Laura's POVI stood in the corner, watching them with a pang of envy gnawing at me. He hadn't engaged with me much, not even offering a hug except when it led to intimacy. This newfound connection between him and Laura left me feeling uneasy.It all began during her mourning period. Prior to her departure from the secret hideout, he'd even shared his number with her, suggesting she reach out if she needed anything. Initially, I understood it as a gesture of pity for her loss, but now it seemed their rapport had blossomed into a close friendship.I do trust Sonia, though. I knew she held no malicious intentions; she would never do anything to harm me. She's been my support for years.I approached their location, still chatting, and greeted Nicholas. He briefly glanced at me and offered a slight nod in response.I was seething inside, though I concealed it. I wasn't going to let him believe his attempt to get under my skin was succeeding."Sonia, I'll be upstairs. Come find me when you'
Laura's POV"Nicholas mentioned that you've already made a decision to leave in a few days. Is that true? You told him that?" I was confused by what she had just said and the barrage of questions she was throwing at me."Wait, he said that?" I asked, puzzled."Yes, he did. Is it true?" she inquired."That wasn't exactly how I put it. First, what prompted the conversation?" I needed to know, as there can't be smoke without fire, especially with someone like Nicholas; something must have triggered that statement."He received a call from a certain dignified person about a birthday party happening next weekend," she said, rising from her seat. "Apparently, the person reminded him to bring a plus one, to which he declined, saying he would come alone," she folded her arms across her chest."After the call ended, I tried prying and asked him why he didn't want to go with someone.""He straightforwardly said, 'I don't have anyone to go with. Besides, I'm fine going alone.'""When I inquired
Laura's POVI was too scared to look back. So, I acted like everything was okay. He went right to the chair at the table's end and sat down, making a loud noise with the chair. When I looked at him, I realized he did it on purpose and he was looking at me.His face looked very serious. I felt nervous and said a quick hello."Well, I thought maybe I was too small for you to notice," he said in a joking way. Sonia looked at him, then at me, and did what she's good at—making things better."Laura isn't feeling well, Nicholas. That's why she's a bit distracted," she looked at me and gave me a quick wink, telling me to play along. "She's had a fever since last night. I barely slept, taking care of her," she added, stifling a yawn.I faked a cough and put my hand on my forehead, acting confused. Nicholas frowned and got up from his chair, coming over to where I was sitting. My heart started beating really fast. I didn't expect this when I decided to go along with the plan. I only thought he
Nicholas' POVAs the evening descended, I wrapped up my tasks at the office and decided it was time to return home. My intention was clear: I aimed to persuade Laura to reconsider, not merely through words, but by demonstrating my commitment. She was in for a surprise, one she wouldn't see coming.Arriving home, I noticed the time; it was already past 10 pm. Everyone seemed to have retired to their rooms for the night. I positioned myself beside Laura's door, my ear pressed against it, hoping to catch any sign of her being awake. However, there was nothing to hear.After a brief pause, I lightly tapped on the door, and moments later, I could hear the rustling of sheets, indicating she had hesitated before responding.As footsteps drew near the door, I straightened up and took a step back, slipping my hands into my pockets. The door swung open, revealing her standing there in nothing but a nearly transparent, red nightgown. Her hair flowed gracefully around her face, adding to her allu
Laura's POVI hadn't expected any of these things to happen, but I was thrilled that they did. I had been waiting for Nicholas to return home last night, despite feeling exhausted after the adventurous day I had with Sonia. I wanted to have a sincere conversation with him, to open up and express my feelings for him.So, I waited downstairs for hours, hoping he would come back. Eventually, realizing it was past 10 pm, I decided to go back to my room, thinking he might not come home that night.Even in my room, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned in my bed, alert to any slight sound, hoping that he would eventually arrive. And when I finally heard footsteps approaching, excitement coursed through me. He was back. I planned to wait for him to settle into his room and then approach him under the pretense of wanting to talk.I also had the hope that something would transpire afterward. I couldn't predict his reaction – he might be exhausted and upset if I approached his room at such a la
Nicholas' POVToday marks the day when I will meet Laura's father and bring him home to visit her. After dressing up, I left my room. It was still a bit early, so I assumed Laura would still be in her room. I lightly tapped on the door, and within seconds, it swung open, revealing a slightly disheveled Laura.I couldn't help but smile at her appearance. Even though she had just woken up and looked a bit disarrayed, she still took my breath away."Good morning, Prince Charming," she greeted, stifling a yawn."Good morning, my love. Did you have a restful night?" I inquired."How could I, when you weren't beside me?" she replied with a giggle, attempting to be flirtatious in the morning. If I hadn't already needed to get ready for work, we might have indulged in a quick moment of intimacy. She licked her lips and playfully tugged at my tuxedo."You're looking quite dapper yourself," she whispered into my ear, her tone seductive."I understand, baby. Calm down. I have an appointment to a
Nicholas' POVHe returned my handshake and nodded his head, saying, "Indeed, I am.""Please, have a seat," I urged as I noticed his momentary hesitation. This wasn't what I had imagined. I had heard about how powerful of a man he was, but his current demeanor was different from the mental image I had formed. Perhaps it was because of his daughter.Tension lingered in the air as our gazes met. Eventually, he cleared his throat and began to speak."Thank you for safeguarding my daughter, Mr. Nicholas. I was…""Apologies, you can just call me Nicholas," I interjected, immediately regretting the interruption. He maintained a calm expression, showing no signs of anger."I heard about everything that transpired—how Juarez, a rival of mine, attempted to kill my daughter," his eyes darkened, and a grim expression settled on his face."Juarez isn't entirely despicable. You must have seriously offended him for him to resort to such a drastic action," I defended Juarez, despite disliking the met
Nicholas' POVHer eyes grew dark, and her expression turned frigid as she fixed her gaze upon him. With an abrupt motion, she rose from her seat and redirected her attention towards me, a sinister glint evident in her eyes."How could you? How could you bring this man into this home, after everything he has done?" Her voice, sharp and laden with a blend of anger and bitterness, reverberated through the room.I was utterly confused. I had thought it would be a pleasant surprise for her, not having seen him all her life. I believed she needed to hear his side of the story regarding why everything happened the way it did."Calm down, Laura. He has some things to tell you; please, hear him out," I urged."I don't want to hear anything he has to say!" She interjected, her eyes shooting daggers at me. She spun around to face her father, whose eyes had turned red."I never want to see you again in my entire life. Make sure you don't show your face around me ever again!" A tear ran down her c