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?
Adira spent the rest of the day in her room - just watching movies and trying to clear her head.At intervals, the thought of her family flashed into her head, making her restless. Was she to forgive them - she thought countless times. But thinking of how mean they had been to her gave her doubtful conclusions. Those people had treated her like slaves and never loved her - not once. What reason does she have to help them?By evening, she had cravings for noodles and decided to make some herself. Evans had already made dinner and left for the day, but she didn't feel like eating the meal he prepared just yet.She got downstairs, into the kitchen and began chopping her vegetables. She's always loved cooking, but working at the company takes too much of her time and prevents her from doing the thing she loves. It was for the best, anyway. It was preferable to be rich and busy, than to be poor and lazy around.'Have you though of what your life would look like after the divorce?' a voice
Done with her noodles, Adira stepped out of the threshold to get some air. She had a glass of wine with her which she sipped at intervals while losing herself in a vacant state. The atmosphere seemed so peaceful.It didn't take long before she heard the door opening behind her and guessed it to be Na-ri. That lady has been moving around the house like she owns it. Was she done from Nikolai's room already?She turned to give her a glance and nearly choked on the wine she had in her mouth when she discovered it was Nikolai. It wasn't Na-ri, but Nikolai.She felt the fingers of nervousness crawling into her heart again as she locked eyes with him. Since the previous night, her anxiety had gotten worst around him.He was dressed in black shorts and a T-shirt and looked really handsome - as always. And tho z his eyes looked tired,a subtle glimmer of warmth sparked into them the moment they found Adira.For a few seconds, the air around them freezed as they just gave unexpected stares at ea
TWO WEEKS LATERAs Adira and Nikolai left the car simultaneously, maids ran out of the house to meet them."Welcome, ma'am.""Welcome, sir." They all chorused, their heads bowed.Adira and Nikolai walked pass them into the house, while the maids got their bags from the boot, along with Yvonne who assisted.The mansion was like one Adira had never seen. It was super huge and painted in a neat shade of white. That was the family house of Nikolai's grandparents, and they were there to spend a few weeks with Mr. Thatcher who was close to his demise.Mr Thatcher was Nikolai's grandfather and the founder of Yonder Dynamics. Unfortunately, he was suffering from cancer and wanted to spend the last of his days on earth with his family.Getting into the expansive sitting room, Adira was welcomed by the intoxicating aroma of fine leather and polished wood. The walls were adorned with exquisite artworks, ornate chandeliers dangled from the high ceilings, casting a soft glow over the richness of t
Adira was in awe as she stared at the lady. How was she Mr. Thatcher's wife?! How was she from an influential family? Wasn't that the Lyra she knew?The family paid homage to Mr. Thatcher, flashing pleasant smiles at him - except Nikolai, of course. Man wouldn't smile to save his life."We've all been waiting for you, father. It's a good thing you're here to join us," Mrs Bellamy said, joining to assist him to sit at the head of the table.The whole time, Adira's eyes were on the young lady. She looked prettier and richer. Her hair was smoothly brushed into a fine ponytail, and her face held very light makeup. She had a very short gown on which revealed most of her thighs."Lyra?" She finally voiced out, attracting eyes to her direction.That was the first time the young lady also saw her, and for a second, shock flashed right through her eyes."Yes?" She replaced the shock with a smile, so swiftly like she was an expert. "Do you um...need something from me?"The room was tensed, beca
Adira stood up and ambled to the door at once, and there she found Lyra, looking all radiant in a shimmering dress.A lot had changed about her. Back then, in college, she was mostly looking unkempt and could barely afford good clothes. But now she was looking like a goddess. She was happy for her, no doubt; one thing she wasn't happy about was the fact that she was concealing her identity and might be there for a purpose.The two ladies exchanged weighty stares at each other for a while, saying nothing."Can I come in?" She finally asked, her voice soft and polite.Hesitating a little, Adira nodded and stepped away from the door, giving her access to walk into the room."Could you excuse us, please?" She said this to Yvonne, who was fixing some clothes into the wardrobe."Uh...of course." Yvonne nodded and left, leaving just the two ladies in the room.For a moment, Adira stood behind Lyra, who kept looking around the room, like she was inspecting and admiring it at the same time."L
Adira's heart sank to the pit of her stomach the moment she saw him. Quickly lifting her finger to wipe off the tear, she knew it was too late, as he must've seen it already.Right there, she noticed his walking pace drop, and his gaze settled solely on her.He was in casual home wear but still had this aura of wealth and power around him. It hurt her even more to see him; she couldn't explain why.She had prepared herself for this already. After taking his offer two years ago, she decided within herself never to fall for him or get jealous if he eventually had an affair. She was very aware that her marriage with him was transactional with no emotions involved. So, why the hell was she feeling this way, knowing he had a fiancee on standby?Nikolai got to where she was and stopped walking, his gaze cold on her. Adira had already dropped her gaze to the floor, not wanting him to see any more of her tea
For a long time, Nikolai was silent, the phone still pinned to his ear. His lawyer understood his silence, hence, didn't utter a word and just let him be. He was right - Nikolai thought. It was time to start processing the divorce. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, gazing blankly at the window. There was no going back now, was there? There was no reason for him to...stop. "Start the process." He murmured softly. There was a little silence. "Okay, sir. It'll take me about two - three weeks to draft the papers. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done." The lawyer replied and the call dropped immediately. For a long time after the call ended, Nikolai remained still in his car, his face resting in his palms. Why was he suddenly feeling scared about this? Why was his heart beginning to beat so hard like it was about to explode? This was the right thing to do. If she stays back, her life might be in danger. Moreover, he wasn't so sure she loved him. Yes, she might be sweet
It was different from the first time - he thought. Different from the first time he held her wrist at the mall.Back then, she had snapped at him with eyes simmering with rage. But now, as he held her in the serene room, she stared at him with hurt eyes. Why was she more attractive to him in her somber mood? It was insane."Let go," she muttered, her gaze holding his.Slowly, he did."I mean no harm, Adira. I do hope you realize that."She gave him a long stare, trying to make decisions in her head. Strangely, the words he'd said to her three weeks ago at the meeting room came racing through her mind:'You'll need a man when your husband finally divorces you.'She snapped out of it at once. Why the hell would she think of that? If she divorces Nikolai, there was no way she was getting married again. She couldn't risk being divorced thrice