The next evening after duty, Eva was surprised to see her aunt Claudia at Maxwell’s house, busy chatting with his family members. “Here she comes at last! Have you submitted your leave application Eva?” she asked and Eva nodded.
“Yes, aunt Claudia! Alyssa and I are planning to take five days’ leave from Wednesday.”
“That’s good! You need to rest before your big day. Your aunt and I were planning to host a bridal shower party for you. When are your friends coming over?” asked Maxwell’s mom.
“Sienna and Alyssa are here. Skylar will come over on Wednesday and I don’t know about Hayley and Ashton.” Aunt Claudia looked at her nervously, wanting to know why she was keen on inviting Ashton but couldn’t ask in front of Maxwell’s family.
“They should have come over earlier to help the girls here,” said aunt Gloria.
“Sienna is in her final trimester. Alyssa has also applied for leave. She should be here by tomorrow night. Everything happened so suddenly that the others can’t make it here before Wednesday.”
“That’s alright. We are managing fine,” said Maxwell’s mom.
“I want to take Eva out shopping, if you don’t have any other plans,” said aunt Claudia, and the others agreed. Eva freshened up and changed out of her uniform. Soon they were on their way to an upscale bridal boutique in Downtown Manhattan. However, all the way, Eva had the eerie feeling of being stalked. She could feel Alexander’s presence around her and it drove her crazy. She glanced all around her to see if she could detect his car but there was nothing. It couldn’t be her imagination!
Aunt Claudia noticed her restlessness and pallor and immediately understood something was bothering her. “What happened Eva? Are you feeling sick?” she asked with concern.
“No, aunt Claudia. I’m fine,” she lied with a smile. With aunt Claudia helping her so much, she couldn’t tell her about Alexander. They reached the shop and for the next two hours, they were busy buying everything she would need: jewelry, accessories, shoes, lingerie, and dresses for different occasions. Eva had never shopped so much in all her twenty-two years of life. Although she protested a lot, aunt Claudia wasn’t in any mood to listen.
They climbed into the car and Eva’s eyes fell upon a silver Porsche parked opposite. She instantly knew whose car it was! So she was right all along. Alexander was stalking her, but why? Why couldn’t he just come over and talk to her?
“I’m so eager to see your wedding dress. When is the final fitting?” asked aunt Claudia excitedly.
“Tomorrow,” said Eva, but her attention was on Alexander’s car, which was tailing them.
“Talk to him, Eva,” she said, and Eva turned to look at her with surprise. Did she know Alexander was following them? “I don’t think you can be happy in a love-less marriage.”
“It’s too late to talk. His wedding is the day after mine. What will I say to him, aunt Claudia? If I beg him not to marry Beatrix but to marry me in her place, will he listen to me? He knows I love him. It didn’t alter his decision. I think nothing will,” she said, feeling hopeless. Aunt Claudia sighed and caught her hand in hers, silently comforting her. At that point, Eva felt the need for a mother. She had never known a mother’s unconditional love. Even when her mother was present in her life, she didn’t love her. For her, Eva was an unwanted child born out of a disastrous marriage, and Stella Roderick wanted to be free of her and her dad. Aunt Claudia’s silent support and caring attitude made Eva warm up to her.
“Don’t worry, dear. I’m sure God is watching over you. He will surely guide Alexander if he really needs his help.” They reached Maxwell’s home and aunt Claudia dropped her off along with a mountain load of stuff they bought. Maxwell came out to help her but Eva’s attention was more on the silver Porsche parked down the street than on her shopping bags. If Alexander wanted to speak to her, why couldn’t he make a move? She could leave everything if he expressed his wish to marry her.
“Wow! It seems you have hit a jackpot!” said Kendall, admiring her stuff.
“No, aunt Claudia went overboard. I didn’t want to spend so much. In fact, I’ve never shopped so much in my life.”
“I would have bought them for you anyway,” said Maxwell, looking a little upset.
“Aunt Claudia didn’t listen to me. She chose everything herself.”
“I wish I had a fairy Godmother like her!” said Kendall, with a sigh. Eva glanced at the Porsche for the last time before going inside. Aunt Claudia’s words echoed in her head. Will God take pity on her and put some sense into Alexander’s head? She was tired of waiting and hoping for him. Ever since she saw his car, a strange restlessness engulfed her, and she waited for him to make a move.
Alexander sighed and drove away with a heavy heart. Despite the shopping and the laughter all around her, he didn’t once see her laughing freely. Her pensive, distraught, stressed, and melancholy expression touched his heart. He knew she had seen him, but he just couldn’t find the courage to talk to her in front of Nicholas’s mom. This was too personal, and he waited for an opportunity to get her alone. It didn’t happen as she was always flocked by people. With only six days to the wedding, he had to work fast.
The next day, Alyssa was excited to have her holiday application approved. It didn’t matter to Eva much as she would now be locked inside Maxwell’s house till the wedding. With the bridal shower party planned two days later, Eva started panicking all the more. Now only a miracle could save her from this wedding. She would never have agreed if she wasn’t pregnant. Now, with the involvement of Maxwell’s family, things got so complicated that she couldn’t back out even if she wanted to.
“What’s going on in your mind? You seemed too preoccupied to hear me,” said Maxwell, frowning at seeing her at the window since last night. Eva turned from the window and focused her attention on him.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?” she said in a grave tone.
“Come here.” Maxwell sat down on her bed, knowing he had to talk to her and find out what was disturbing her. Eva sighed, and after a last look at the silver Porsche parked a little further down the street, she went over to the bed.
“What happened now?” she asked, sitting down reluctantly.
“Ever since the wedding has been finalized, I’m noticing a change in your attitude towards me. Are you having second thoughts now about our wedding?” Maxwell searched her eyes and found what he had been expecting to see.
“What’s the use, Maxwell? Isn’t it too late to have second thoughts?” she said with a sigh.
“It is but if you aren’t happy, then our relationship can’t be a success,” said Maxwell.
“We aren’t marrying for our happiness, Maxwell. We are marrying to give this baby a father’s love.” Maxwell shook his head, not agreeing at all with her point of view.
“No, Eva, you’re wrong! If we aren’t happy, we can’t give our children a positive environment to grow up in.”
“Children? We won’t have any children apart from the one in my womb. We might be married but I won’t be able to have any physical proximity with you, Maxwell,” she said, making Maxwell gape at her with surprise.
“That’s not possible, Eva. If we marry, it will be a normal marriage. We will have a normal relationship with lots of children. I think I haven’t been able to communicate to you what exactly I was looking for,” said Maxwell, getting up to leave. Eva didn’t stop him and sat in a daze, unable to accept the idea of having a normal marriage with him. She couldn’t think of having physical intimacy with anyone after Alexander had branded her with his touch. Why didn’t she clarify with Maxwell before agreeing? Maxwell sighed and left the room while Eva sat dazed, clearly in a dilemma. With Alexander stalking her like a spurned lover, she didn’t know what to do. Picking up her mobile phone, she tried calling Alexander, but his phone was still switched off. Had he changed his number?
Her wedding dress arrived, and the seamstress helped her with it. All the girls flocked around her and she had to put on a fake smile for their sake. Maxwell had disappeared since their little argument, and Eva wondered where he went.
Amidst everything, Alyssa arrived with her luggage the next morning and, strangely, the silver Porsche disappeared. All her hopes of talking to Alexander disappeared since Alyssa started following her everywhere, to the salon, to the spa, and even to her bank. Maxwell and Eva hardly had time to interact with Alyssa’s presence in their house. Frustrated, Maxwell suggested to Nicholas that he abduct his girlfriend! Who knew he would take him seriously?