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Chapter Twenty-Six
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Behind Closed Doors Chapter Twenty-Seven
After a whole night of turning restlessly in her bed after the incident with Darius and her mother, Astrid got out of bed exhausted the next morning. The only thing on her mind was explaining the situation to Rose. Just one thing bothered her – How to explain. She spent about five minutes pacing in her room, wondering what exactly she would say that would justify what Rose had seen. As far as she knew, Rose didn't like Darius, and she thought Astrid had fallen into one of his tricks. Astrid knew that there was a possibility of Rose being right. She had probably fallen into Darius's trick, but a part of her wanted to remain in the fairy tale that maybe it wasn't a trick. Heading down the stairs for breakfast, Astrid found Nikoleta and two women entering the living room. “Ah! Just the person I wanted to see.&rdqu
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Twenty-Eight
Astrid found Darius sitting with Nikoleta in the dining hall, both of them in a heated argument. “All I'm saying is that I have it all figured out, mum. We're taking it at a slow pace.” Darius said.“And I understand that, I really do. I didn’t bring them here to rush anything. I just wanted to get some work load off your back about the wedding.” Nikoleta defended.“You’re supposed to be focusing on your health. If you don't want to continue chemo, it's not fair to either of us.” He said, expertly trying to shift the direction of the conversation.“I keep telling you that I’m perfectly fine! I don't need it.” She waved it off.There was silence between them as Nikoleta ate. Astrid took it as her chance to get Darius’ attention. “Darius.” She called.He turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Let’s talk in private, please.” She requested.He got up from his seat and followed Astrid to the garden at the back, where everything that had happened the night before started.“How's your mum tak
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Twenty-Nine
By noon, Darius could barely look at Astrid without guilt tearing away at him. He already knew the answer to Astrid's question, if he could stay committed to one person.He couldn't.He didn't know how to control himself. He didn't know how to pick up his phone, call Cassia and tell her not to bother about meeting him later.He was too caught up in his thoughts to realize that he had been acting different enough for Astrid to notice. “Darius.” She called, slightly tapping him.“Yes?” He answered, refusing to meet her gaze.“Is something wrong?” She questioned.“Why do you think something is wrong?” He frowned, losing his appetite.“You've been acting quite strange.” She replied.“Don't worry about me, I’m fine.” He stood up, deciding to head to the office and bury himself in work until Cassia would meet him.“Are you sure?” He almost flinched when her hand covered his.“Absolutely.” He murmured. He hated that she cared about him and he was rep
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty
The sun seeped into the room through the door to the balcony, forcing Astrid's eyes open. She looked around her empty room in confusion until the events of the night before struck her.She got off the bed, brushed her teeth and had a quick shower before any of her assistants would show up. As she stood in her closet, unsure of what to wear, Mary and Sky walked in.“Good morning, ma'am. Sorry you had to take a bath before we could arrive.” Mary apologized.“No problem.” Astrid said. She wouldn't have found it flattering if they had seen her laying naked in bed, anyway.“How about this outfit?” Sky asked, holding up a pair of jeans in one hand and a blue, chiffon shirt in the other.“Looks good.” Astrid nodded, putting it on as they both left.She walked down the stairs for breakfast and found just her parents in the dining hall. She had to talk to Darius about what had happened between them. She wanted to know if it would be the new normal for them to be intimate, especially if he woul
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty-One
“Darius,” she looked at him with teary eyes, “why do you do this to me?”Darius gulped down the alcohol in his glass and sighed heavily. “I don't know, Astrid.”“Do you not want me to stay?” She asked.“Of course, I want you to stay. If I didn't, you wouldn't be here.” He answered.“Alright, alright.” She shook her head, trying to get rid of the drunkenness.“I don't know where to start. I want to show you how much you mean to me, but I don't know what to do.” He admitted.“If I give you all of me, will you know how?” She mumbled.He turned to her with a confused look. “All of you?” He questioned.“Yes, Darius.” She nodded with a slight drunken grin.“I don't understand.” He poured her a drink and watched her gulp it all up.“All I'm saying is that I want you. Every bit of you. Right now.” She hopped off the barstool and swayed from side to side.“You want me to have sex with you.” Darius said in realization.“Ding-ding-ding. Correct.” She giggled, pulling him by his arm.“Are you sur
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty-Two
He wasn't there.Astrid burst into a mild fit of panic after realising that she had woken up to an empty spot right beside her.Discovering that she was still sore from the night before, coupled with the hangover that made her head feel like a tampered minefield, she decided to take care of herself first. After a quick shower, she made her way down the stairs to request for painkillers."Did you sleep well?" She jumped in shock as Darius' voice came from behind her.Not bothering to turn to face him, she nodded. She couldn't afford to let him see how flustered she was."What's wrong? Did I do something?" He held her shoulders and spun her around so she could face him.Managing to look up at him, she saw genuine worry and an underlying softness which she had never seen before in his eyes."I need painkillers. I have a headache, that's all." She answered, looking away shyly.Reading her body language and facial expressions wrongly, Darius frowned. "If you're not happy with something I di
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty-Three
"Have you been sleeping around with Darius Titan?"The question stirred violently in Astrid's head. She knew she couldn't lie to Rose. Not this time, at least. Rose had told her she knew the answer to the question, after all."Why the question?" She decided to start up a conversation that would end up getting diverted into something absolutely different, but Rose was not having it."Answer the question, Astrid. I'm not joking with you." Fury. Astrid could see it caged behind Rose's eyes, ready to be unleashed anytime soon."That's an absurd question to-""You have, haven't you? If not, you would have said it since the first time I asked. Oh, Astrid." Rose shook her head, her disappointment clear."Mum, it was a mistake." Astrid told her, leaving out the part where she would make the mistake over and over again because she was in love with a man who didn't reciprocate those feelings."I thought you were better than this, Astrid. You know how he is. He's the last person you should have
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty-Four
How long it took for people to move on depended on a lot of factors; what they were supposed to move on from, how they handled losses, how emotionally capable they were, how smoothly things were going after the loss.The latter of the list was pushing Astrid to the edge. She had been on the receiving end of the backlash from the press after Darius had publicly announced that he was no longer with her.They said she left him after his mother died, which was something only a horrible woman would do. Nobody bothered with her side of the story.Nothing was going smoothly for her. It wouldn't take half an hour for her to step foot outside before being bombarded by reporters and flashing cameras, just to be accused of being ‘the last partner a person should want’ on TV shows.It had been a whole month since she left Greece, since she kissed Darius goodbye.The last time he had seen her, he made it clear that he wanted her to leave. Of course, she didn't want to leave, but what would she be
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Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Seven
“Darius…” Astrid’s voice was shaky, coming out in broken bits.“Astrid, I’m not accusing you,” he pointed out.“But you asked me. There’s a part of you that believes I did this.”“Not at all, Astrid. I want you to clear any room for doubts before I even think of having them. Please, answer the question,” he pleaded.“I have nothing to do with it! You should know I would never think of doing such a thing, Darius. How could there be space for doubt? It’s terrible that we should be talking about this, Darius!” Astrid shook her head, covering her face with her hand.Darius did not say anything for a long while after that. His mind was spiralling. Yes, he had not liked the fact that Selene had taken advantage of him and had gotten pregnant in the process. Yes, he would change the outcome if he was given the chance, but he couldn’t.Because he could not change what had happened, he had decided that he would love and support his child no matter what. He would be there in ways he had re
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Six
Astrid had gone into a frozen state as Selene cried out in pain mingled with terror, the blood trailing down her legs in bursts of extremely dark red clots.“Help me, Astrid! Please! My baby!” Selene’s voice, perhaps because this time it was directed at Astrid, brought Astrid out of her shocked state as she rushed down to get help from the security guards stationed outside.“We need help in getting to the hospital, now!” she screamed as she got out of the house, the men clad in black clothing rushing in to follow her into Selene’s room, where she was sluggishly attempting to get up through the mess that was her blood.With a little bit of hesitation and fear, the security officials managed to carry Selene down and into one of the cars. Astrid instructed Laila, the babysitter, to help look after Dahlia until she returned.Joining Selene in the car as they rushed over to the hospital, Astrid made attempts to relieve Selene as she dialled Darius’ number. Tears were streaming down her
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Five
Weeks passed by too quickly for Astrid to grasp. She maintained a steady communication with her parents back in London. As the days passed, she was slowly starting to accept that she could run away from her feelings all she wanted, but she would always circle back to Darius Titan. Even at that, she could not brush Selene aside. It was almost impossible to cut her out of the picture, especially now that she was getting more noticeable in the picture with how fast her stomach was starting to show bumps. Astrid knew for a fact that even if she made an attempt at shoving Selene out of the window and dusting her hands at the act, she would only be able to do it in the back of her mind. The bigger Selene’s stomach grew, the more time she weaned out of Darius to spend time with her. Darius, not willing to miss the chance to be the partner of a pregnant woman – like he had done with Astrid – would not pass up on the offer. Watching the slightest bit of affection Darius showed to the bump S
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Four
“Whatever you think this is, it’s not. Let me explain,” Joaquin stood up, masking his surprise at Astrid’s presence. He had not expected her to take a threat at Darius’ and Dahlia’s life so lightly. What he had miscalculated was the odds of Astrid calling Darius to ask if everything was okay.“You’re the father of Selene’s child. Y-you were in on it this whole time, Joaquin. Darius is your friend, for Christ’s sake!” Astrid was trying as hard as physically possible to stop herself from raising her voice, but it wasn’t working enough as heads turned in their direction and recognition started to brighten some people’s faces at the presence of Darius the infamous’ ex-fiancée.Astrid, noticing the not-so-subtle flashes of cameras in their direction, looked back at Joaquin. “Outside, now. We need to talk about this before I lose my mind and get Darius to come down here.”Astrid walked out of the restaurant, waiting for Joaquin. She didn’t have much to discuss with Selene. Not now, at le
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Three
“Are you all right? You look like you’ve been chased by an armed killer.” Astrid almost jumped at Darius’ voice from behind her that night. She was too ingrained in her thoughts and theories surrounding the note she had found with Selene to notice anything.“Oh, I’m fine. Just a little tired is all.” She shot him an assuring smile, trying hard to convince herself even more than she was trying to convince him.“Will you at least talk to me if you feel like talking about it?” Astrid was on the verge of breaking down at the weight of it all. It was painfully obvious that Darius was trying to be who he wasn’t the first time she was with him, but she didn’t want him to go back into his cold shell.What was it that she could possibly say? That after being taken advantage of, the child didn’t belong to him? Even if she decided to give Darius a second chance, he was still unpredictable. He could turn around and call her a liar, for all she knew. And she would understand, because she had no
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-Two
“Is something wrong?” Astrid asked, my brows furrowed in a worried frown at how angry Cassia looked. Cassia headed for the bed and placed the branded Tiffany and Co. bag on the bedside table as she sat beside Astrid. “Tell me why I decided to come say hi and give you and Dahlia a little present, and the first person I see in this house is Selene.” “Oh,” Astrid said in realization as she chuckled mirthlessly. “Well, that happened. She got kicked out, or so she said. She doesn’t even want him to find her a new apartment. I guess she lives here now.” “And you’re just going to sit here and take it?” She threw her a questioning stare as Astrid shrugged, an attempt at nonchalance. Cassia turned to fully face Astrid, studying her face. Every line and every facial expression in that moment, she was determined to catch. She wanted to know what was keeping Astrid from opening her arms to Darius, for one last chance. “Do you really not care anymore, Astrid? I need you to be completely honest
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty-One
The first thing Astrid heard as she got to the front door of the house was the last thing Selene said.She was moving in.Astrid was torn between throwing a fit over it and accepting her fate. She knew she had to come to terms with the fact that she was never the only woman in Darius’ life, not even now when he wanted to try.“What do you mean you were evicted?” Darius broke the thick silence after he dismissed his security officials. “I made a transfer of your rent to your bank account just weeks ago. We agreed on that.”“Well, unfortunate circumstances came up. I was at the hospital for a while and I had to pay the bills with it.” Selene shrugged with an air of indifference.Astrid did not want to hear the rest of it, but she didn’t know how to leave. She couldn’t just turn on her heels and walk away like she didn’t care, because she did. She cared a lot. She wanted to know what Darius would do about it.“Are you going to let me in? It’s freezing out here. Have some sympathy.”
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Forty
Breakfast went by smoothly and Joaquin had left the house for work. For the rest of the morning, Astrid and Darius stayed out of each other’s way, awkwardness brushing through whenever they met.Astrid paced around in her room, wondering how to break the news to Darius. The last thing she wanted was for complications to arise from a conversation she thought to be simple. Things had changed. Darius had changed. She didn’t know what to expect from him as a reaction.After a long while of keeping her thoughts to herself and getting sick of it, she decided to find Darius and have a talk with him. She found him seated in the movie room. She had barely been there, if she had been there at all.He sat, fully concentrated on the show on the television. She was sure he hadn’t heard her enter the room.She sat beside him on the dark sofa which formed a semicircle facing the television. Darius turned to her and gave her a warm smile. “Is Dahlia asleep?”“Yeah.” Astrid nodded.“Do you want
Behind Closed Doors Chapter Thirty-Nine
Astrid knew trying to get Dahlia out of Darius’ hands would trigger both of them waking up at the same time, and there was only so much she could handle, so she decided to have a few minutes – possibly hours – to herself.She found herself joining the staff in the kitchen to make breakfast, pretending not to hear when any one of them told her not to worry about it.“Good morning, sir!” Her back stiffened as they all chorused loudly in unison just mere minutes after she walked around, finding something to busy herself with.She turned around and found Darius at the entrance to the kitchen, holding Dahlia who was still asleep.Darius nodded at the staff, never taking his eyes off Astrid, whose throat was in knots. She kept swallowing, even when there was nothing in her mouth to swallow.“Good morning,” she greeted, her voice cool and relaxed in its early morning state.“Good morning,” Darius replied as the staff went back to work, each one of them visibly nervous with Darius’ pres
