Chapter 159

“Calen, you’re finally here!” Cecil’s eyes lit up the moment he stepped into the mansion’s foyer. She moved forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she clasped his arm with a bright smile. “You won’t believe what Parnella brought! It’s absolutely stunning!”

Calen’s eyes flickered to Pamella, who stood by the sofa with a faint, polite smile. Her blonde hair was swept back neatly, and she wore a pale blue dress that matched the delicate porcelain tea set displayed on the coffee table. Intricate patterns of gold and blue dragons curled around the cups and teapot, their glaze smooth and flawless.

Cecil tugged him forward, eyes glinting with excitement. “Look!” she urged, releasing his arm to gesture at the tea set. “Isn’t it beautiful? Pamella said it’s from the Qing Dynasty—can you imagine? A genuine antique! The craftsmanship alone is worth a fortune!”

Pamella’s lips quirked faintly. “It’s really not that impressive,” she said, waving a manicured hand dismissively. “Just something I found in my grandmother’s collection. It’s been gathering dust for ages.”

Cecil’s eyes widened. “Nonsense!” she huffed, fingertips brushing reverently over a cup. “This is priceless! To think it’s been sitting in a closet—honestly, Pamella, you’re too modest!” She sighed dreamily, eyes glimmering. “Oh, we’ll have to host an afternoon tea soon! I’ll invite the ladies from the garden club—they’ll be green with envy!”

Calen clenched his jaw, eyes narrowing. He was barely listening, his attention divided between Pamella’s polite smile and his mother’s excited sparkle. His fingers flexed briefly.

“And—oh! While we were talking,” Cecil added suddenly, clapping her hands together, “I went ahead and picked out some wedding gowns for Pamella! We had so much time, and the magazines were just lying around, so we took a look.” She beamed, eyes flicking between them. “I sent the pictures to your phone, Calen. There’s this one with lace sleeves and a train that just—”

Calen’s jaw ticked, irritation simmering. He sucked in a breath, exhaling sharply. “Pamella,” he cut in abruptly, eyes narrowing. “Come with me.”

Cecil blinked, momentarily surprised. “Oh—but Calen, we were just—”

But Calen was already moving, fingers wrapping around Pamella’s wrist with enough force to pull her forward. Pamella stumbled slightly, eyes widening, but she didn’t resist as he led her past the wide-eyed staff and down the hall, his steps brisk and unyielding.

The door to his room swung open with a dull thud, and Calen all but tugged her inside, releasing her wrist only when the door clicked shut. He sucked in a breath, pressing a palm to his temple before turning to face her, eyes dark and unamused.

Pamella arched a brow, smoothing a hand over her dress nonchalantly. “Well,” she remarked lightly, eyes glinting faintly. “That was a bit dramatic. Something on your mind, Calen?”

Calen’s eyes narrowed, fingers flexing as he glared at Pamella. The soft lighting cast shadows, highlighting the tension in his jaw.

“Why are you here?” he bit out, eyes glinting with irritation. “I thought you were supposed to be in New York.”

Pamella hummed softly, glancing around the room as if unconcerned. “Can’t I pay a visit to my supposed boyfriend’s mother?” she asked lightly. “Besides, I just wanted to drop off a gift. I was simply being polite. Don’t overthink it.”

“You were supposed to go back,” Calen scoffed, eyes narrowing further. “And the wedding dress? Since when were you two so close that you’d start picking out gowns together?”

Pamella shrugged, unbothered. “That was your mother’s idea,” she said, inspecting her manicured nails with a faint smile. “What was I supposed to do? Tell her not to do it when she’s so convinced that we’re… together?” Her eyes glinted with amusement.

Calen sucked in a breath, fingers flexing against his arms. “You should’ve,” he snapped. “The last thing I need is you giving her false hope.”

Pamella blinked, tilting her head slightly. “False hope?” she repeated, eyes wide and almost innocent. “Are you throwing me away now that I’ve served my purpose?”

Calen’s jaw clenched hard, teeth grinding audibly. His hands twitched with the urge to vent his irritation, but he forced himself to stay still. He couldn’t snap back—Pamella’s family was propping up Weiss Inc. with their investments.

He exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. “Stop that,” he bit out. “You know exactly what I mean. You’re giving my mother ideas.”

Pamella chuckled, covering her mouth. “Oh, please,” she mused, eyes glinting. “I’m not giving her anything. She’s just hoping on her own.”

Calen snorted. “Cut the crap,” he snapped. “I don’t like it. Stop playing around.”

Pamella giggled, eyes gleaming mischievously. “Oh, but I’m enjoying this too much to stop now,” she admitted, lips curving into a lazy smirk. “Your mother’s adorable. I never had a future mother-in-law who was this enthusiastic.”

Calen’s glare darkened. “This isn’t funny, Pamella,” he snapped, words clipped and tight. “You’re—”

Pamella held up a hand, eyes glinting with amusement and something darker. “Relax,” she mused. “I’m just playing my part. Isn’t that what you wanted?” She took a step closer, eyes sharp. “After all, it’s Weiss Inc. that’s using my family’s money to keep itself afloat. The least I can do is play the doting fiancée. Right?”

Calen’s teeth ground together, the words striking a nerve. He sucked in a slow breath, fingers curling into fists. “That’s enough,” he bit out, voice low.

Pamella arched a brow, smirk widening. “Touched a nerve?” she mused. “Oh, dear. I didn’t mean to. I mean… you can’t really blame me, right?”

“What?”

“I heard you actually spent hours waiting for Izzy just to go to the office,” she smirked. “Calen, you and Izzy are done, and the world knows I am your woman. What would my family say if they heard that you are still—”

“It was for work!” Calen interrupted.

“Of course, it was.”

“You—” Calen’s glare was murderous, but he didn’t trust himself to speak without snapping. He settled for a tight, warning look, jaw clenched hard. His fingers flexed, nails digging into his palms.

Pamella chuckled softly, clearly pleased. “Well,” she hummed, turning with a flick of her hair. “If that’s all, I’ll go freshen up. Your mother was just telling me about some wedding venues she wants to visit. Wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

Calen’s eyes narrowed dangerously, but Pamella was already moving smoothly past him, hips swaying. The door clicked shut behind her with a soft thud, leaving Calen alone, teeth clenched and eyes glinting with barely restrained fury.

He sucked in a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. This was getting out of hand. He needed to do something about this—about Pamella, about his mother, about the entire goddamn mess his life had turned into.

But the problem was, he couldn’t. Not without making things worse.

When had everything spiraled out of control? How had his life turned into such a mess?