Nicole's POVThat morning, I was enjoying breakfast with my father without Richard. The boy who usually got ready before me was now still asleep. When I asked Key, the boy had apparently told my assistant from the night before that he would be up later, exhausted from his robot project.I respected the boy's wishes and decided not to wake him up, letting him enjoy breakfast once he was feeling better.My father and I ate quietly for a while until the man suddenly said something without looking at me. "It turns out you're already dating Matthew, Nicole."I coughed, choking as the drink I had just swallowed was trapped by the air from my throat. A waiter immediately came forward to help me, taking my place holding the glass while patting my back a few times before finally retreating to his position. I was grateful that none of the drink had spilled onto my shirt."Father.... How did you find out?" I finally asked, looking at the old man who was waiting for me to continue, but I had noth
Nicole's POVI was so angry when I walked into my room, still thinking about the man who had crossed the line again by coming up to me and forcing me to talk to him. I should have been able to reject that man from the start, leaving without the need to engage him when I was more alert, but again, I lost to his power.Now, I couldn't even concentrate on my work when that resentful feeling was still struggling inside me. I gripped the pen I was using tightly, gritting my teeth as I remembered his face, which could still play the victim when we no longer had any relationship."Damn it, Chris!" I cursed with a hiss, unable to contain myself anymore.Such harsh words were not enough with all the things I had experienced when it came to him, but I was also speechless with the existence of that insolent man who was still affecting my life at this point. I was already tired.The door to the room opened while I was still trying to calm my emotions. Lona, the company secretary, walked into my r
Smith's POVI staggered over, holding the bottle of alcohol that contained only the last few drops. After the hundreds of bottles of alcohol I had managed to retain from my precious collection, this was one of the previous bottles I had at the moment, while at home, there was only one other bottle left.My once happy life was now going from bad to worse. It wasn't enough that my family's business had gone bankrupt, all the wealth I had accumulated over the years seemed to have vanished and the house that housed me had gone from being luxurious and grand to being small and too modest.No one helped me from my fate that had suddenly changed like this. From people I had worked with to people I had known for a long time, especially my former son-in-law, who seemed to prevent me from coming after our last meeting."Damn, man," I muttered, recalling the incident a few days ago that still felt fresh in my memory, intending to ask him for a bit of money.Without any consideration, that man re
Smith's POVI rubbed my forehead after waking up, still feeling the residual dizziness that made my head hurt. I got out of bed and headed towards the old laptop, which was the only one in the house. The creaking engine sounded as I turned it on, and it took a few minutes for it to fully power up.I remained patient until I started logging into the public web page to find information about Nicole and her whereabouts in the city. She was a well-known figure, so I thought that finding her wouldn't be difficult. Many reporters cover people like her, especially when she is unique from others."You think you can hide, Nicole?" I muttered under my breath, smiling to myself as confidence filled me.I deliberately skipped over the many articles stating the various successes he had achieved and the projects he had undertaken over the years, turning instead to the personal information that should be available from any family member of a conglomerate doing business.I searched for a while, readi
Nicole's POVI exhaled as my gaze fell on the man in front of me. We met while I was in the elevator, about to get off somewhere else, but then I saw Chris preparing to get into the elevator."You're not listening at all," I said to the man, sighing, as he stepped inside and immediately closed the elevator doors.I could see the few people who were about to get on distracting themselves and whispering to each other, but I didn't have time to care about that with the person I was with right now. He had come out of the blue several times, but this was the first time he returned after a long absence.The elevator moved to the top floor again. I leaned on the far side of it, not hearing any response or conversation from the man, who still looked calm. My heart throbbed painfully, and I did not like that I had to be stuck with him again.I thought this would all be over after the incident when we were together at the hospital and then at my house, but that man's stubbornness cannot be unde
Nicole's POV"Dispose of these flowers and gift box immediately, Lona," I said, noticing the box among the flower arrangements but not intending to look inside. "I don't need them."The secretary nodded stiffly, bowed politely, and then threw them both in the nearby trash can. "I will ask the cleaning staff to clean it up immediately.""Good." I nodded and walked out of the room to my car.I had intended to leave earlier, but that man came, and there was one document I had to take care of. Now, I could finally go after finishing that business. Lona followed me all the way to the basement, where the vehicles were parked, faithfully following my steps until I got near my car.The sound of the car door lock opening sounded at the same time as I pressed the button, but just as I was about to open the car door, I could hear the voice of someone I hadn't heard in a long time, and it sent chills down my spine."Nicole!" The old man's hoarse voice rang out loudly.I turned around, clenching o
Nicole's POVI was so surprised when I saw that the person pulling Smith away from me was Chris. The man looked angry, staring at the old man who chuckled as he also looked at the figure who had suddenly pulled his hand away."What are you doing here?" The man asked the person in front of him.The old man who had looked annoyed earlier smiled wryly, looking unperturbed and seemingly relaxed. "What are you talking about? I just wanted to say hello to my daughter."I felt nauseous when the old man started talking about his longing for me, stories of the past that never really existed, but he made it seem like it really happened between us.My body trembled, wanting to stop the man's words, which were far more hurtful than his original attitude, but I was unable to speak other than remaining silent on the spot.Smith was again pulled by the man, but he did not give up easily and tried to break free. The difference in body size was not that great, but the old man clearly did not have the
Nicole's POV"Ugh!" I held my aching head, feeling the prickles radiating from there until I had to close my eyes for a moment and squeeze my hair.Someone touched my shoulder, slightly distracting me from the pain. "Nicole, are you okay? You look like you're in pain."I didn't say anything for a while. I hadn't had a headache like this in a long time, so it surprised me. I wasn't sure what caused it, but I didn't want to make the man I was with feel worried when we met again after so many busy days."I'm fine." I tried to smile, looking at Matthew who seemed to be staring at me intently.He didn't seem to believe what I was saying, which was unconvincing when the pain was still engulfing me.The man frowned, still looking at me skeptically. "How about we do an examination for you, Nicole? You seem to be getting a lot of headaches these days. I'm worried about you."I kind of regretted telling him about my headache symptoms when we didn't see each other, but even without that, we also
Nicole's POVI have received the gift given by the man's secretary. Evan. I wanted to refuse, but the man, whose age was not far from Key's, looked really pitiable and almost pleading as he spoke to me."Miss Nicole, I'm sorry, but if you don't accept this gift then I will get in trouble from Mr. Chris," he said.I stared at the man without saying much. I obviously had my reservations, staring at the two gifts that seemed unremarkable at first glance. Still, considering Chris's proposal and the answer I gave him temporarily, the situation was clearly different.He told me to take as much time as possible to come up with a final answer to his proposal. Still, in the end, he acted arbitrarily, like he was pressuring me to give him the answer immediately by giving me something like this.The secretary seemed to see my intentions and quickly returned to pleading before me. "Miss Nicole, please do me a favor just this once. Mr. Chris has already sought several opportunities to remove me fr
Chris' POVArriving in the car, I sighed.All my strength seemed to be drained, and I allowed myself to just lean back on the seat, loosening the tie that suddenly felt like it was strangling my neck. My gaze was only fixed in front of me, on the road that began to pass by faster after the car sped up.My secretary finally spoke. "Were you rejected?"I looked at the man. He had helped me prepare for today's proposal, including decorations, rings, and various other things that were supposed to be done after the proposal, but that didn't happen with me leaving first.She was crying, and I didn't really have the guts to look at Mr. Duncan and my son. Aside from my mixed feelings, I just followed in my footsteps, which led me out of the place and away from the miserable feeling."You seem to really like the fact that Nicole rejected me," I finally said, sounding as cold as I felt toward the man who was still driving.She didn't say anything.I exhaled, feeling a tightness in my chest that
Nicole's POVChris was silent. I could see that he seemed to be processing my words, but I wasn't done talking. There was still something I wanted to tell him."Until now, I've been confused by the feelings I have for you, Mr. Grant."I clasped my hands together tightly. "If I were to accept your proposal without thinking, it would not only make me look like I'm playing you, but also betray my own uncertain feelings."As I said, I felt very mixed after hearing and seeing his attitude during his proposal.There were feelings of joy, sadness, hatred, and hope, all in equal measure, that confused me.On the one hand, I liked this proposal in the deepest part, which I buried deeply. Still, I also couldn't let go of the thing that had kept me alive all these years after his betrayal by leaving me and the evil deeds of my old family.I didn't want revenge, but the residual feelings were still there, as were my feelings for the man in front of me.Both had the same deep impression on me duri
Nicole's POVAs I walked in, I could see the restaurant's decor, which looked like a very romantic place. Like I saw outside, no one was inside except me and my assistant.We walked in together, he walking behind me, but I was busy with my thoughts. My brain seemed to be spinning rapidly, and I was thinking about this strange thing as best I could.My father had deliberately directed me to this restaurant for dinner. Still, that man was nowhere to be seen, nor was Richard and whoever was supposed to be in this restaurant to serve us. The deserted atmosphere added to the aggravation of my thoughts and the additional fear of the unusual situation.I swallowed, wondering, even as I followed the lit candles still guiding our path. Why is the restaurant in this state? Shouldn't we have gathered and enjoyed dinner by now?I already felt that my father, my son, and everything that happened today were acting strangely. I have absolutely no idea what's going on. It really felt like I was walki
Nicole's POVI looked at my father, who had been watching me since earlier. I ignored it at first, but after a while, I got curious and finally asked him. "Is there something you want to talk to me about, Father?"He shook his head, smiling slightly with eyes that seemed to sparkle. "No, no. I'm just happy to see that you've been in good spirits lately."I smiled back at him, although I also thought that my father's attitude was quite strange. I didn't feel as excited as he said, just as usual. The things my father said were even more applicable to him, who somehow looked radiant.Of course, I felt happy about whatever my father went through because I knew he could behave like that now. After the betrayal of his old friend, I felt that my father became much more reserved and only focused on his work, but now he's become better than that.I finally changed the subject. "Is Richard with that man, Father?"He nodded.Lately, my son has been spending a lot of time with Chris. It was usual
Nicole's POVI was already in my study, realizing that the thing that happened a moment ago was really happening.The things I felt and the attitude I showed the man... I touched my chest, feeling the pounding of my heart that always became unusual whenever I couldn't control myself, especially when it came to that man. Chris.I didn't know what was wrong with me anymore, feeling messed up and not knowing what to do to fix what had happened."No," I said, with a complementary slap to snap myself out of my current situation. "I need to focus."It wasn't time for me to dwell on whatever feelings were surrounding me and dwell on them. Work was waiting for me, and I couldn't put it off any longer for any reason.I slapped my cheeks repeatedly. Only then could I take my work seriously.I spent most of my days staying out of that man's reach. Sometimes, Chris was at my house for some business, but I still avoided him and didn't show myself to him as much as I could. When I came home, I aske
Chris' POV"Chris!"A shouting voice rang in my ears. I turned my head and saw a woman running towards me. She immediately hugged me tightly. Smelling the fragrance of her body so close to me and catching a glimpse of her face, I felt certain that the woman in this embrace was Nicole.I looked in the direction the woman had previously run and found several people scattered around the streets, shouting and moving away from each other. This was paving the way for a tree snake that seemed to have escaped from one of the shops in this row of streets.Not far from the snake, two staff members who seemed to be from the shop could be seen chasing the escaping animal with nets and ropes. They looked tense, following the slithering animal's movements on the hot street.The atmosphere was definitely noisy, but I could only feel the fear of the woman who was in my arms and was giving me a tight hug without any warning as if I was her life preserver and didn't want to be let go by her anytime soo
Chris' POVI felt that my relationship with Nicole was fine, even better than a few weeks ago, even though she sometimes tried to ignore my presence around her.She was becoming more talkative with me about some mundane things that I didn't know would happen so soon. She didn't kick me out anymore, even if I went over her limit, which would usually make her upset and follow her emotions.I still remember when she acted shy when receiving my cheek kiss and her anger at the charity event when I kissed her on the lips. My reactions to those two things were quite different. One was closer to negative because I was in a hurry, while the other was closer to positive, even though they were close in time.Perhaps my thoughts on our current situation were correct.She probably doesn't hate me as much as she used to, and I can also do things that I could never do even if I wanted to. For now, I won't do anything more than the usual touching of a young couple, but even that already makes me happ
Chris' POVI returned Nicole's widened gaze, feeling a little pleased and proud of myself. "I know, you must be admiring me, right, Nicole?""Are you showing yourself off?" She snorted, changing her previously unseen gaze to what it was now, slightly sharp. "Why would I admire you sitting down?"I noticed the woman who looked a little sullen. I still don't know the reason, but she seemed to be annoyed that I accidentally made her emotional with my out-of-context words.Anyway, I was happy with her attention and unconsciously said whatever came to my mind.I cleared my throat softly, returning the conversation. "If you try, you can do it too, Nicole. Cooperation with Mr. Divo." The woman was still looking sulky. "You might be able to get this deal done first.""I can't." The woman's father suddenly spoke up, looking serious. "If Nicole does that, it will be dangerous for her."The woman seemed to turn her attention to her father, frowning as she asked. "What makes it dangerous for me,