Chapter 37

(NADIA'S POV)

I couldn’t breathe. My thoughts screamed at me to act, but I was rooted to the spot, powerless to stop what was unfolding.

She’s seen them. She knows. What now?

I stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. My mother bent down slowly and picked up the photograph closest to her.

My stomach twisted in knots as she turned the picture over and studied it, her expression morphing into a mixture of confusion and disbelief.

“Nadia,” she said sharply, her eyes narrowing. “What is this?”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it impossible to respond. My mind raced as I realized I needed to do something…anything…to deflect her attention. Without thinking, I forced tears to well up in my eyes.

“Mother,” I whispered, letting my voice tremble as I stepped closer to her. My fake tears started to roll down my cheeks, and I let out a small, shaky sob. “Please don’t be upset.”

Her face softened slightly, but her suspicion lingered. She held up the picture, giving it a pointed shake. “Don’t be upset? Then explain this to me. Why are you in bed with Richard?!”

The harshness of her words cut through me, even though I knew it was coming. I let out a louder sob and covered my face with my hands, making my tears look more dramatic.

“It’s not what it looks like, Mother!” I cried, inching closer to her.

She frowned, holding the photograph away from herself like it was a piece of contaminated evidence.

“Then what is it, Nadia? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like a very... intimate memory of you and Richard. Why would you have such an inappropriate picture of yourself and him?”

I felt the tears running down my cheeks as I faked a louder cry, hoping my emotional display would buy me time. My mind scrambled for a believable explanation, and then a lightbulb went off.

“They’re just memories, Mother!” I wailed, my voice breaking convincingly. “Memories of... of a time I thought was important. But I swear, it’s nothing now!”

She shook her head, clearly not satisfied with my answer. “Memories? Nadia, you’re not supposed to keep such explosive pictures! It’s improper, irresponsible, and reckless! What if someone else had found these before I did? What if Max had seen them?”

I internally rolled my eyes at the mention of Max. But on the outside, I continued my dramatic sobbing. Focus, Nadia. You need to think fast.

“I wasn’t keeping them, Mother,” I lied, sniffing loudly for added effect. “I was actually planning to throw them away.

I mean, I’m not with Richard anymore, and I’m with Max now. Why would I need these pictures? They’re meaningless!”

She arched a brow, her expression hard to read as she processed my explanation. “You were going to throw them away?” she repeated skeptically.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, clutching my chest as if I were on the verge of fainting.

“I swear, I didn’t mean for you to see them. I was just sorting through old things, and I…” I let my voice trail off, giving her the impression that I was overwhelmed by emotion.

My mother sighed deeply, shaking her head in disappointment but taking a step toward me. “Nadia, stop crying,” she said, her tone softer now. “You’re being overly dramatic.”

“But I feel so terrible, Mother,” I whispered, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I didn’t want you to think badly of me. I made a mistake by holding onto them for so long.”

She placed a hand on my shoulder, her grip firm but comforting.

“Nadia, you know better than this. You’re a grown woman. These kinds of pictures shouldn’t even exist, let alone still be in your possession.”

“I know,” I sniffed, nodding quickly. “You’re right, Mother. You’re always right. I shouldn’t have kept them. I was going to throw them away today…”

“Then why were they on your bed, Nadia?” she interrupted, raising a brow again.

I froze, my mind racing for a response. “I... I was looking through some old things,”

I stammered, “ And I came across them by accident. I swear, I didn’t even know they were still there! I was going to throw them out immediately.”

She sighed again, this time rubbing her temple as if the entire situation had given her a headache.

“Nadia,” she said in a low voice, “I’m trying to understand. But you need to be careful. You’re engaged to Max now, and your actions reflect on the family. Things like this could ruin everything we’ve worked for.”

I nodded furiously, trying to appear as remorseful as possible. “I understand, Mother. I’ll get rid of them. I promise.”

Her features softened, and she pulled me into a light embrace.

“You’ve always been my pride, Nadia. You just need to make better decisions. No more of this foolishness, do you hear me?”

“Yes, Mother,” I said, my voice muffled against her shoulder. “I’ll be better. I promise.”

She stepped back, giving me a small, encouraging smile. “Good. Now stop crying. You’re too beautiful to waste tears on such nonsense.”

I nodded again, sniffing for effect one last time. Inside, I felt a wave of relief. She bought it. Thank God, she bought it.

My mother placed the photograph back on the bed, looking at me one last time before straightening her posture.

“I’ll leave you to clean this up. And remember, Nadia…be careful. You have a reputation to uphold.”

“I will,” I said softly, watching her turn toward the door.

“Goodnight, Nadia,” she said, pausing briefly before stepping out of the room.

“Goodnight, Mother,” I replied, my voice steady now.

As she left, the tension in my body began to dissipate. But the photograph still lay on the bed, a stark reminder of how close I’d come to ruining everything.

I need to get rid of these now, before anyone else sees them.

Tomorrow will be the day that I…Nadia will be the talk of town by the time I will be releasing these photos to the world.