Maverick's POV

When I arrived home, Abi was nowhere to be seen. It turned out she hadn't come back home. I closed my eyes and realized I should have never told her to take a taxi. My mother would kill me if she found out. She had specifically instructed me to never let Abi use a taxi, especially at night. My mother loved Abi and was always concerned about her safety. That's just the kind of person my mother was.

I had just finished taking a shower when I heard the doorbell ring. That must be Abi, thank God. I quickly put on a white top and black sweatpants before heading downstairs to the kitchen to grab some water. As I descended the stairs, I heard sniffles. I stopped in my tracks and listened to the sound of someone sobbing.

"I can never miss them. They were the only family I had, now I'm all alone," I heard Abi's voice, filled with sadness and grief.

I don't know why, but hearing her cry pained me. It felt...strange. Perhaps because I was used to her annoying side, not this vulnerable one.

Abi always irritated me with her behavior. She pretended to care about me, asking how I was, cooking me dinner even though we had Maria, our chef, waiting for me at night when I came home late, and trying to engage me in conversation.

During our initial agreement, I made it clear that our marriage was just a pretense. I made it clear that I didn't want any form of communication with her, unless it was necessary in public. But she continued to pretend to care, and I didn't appreciate it.

"Abi, darling, you are not alone. This is your family. Everyone in this house is your family. Mr. and Mrs. Turner is your family. You have me too, Abi. We are family," I heard Harper comforting her.

It also pained me to know that she no longer had her own family, aside from mine. I knew she came from a small family, and now that her parents had passed away, I felt sorry for her. However, she never expressed her loss and sadness in this house. She always smiled and appeared happy, which was probably the only positive thing I saw from her. She was strong, there was no denying that. From the moment I saw her at her parents' funeral, I knew she was a resilient girl.

But still, she was clingy and annoying.

Not wanting to listen to her sobs any longer, I walked into the kitchen and cleared my throat. She immediately pulled away from Harper, who excused herself to take Abi's belongings to her room, leaving me alone with her.

She didn't look at me, her gaze fixed on her empty glass. I walked over to the kitchen table and took a seat across from her, grabbing an apple juice that Harper had prepared.

"So, you managed to make it home," I initiated a conversation, knowing it would annoy her.

Finally, she looked up, her eyes red from crying. "You selfish prick, I could have just gone home earlier instead of waiting for you!"

I took a sip of the juice. "I was busy."

"Yeah? But you were already home before me, so I'm not sure what you were so busy with," she hissed, crossing her arms. I could have sworn she looked cute when she was angry.

Wait, what the fuck did I just think?

"Well, you're home now, so there's no need to bitch about it."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, thanks to my boss who drove me home," she mumbled to herself, but I could hear her.

"Your boss? He drove you home?" I asked sternly, an unexplained unease settling in my chest. I didn't know why, but I didn't like the thought of her being with another man. Perhaps it was my mother's concern for her safety that had influenced me.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter? You refused to pick me up, and he happened to be there and offered me a ride."

How cliché.

"Of course, he offered you a ride. You probably saw him and asked him to drive you home, just like the opportunist you are. I bet you tried to use him for your benefit," I sneered without thinking.

Bad words. Bad, bad words. I shouldn't have said those things to her.

Her eyes widened, and I swear I saw pain and sadness flicker in her gaze. I expected a sharp retort, but instead, she shook her head in disappointment and turned around, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

Abi'S P.O.V.

Asshole. How dare he speak to me like that? Just wait for my revenge, dear husband.

An hour after that kitchen incident, I got ready to go to my in-laws' place. Maverick hadn't mentioned any parties or special events, so I assumed it would be a simple family dinner. I dressed in a white floral V-neck dress that fell to my mid-thigh.

I didn't want to wear too much makeup, opting for a natural look. I left my hair down and slipped on a pair of heels. There was a knock on my door, and I knew it was Maverick.

"Are you ready? We'll be leaving in 5 minutes," he said from the other side of the door. I simply hummed in response, still mad at him. "I'll wait downstairs," he added, and I heard his footsteps receding down the stairs.

I grabbed my phone and purse, giving myself a final check in the mirror before heading downstairs. As I descended, I spotted Maverick on the phone.

"Yeah, we'll be leaving soon... I know, I'm sorry, Mom. Yeah, okay, bye," he said, ending the call.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Harper approached me with a smile. "You look stunning, ma'am."

I smiled back. "Thank you, Harper."

Maverick, on the other hand, just stared at me for a solid minute. He didn't blink, and I couldn't quite read his expression.

"Shall we leave or what?" I snapped.

He blinked and cleared his throat. "Let's go," he said, then walked toward the car.

That's it? No "you look beautiful" or anything? Well, this was Maverick we were talking about. He wasn't the type to give compliments.

I said goodbye to Harper and got into the car beside Maverick, leaving a wide space between us that could fit another person. We didn't talk much during the drive. In fact, we didn't talk at all. Maverick was engrossed in his phone, always busy with work. I looked out the window and admired the city lights at night.

"You look good, by the way," he mumbled so softly, yet I managed to hear it. I turned my gaze towards him, but his eyes remained fixed on his phone screen.

Did he just say I looked good? I think he did.

"Um, thanks," I quietly replied, feeling a blush warm my cheeks. He didn't say anything more, nor did he look at me.

Not long after, we arrived at my in-laws' house. Bennett opened the car door for us, and we both stepped out. Maverick rang the doorbell.

We both exited the car, and Maverick pressed the doorbell.

"You know what to do," he said, not bothering to look at me. I understood what he meant. Once we stepped into the house, we would have to put on a show, pretending to be a loving couple.

The door opened, like the maid, and we entered, heading straight to the living room where my in-laws were already waiting for us.

"About time you guys!" Brooklyn exclaimed as soon as she spotted us. She walked over to us and embraced Maverick. "Oh, I've missed my baby so much," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek.

He groaned and pulled away. "Ugh, Mom, stop it. I'm not a baby."

I quietly laughed, enjoying this side of him when he was around his parents.

Brooklyn then shifted her attention to me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Oh, I've missed my daughter too. How have you been, honey? Did my baby Maverick give you a hard time?" she asked with a big smile. I cherished it when she referred to me as her daughter. She had told me herself that she saw me as her own.

I chuckled. "I've been okay, Mom. And no, he hasn't given me a hard time."

"Good, good. Come on, the food is ready," she said, taking my hand and leading me to the table where the food was set.

I took a seat across from her, with Maverick sitting beside me. Landon sat next to his wife. We began eating. Maverick and Landon delved into a conversation about work, while Brooklyn and I talked about fashion. Soon, our in-laws started discussing our married life, and I hated having to lie to them about our happiness. It pained me every time because they were so loving and kind to me.

At times, Maverick would hold my hand and gently stroke it with his thumb, probably just for show in front of his parents. I still felt a blush creeping up my cheeks whenever he touched me. I took a sip of water as Brooklyn laughed at something Maverick said.

"So, when am I going to have my first grandchild?" Brooklyn abruptly asked, causing me to choke on my water and cough. "Oh dear, are you okay?"

"It's too early to be asking for a grandchild, darling," Landon interjected.

A hand was placed on my back, rubbing it gently. It was Maverick. "Babe, are you okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice that caught me off guard.

I wiped my mouth with a napkin. "I'm fine, I'm so sorry. That was so rude of me."

"It's okay, honey. Maybe it's too early for me to bring up that topic," Brooklyn said, referring to the "baby" discussion.

I glanced at Maverick and could tell that he too felt uneasy about the topic. The idea of having a baby had never crossed our minds. We rarely even talked or connected, let alone discussed starting a family.

"Mom, honestly, we haven't discussed that. Abi and I are still getting to know each other. It's only been, what, six months?" Maverick explained, holding my hand for support.

"It's true, Mom. We want to take things slow before starting a larger family," I chimed in.

Brooklyn sighed and then smiled. "Okay, take your time, babies. But don't take too long! I'm not getting any younger, you know."

I forced a smile, feeling the weight of sadness. "We'll try, Mom."

This situation was so messed up. Brooklyn wanted a grandchild, but Maverick and I were barely getting along. I wasn't even sure if he desired that kind of intimacy with me, and I had my doubts as well. I hoped she would forget about the topic and not bring it up again anytime soon.

Abi's POV

I woke up with a sense of contentment. Last night at my in-laws' house was amazing. We laughed so much, reminiscing about Maverick's childhood. Brooklyn couldn't resist sharing some embarrassing stories about Maverick, which made him groan in annoyance, but it was clear he couldn't stay mad at his mother for long.

What shocked me the most was when Brooklyn showed me a picture of me and Maverick when we were kids. It turned out that Maverick and I were friends, which was weird because I didn't remember anything about him. Judging by our appearance in the picture, I was probably only five years old when we first met. I had no recollection whatsoever of our friendship, and Maverick didn't remember me either.

"You two only spent time together for a while because your family moved to Geneva a year after that," Brooklyn explained when I mentioned that I didn't remember Maverick.

I did recall that my family and I had lived in Geneva for about five years due to my dad's work before we moved back to London.

Before Maverick and I left, Brooklyn slipped the childhood picture into my purse and insisted that I keep it. Now I stared at the picture of young Maverick and me in my hand. Honestly, it felt strange. I never would have guessed that we had known each other for so long, yet we had no memories of our past friendship. It was quite comical because, looking at our present situation, we were far from being friends.

My phone then vibrated on the bedside table, indicating a call from Christian. I picked it up and answered immediately.

"Hey, Chris," I greeted him.

"Hey, babe. Hope I'm not interrupting your morning kisses with your hot husband," Chris chuckled on the line. I rolled my eyes, knowing that Maverick and I slept in separate rooms.

"Nah, you're not interrupting anything. What do you need?"

"Besides wanting to explore your husband's hot body?"

I rolled my eyes again. Chris always had a way with words. "Quit talking about my husband, Chris."

He laughed. "I'm kidding, babe. Anyway, I'm calling to let you know that the boss is throwing a small gathering for employees at his house, and we're all invited."

"A gathering party? How nice. When is it?"

"Today, at 1 PM. You'd better get ready because I'll pick you up."

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was already 10 AM. "Okay, I'll take a quick shower then. Wait, what should I wear?"

"Um, clothes?"

"I know, smartass. What I mean is, what kind of clothes? Should I dress formally like I do at the office or something?" Christian could be frustrating to talk to sometimes.

"No, just dress casually."

"Alright then, I'll text you my address."

"Sure thing. Ciao, Addison!"

Well, that's Christian for you.

I headed to the bathroom to take a shower. As I washed my hair with my favorite vanilla-scented shampoo, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Once I finished, I returned to my room and chose an outfit. Since Christian had mentioned dressing casually, I opted for a rose polka dot shirt and blue jeans, the kind of clothes I enjoyed wearing on a daily basis.

I brushed my hair and let it fall naturally, then applied a bit of makeup. Just as I finished, Christian texted me to say he was on his way to the house. I grabbed my phone and my green-army purse, then headed downstairs to the kitchen. Since I would be having lunch outside later, I planned to just have some bread or a small snack.

In the kitchen, Harper was washing the dishes while Maria was preparing breakfast. They both turned around when they noticed me.

"Good morning, Abi," they greeted in unison.

"Morning," I smiled, placing my purse on the kitchen island. "Can I have some bread and a cup of tea, please?"

"Don't you want a full breakfast, Abi?" Maria asked, turning off the stove.

"I'm sorry, I'll pass on breakfast. I'm in a bit of a hurry," I explained as Harper handed me my tea.

"Where are you off to?"

"To my boss's house. There's a gathering party for the employees, and I was invited."

"Okay, do you want me to tell Bennett to drive you there?"

I shook my head, taking a bite of my Nutella bread. "No need, thanks. I already have someone picking me up."

Before Harper could say anything else, Maverick walked into the kitchen, looking incredibly attractive with his messy hair. He must have just woken up.

"Morning," he greeted, his eyes flickering over my outfit. "Are you going somewhere?"

Great. Now, what should I tell him? If I mentioned I was going to my boss's house, he would start saying things.

"Yeah, I, um, I'm going out with a friend," I said, avoiding eye contact and focusing on my tea.

Maria served a full breakfast plate in front of Maverick, then excused herself along with Harper, leaving me alone with him in the kitchen.

"Where to?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

Before I could answer, the doorbell rang. That must be Christian. Thank God.

"Excuse me," I told Maverick, then left the kitchen to open the door. Standing there was the handsome Christian. "Hey, Chris."