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Got Too Close Small exchange (1)
Noah stopped the car in front of the house. For the first time, he felt too concerned to peek at the man in the back seat.From the rearview mirror, he could see him; his face raised to the car's roof, eyes half opened. Time and again, he would blink, possibly still knocked out of breath from their visit to the school with the police.It was there he knew. It was there he understood; this was when being an assistant came in, for slowly, he saw a grown man break into pieces he knew would be hard to pull back in.Right there, on that field, the Boss, who had always been one to control his emotions, struggled for everything, including breath, and there, Noah had kicked every thought of what people would think and stayed by his side.He asked the questions because Nico couldn't find his words, face buried into palms, muttering things he couldn't make out over and over again, and that there was no information, no witness who had spotted the kids being whisked away in a crowded environment
Got Too Close Small Exchange
The office was quiet, and while Noah had his back against the wall, the only sound in the room was the noise of Nico's footsteps pacing from end to end, glancing at the phone more times than he breathed. It had been over thirty minutes since they arrived, waiting for the phone to ring againWas the call a prank? Had he somehow raised a false alarm? He hoped not, for Nico was already at his wit's end. He wished the man would grab a seat, for his continuous movement was making him dizzy to the point he had to rub his eyes to focus."Boss, grab a seat; your pacing is helping nothing. You know, right?" Noah suggested.To his surprise, Nico stopped, but his eyes remained fixed on the desk, waiting for the next ring to tell them what they were in for. Hopefully, a ransom. If it was, there was no problem; the kids had a chance."What did the caller say?" Nico's voice cut through his thoughts, and when he looked back up, the President was close to the table before the phone, his finger drummi
Got Too Close Small Exchange (3)
He waited in the car.Time and again, he glanced at his watch and peered down at the bag on the seat next to him—another risk he had taken.The risk the mysterious voice had told him to take.Being in this secluded place, knowing if anything went wrong, he was as good as dead, if not even dead, should have told him the demand held hidden motives. But how was he to care? It was just sums, a lot of them, taken from the bank at the last minute.If the abductors were willing to trade the children's life for money, that was the least of his expectations, and although it smelled fishy and maybe even too good to be true, he would try his luck.Still in the clothes he had worn the night before, a few buttons open to curb the heat he was feeling despite the raging cold in the car, he had waited at this spot for almost two hours.It was thirty minutes past the intended schedule, and he had received no call yet."What if this is a lie," Noah said behind him in the passenger seat, "What if he doe
Got Too Close Unconventional Hero
The gunshot rang out.The numbness got to him first, blood running cold in seconds. He was dying; did it mean he could never have gotten to them in the first place?Did it mean he was never all that in the first place? Parading himself as steel when he was just a helpless who had left home to search for approval?It was a wonder how death had him facing the truth, the last seconds of his life replaying his time on earth, which was all useless.But wait a minute, was death this painless? Why was it taking so long to slump down and give it all up?All thoughts.Until he heard the body drop in a noisy heap behind him. And when his brows creased out of sheer habit... Could it be?He heard the wince and the painful howl, and when Nico turned to see the man sprawled, writhing on the ground in pain, he squinted, at the same time frowning.Was he... Was he alive?And HOW?!"SO..." He heard the yell from the other side, and when he turned to the building window, where he had spotted shadows, t
Got Too Close Help
"Get out, Nikolai"It wasn't less than what he expected; being stared down and knowing there was absolutely nothing he could do about it was... Damaging. Finishing the dignity he had left.But he didn't need that now, didn't need the pride he always held, he needed Zayne, he needed his kids back.Using the back of his hand, Zayne wiped a smudged stain on his face, "There is no reason why you should be here; we had that talk the last time, except you're here to pull the trigger; anything else you should leave."In a normal circumstance, if he had somewhere else to go to, if his kids weren't abducted, then maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't be here, so shutting his eyes, he forced the word out, "I need your help, I wouldn't be here if I didn't."Zayne smirked, "No Nikolai, you can't need my help now; it's me, Zayne, the dude you chose Alexa over" he laughed, stretching his hand out and dropping it down lazily, "Let's be real here, that shit doesn't work that way,"Nikolai clenched his fists
Got Too Close Not the same woman
There was only one reason she was in the passenger seat of a car, to a place to be close to a person she wanted off the face of the earth, but for the first time in her life also, she wasn't afraid. Instead, maybe she was a little scared for him.Judging from their last conversation over the phone, he knew what he was signing up for when he invited her over; he should know how crazy she had gotten after the last few days.Buttoning up her red trench coat she had yanked out of her wardrobe, she shut her eyes, revising if what she was about to do would be suitable for her already soiled reputation.But then... The car stopped, and when she opened her eyes, she was in front of the hotel, the last place she had been in, the place he had her watched, the place she had broken free of him."Madam, are you sure you don't want me going in with you," The driver gave her both concerned and suspicious glances."Wait here; I'll be out in a minute."But then fuck that, who needs reputation when you
Got Too Close Prelude to downfall
[NICO]Standing before her, watching the excitement fade off her countenance, he had thought he was ready for it, but seeing her now and how she crashed, he knew he wasn't.Though she appeared dressed for bed, he knew she didn't intend to sleep. Damon, who had been standing behind her, safeguarding her privacy, had stepped out of the room, leaving them alone as his phone rang."What did you say?"What was he to do? Hold her? Keep lying that he had everything under control when he didn't? Zayne had forced him to see the truth of what he was."He won't do that" She shook her head in disbelief, walking past him and seeing her hurry towards the bar to grab a glass; he didn't want to know what her inner turmoil would be like.He followed her, and reaching the mini bar, he saw her gulping the contents straight from the bottle, dumping a mouthful into her mouth; she clutched at the neck of the bottle, breathing hard.He knew a panic attack when he saw one.So racing till he was in front of
Got Too Close Lone wolf
ELENA'S POVI didn't mean to spew out everything I felt inside like I had done, but after years of holding it in, after years of being neglected, I finally reached a breaking point.Not to mention the terror that had gotten me good. The thoughts that I'd never see my kids again.Zayne had been my last resort after his promise to help in any way he could, even to the detriment of his brother, had spiked my hope and kept me going, but now that his response was negative, willing to let my kids go to waste, all because of a years-long rift, I felt my will to live slowly drain.I wished I could close my eyes, and when I opened them again, Mia and Matteo would be right in front of me, asking me why I had been sleeping for so long. This was a nightmare I wanted to get out of.Added to the fact I was suddenly feeling sick all day long, feeling the puke up in my throat, I lay still at my side, hugging the picture to my chest and breathing slowly to keep it at bay. And to think gulping down boo
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Got Too Close Oops
"Is that it?" Gianni frowned when I finished. "You've got to be kidding me." Midway, I had almost burst into tears, explaining in as much detail as I could that the men's beachwear collection, which would have been next week, had to be postponed because of the lack of models."You don't get it." I sniffled, dabbing my cheek. "It's bad for business. Bad publicity goes a long way, and the investors...""Hey," Maya says, wrapping her arms around my shoulder, shooting Gianna, still sitting, a glare. "There has to be something we can do about it." "You've got to be kidding me!" Gianna retorts again, "That's why you're crying?" "I'm so sorry," I sobbed. "I don't know why I'm so emotional; what's wrong with me?!" "Oh, I know." Clara mumbles."Gianna!" Maya's tone is laced with a warning tinge. "Be nice." But she was right. This was nothing to cry about; I was a grown woman. It was shameful that once they thought I was the epitome of strength, but now they knew I was just a crybaby."Do
Got Too Close Reunion (3)
The next few days we spent indoors; still, it was hard to see Nico. The air in Calabria was hearty, the laughter infectious. It wasn't hard to notice that Nico and Zayne still stayed away from each other. They had tried to hide it, but they didn't try hard enough to take off our suspicions.Milo, sometimes in the middle of a conversation with the whole family, set up opportunities for them to exchange a word two, but like two peas of the same pod, we found them, mouth full and chewing slowly until the attention was taken off their back."You want me to do it for you?" I asked Nico when we were alone in the room, watching his face as I applied my lipstick, "I could talk to Zayne, Nico. It doesn't have to..." I wasn't done when his arms curled around me, flattening his opened palm against my stomach, sending my heart racing, and then he kissed me, shutting me up briefly.When he broke it off, sending me breathless and wanting, he searched my eyes and murmured, "It's all right. It's my
Got Too Close Reunion 2
Authors POVElena didn't look back as she walked away with the others, Milo staring at the top of her head with amusement as he pushed Gianna out of the sitting room.Nico didn't like that look in his eyes. It was the same look he held for Gianna, and now, whenever Milo was around, Zayne had to work for a bit of time with his wife.He pulled his eyes off the door they just walked out of, and when he turned to Zayne, who continued to give Matteo audience, his countenance a mixture of pride and sadness, Nico felt his stomach churn.He wasn't prepared for this, wasn't ready to be knocked down from the truth he believed in. He thought that Zayne would let the children die, all for petty malice, but all this while, it had been him who did nothing to help.Then why did he hide it? Why did he go through all that only to give all of the praise to Milo? Was that why Milo distanced himself for so long? Suddenly, he felt like he wasn't part of a family he had always known."How are your injuries
Got Too Close Reunion
Author's POV.Matteo continued to chatter, "...He said you were coming for us, Dad, and you came." his innocent smile didn't match the struck expression on his father's face, which also mirrored mine."Can I say hello?" He askedSeeing Nico couldn't say a word, I took charge, "Of course, Matteo, go tell your uncle Hi.""My uncle?" His eyes widened, "Cool Ma," before he was running off towards his sister and Zayne, who, on seeing him, seemed unsure at first, but then slowly, he went on his knees and wrapped his arms around my son.That first hug held a lot of warmth for someone who had ensured he avoided Matteo initially."What's going on?" Maya asked Nico, "Why is everyone so quiet?"Nico, appearing utterly helpless, felt his tense muscles relax as he gazed ahead, overwhelmed by guilt and discomfort. Without even making eye contact with his mother, he softly responded, "Yeah, just surprised," his voice almost trailing off, "Mia doesn't talk to strangers."Although Maya wasn't entirel
Got Too Close Who again?
He returned to tell the kids they could move before he was gone again.After a bit of fun with them, to which half my attention was not in, I left them an hour later, only to discover Nico was gone.Out of the Manor, no information, just like that, disappeared into thin air, making me wish I had stayed long enough at work, for in my head, I was running wild, helpless, and perspiring.The deja vu kept coming repeatedly; it hit me out of the blue. Standing there, watching her get into his car, his chin up, refusing to spare me a glance as she planted her thumb on his chin.My stomach churned as I let out a bitter laugh. Adding to the already complicated situation, I was pregnant. It felt like the only missing piece to complete that agonizing scene from years ago was walking into his office and discovering the papers on his desk.But I wasn't going to do that; I folded my fist against the window pane, and neither was I going to cry; that girl was gone, and in her place was a grown woman
Got Too Close Unbreak my heart (2)
"You're so choosey." Joey huffed, biting into a doughnut, the chocolate toppings sticking to the tip of his nose as he narrowed his eyes at Charlotte."Well, I'm sorry for wanting to make everything perfect instead of just picking out anything my lazy ass tells me to," Charlotte retorted, shuffling through the pictures on my desk, "And believe me when I say, I still haven't found that perfect model."Joey sipped noisily from his coffee cup, and when Charlotte narrowed her gaze at him, he rolled his eyes at her.Seeing this made me wonder how La Belle had endured two people who would fight about everything, including what toppings they wanted for their doughnuts.If I had come to La Belle with the hopes of finding everything for the launching of the men's beachwear project finished, then no surprise, it wasn't even half done.With all of the models unappealing to Char's taste, everything was left on standby.Remembering I left all of the work to them for weeks, the least I could do was
Got Too Close Unbreak my heart
"Can't believe you're giving her thirty million, Elena," Noah huffed, "There are a million reasons she doesn't need it but wants to see your pride smolder."Complaining was never Noah's thing until I came to him that morning, cheque in hand, and explained everything that had happened while he was away.His reaction made me understand why Alexa demanded he didn't come alone.I did feel as if my pride was smoldered, but the feeling was nothing compared to how it would have been if she had eventually waltzed back into Nico's life.Nico had written the cheque immediately after he walked into the room, even before he strolled into the bathroom. When I entered the room, while the showers still gushed, it was sitting pretty at the edge of the bed.The first action I took when I picked it up was to inhale it, proving my desperation. The unbelief was gone. In its place was a dripping heart that he was bent on proving me wrong on all of my beliefs.He hadn't asked. Yet I had been digging up a l
Got Too Close All good.
Nico and Noah were unavailable for two days straight until, watching the news, I discovered the campaign for this year's election was about to commence.There he was, the smile on his face giving the aura that he had no problems, shaking hands with his shoulders straightened and chin held high.The control he exhibited standing right on that platform, the mic close to his face, talking to crowds was unnatural, and although I was just behind the TV, it was as if he was staring straight at me.I spent most of the time in the sitting room, losing my attention at the slightest distraction. 'That's a small sum for the two people that mean so much to me.'When I told Clara, she didn't look as affected as I was; instead, she frowned, "I'm surprised you don't have that amount on you right now."It dawned on her immediately, "Really, Elena?"At first, the decision to be financially independent had come from a place of keeping up my esteem; I mean, being paid to be a wife was low enough. Or t
Got Too Close Falling apart
"What did you just... What?!"The sterile white walls and the scent of antiseptic were starting to affect me, along with the news that Clara had just uttered in the most awkward imaginable.She knew this wasn't good news; she knew how much this would ruin my life. I didn't need something like this now! Not when I wasn't sure I could even hold myself up..."You're six weeks pregnant, Elena," she repeated, the papers in her hold; she seemed to be scared of my reaction had to explain why she was a safe distance away.I clutched at the buttons of my shirt, fighting to breathe, every damn passionate night returning to me.That was what the morning sickness was all about, the emotional roller coaster that had me weeping my eyes out with every bit of provocation.I thought it was stress, the children's abduction, and now the fear that Nico would leave me.And here I was, within the four corners of a hospital that I and Clara had driven to, with Noah waiting in the car.Nico had been called t
