"This..." Gallena's voice was full of shock, her eyes widening."What?" I asked, trying to control my near panic.She couldn't know about what happened to me and Nicholas. I didn't know why, but I thought it would be bad. Even though their engagement was messed up, I still felt bad that I'd been fooling around with her fiancée behind her back."You invited a man in?" asked Gallena, her face still in shock, her eyes widening with a playful wink that would make me laugh at the right time. "Because that tie can't be Louis'. His is blue.""I don't invite men in.""Don't lie, Gretta." She said, staring at the tie. "Who is he?""No one." I sighed. "It's Baron left behind.""And why did he leave it here?""He left it with me, and I accidentally took it," I replied, still in a casual voice, or trying to be casual because of the nervousness I was desperately trying to hide from her.She must have sensed something because her expression told me she didn't believe me at all. "I went home with Ba
The fresh taste of white wine invades my mouth and crosses my tongue as his lips claim mine. His lips possess me and control my brain and body, bending me to his will as I become putty in his hands.Tongues clash, sending chills down my spine. My toes curled up from the sensations rising inside me. A soft moan escaped as his hands squeezed my buttocks in his arms, igniting more sparks on my skin. I was lost in how he felt. Nicholas claimed me piece by piece with just a kiss, possessing my heart and lips. My arms locked behind his neck and pulled him closer.I nibbled on his lower lip. He moaned as my tongue teased his, giving me back a little control.The sound of a loud call brought me back. I pulled away from his kiss while Carl's voice called me from outside the library."Always the scene-stealer," Nicholas growled irritably against my neck.I pushed against his chest and moved my body to escape his arms. But he pressed against me even more. How much strength he had, I don't know,
"Are you all right, Gretta?"I smiled casually at Cammelia Jamesson, who was sitting in front of me, eating her lunch. "Yes, I'm fine," I replied, wiping away a speck of steak sauce that remained on my lips with a tissue."It's nice to see you well and healthy." She replied with a thick and classy British accent. As she always put out, she was polite and so organized and considerate that I restrained myself from replying rudely. That wouldn't be proper. So, not White Princess."Thank you, and how are you, mrs?" I asked.She smiled broadly. "I'm fine. Very happy, in fact, that we can finally meet again." She chuckled."I'm glad to hear that too."We spent the rest of the lunch punctuated by her conversation, mostly her talking about her vacation to the Maldives with all the extended family apart from Louis because his son was quite busy, and saying that I should have come along, but Louis told her that I was busy.I held back the image of what she would do when she found out that her
"I want to stop this engagement," the words came out of me smoothly.It consumed me from the inside. Looking at her fading smile made me want to retract my words. All my life, I had been behind the gentle White Princess, and it seemed to have stuck a little bit to my authentic self: I couldn't see someone fading their smile and being disappointed in me. It was apparent on Cammelia Jamesson's face, but Mrs. Jamesson was good at controlling herself, her expression of shock replaced by a faintly bitter, calm smile. I let out a slow breath, trying not to falter."I've noticed the signs all along. You were lacklustre, flat and sad. I wondered if my son was hurting you or if you were forced to do it.""I was set up, and I never agreed to this in the first place," I said what my heart and head wanted. It was going to backfire, and I knew that my parents would be furious when they found out, but I had to take steps for my freedom. "My parents never asked and did anything. They always did wh
Nicholas was still in my bedroom, even after I went downstairs for breakfast. In the end, I gave him my homemade breakfast, which made him smile."I was wondering why you hadn't come home since earlier," I grumbled, looking at him eating breakfast on my couch like he wasn't worried that my parents were here, doing god knows what in Dad's office, Pascha and Carl in the living room talking, and Baron watching television with Gallena and Elena. That is, almost everyone was here, and he was acting like it was no big deal."I'm hungry. You have the heart to kick me out on a hungry stomach?" he squinted. "So cruel."I rolled my eyeballs, not buying his joke. It's a good thing there are no hidden cameras here. If there were, my parents would have sent me back to Moscow the second they saw Nicholas walk into my room a few months ago. I sat beside him, looking at him, who was almost finishing his meal quickly. I've seen it a few times. He has significant portions for a big man, mainly when he
"How about the dress yesterday? Did everything go well? I asked Cami, but she didn't answer my calls and messages. It seems like she's so busy preparing for the engagement party." Asked my mom while putting on her earrings.I'm pretty sure Cammelia Jamesson is busy doing things other than the engagement party, which will only be a shadow. By the way, when was she going to tell my family? I sighed softly, trying to be patient and not pressed for time. Maybe Louis' mom is trying to come up with a plan, and like she said, I'll just have to sit back and wait."Everything's fine," I said softly."Just make sure you don't pick a ridiculous dress. I'll check it the day before the party." She replied, going back to checking the bracelet on her wrist and the contents of her bag.She was her usual self.. full of glamour and looking classy. But her spectacular appearance is not as extraordinary as her behaviour. Everyone will see my mother's true face when they get close enough to grab something
Gallena's soft fingers squeezed one of my hands, bracing me from my side."What?" my mother's shocked voice was the first thing to come out after the tense silence. I turned to her, who was staring at her with annoyance and disbelief on her face. Anger came from her, but she was able to cover it up with a bitter smile and a fake snicker. While my father was silent, his face was full of shock. "I might have heard wrong."Louis' mother looked at her husband, who gave a small nod. "We think the engagement between Louis and Gretta should stop." Louis' father said with a heavy voice, he had his own etiquette. Not gentle like his wife, from what I've observed in the few times I've met him...Louis' father is strict and rigid like my father."This isn't right," my mom replied quickly, "Is something wrong? Did Gretta do something wrong? She's a little insubordinate and not interested in this engagement, but I'll make sure that she'll be good to Louis, and all of you." She gave me a subtle look
The terrifying air came moments after Gallena came forward and shouted out the truth about what she was going through. Everything was quiet and overcast, but a rumbling storm was ready to descend, messing everything up. Father called our two uncles who were in America to come, and he even called Nicholas. After everyone arrived, he told us all to gather in the living room at nine in the evening. Except for my mom, who was pale and chose to go into the room with a bottle of vodka in her hand, she was accompanied by Aunt Rianna. The lights in the living room were on, and the sound of footsteps and voices filled the foyer. A weight pressed on my chest. Dad comes over from the sofa. His shirt sleeves are rolled up, and his suit is removed, which is never seen without him. His stern, calm face takes on an even more sinister look. That is not a good sign. Eight men stared at my sister. They would try to intimidate the name right out of her. "Your cell phone," Dad snapped. Gallena sat cro
Nicholas really took me away. It was a long trip because we were on a plane, and I only found out when the pilot told me where we were going."Spain?" I asked, looking at Nicholas sitting beside me with so much surprise.He nodded. "Put your seatbelt on, baby."I shook my head. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to go back."Nicholas shook his head with a frown on his forehead. "I'm sure you'll regret it.""Then tell me where you're taking me!" my voice rose an octave.He only raised an eyebrow and let out a long sigh. "Gallena."My eyes widened."I'll take you to Gallena's place."My heart was beating so fast with emotion that I almost fell forward as the plane began to take off. He clucked, wrapping one arm around my waist. "Put your seatbelt on." He growled.I put it on quickly. Leaning against the seat as the plane began to take off. I turned to him with a twinkle in my heart. "Do you mean it?"Nicholas nodded."Is she in Barcelona?""She's in Ibiza, I think it's a safe place f
Flashback :The hollow emptiness going on inside me didn't fix anything. It was empty and frozen. I've had many losses, and I don't know what could break me more than this one. It consumed me more than any previous loss.My baby...I haven't even had a chance to see what my baby looked like before it left me.And...Why my baby?Why wasn't it just me who died?I huddled under the thick blanket that was not familiar to my nose. A hospital bed, pillow and blanket. Which was unfamiliar because I had never experienced a hospital stay. It was excruciating, and I didn't want to come back here again. But this was still better than Mikhaelovich's death house if I could choose. It was a good thing I'd been expelled, strange because the relief seeped through me like water in a dam that was never released.I stroked my stomach, something I always did these days, even though the pain seemed to split me in two.A click came from the door behind me. I didn't need to turn around to see who had just
Two Months Later Time seemed to fly by until the church doors finally opened wide, the warning of the bride's arrival making everyone look impatiently toward the entrance. I stared at the beautiful woman in a bone-white wedding dress with a high bust. After my challenging debate with her, I finally won. Of course, with a very effective tactic: making her unable to walk with our long sex and making her surrender. And I have absolutely no regrets. She was so beautiful, gorgeous, and fabulous. My heart swelled stupidly. Like the mellow atmosphere of those cheesy romance movies she always liked, but different from those stupid movies, I liked what I felt now. Enjoying everything in every part of her. I love her. Loved her so much that I thought I would kill myself when she was in pain. That agony was behind us, and I learned my lesson. We both did. Learned to be better and accept each other. My mom said it's love and doesn't always go smoothly. All we can do is stay together and go
I looked at Gretta, who was lying on the bed.In a quiet corner of the room, the serene atmosphere inside the hospital room was only interrupted by the regular hissing of breath from the bedridden Gretta. Her face reflected profound exhaustion and sadness as if a disaster had rolled over her like an endless storm. I sat beside her with a blank look. The miscarriage had robbed us both of the glimmer of happiness they had just begun to achieve.Everything that surrounded us was messing her up, messing me up. Us.The pain split me in two. Realizing what we had lost, the cause of my own carelessness. If only I hadn't come and thrown a bomb at her, if only I hadn't brought her to my apartment, if only I hadn't abandoned her.. that fetus would still be between us. That baby.. whether a boy or a girl, would have been a testament to our feelings. I loved her, damn it. I loved her so much that jealousy about her leaving me ruled me more than my trust in her. I should have known better than
My heartbeats shattered one by one, making my chest ache.My vision blurred behind the tears and the glare of the sun on the marble floor. Once the crying started, my tears flowed like I had just opened a dam that had been closed for years. I stood in the middle of a beautiful apartment and felt nothing but cold and empty. The emptiness expanded until it threatened to eat me alive.How accurate was my belief that Nico was an addiction because this felt like the worst kind? I began to realize that it was more than that-it was love and it was heartbreak.I went to the master bathroom, turned on the shower, went inside, and cried some more. My mind was spinning with desperate thoughts of how to fix it, but it all ended on a desperate note when I thought of her cold demeanor today.Nausea rolled around in my stomach.I've been trying not to fall for him, and I've fallen so hard that I'm physically sick from his rejection. I could have laughed if I still had the energy left to cry.I got o
"What are you going to do?" Baron's hoarse voice came into my ears."Keep it." I took a breath and let it out softly. Calming the chaos inside me. "I will tell Nicholas about this, but I will wait for the right time.""If he doesn't accept it..." Baron stroked my arm. " ... you know I will always be here for you, right?"I nodded, hugging Baron tightly."He's crazy about you, Gretta. I know that. He'll accept it. He won't dump you or do anything bad to you." He said as we broke the hug. "Everyone can see it. He's just too stupid to admit his feelings."Well, I hope that's true. I nodded. "I'm waiting for him." I looked down at the bracelet on my right hand, which I never took off. "I have to do something first to give my heart to him, Baron."Because I will never let go of the past if I don't let go of it myself."Are you sure that you've disappeared from his shadow?" asked Baron.I nodded. "I'm sure," I replied. My whole heart had flown away, and I was about to move back into my froz
I saw the news and couldn't imagine what was going on in my family. I was sure my parents were cursing me and Gallena, planning what would happen to their two rebellious daughters.I was the one who ran away from my fiancé's house and was with my affair. While Gallena ran away from home pregnant. They thought we should return the favor about all that they had given us, the luxuries and stuff, the limited freedom, and the damn convenience of staying in our rooms. Ironically, that's not the same as what most parents give their kids.So, now, what do I do? Do I stay here and hassle Nicholas until I can stand on my own, which... I don't know when that will be? Because I can't possibly depend on him entirely.What are we? We were nothing other than me having sold my body for my own gain and falling in love with him while he didn't love me back. I sighed.Or could I go back to my parents' house-because it had never been my home-take my things, and then go to Baron's place? They couldn't d
My control was hanging by a thread as I listened to my men. Lorenzo also seemed intent on easing our uncle's burden.Uncle Benito and Gerald seemed to be quarreling secretly, but I was sure they were planning to overthrow me behind closed doors. Benito is a coward, and Gerald is only slightly better, but eventually, they will act. Perhaps Gerald would send his remaining legitimate son to kill me."War is inevitable," I growled. "You know that as well as I do. Don't pretend you haven't been waiting for an opportunity to spill Outfit blood again." My Underbosses nodded, and so did most of my Captains. But not Benito and Gerald.My eyes were fixed on the high ceiling of the power plant. I had chosen it at every meeting of my Captains and Underbosses over the past three years to remind them of my bloody declaration. I felt their memories needed to be refreshed.Gerald banged his fist on the table, returned my gaze to him, and swatted away Uncle Torre's calming hand. "Enough," he muttered.
Being stuck with Nicholas felt different from being stuck with Louis. I realized this a long time ago.I couldn't even spend five seconds next to Louis; a strange and uncomfortable feeling always surrounded me when I was with him, even before he was forced to become my fiancé or before I knew all his secrets.But now, when I was with Nicholas, I had a different, disturbing feeling. It was as if all the storms were coming together, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him as long as possible, even though I knew he was in darkness and danger. His name is a disaster; you must escape him if you do not want to be destroyed.But here I am, and so is he. Instead of a disaster, he became one of the people who saved me from the real disaster. He's the one by my side, caring for me more than everyone who should do it for me. For the first time, I know what it feels like to be truly loved, although I don't know if he feels the same way about me.I found him in the kitchen after I'd had enou