocate my hug? This girl hates me.

“It’s great to see you again. I’ve missed you,” I said, trying to mask my discomfort.

“Oh, I didn’t miss you,” Natalia replied bluntly, her eyes cold. For a second, I wish I could be this blunt and tell them to go to hell. But no, I just happened to be good and polite Ava.

I managed a tight smile and turned back to my mother when Natalia said “Mother, Liam is here, so I’ll go spend some time with him.”

“Liam?” I asked, caught off guard by the name. Isn't that the guy I met outside? Is he her boyfriend, but the car? My sister can do handsome but not poor.

“Yes, Liam. How do you know Liam? Do you know him?” Natalia’s question was laced with curiosity.

“Oh, no, I don’t know him. I just wanted to know who Liam is,” I answered, deciding not to jump to any conclusions yet.

Natalia’s expression hardened. “It’s none of your business.”

“Okay,” I said, resigned to her dismissive tone. I knew it was none of my business, but a girl's gotta try, right?

Mrs. Greta, Bertram’s wife, appeared to show me to the servants’ quarters. I followed her, feeling the weight of my situation settle in. The room was quite small. But I couldn't complain especially after seeing the small table where I could place my books and devices. I couldn't complain at all.

Once inside, I quickly unpacked my belongings—two duffel bags and a small box of books. My laptop was the last thing I took out. I needed to find a job as soon as possible. There was no time to waste. I turned on my laptop and began scanning the job listings, hoping to find a suitable vacancy. The position of secretary at Winston and Co. caught my eye. It was exactly what I needed to get back on my feet.

I crafted my resume and prepared my application. Hitting send, I fell back on the bed and let sleep take over.

***

Two days had passed since my return to the mansion, and I had mostly confined myself to my room. Today, however, I had to go out. I had forgotten one of my favorite books, and I hoped it was in the mansion library. The mansion’s library had always been my sanctuary, and I wanted to see if it was still as I remembered.

As I approached the library, I caught a glimpse of Liam inside. Oh wow, he must be the librarian, I thought, a bit surprised. Why hadn’t I thought of that before? The library had been tended to by an older man in the past, but I supposed things must have changed.

Not wanting to be noticed, I slipped inside quietly and tried to stay hidden behind the tall bookcases. I selected a book that I hoped would be interesting and was about to make my way out when I heard a voice.

“Hello, are you stealing from me?” The voice was calm but amused. I turned around, startled.

“Oh, hi! I didn’t see you there,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks flush. I think I'd make a perfect actress.

Liam smirked his expression both charming and teasing. “Yeah, I’m sure you didn’t.” or maybe not a perfect actress.

He looked particularly cute today in sweatpants and a knitted sweater, which made me think he must have a grandmother who enjoys making him such cozy attire. I averted my gaze to prevent myself from blurting out something I'd regret again.

I cleared my throat and said, “Oh, I just borrowed a book.”

“Okay, but it’s your house. You can borrow whatever you want,” he replied with a shrug.

“Of course, it’s not like that,” I said awkwardly. “It’s just I didn’t want to disturb you. You know, the library is for quietness.” I chuckled nervously, hoping my awkwardness wasn't noticeable.

Liam chuckled back. “So, I haven’t seen you around here much.”

“Oh, yeah,” I replied, “I prefer to stay in my room, you know.”

Then it hit me—Natalia had mentioned something about a Liam. “Oh, so are you the librarian?” I asked, trying to connect the dots.

Liam shook his head with a smile. “Oh, no, no, I’m not. I just love books a lot. I’m actuarial, but not here. I have a small library shop downtown. You should visit sometime. I have all kinds of books.”

“Wow, I’d like to read some of your books,” I said, genuinely interested.

“Sure,” he said, handing me a slip of paper with the address. “And to answer your question, I am not the librarian here. I’m Natalia’s boyfriend.”

As I took a sip from my water bottle, the words “I’m Natalia’s boyfriend” registered, and I choked on the water, spitting it out all over him. My face turned red with embarrassment.

“Oh, s**t, I’m so sorry!” I blurted out before quickly turning on my heel and fleeing back to my room. Can't I have one day without embarrassing myself?