Nicholas I've been staring at the message Harper sent to me, along with the video that accompanied it. My anger rises as I replay the video again. Just as I'm about to play the video again my phone rings and I see it's a call from Natalia and I ignore it again like I've done the last five times. She's been sending me messages, asking when I'd be coming home. I keep telling her that I've been too caught up with work.I contacted my lawyer when Rosalie was still in the hospital, luckily there are no extreme losses if I terminate the contract with, Jacob Oslo, Natalia's father. So he's preparing the divorce papers and contract termination.Ares's words kept replaying in my head throughout. And I realized that he was right. The contract with Oslo does bring in a lot of money, but I've gotten more and will get more even after terminating our contract.Rosalie has sacrificed enough, and I was the stupid asshole that treated her badly in the past when all she deserves is the world. The
Rosalie The moment Nicholas showed me that recording and uttered those words, my world shattered into a million fragments. The revelation that my parents and brother, the very people who were supposed to love and protect me unconditionally, were the masterminds behind the cruel incident left me passed out and bleeding on my carpets. It felt like the ground beneath me gave way, and I was left free-falling into a chasm of hurt and betrayal.I couldn't recall how I left Nicholas's office; it was as if I was moving through a fog, disconnected from reality. The video of the betrayal played on a constant loop in my mind, it dawned on each frame a painful reminder of the treachery that had been concealed from me. I was so stunned that I couldn't even begin to process the whirlwind of emotions raging inside me. It was like my heart had been encased in ice, numbing me to the pain that threatened to consume me whole. Years of ignoring the abuse and disrespect because they are family, and
Rosalie "When would you like us to go to your parent's place?" Nicholas asks as we had breakfast together that morning. It's the first time since I saw that video I've eaten any food. All I had was liquids and a small amount of sleep. Every time I closed my eyes all I could see was what happened that night. But this time, the thieves didn't cover their faces. I could see my parents and brother laughing as they kicked me and stole from me.It continued like that for two days straight. As usual, I had been thinking of overlooking their manipulation and betrayal, but not anymore. And that was when the nightmares stopped.My family needs to pay for what they did to me."You don't have to come in with me," I mutter lowly. My eyes felt heavy from all the crying I'd been doing."Of course, I have to, I'm not letting you do this alone. What if they try to hurt you? Again!" He adds and I flinch at the memory."They're my family, Nick, I'll be fine."Nicholas shakes his head and mutters, "
Nicholas "Ugh! What the hell is that noise?" I groan loudly as the incessant vibration fills my ears and adds to my headache. Last night was a total blur. I'm awoken by the incessant buzzing sound of my phone going off like crazy, and my head pounding like a jackhammer. I couldn't even think straight, right now. I fumbled around, desperately trying to find my phone, and finally ma naged to silence the damn thing. I picked it up and squint, from how bright the light is. Still feeling quite sleepy I glance at the screen again, and I couldn't believe my eyes. It was already freaking noon! I groan loudly and let out a massive yawn, feeling the weight of an arm draped across my bare chest. And that's when I focused on Rosalie presence. I let my head fall back on the pillow with a loud thud. An action I soon regret when my head aches more.I try to recall my actions from yesterday but I can't seem to remember anything. I don't even remember getting into bed. All I can remember is drin
Nicholas He dashed out of the car the moment he pulled up to the house Rosalie and him shared. The lingering scent of Natalia's perfume on his clothes made him eager to rid himself of any memories from last night. His chest already felt very heavy as if it was being pulled down by iron. He didn't want any traces of her, stuck to his skin. Stepping inside, a delightful aroma filled the air, signaling Rosalie's presence at home. Caught between wanting to see her and wanting to cleanse himself of the last night, he made his way to the kitchen."Hello, love," Nicholas greeted cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. Rosalie turned with a wide smile, her happiness evident. He felt a pang in his heart, unsure of how to confess what he had done. How do I even start? "Hey, I know we're not official yet. But, I sort of cheated on you with my ex wife.... soon to be ex wife." He thought to himself."Hey, you're back. How was your time with your brothers?" Rosalie asked, moving closer to hi
Rosalie Rosalie woke up feeling disoriented, unsure of her surroundings for a moment. As she turned over, she found Nicholas lying next to her, wide awake and gazing at her with a warm smile on his face. "Hey," she said, returning his smile. "Good morning," he replied, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "How long have you been up?" Rosalie asked, stifling a yawn. "Not long," Nicholas answered, sliding out of bed. Rosalie watched curiously as he picked up a tray and turned back to face her. "I made you breakfast. Seeing as we never had lunch or dinner last night, I figured you'd be hungry." Rosalie couldn't help but smile at his thoughtfulness, remembering the events of the previous evening. It had been her who had initiated their intimate encounter, something she had never done before. But it had felt so right, so natural with Nicholas. The way he had paid such close attention to her body, memorizing every curve and contour as they made love, had been not
NICHOLASThe incessant buzzing of my phone had become a maddening symphony, each vibration a reminder of the chaos brewing outside my office walls. Natalia.Eight missed calls, each more desperate than the last, and each time I had chosen to ignore them. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; it was that I couldn’t afford to care—not now, not when the weight of our impending divorce loomed over me like a dark cloud.The morning had started with my lawyer’s grim voice, informing me that the divorce papers had been dropped off with Natalia. She had refused to sign them, a stubbornness that felt all too familiar. I had expected this, but it still gnawed at me. I was trying to focus on the reports littered across my desk, but the constant interruptions from my phone made it impossible. I glanced at the screen again. Another message from her. I swiped it away, forcing my attention back to the numbers that danced across the page.Just as I was about to lose myself in the minutiae of my work, the
Natalia stood by her car, a sleek black sedan that gleamed under the overcast sky, its polished surface contrasting sharply with the crumbling facade of the old building before her. She rubbed her gloved hands together, the chill of the air biting through the thin fabric, and cast a glance at the watch on her wrist. The seconds ticked by, each one amplifying her impatience. A sigh escaped her lips, tinged with frustration.Minutes later, the low growl of an engine broke the silence, and a black Jeep appeared around the corner. It rolled to a stop, and a man stepped out, a small smile playing on his lips. He approached her, but before he could greet her, Natalia’s voice cut through the air, sharp and accusatory.“Do you have any idea how late you are?” she snapped, her tone laced with anger.“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” he replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. “But look on the bright side, when we take down your ex-husband, we’ll be super rich.”Natalia’s frown deepened, her gaze
Rosalie A year had passed since the whirlwind of my tour ended, and now I stood at the threshold of a new chapter in my life. Nicholas and I had returned home, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how far we had come. I remembered the day I announced my engagement to Anna, her face lighting up with joy as she squealed and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Oh my gosh, Rosalie! You’re getting married!” she had exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. We had laughed and cried and laughed again while we watched romcom and drank ice cream, feeling a warmth in my heart that I had never known before. After that, I had rushed to visit Grams to share the news. I could still picture how her face would lighten up and what she would say if she was here, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “Oh, my sweet Rosie, I always knew you’d find someone special,” she would say, her voice filled with pride. I had told her everything—the proposal, the plans, and how Nicholas had swept me o
Rosalie It's been a month since Nicholas proposed to me. We decided to keep it a surprise from everyone until after I was done touring. At first, I didn't know how Anna was going to feel about Nicholas and I getting back together, and I told him about it. That was until he told me how she had come to his office and gave him the longest and most useful pep talk of his life. He also kept his word and followed me to work and waited every single day. And the gifts never stopped even though we were back together.The tour ended with a grand exhibition attended by the movers and shakers of oak view’s art world. The exhibition took place in a big hall, and every photgrapher had their own section in the pop-up gallery.It was exhilarating, nerve-wracking, and utterly surreal.I stared at my little slice of heaven and the people passing through it, dressed to the nines and examining each piece with what I hoped were admiring eyes.I’d grown by leaps and bounds as a photographer over the
Nicholas That’s Scorpio.” Rosalie pointed to a spot in the sky. “Do you see it?”I followed her gaze toward the constellation. It looked like any other cluster of stars.“Mmmhmm. Looks great.”She turned her head and narrowed her eyes. “Do you really see it, or are you lying?”“I see stars. Lots of them.”Rosalie huffed out a half groan, half laugh. “You’re hopeless, Nicholas.”“I told you, I’m not and never will be an astronomy expert. I’m just here for the view and the company.” I kissed the top of her head.We lay on a pile of blankets and cushions outside our glamping resort in Caravans Desert, one of the top stargazing destinations. After all the shit that’d gone down last month, this was the perfect place to reset now that she has given me another chance. So I brought her to this resort six days ago. We’d spent the past four days hiking volcanoes, luxuriating in hot springs, and exploring sand dunes. My assistant had nearly keeled over with shock when I told her I was
Rosalie My dates with Nicholas had been really successful. And he lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my daily photography time. Other times, especially when I was with other people or exploring the city on the weekends, he was less conspicuous, but he was there. I felt his presence even though I couldn’t see him.I never thought Nicholas Sinclair would become my stalker, but there we were.On top of that, gifts arrived every day. By the boatload.By the end of the first week, my apartment looked like I was opening an indoor garden. I donated everything to a local hospital—the roses of every color, the vivid purple orchids and sweet white lilies, the cheerful sunflowers and delicate peonies.By the end of the second week, I owned enough jewelry to make the Duchess of Cambridge green with env
Rosalie After our date, the gifts didn't stop. They kept coming. By the end of the third week, I was knee-deep in gourmet chocolates, gift baskets, and custom-made desserts. I didn’t care about fancy jewels or flowers, so those gifts didn’t matter to me. It was the little things that tore holes in my heart—the red velvet cupcakes that spelled out I’m Sorry; a rare, vintage Japanese camera I’d searched for for years but had never found for sale. By the end of the fourth week, I was torn between tearing my hair out in frustration and crumbling like a sandcastle at high tide. “We need to talk,” I said Friday afternoon after I left my lighting techniques workshop. Nicholas lounged against a light pole outside the building, infuriatingly gorgeous in jeans and a white T-shirt. Aviators hid his eyes, but the intensity of his gaze seared through the glasses and burned into my flesh. “Sure,” Nicholas said, unfazed by the attention he was getting. He was probably used to it. While he foll
Rosalie I didn’t move back in with Nicholas. Part of me wanted to, but I wasn’t ready to jump in with both feet again so soon.I did, however, agree to another date with him.Three days after our movie night, we arrived at a quiet corner of the Oak View Botanic Garden. It was a gorgeous afternoon, all clear skies and golden sunshine, and the picnic setup looked like something out of a fairytale.A low wooden table stretched across a thick ivory blanket, surrounded by huge cushions, gold and glass floor lanterns, and an oversized wicker hamper. The table itself was set with porcelain plates and a feast of foods, including baguettes, charcuterie, and desserts.It was amazing. And Nicholas lived up to his promise-slash-threat of showing up every. Single. Day. He was there in the morning when I left for my fellowship, usually with a vanilla latte and blueberry scone—my favorites. He was there to walk me home after my workshops.Other times, especially when I was with other peo
Nicholas "My sweet girl, it’s so nice to see you!” Freya brushed past me and swept Rosalie up in a hug. She only used the sweet girl endearment for her grandchildren, but apparently, she’d extended it to Rosalie. “The house isn’t the same without you.”I scowled at her pointed tone. She’d given me the cold treatment all week. I was pretty sure she’d burned my pork chops on purpose the other night. I’d forced down two bites before I gave up and ordered takeout. It wasn’t just her, either; even Edward my driver had cast disapproving glances my way when he thought I wasn’t looking.My staff didn’t know what happened with Rosalie amd I. They only knew she was gone, and they blamed me for it.Hell, I blamed myself too, which was why I was trying to make amends.I’d spent the past couple of days since my call with Rosalie planning the date, and my nerves were a humiliating wreck. I hadn’t been this nervous since I was a high school freshman asking out the most popular girl in school.
NicholasOne ring. Two. Three.I paced my room, my stomach twisted with nerves as I waited for her to answer.It was ten-thirty, which meant she was getting ready for bed. She usually took an hour to wind down with a shower or a bath, depending on how stressed she was; a bafflingly intricate ten-step skincare routine, and some reading, if she wasn’t too tired.I’d timed my call so I’d catch her after she got out of the shower.Four rings. Five.Assuming, of course, she picked up my call.My nerves pulled tighter.Rosalie gave me her number that afternoon, which meant she wanted me to call, right? If she didn’t, she would’ve simply left. Hell, a part of me had expected her to.I’d lingered in that damn coffee shop for almost two hours on the off chance I’d see her. She went there every day, but her timing varied depending on her workload.It wasn’t the world’s greatest plan, but it’d worked, even if it’d meant skipping a lunch video call meeting.Six rings. Sev—“Hello?” Her voice flow
Rosalie “Hey, Rosalie. The usual?”“Yes, please. Make it four,” I said as the barista rang me up. I frequented the coffee shop near the main building so often they’d memorized my order. “Thanks, Sue.”“No problem.” She smiled. “See you tomorrow.”I paid and moved to the pickup area, only half looking at where I was going. I was too distracted by the flood of new messages scrolling across my screen. Mostly from Anna and maybe one or two from Ares.With the way she sent numerous messages at once, one would think she's in trouble.She probably wanted to congratulate me on the success of the Picture Ball. According to her and Sarah, news outlets had deemed it “one of the most exquisite balls in the Picture Balls history” in their Sunday style roundup, which meant I woke up that morning with even more messages crowding my inbox.It was only Monday, and I already had twenty-two new client inquiries, five interview requests, and countless invitations to balls, screenings, and private par