Chapter 41: A promised relationship with no secrecy.

Kimberly stood frozen at the doorway, her eyes fixed tentatively on Nicholas’s face when he caught her retracing her steps. She had been eavesdropping by the door of his formal living-room. Although she knew it was wrong, she couldn't help herself. The conversation between Nicholas and Sheila seemed intense, and Kimberly's curiosity got the better of her.

“Kimberly.” He called out in a low, firm voice, accelerating her heart rate. “Are you having difficulty sleeping?” he then asked, as his lips curled into a sinister smirk.

“I… uh…” For a brief moment, Kimberly had forgotten how to speak.

“Shush,” Nicholas interrupted her, his smirk widening. “I know you were listening,” he said as he deliberately began to approach her, his voice rigid but calm. Then he stopped by the sofa and sat down on it in a regal position. “Come here.” He instructed firmly, his face now straightened into an unyielding mask.

Kimberly hesitated, feeling a mix of fear and guilt. She knew she had overstepped, and s