Worry and concern

She cried in his arms. Maverick embraced her back and slowly caressed her hair.

For an unknown reason,he felt hurt hearing her cry. He wanted to make her feel safe. He wanted to keep her safe and that is what he will do.

"It was just a nightmare..."he spoke as she caressed her upper back lovingly.

"B-but it felt so real..."she responded between her sobs.

Maverick pulled her from his embrace and looked direct into her eyes.

"No matter what it is, I will always be here for you and I will never allow anything happen to you,"he assured her and pulled her back to his embrace again.

Calista sobbed in his arms until she calmed down. He suddenly carried her off her feet in a bridal style. Calista was caught off guard.

'Where is he taking me?'she wondered as her heartbeat increased abit. She wanted to jump off from his arms but his grip tightened around her. He looked down at her. His jaw line was tight and his face looked much more handsome.

His dark eyes peered into hers as though he was trying to check into her soul.

"Relax..."he simply said. Calista was bewitched. Both by his charming beauty and by his masculinity and his deep voice.She could feel how strong his arms were as he carried her. She stared at his face as he walked to the bathroom. She was too distracted to realize that they were now in a bathroom. He pressed a button and the water in the bathtub began heating up.

He carefully placed her feet on the floor as Calista continued staring at his handsome face. She wanted to kiss him hard and soft. She wanted to suck on those soft and warm lips of his. She wanted to touch his jaw line and trace her way to his neck and all the way to his hand chest. Then descend down to his navel and finally to his manhood.

All this while,as Calista thought of exploring his perfect body she did not know her surroundings and neither did she know that Maverick had opened the zip at her back. He tried pulling off the arms of the dress without success.

She subconsciously raised her hands to his cheek and caressed it lovingly. That made Maverick halt in his position. He felt a certain feeling he could not describe when her soft but cold fingers made contact with his skin.

He had never felt that if anyone touched him. And he had kissed her severally but this feeling was new to him or was it because she did it on her own accord and he did not initiate anything.

He also raised his hands and gently touched her chin and lifted it up.

"It seems you love what you have just touched, don't you?"he asked in a hoarse voice. Calista came back to her sense. She quickly withdrew her hand from his face. She cleared her throat then looked down at her feet.

She could not deny that she really loved how beautiful his face is.

"Shy now?"he asked in a teasing tone and Calista gave a shy smile. She was now quite comfortable around him. He had easened her fear earlier and promised to keep her safe,who would not be comfortable with that kind of person?

Maverick chuckled at her reaction. It was amusing that she was now acting like a newly wedded bride after having several encounters together.

"You can stop acting like an untouched bride now wifey,"he teased and she blushed then spoke.

"I am not touched you know so I can act as long as I want,can't I?...and I can touch my husband as I want and act as I please before him,can I not?"she asked then kept silent. She did not even know where those words came from but she kept still.

Maverick's heart skipped in joy when she called him her husband,for the first time. It had been a very long time since he was this elated and he himself could not believe that he was happy just by the name 'husband'.

He wanted to hear her call him that again.

"What did you call me?"he asked trying hard to contain his joy. For once he almost forget why he married her and he loved how sweet the word husband sounded from her mouth.

"My husband. That's who you are if am not wrong. I know that we both did not want this but it will not change anything,"she spoke.

That was true. A bitter truth to Maverick. This girl before him and acting as his wife is so beautiful and he...he did not know why he was feeling so comfortable around her despite the reason and situation that has put them together now.

He nodded his head in approval then spoke.

"Hhm...now be quiet and let me help you get off these clothes,give you a warm bath and go back to bed,"he spoke and that brought Calista back to reality.

'Take off my clothes and give me a bath!?...'his words kept on ringing in her mind. She would not all.Correction...she would allow her but not now and not in her sober mind.

Maverick did not wait for her response. He flang his hands at her shoulders and started helping her off.

Calista grabbed his hands abruptly and looked at him.

"I- I can do that Maverick so you don't have to worry about that at all,"she spoke as she brought his hands down to his sides.

He simply nodded his head at her and turned to leave the bathroom.

"Okay. I will be at the room if you need me,"he spoke and then turned to leave. He laid on the bed as he waited for her.

Calista blushed when he felt the bathroom. She realized that the zipper was already open when she tried opening it and she gasped.

"That pervert..."she hissed at the realization. She quickly got off the dress and wrapped a towel around her body.

At the Kapoor Mansion,

Ishaani was laying on the bed but her eyes were wide open. After her daughter's wedding,her family had literally forced her to move to the Kapoor Mansion. Her father, Mr kapoor feared that she may fall into depression with one of her daughters missing and the other forced into marriage. Ishaani had no other option but move to her father's house.

It had not been easy even in the company of her mum, sister and brothers. She was always worried about her babies.

She had gone through hell with those kids. She was even rejected and despised by her elder brother for having two kids out of wedlock. It had been another hell when she moved out of the mansion and got another house yet she had no job. He father had to chip in most of the time and help her meet some expenses.

And now,she did not know if one of them was even safe and she was sure that the other was not happy. As a mother who never wanted any of these for her babies,she was hurting badly. A drop of tears slipped her eyes as she thought of everything that that happened within the two weeks. She wished she had done things differently. If she disagreed to the marriage proposal from Maverick then Izara would not have run away and Calista's happiness would not be at crashed now. Her silent cry intensified as more tears washed down her face and her body shook. She had caused all this upon herself and her daughters and now she was sure she had lost the both of them. She was now missing them so much. She missed hugging them, kissing them and taking care of them as if they were still some young kids. She loved them and she still does,more than ever. Her love for them grew each day. She took her phone and scrolled to the gallery. She loved at their photos. She checked those that were recent.

They were taken during Calista's birthday,just a day before they received the wedding proposal. She scrolled up and saw more. Her babies looked happy. They were happy but she took that from them.

"I am so sorry my babies. Mommy was just protecting you. I was afraid you would get hurt but now...I see that you are more her because of my decisions...please forgive mummy my dears,"she spoke as she teared down and her sobs got louder.

At the Atlas mansion,

Calista moved closer to the bathtub and dipped her hand in the water.

"Aaaahhh...."she shouted in pain when the water touched her skin. She did not know the water had gotten that hot.She quickly withdrew her hand from the water as she jumped around the bathroom. She was in pain.

Maverick who was laying on the bed,heard her scream and he ran to the bathroom without putting his sandals on. For the second time in his life he felt afraid. He did not want anything to happen to this lady he was fakely married to.

He found Calista jumping around. He went to her and took her by the shoulder. Worry and concern were written all over his handsome face.

"What happened?"he asked in concern.