NATHAN'S POVâDrive fast. I need to be at the office in an hourâ I grumbled to my driver, not really feeling in the mood to drive myself today.Everything has been going shitty but the worst of all was my mum's reaction when I had told her that she had to apologize to Onika. I hadn't even gotten to explain to her before she went ballistic and said she would never apologize to Onika and then she called her names that were far from appropriate.She had not let me say another word before she cut the call so I had to call her back again. She had accepted at last and I promised to see her after work. She would have to do it, I couldn't afford to risk Onika getting angry over this and I could understand Onika's anger, she has always endured my mum's words in the past since she didn't want to anger me but now, there was nothing left to lose so she refused to be insulted by my mum again and now, I was caught in the crossfire because I couldn't put a leash on my mum around her.Fuck, I was rea
ONIKA'S POVâUp or downâŠ?â I muttered, looking in the mirror that evening, my hand in my hair as I mulled over how to wear my hair for the evening.Nathan wasn't still back so I guessed that he had gone for the business trip already meaning there was no one to bug me.Kent had sent the details for the dinner and it was at this really fancy restaurant. This wasn't a date, it was a celebratory dinner and I just wanted to forget everything and have fun this night.The paparazzi was already aware of Kent's and I relationship before the announcement of my engagement to Nathan so it wouldn't be too surprising if people saw Kent and I in public, we were friends before and we went out for stuff like this so I knew that this couldn't implicate me.As I finally decided to leave my hair down, I quickly put on my gown, a fairly long dress that was loose and pretty comfortable. I had paired it with black boots and my small silver bag then I was ready to go.As I got downstairs, I looked around the
ONIKA'S POVBy the time dinner was over, I was still staring at Damien, a frown on my face. He hadn't still explained what he was doing here.I had thought he would stay behind. Did Nathan ask him to come with me even though I had told him not to?The thought made me mad instantly and I felt like calling Nathan, not caring if he was busy or not.Laura who was still sitting beside me, kept staring at Damien, a dreamy look on her face. âYou look really hot right nowâŠâ she whispered, a smile on her face.That was the fifth compliment that she had thrown at him in the last two minutes but he hadn't replied to any one of them.I was more focused on my food and just enjoying this night but I knew that Kent wanted to say something.He was staring at me pointedly and when I couldn't put up with it anymore, I sighed and spoke up. âKent, can I see you outside?â I asked.He looked taken aback by my request, his eyes widening slightly. âWhat? Oh yeah sureâ he quickly said.I nodded and stood up,
NATHAN'S POVThe meeting was stressful as hell and by the time I had come back to the hotel that night, I was exhausted and ready to just have a good night's rest yet several thoughts plagued my mind, making sleep flee from me.Gina had been in my office as she had said yesterday and for once I thought the woman would have something to say but just as guessed, it was just to throw shade on Onika and say that I was making a big mistake by choosing Onika over her but it wasn't too late to change that.Luckily, I got her led out of the company before I could hear any more of that bullshit.Going to see my mum was another hill on its own and the conversation was seared into my brain.When I had gone there, she looked mad at me but she offered me food and made me sit down before she started telling me all the reasons why Onika wanted to ruin our lives but I had just cut her short, wanting to explain to her what I had said over the phone.âMum, that's not importantâ I had cut her off impati
ONIKA'S POV I was scared as I sat down in my office that morning, my mind kept mulling over the news, the gazes that my employees had given me when I walked into the company that day.This wasn't looking good for me right now.Amara knocked on the door to my office and walked in, her eyes tired but a smile on her face.âGood morning, ma'amâ She greeted cheerfully, a smile on her face as always.I rubbed at my face, not wanting to look as wanton as I felt. âIs there something going on? I don't have any meetings scheduled for nowâ I said, my voice hoarse Should I call Nathan? I had received his text but I had ignored it because I knew ri was certain that he had seen the news already so how would I explain it? Be knew that there was nothing between Kent and I, not like I cared what he thought but this was looking bad for my company.Fuck.What would people say? The press had made it like Kent and I were a thing which was far from the truth.The sound of Amara's voice brought me out of
ONIKA'S POVIt had been five whole hours,, and I had been occasionally checking my phone to know if the news would somehow come back, but it never came back, and I began to wonder if it was all just a dream.But as Amara came to inform me that the meeting would soon start, I realized it wasn't a dream,, and I would have to explain my partnership with M.r. Sam Damon and then this new issue that had just arisen.âI'll be there in 5 minutesâ I muttered to her, grabbing my phone from the table as I prepared to go to the meeting room.As I walked out of the office, I went straight to the meeting room and Amara was at the door already waiting for me.âMr Sam Damon has sent someone from his team to represent him as he's currently not in the country. His name is Mr Liam. He's inside with the shareholdersâ She informed me, giving me a heads-up.I nodded, thanking her before I walked in with her following closely behind me.Amara had taken her seat near the corner, her notepad in hand, ready to
ONIKA'S POV I wanted to protest and insist on using my car to go back to the mansion but the look on Damien's face as I opened my mouth made me stop and grudgingly hand over my car keys to him.âKeep it safeâ I grunted to him, suddenly feeling my happy mood float away into the sky at the recent change of things.He smiled and collected it, the sight a bit weird to look at. âDon't worry, I'll keep it safeâ He smirked. âThat's my jobâWithout waiting for a non existent reply, he walked out of the company, leaving me in the corridor.Silently muttering a curse under my breath, I walked to Amara where she was still talking to Mr Liam but she excused herself to come to me, leaving him to go over the documents she had given him for the financial reports fo finalize everything in that aspect.âYes ma'am?â She asked, her eyes curious and confused.I pointed to behind me. âMy fiance is here right now so I have to go now. Make sure to clock out once it's time, okay? Get some rest and please go
NATHAN'S POVThe next day, I had spoken to Mr Sam Damon and made the arrangements with him again, imploring him not to reveal it to anyone. Onika would be pissed off if she found out what I was doing and she would label me a liar and the last thing I was for that to happen.Besides, Mr Sam was benefitting from the arrangement also so it was a win-win for us both.When I had come back from work by evening, I had just come to pick Onika so we could get over with the meeting and go back home to relax.Onika was already getting ready for the interview. I came home by 5pm, she wasn't in the living room and when I had walked up the stairs to her room, I had heard the sound of the shower running which made me know that she was in the bathroom getting ready.I had seen her door open which was the reason why I had walked in to check on her, I noticed that the painting was still right there above her bed and then I noticed something on her bedside table so I went closer to it, realizing that it
NATHAN'S POVShe was cradled in my arm and I put her in the backseat of my car, letting her lie down gently, her body curled up.The sight alone was enough to make rage rush through me as I struggled to keep myself in checkă Ąthis was my fault.When I shut the door, I beckoned to Damien who quickly rushed to me, his face blank. I had told Laura to go home as I would take Onika to the hospital myself and even though it had taken me a while to convince her, she finally agreed and she left the venue also.âGo to the police station and make sure that Regina doesn't get out. Call my lawyer, I want her charged for all damages and she must not get out on bail, is that clear?â I asked him.He nodded, got on his bike and drove off. My mum sauntered out of the venue but before she could make her way to me, I had already gotten into the driver's seat where I switched on the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot where I was.I had no intentions to begin a squabble with her right now. Not when
ONIKA'S POV"Stop this madness..." I croaked out, my voice barely audible over the noise in the hall as everyone saw me. My legs trembled beneath me, every step feeling heavier than the last. I took one shaky step forward before my knees gave out finally after buckling.Damn it.Strong hands caught me just in timeâDamien. His grip was firm, pulling me back to my feet effortlessly.âYouâre almost there, Onika. Just a little more,â he whispered, his voice steady, grounding me.I had met him outside the venue and he looked more than relieved to see me, he took one look at me, didn't question me but brought me straight here, telling me on the way that I had a few minutes before the vows would be said and they would officially be married.My eyes locked on Nathan. He was frozen, standing at the altar with Regina, but his gaze wasnât on herâit was on me. His face twisted with disbelief, then something elseâpanic. His eyes widened, and without a second thought, he bolted toward me.âOnika!â
NATHAN'S POVI stood in front of Regina, hands in my pockets, trying to keep my cool. She was seated in front of the mirror, fixing her lipstick like this was the happiest day of her life. Maybe it wasâfor her.âThis wedding doesnât mean anything,â I said, staring at her reflection in the mirror, the sight pissing me off to no ends. âItâs just for the company, the board, the media. Thatâs it. Understood?âRegina smiled, not even bothering to look at me. âSure, Nathan. Whatever helps you sleep at night.ââIâm serious.â I moved closer, standing right behind her. âDonât think this is some kind of fresh start orâwhatever you think it is. This is business. We are not getting togetherâShe turned slightly, her eyes meeting mine in the mirror. âYouâre wearing the suit. Iâm wearing the dress. Thatâs all that matters, right?â She gave me this soft, fake smile. âThe rest will fall into place later on.âI scoffed, stepping back. âHow daft can you get?âA knock interrupted, and Dion walked in wit
NATHANâS POVThe next day was hectic as I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection like it belonged to someone else.The tailored tuxedo fit my frame perfectly, the material something that looked straight out of a movie. I shouldâve felt proudâor at least present and more focusedâbut my mind was far from it because I realized that I had caught myself up in the biggest shit I could ever have done.I adjusted the cufflinks, the small silver pieces glinting in the dim light of my room where I stood. If I thought my wedding day would ever come to shit like this, I would just remain single because I knew for sure that this was not how a wedding was supposed to be. The groom was meant to be happy. No calls unanswered. And definitely no bride missing in action.My phone sat on the dresser, silent, the blank screen seeming to mock me by not even lighting up. Iâd checked it at least a hundred times already, hoping for some miracle, an update from Barcelona, a message from her, an
ONIKA'S POVMy head lolled to the side and I could hear voices.Distant yet so close.I couldn't see anything, just a blend of nothing with the sharp feeling of light trying to get into my eyes. I was blindfolded.The idea didn't register for a few seconds before I heard a voice saying âHow long do we have to keep her?âImmediately, I snapped up and struggled in the chair only to realize that I was bound and something was in my mouth, I couldn't even bring myself to scream, I felt really tired weak and the blindfold that shut my eyes were only serving to further piss me off.There was the sound of scraping chair like someone was trying to get up followed by a whistle and the sound only made fear grip me. It was one thing to know that you were in trouble but it was another thing to not know what kind of trouble you were in. The latter just made you feel hopeless and that was not even enough to talk about how I felt right now.âLook who's awakeâ A low confident voice hummed. That was a
NATHAN'S POVI felt like a shell of myself the next day as I sat in my office.Believe me when I said I had tried to get some sleep but that was a luxury that I apparently couldn't afford because I had spent the night tossing and turning, my mind going haywire with thoughts. How was it possible that she hadn't checked into the hotel? I had gotten them to go to the nearby hotels but there was no trace of her. There was no way that she could have slept on the streets.Dread filled my veins and I felt true fear the previous night. I didn't believe that I could be this worried over someone but this was fucking Onika! Of course I would be worried about her! I fucking cared about her and now it felt like a part of me has been violently ripped out, leaving me without a vital piece of my life.I had spent the entire night waiting for a callâany damn callâfrom the people I had stationed in Barcelona, but my phone had remained frustratingly silent. Not a single update. Not from the men I sent t
NATHAN'S POVI pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing heavily, feeling my head ache as I paced across my study. The room was dim and it was dark outside already. I had a long day tomorrow, I had one more day to my wedding but my wife was still missing. Gods.I hit the dial button again, the phone ringing in my ear."Talk," I ordered the moment the call connected.A gruff voice responded on the other end. "Weâre still looking, sir. One of our men is sweeping the northern districts, while the other is covering the downtown area."I halted mid-step, my brain short circuiting. "What?""He insisted that splitting up would be more efficient. Said there were too many areas to coverâ""Goddammit," I muttered under my breath, gripping the phone tighter. "I gave a direct fucking order, and theyâre already doing whatever they want?"The man hesitated. "I told him itâd be best to stick together, butâ""Then why didnât you stop him?" My voice was dangerously low now, my patience thinning fast."He
ONIKA'S POVI drew my hoodie harder over my head, staring at the phone in my hands.The shop keeper kept telling me the details about the phone but that wasn't what I needed to hear, I just wanted him to tell me the fucking price so I could leave this place and go find a place to stay.Apparently getting houses at such short notice in this place was near impossible and I would have to go to the elite part of town because they would have more reservations. I had the money, I just needed to get this phone so I could head next to the hotel.Maybe I could ask this man for help on which hotel I could pick but the way he kept blabbing, urging me to buy the phone and bringing new suggestion had begun to piss me off not to mention that he was constantly cutting me off before he would pull out a better phone, eager that I buy a more expensive one.I couldn't blame him, I probably gave off the air of someone who could afford all these.With a sigh, I tugged my hoodie lower, gripping the phone i
NATHAN'S POVI nodded at my assistant, giving her a slight wave of the hand before muttering. âLet her inâI had successfully kept my mum out because I knew what she was going to say but I really did hope that Regina wasn't here for something like that or I'd have to kick her out.I barely looked up when Regina walked in, but I caught the way she shot my assistant a sharp glare before plastering on a fake smile as soon as she walked in."Thatâll be all, dear," she said sweetly, but I could tell she was pissed off that she had been kept waiting for about 5 minutes. Patience was just not one of her values. Even seeing her now as she had the guts to waltz in, made me sick to my guts when I remembered what she did.Regina turned to me, her smile widening. "Nathan."I leaned back in my chair. "Regina."She strode forward, sitting in the chair opposite me. She crossed her legs, dropping her small purse on my table, my eyes narrowing at the movement but I shut up about it unwilling to say an