FEW SECONDS BEFORE THE SHOT***Adira was trying so hard to meet up with Nikolai's pace. She was very anxious and wanted to talk to him before he'd get into the car. But it was more like he intentionally didn't want to speak with her as his pace was so quick and difficult to meet."Nikolai!" She finally called, and thankfully, he halted - just beside his opened door.She took that as her cue, heaved a sigh of relief and ran after him. But her anxiety doubled when she was finally standing in front of him.Tho, he wasn't looking at her, his face was so cold, they frightened her and made her feel a little intimidated."I..." She swallowed hard. "I need to talk to you about..."That was the moment the gunshot happened.It was so fast, came from almost nowhere.It echoed round like a thunderclap, shattering the tranquility that had been present just mommsts ago. Time seemed to slow down, and in that fraction of a second, everything around Nikolai blurred into obscurity, his focus honing
Nikolai remained seated and just watched as the doctor approached him, adjusting the stethoscope around his neck. He didn't seem like someone that had been worried sick, but instead, looked like the grumpy emotionless man that he's always been."Mr Nikolai," the doctor called when he stood in front of him. "I applaud you for waiting this whole time. Well, there's goodnews. The surgery was successful and she's out of danger. Although, I must say it was a very lucky escape as the bullet was not far from a delicate place. Anyway, she needs a lot of rest, so she's still asleep for now. And..."Every other thing the doctor said fell on deaf ears, as Nikolai had already gotten the information he needed. At that moment, he lifted his hands to his face and exhaled deeply. That was when it dawned on the doctor that he had actually been very worried."Let me know if you need anything," Nikolai said to the doctor when he was done with his narration."Of course. You can see her now if you want to
For a long time, Nikolai was frozen and kept staring at the shelf before him. Every other thing around him didn't matter, just the shelf before him.Emotion swelled within his chest, catching in his throat and leaving him breathless. He actually had a hint that Adira had been secretly buying clothes for him, but he had no idea they were thisHe extended his hands and grazed his fingers over the soft fabrics. So much quality, so much beauty. They were definitely going to look good on him. He couldn't believe she had been buying so many clothes for him but never had the courage to give them to him. And he wouldn't even blame her. He had been scaring her enough.He imagined how hurt she must be knowing she couldn't see him in those dresses. He blamed himself for trapping her in a loveless marriage, but it was for the best.Taking a deep breath, he stepped away from the shelf and looked around for what he was looking for. He soon found the shelf containing her casual dresses and picked ou
Nikolai made up his mind to go back to the room and see what was going on. He was about to leave the car when he spotted Jared coming out. Finally.He had a smile on his face—a kind of smile that screamed victorious—and that rankled Nikolai. Why would he be looking that way after leaving Adira? She was his wife. No other man should have such a look on his face after leaving her.His eyes followed him as he headed for his car and rode out of the building."Abel," he called out to his guard at the front seat."Sir.""Tell our spy to keep a close eye on Jared from now on. If he's seen meeting with Adira at any time,I need to know.""Yes, sir."****†****†****†****†"Why don't you take his calls?" Mrs. Rowena asked as she decanted some coffee into two mugs.A little of it spilled on the table by the time she was done, and she reached for a napkin to wipe it off."I want to, mom," Jardine said, shaking her head. "But I can't get over the betrayal. You don't know how much it hurts to know La
It's been almost a week. Adira was finally well and ready to be discharged. That morning, she sat on the bed while Bonnie packed up her things. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she thought of all that had happened during her stay in the hospital. Two days ago, Lancelot's mother actually sent her a text. In her words: "I was so worried about you, dear. I hope you're strong and better now. A shameless woman she was. Adira couldn't believe it didn't matter to her that she had caused an issue between Lancelot and Jardine. Of course, she should be aware, but typical Winslet would never care. She was too money-minded and didn't care if the other was hurting. And she must be stupid to think Adira will ever forget all she went through in her hands. It was only the beginning. She was bound to destroy her family. "I'm done, ma'am," Bonnie announced to her, standing with the bags beside her. Adira nodded and was about to leave the bed when a nurse walked in. "Good morning, ma'am. There are a
Vesper perched on a stool at the sleek bar counter, the dim light casting a shadow over his brooding figure. With a half-empty bottle in hand, he took another long sip, loving how the liquid ignited a simmering warmth within him.Although, he wasn't drunk, his once bright orbs now held a reddish tinge. And the lines of his face etched deeper, tracing a map of untold stories and hidden pain.That was all he could do at the moment - drink and drink. The bar had become his sanctuary."Always drinking alone, huh?" He suddenly heard a strange voice and cocked his head to see a lady taking the seat beside him.She was a young pretty lady with the prettiest smile he's seen in a while. But she didn't look familiar in any way.It was Kalina. She's been following him for some days now and decided to show herself to him that evening."Always?" Vesper arched his brows. "How do you know it's always?"She chuckled. "Well, I've seen you a couple of times at this bar. Let's just say... you've been th
Adira's eyes gently fluttered open, the soft rays of the morning sun embracing her. For a long time, she remained still in bed, trying to comprehend the heaviness that settled upon her mind. Why was she having some confusing visions?She shut her eyes tight, trying to piece together the fragments of her memories from the previous night. She knew she had been very drunk. Yes, her mother's news had weakened her and made her turn to drinking, but why did she feel something else had happened? Something... strange?'What is wrong with you?' She gasped when she heard that voice in her head. That was Nikolai!She sat up immediately, trying to clearly see the images and how he had joined her at the bar counter. Yes, she could remember. Nikolai sat next to her!Her fingers went into her messy hair, itching it as she tried to remember more. Although the images were unclear, slowly she began to recall a few of the things that had happened. She couldn't remember much, but she remembered when Niko
Adira moved away from the door immediately as she turned to see Nikolai. Did he know her? "Nikolai!" The lady's eyes crinkled in a smile as she made her way into the house, her shoulder brushing pass Adira. Excitement was all over her. "My goodness! Look at you. You're even more handsome than the last time we met." She rubbed her palms together. Adira could tell she wanted badly to hug him, but it was obvious she was aware of his hatred for touch. So, who was she to him? A friend? Why's she with a luggage? Surprise etched the lines of Nikolai's face. "What're you doing here? We didn't talk about this." "Uh! I know," she tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. "I actually wanted it to be a surprise. How're you doing?" But Nikolai didn't look satisfied. Adira noticed he was trying so hard not to look at her. Has he become irritated by her?