Chapter 43

MAX POV

I smiled to myself as he hung up the phone after his call with Nadia. She had promised to meet me at the restaurant soon.

I could almost hear the slight tension in her voice, but I didn’t mind. I was so very ready to see her, to finally discuss everything we had avoided for too long at least for everyone's benefit.

I leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of wine, savoring the smooth taste. The quiet restaurant was almost empty, the soft music in the background adding to the calm atmosphere.

I didn’t mind the solitude. I liked it this way. It gave me so much time to think not just about Nadia but also Mr Jacob and tonight, he had a lot on his mind.

Nadia had a way of keeping me guessing, of making me question what was real and what wasn’t. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something from me for a very long period of time, something important. He had to get to the bottom of it tonight.

Time passed slowly, but I was patient. I haf been waiting for this moment for a while, and I wasn’t about to rush it. My thoughts were interrupted when I saw her.

She was dressed in a flowing yellow gown which made her skin match with the gown.

Nadia walked in, her yellow gown catching the soft light from the chandeliers. She looked beautiful, as always. But something was off. I could tell by the way she moved, the subtle hesitation in her step.

I guess that she should have sensed that something was wrong somewhere, I didn't use a sweet voice in summoning her out. I did it so casually because I was tired of her pretense.

Nadia's eyes scanned the room before locking onto him. A small smile appeared on her face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

She made her way toward the table where Max was sitting, and as she approached, I stood up to greet her.

“Hey,” I said with a smile, trying to keep my tone casual, though my eyes were sharp, watching her every move.

Nadia nodded, her smile faltering slightly as she took a seat across from me. She seemed distracted, her eyes kept moving around the restaurant, but she didn’t say anything at first.

I took a sip of wine, watching her carefully. "So," he began, leaning in slightly, " when will we be fixing our wedding?" I asked almost immediately.

Nadia’s face instantly changed. The smile that had been there just moments ago slipped away, and her expression turned sour.

I noticed it immediately. She was trying to hide it, but I could see through it. It wasn’t the reaction I had expected, and it made me more certain that something was off.

Her eyes flickered to me, and she quickly tried to hide her discomfort. "Max, I... I don’t think we need to rush into it," she said, her voice strained.

I tilted his head, watching her closely. "I can tell you don’t want to marry me. You’ve been avoiding the topic for weeks now." I said it so matter-of-factly, as if I had already made up my mind about the whole situation.

And of course, it's not like I wanted to even marry her…though I wanted to but that was before I found out that Tammie's family is richer than Nadia's.

Nadia's eyes widened, and for a moment, she seemed speechless. She opened her mouth, trying to defend herself, but Max cut her off before she could say anything.

"I already know you were the one who posted those naked and bed pictures of you and Richard online," I said, my voice low but audible enough.

Nadia froze. Her eyes went wide with shock, and for a brief moment, she didn’t know how to react.

NADIA'S POV

I opened my mouth. Immediately Max told me that he already knows what I'm capable of and he told me to my face that he knows that I was the one who posted those naked pictures of Richard and I.

But no words came out of my mouth. The realization hit me harder than anything else. How did he know?

Max leaned back in his chair, watching me so carefully. “You’re not as clever as you think, Nadia. I know what you’ve been doing, and it’s time to stop pretending.”

My face went pale. The guilt that had been bubbling beneath the surface now came rushing to the forefront.

I couldn’t just believe Max had figured it out. I thought that I had been so careful, but I must’ve underestimated him.

“I…I didn’t do such a thing, you know that I can never do something to hurt you,” I tried as much as not to stammer, finally finding my voice.

“I wasn't me…I had already trashed the pictures a long time ago.

Maybe it was Richard who had done such to tarnish my image. ” I kept talking and lying at the same time so that I wouldn't get caught.

There was no excuse. I had done it, and now the consequences were catching up with me.

Max gave a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “You’ve been playing games, Nadia. You think I don’t see it?”

I could feel my heart racing. I had no idea what to say next. I had never been this cornered before.

I had tried to lie, tried to hide my actions, but Max wasn’t buying it. It was clear now that he had known more than I expected.

“I love you, Max,” I finally said though I knew I was lying, my voice was barely above a whisper. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Believe me, I wasn't the one who posted that picture. ”

Max didn’t look at me with the same affection he usually did. His expression was hard, his jaw clenched. “I’m not sure I believe that anymore,” he said, his words cold and final.