While Hunter had breakfast with Jessica, Delilah remained secluded in her bedroom, determined to limit her interactions with him to the barest necessity.
She paced back and forth, her mind churning with thoughts about the absurd situation she found herself in.
After a while, she heard the sound of Jessica's footsteps approaching. Jessica entered the room, a faint smile on her face, clearly in good spirits after the meal.
Delilah raised an eyebrow. "Where's my breakfast?"
Jessica flopped onto the bed, her smile widening. "You know the way to the kitchen, D. Go fix yourself something."
Delilah's curiosity got the better of her. "Where is he?"
Jessica's eyes twinkled with mischief. "By 'he,' I suppose you mean your husband? He's in his room. The coast is clear."
Relieved, Delilah headed for the door, her stomach growling. She hesitated, though, when Jessica's voice called after her.
"Your husband left your breakfast in the oven," Jessica informed her, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Without bothering to respond to her, Delilah made her way down the hall, her steps slowing as she passed Hunter's bedroom.
She stopped and pressed her ear against the door, straining to hear any sign of activity. A part of her hoped she would hear him on the phone plotting against her so she would know what he was up to.
Silence met her inquisitive efforts. With a soft sigh of resignation, she continued to the kitchen.
She retrieved her breakfast from the oven and returned to her bedroom with it, determined to maintain her distance from Hunter.
She spent the rest of the day holed up in her room, avoiding any chance of running into him. Her mind raced with plans and counterplans, all focused on regaining control of her life.
As she prepared for bed that night, she made a mental note to contact Mark to research the legalities of the marriage document Blake had shown her.
She also made a mental note to find a way to get Hunter's picture so she could send it to Mark. Despite agreeing to let him stay for six months, she knew she needed to explore her options and secure her future. One drunken night wouldn't define her life.
The next morning, Delilah woke early, her mind clearer than it had been since Blake mysteriously showed up in her life.
She glanced at Jessica, who was still soundly asleep beside her, and smiled at the memory of Jessica's laughter the previous day.
It had been too long since Jessica had been so amused, and as much as she hated the situation, she was happy to know that Jessica still had it in her to laugh. Delilah was glad to see her sister's spirits lifted.
She reached out and gently brushed Jessica's hair away from her face, a tender gesture that spoke volumes about their bond.
Delilah had a plan now, and she was ready to face whatever came her way. She would support Jessica in her new job and figure out how to handle Blake.
One step at a time, she would reclaim her life, Delilah told herself as she got out of bed and set out to get ready for work.
After showering, she felt a renewed sense of determination. She was Delilah Sterling, a woman who had built her life from the ground up, and she wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.
By the time she got out of the bathroom, Jessica was no longer in bed. Delilah wasn't exactly surprised by it since Jessica had made a habit of waking up early to fix her breakfast every morning.
On numerous occasions she had asked Jessica to stop bothering herself doing that, but Jessica insisted it was more out of habit than devotion, since she had done that for her husband everyday until he died.
After dressing up, Delilah paused in front of the mirror, inspecting her reflection. She was dressed in a beige colored tailored blazer over a white silk blouse, paired with fitted black trousers and beige colored stiletto.
Her look was stylish and commanding, the perfect armor for the day ahead, she mused as she walked out of the room and headed for the dining.
She scowled when she heard the masculine laughter coming from the dining room before she got there. She had hoped he would still be very much asleep, giving her some more time to avoid him.
Well, it was just as good that he was at the dining. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, and she needed his picture so she could send it to Mark.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the dining room. Hunter's eyes met hers, and he greeted her pleasantly. "Good morning, Lila."
"Good morning." Delilah gave him a curt nod as she took her seat beside Jessica and she helped herself to some fruit.
Jessica glanced between them, a mischievous glint in her eye. "So, what's the plan for today?" she asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood.
Hunter shrugged, his demeanor relaxed. "I was thinking of looking for a job. I need to start earning my keep around here."
Delilah's nodded, her voice cool and detached. "Good. You can also start by not getting too comfortable. Remember, this is a temporary arrangement."
Hunter met her eyes and nodded, his tone serious. "Understood."
"So, what kind of job are you looking to get?" Jessica asked, conversationally since she wanted to know him better.
"Anything with decent pay…"
"Is that the name of a title in a company? Anything with decent pay is nothing. Do you even have a degree?" Delilah cut in.
Jessica, ever the peacemaker, shook her head, "C'mon, D. Can you not talk to him in that manner?"
"What manner? I wasn't being rude. I was only stating a fact and asking him a question. Do you have a degree?" Delilah asked, and Hunter nodded.
"Yeah. I do. I studied Business management," Hunter said easily, and before either Delilah or Jessica could comment on that, Jessica's phone rang out.
She glanced at the screen and smiled when she saw it was her best friend. "It's Kate," she told Delilah, quickly answering the call. "Hey! Good morning."
Hunter and Delilah glanced curiously at Jessica as the smile on her face disappeared and she listened intently to her friend on the other end.
Jessica's eyes grew wide, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' of astonishment. "You're kidding me!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"
Delilah couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "What happened, Jess?" She asked when Jessica finally hung up.
Jessica turned to her. "Dad reached out to…" she stopped abruptly when Delilah shot her a look, reminding her that Hunter was a stranger.
Hunter pretended not to notice what the exchange between them even though it made him wonder who Jessica was referring to as Dad, when they were both supposed to be orphans.
"Chloe got engaged last night," Jessica said, referring to their half-sister.
Delilah rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with disdain. "Who is the idiot that would want to marry a shallow-minded person like Chloe?" She asked Jessica who was busy on her phone scrolling through news updates.
"The idiot's name is Hunter Quinn," Jessica said turning her phone's screen so Delilah would see the headline.
Hunter, in the midst of taking a sip of his coffee, choked, sputtering as the hot liquid went down the wrong way.