CHAPTER 35SIA POVAs we stepped into the house, Nicolas's calm facade cracked."Why did your ex call?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.I rolled my shoulders, irritation sparking within me. "None of your business, Nicolas. We're in a contract marriage, not a real one."His eyes narrowed. "You owe it to me to keep me informed. We're married now, Sia. The world sees us as a couple."I sighed, tired of this charade. "Fine. He called because he has information I need to know."Nicolas's face darkened. "What kind of information?"I shook my head. "Not here. Not now."He paced, running a hand through his hair. "I can't stop you from going, but there was a kidnap attempt on your life a week ago. Walking around freely won't help matters.""I can handle myself," I insisted.Nicolas's gaze turned cold. "You're just my contract wife anyways. Do what you want."I walked away, leaving him standing alone. I went to the kitchen, fuming. Then, I poured a glass of water for myself. Thoughts
Chapter 36Sia POVDamn it!I was slowly getting to the point where all I wanted was to crawl under a rock and remain there forever. I was slowly losing my mind over the idea of being watched by some people I didn't even know— my abductors. If they had set me free, then they definitely needed me alive, I reasoned. I kneaded a finger on my forehead, trying to distract myself from the small headache which was already throbbing. I shut my eyes close, leaning back on the car seat. I had no idea how long I had dozed off until the Cab driver cleared his throats noisily. Then, I squeezed a was of cash into his hands and got out of the car. Since the argument I had with Nicholas the previous day, we hadn't spoken to each other. I rolled my eyes as I recalled how he had sent several texts, especially while I was with Nathan. ~ ~ ~~~~~ As I pushed open the grand entrance of the Winthrop mansion, the soft click of the door echoed through the marble hallway, resonating off the crystal chand
CHAPTER 38NICHOLAS POVI stormed out of my room, my anger and frustration simmering just below the surface. Who did Ethan think he was, showing up unannounced? My father's friend, he claimed. But I wasn't buying it.As I entered the living room, I spotted Ethan lounging on the couch, a smug grin spreading across his face. My jaw clenched."Ethan," I growled, my voice low. "What brings you here? Have you lost interest in the company of my mother so soon?"Ethan stood, his eyes gleamed with amusement. "Just thought I'd drop by, Nicolas. See how you're doing."I narrowed my eyes. "You're not here to check on me. What do you want?"Ethan chuckled. "No need to be hostile, Nicolas. I'm aware of your... investigations. The people who abducted your lovely wife, Sia."My eyes flashed with warning. "What do you know about it?" I swallowed hard. Before Ethan could respond, Sia walked into the room. Her presence was a welcome distraction."Nicolas, who's this?" she asked, as her eyes settled on
Chapter 39Nicholas POVTwo weeks later:.I cruised down the highway, the warm sun casting a golden glow on the sleek dashboard of my Audi. The GPS announced my arrival in 10 minutes, and I mentally prepared for the meeting with my client, Louis Parker. Securing this contract would catapult my architectural firm to the top tier.Ever since I had gotten the previous contract with Mr Rodriguez, I had received several other offers, most of which I had turned down.Only one company stood out to me, and it was the Parker Industries. They had indicated an interest in working with my company suddenly and I couldn't help but wonder why. This morning, I had left home early enough before Sia got out of bed because I didn't want to encounter her again. I had been avoiding her lately, because I was yet to come to terms with what I felt for her. I knew that I had to put boundaries in place while I dealt with her, and over the last few days, it had gotten so damn hard for me to exercise restraint,
Chapter 40 SIA POV Nicolas had been distant lately, and I sensed something was wrong. Tonight was no exception.I had texted him thrice during the day, asking him to come home early enough. Did I get any response at least? No!I let out a dry chuckle as my mind went over everything that has been happening in the last two weeks. Nicholas has slowly become a shadow of the very man I had signed a marriage contract with.He was now...cold! Yes. That was the right word. I didn't want to hurt myself by expecting too much from him. The fear of my abduction slowly melted because neither Nicholas nor Gregory seemed to talk about it again. As a matter of fact, they had completely stopped trying to restrict my movement. I knew that he no longer cared about me.What was I even saying? He clearly didn't care about what I did anymore!All that mattered to him now was his job. He was constant having meetings with his clients, and was barely at home . The only person I spoke to was Rhoda, and re
CHAPTER 41NICHOLAS POVFor a moment, I noticed a flash of defiance in Sia's eyes and I.Then, her right eyebrow shot up and she tried to edge back into the room again. I closed up the distance between us, "Sia?""Okay, fine!" She snarled."Everything," I said, my gaze holding hers. "I want to know everything about Ethan, and how you found out."She tried to walk past me, but I stepped in front of her, my arms crossed. "You need to tell me, Sia. Ethan just showed up in my life, claiming to be my father's best friend. Now you're telling me he was involved in your abduction. I need to know what you know."She lifted a shoulder in a half shrug, letting out a long hiss. "Why do you care? Why do you ask like you care? After all, I'm only a trophy wife you need."Trophy wife. That was a new thing. I rolled her words in my head for a moment. Well, her words stung, but I pushed aside the guilt. "That's not important right now. What's important is what you know about Ethan."She threw her ha
CHAPTER 42SIA POV I had no idea what I was doing, but I was so sure I wanted it. I wanted this. I wanted to be seen, at least, for once by the very man who triggered something in me. I wanted to know that he wasn't just putting up a facade of non-chalance for me, while trying to shownthe world that i meant something to him. That was our plan, wasn't it?But now, I was willing to be stupid enough to admit that I wanted more. I wanted to see something that I shouldn't even desire to see.To see that, deep down, a part of him was begining to crave me as much I was begining to want him. Fuck it!I wanted him to be inside me again. Afterall, wasn't that the begining of my misery with him? Making him to get inside me, huh? I didn't care anymore. Nothing else mattered, except the raw lust that burned in his eyes as he stared down at me from the foot of the bed."I'm trying my best to keep my senses intact, Sia." He said with a low growl, stepping away from the bed. I sat up immediatel
Chapter 43SIA POV How long could it take before a human heart could explode as a result of pumping too much blood?I needed to know, because with the rate at which my heart was pounding against my chest, I was so damn sure that it could explode. Nicholas sensed my uneasiness as he got into the bathroom. He placed a kiss on my forehead before lowering me to the floor. We got into the shower and he proceeded to bathe me, as though I was a child. He was gentle with me, making me to winder whether he was the same man whose life purpose was to be cold and rude towards me. I forced myself to stop thinking about our past. My past with him. And, I focused on the sensation of his hands rubbing soap all over my body. He was naked too. His cock was erect, and pulsing. It was hard not to look at it, so I focused on his face. When he turned on the shower, he pressed my body against his in hug as we stood underneath the showerhead. Water trickled down our hair and our body. My nipples we
CHAPTER 49 NICHOLAS POV As I took brisk steps down the sterile, white hallway, my heart pounded in my chest. I needed air, I needed space, and most importantly, I needed to get away from this hospital. To take Sia with me, but the thought of the man waiting for me made my skin crawl. My jaw tightened.Why was Ethan here? I couldn't think of any reason why he would be looking for me in the hospital where Sia had been admitted. Or...had he been following me?That loser! I fumed underneath my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the lobby. Ethan stood there, lounging against the wall as if he owned the place. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets, and there was a smug look on his face. The same face I had come to hate over the last few weeks. His eyes found mine the second I stepped out of drew close to him, and if it was even possible, his grin widened.“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice low and hard. Just the sight of him made m
CHAPTER 49 NICHOLAS POV As I took brisk steps down the sterile, white hallway, my heart pounded in my chest. I needed air, I needed space, and most importantly, I needed to get away from this hospital. To take Sia with me, but the thought of the man waiting for me made my skin crawl. My jaw tightened.Why was Ethan here? I couldn't think of any reason why he would be looking for me in the hospital where Sia had been admitted. Or...had he been following me?That loser! I fumed underneath my breath. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the lobby. Ethan stood there, lounging against the wall as if he owned the place. His hands were casually stuffed in his pockets, and there was a smug look on his face. The same face I had come to hate over the last few weeks. His eyes found mine the second I stepped out of drew close to him, and if it was even possible, his grin widened.“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice low and hard. Just the sight of him made m
Chapter 48Nicholas POV I sat at my desk, trying to concentrate on the documents in front of me, but every word blurred. My thoughts drifted back to Sia, and the argument we’d had two days ago. I gritted my teeth. She could do whatever she wanted; it wasn’t my business, not anymore. But despite myself, I felt a pang of guilt, an unwelcome reminder that she was still my wife—contract or not.Just as I was about to bury myself back into my work, my phone rang. Gregory’s name flashed on the screen.I answered, a bit more curtly than usual. “What is it?”“Nicholas, you need to come to the hospital. Sia’s been admitted.” His voice was serious, almost grim.“What happened?” I demanded, already rising from my chair.“I think it’s best if you just come. She’s stable for now, but you should be here.”My pulse quickened. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”The drive to the hospital felt longer than usual. As I drove, my mind raced with thoughts of Sia lying alone in a sterile room, hurt and poss
CHAPTER 47SIA POVI didn't need to ask twice before knowing that Nicholas was not going to tell me who he had been speaking with on the phone. I knew that he had been talking to Lily. It was surprising, especially after she had behaved on the day of the press conference. Were they back together now?What was going on?Nicholas stared at me, his eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you're talking about."His phone stopped ringing and I shrugged. "I don't care what you do with your ex-girlfriend," I said, turning away. Then, I walked out of the room, leaving him behind.As soon as I got downstairs, one of the security of the suite approached me. There was a worried look on his face. I frowned. "Any issues?"He nodded, drawing close on me. "There's someone at the big gates, asking to be let in.""Okay?""She fits the description of the person whom boss had warned us to not let into the property, Ma'am."An alarm rang in my head. Elise! That had to be Elise my bestfriend. I rushed out
Chapter 46Nicholas POV In the split of a second, I watched how Sia went from being shocked to being disappointed to being sad. Something broke inside me. Her eyes widened, shock etched on her face. She opened her mouth, then closed it, struggling to find words."What's wrong?" she finally managed.I rolled my eyes. Did she have to ask me such a stupid question?"Last night...it was a mistake," I repeated, tearing my gaze away from hers.Her face crumpled, and she edged backward, tears rolling down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them off."What did you expect?" I asked, trying to sound detached. "That we'd suddenly become romantic partners just because we shared one night of intimacy?"Sia's voice trembled. "No, I didn't expect that. What I did expect was that you'd be nice enough to stop pretending about what you want.""I'm not pretending," I said, my voice was cold.Sia's eyes flashed. "So, what you mean is that what we shared that night meant nothing to you?""Yes," I replied, as
CHAPTER 45 - Nicholas POVAs Lily began to kiss me, I almost pushed her away. Yet, I kissed her back. The best way to take down a cunning person like Lily was to be one step ahead of her, and that was exactly what I was ready to do. I planed my next move as I tugged softly on her lips. When I slowly pulled away, breaking the kids, she was looking at me with a smile on her lips. "I guess I have all morning to do this with you, Lily" I said with a hoarse voice, smirking.Her cheeks flushed as she twirled strange of her hair with a finger, seductively biting her lower lip. "Sure. How do you suggest we spend it before we get on the sheets?"Perfect!She asked the right question. Excitement almost burst through my chest as I pointed at the glass of champagne which she had left on the table. "Let's share a drink, first." I said, still smiling. Then, I gestured to the bottle of champagne which chilled in the ice bucket. "Allow me to pour out my drink myself." She jerked her head backwar
CHAPTER 44Nicholas POV I blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the haze.Where was I? My bed. I was in my bed. But...what happened last night? Sia laid next to me on the bed, one of her hands remained crossed on my chest and she snores lightly. Her head was on my other arm, and her hair was in my face. I held my breath. This wasn't true. Or...was it? Sia and I in bed together? I shut my eyes, forcing myself to snap out of this dream.I had to be dreaming! How did I spend almost a month, proving to Sia that I hated her in private, only to end up getting intimate with her in one night.Then, it happened. All of a sudden, the memories flooded my mind like a tidal wave.Sia, naked and trembling as I went beneath her. The shower. Her screams of pleasure.My fingers, my tongue...Fuck it!Did I sleep with her? No, we didn't...we didn't have sex. Relief washed over me. I gently extricated myself from the bed, careful not to disturb Sia .My nakedness hit me like a slap. What had I been
Chapter 43SIA POV How long could it take before a human heart could explode as a result of pumping too much blood?I needed to know, because with the rate at which my heart was pounding against my chest, I was so damn sure that it could explode. Nicholas sensed my uneasiness as he got into the bathroom. He placed a kiss on my forehead before lowering me to the floor. We got into the shower and he proceeded to bathe me, as though I was a child. He was gentle with me, making me to winder whether he was the same man whose life purpose was to be cold and rude towards me. I forced myself to stop thinking about our past. My past with him. And, I focused on the sensation of his hands rubbing soap all over my body. He was naked too. His cock was erect, and pulsing. It was hard not to look at it, so I focused on his face. When he turned on the shower, he pressed my body against his in hug as we stood underneath the showerhead. Water trickled down our hair and our body. My nipples we
CHAPTER 42SIA POV I had no idea what I was doing, but I was so sure I wanted it. I wanted this. I wanted to be seen, at least, for once by the very man who triggered something in me. I wanted to know that he wasn't just putting up a facade of non-chalance for me, while trying to shownthe world that i meant something to him. That was our plan, wasn't it?But now, I was willing to be stupid enough to admit that I wanted more. I wanted to see something that I shouldn't even desire to see.To see that, deep down, a part of him was begining to crave me as much I was begining to want him. Fuck it!I wanted him to be inside me again. Afterall, wasn't that the begining of my misery with him? Making him to get inside me, huh? I didn't care anymore. Nothing else mattered, except the raw lust that burned in his eyes as he stared down at me from the foot of the bed."I'm trying my best to keep my senses intact, Sia." He said with a low growl, stepping away from the bed. I sat up immediatel