Ophelia held her face in shock, her eyes widening in disbelief. She looked at Adira like she had just done the most forbidden."You have no right to talk about my marriage." Adira threatened. "I don't know who the hell your informant is, but my relationship with Nikolai is nothing like what you had with him.""Have you gone nuts?! How dare you lay your hand on her?" The lady beside Ophelia shrieked.In a brisk, Ophelia tried returning the slap, but Adira was quick enough to repel and pulled at her hair instead."You witch!" Ophelia yelled and grabbed her own hair.And a messy fight ensued.***Nikolai stepped down from his car and hurried into the grocery store. For a week, he's been doing his best to avoid public attention, but not when Adira is involved.He got into the store and found the four women there - Adira, Ophelia, Ophelia's mum and an unfamiliar lady. The store keeper was there as well, at his counter.He halted momentarily at the door, his gaze roving around Ophelia.Her
Vesper's head felt so heavy as he returned to the room where Kalina was filing her nails. She noticed instantly that something was wrong with him."Hey, are you okay?" She questioned.Vesper lowered himself to the bed."I'm not. Nothing is okay."Kalina stood up and walked across to meet him."Okay, what's the problem? Is your grandfather mad at you?" She placed her hands on her thighs.She had given him the idea of going to spend some time with the man, but obviously, it didn't go well.Vesper buried his face in his palms, trying to arrange the words in his head. Then, he let it all out."I just overheard my grandfather and Lyra talking about his will."For the first three seconds, Kalina was blank, trying to process it. Then, it finally dawned on her."What?" She flinched. "
Na-ri walked into the opulent VIP room, her heels echoing with every step on the polished floor. As she entered, her gaze was immediately drawn to the young man sitting in front of a set table, bathed in a warm glow.He was the only one in the VIP room. And although she's never seen him before, she knew instantly he was the one she was there for.He had a crystal wine glass in his hand and didn't turn to look at her as she approached him. She got to the table and took a seat."Hi." She greeted with a sigh, dropping her bag on the table.The man in front of her was handsome - she'll give that to him. But she was more concerned about why he arranged this meeting and how the hell he knows her."Welcome, Na-ri." He wore a wintry smile, dropping his glass on the table. "I'm glad you made it.""Yeah." Na-ri crossed her arms. "I'm very curious, tho. So, I'd want us to go straight to the point. Why did you send for me? Who are you? And what discussion did you want us to have about Nikolai and
Adira's hands trembled with anxiety as she clasped the test strip in her quivering grasp. Alone in the bathroom, her heart pounded in net chest, its rhythm echoing through the silence.She never thought she'd be so nervous with a pregnancy test. The first time she had been pregnant - Lancelot - carrying out the test was the happiest thing for her. And when it came out positive, she could never forget just how limitless her joy had been.But this - this right here was different.She inhaled a lungful of air and finally inserted it inside of her. Her anxiety increased, her legs had gotten cold.She watched with wavering breath, not knowing when to expect. Not until the big positive signed popped up on it."Oh, my God..." She grazed her fingers over her mouth to stifle her gasp.Her heart summersaulted in her chest, the entire place rotated in her head.She lost balance and helped herself to sit on the toilet surface before she'd reach for the floor. Shaky breaths left her chest, and her
Adira was bewildered. Who the hell was that, and why was he sounding like he could see her at the moment? Nikolai was distracted, checking out some male outfits. "Listen, I don't know who you are, but it's obvious you're joking. So, I'm hanging up." "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." The voice stopped her. "I mean, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to see a bullet go through Nikolai's head right now. It would be awful seeing his white shirt get soaked in blood." Adira froze instantly. Her eyes became so wide like they'd fall out of her sockets. She looked around frantically, but the galleria was too big with hundreds of people in it. "Are you insane?" She gritted. "What stupid game are you trying to play? You expect me to believe you'd shoot a man like Nikolai here in public? If that happens, you should know you're never getting out of here alive." "I know. I know his guards are there with you at the moment. But trust me, they won't be fast enough to stop or shield him before
Adira's eyes expanded like saucers, betraying her astonishment. Was this a joke?For a moment, she was dumbstruck and just watched him approach her, a wry smile on his lips."What is the meaning of this?" She finally found her words, her eyes holding so much disbelief. "You... you're the one behind this?"Lancelot shrugged, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets."You look shocked. Aren't you happy to see me?" His words dripped with sarcasm.Adira was losing her mind. The whole thing sounded insane. The whole time, she thought it was someone deadly, but it was actually Lancelot?Hold on, Lancelot had every right to be deadly, considering what she did to him. But he'll never...do something drastic, will he?She snaked her fingers into her hair and looked at him. "Look, I don't know what you have running through your mind, but trust me, this is a mistake. Le me go, and I promise I won't say a word. We can act like this whole shit didn't happen."Lancelot's lips curved in a smile. H
Nikolai was perched on the edge of the bed, his head lowered and his figure hunched. His posture was far from relaxed.There was shattered pieces of glass on the floor, and a crimson pool of spilled wine. An air of despair enveloped the room.Something was wrong - Adira noticed. Nikolai wasn't looking good.She closed the door behind her, but stood far from him."N... Nikolai?" She called carefully.He lifted his head slowly and looked at her. That moment, Adira's skin prickled with fear at the look in his eyes. What?"You're coming from your father's place, huh?" His voice was dangerously low. "Your father's sick, and you're coming from his place?"His eyes were inflamed and reddened, the sight of them alone frightened Adira.His tone... he sounded suspicious. Was he aware of her encounter with Lancelot already? Did Lancelot tell him? But why? How?Nikolai stood up with his phone, advancing towards her. She found herself taking a reflexive step back. At that point, she didn't know wh
Adira ran out of the house, her heart threatening to explode in her chest. She panted heavily, fighting so hard to steady her breaths. But no matter how hard she tried, it was useless.The car keys was still with her. So, she returned to the car she had driven in with, and with shaky hands, drove out of the compound.Her cheeks became the canvas for tears as she navigated down the road. She never thought it was possible to feel such amount of pain. At that moment, she felt as though, she had been stabbed on a spot that could never be healed.Her vision became too blurry, and finally, she screeched to an abrupt halt by the side of the road. She bent her head on the steering and wept profusely. Her heart was aching too much, she wasn't sure she could survive it.'I thought you were different. Decent. I may have watched you for a long time, but I definitely missed this part of you,' Nikolai's words haunted her."No..." Her body convulsed with wrenching cries.Her hand crawled up to her t