Nadia paused and looked back at Dean. His face caught her by surprise. The hint of panic spreading through his face, and the anxiety mirroring in his eyes made her pause momentarily.As if realizing what he did impulsively, he looked at their linked hands and then let go immediately.“Sorry…” He said.“It’s okay, more importantly, is everything okay?” She asked wondering what made him act like this.He had been like this all evening since they were talking about her one night sand. She thought he was sulking because they were talking about another man, but this had nothing to do with it…It has to do with Luke!That’s when she realized what was going on. Dean was uncertain about Luke…“How about we leave this for another time… Honestly, I’m not in that much of a hurry to see who it is…” She told him with a smile.Dean’s eyes widened, he looked at the tablet and then sighed.“No, I would prefer seeing it now over the anxiety of waiting. Sorry, I’m being ridiculous when you’re the one w
“Wait what’s going on?” Dean said leaning forward as he watched the black screen. Nadia sighed just as a notification appeared on the screen.“The video file is damaged…” She told him.“On purpose?” He asked looking at her with a frown looking deeply disurbed and somehow… was that disappointment?“The drive was pretty damaged so I think it has to do with that. If Grace didn’t want us to see it, she would have just deleted it,” Nadia explained.Dean then sighed and leaned back. Leaning toward him as she looked at him, she asked “Are you disappointed?”“A little,” he answered with a soft smile as he pulled her toward him.“There’s a possibility to get the footage but it will take a while. It was deleted from the hotel database a long time ago, but this file can be our starting point…” she told him.He was silent for a while and then nodded squeezing her waist and pulling her closer.“Until then, we can take out time…” He told her and she nodded.They were like that for a while until Na
“Sooo what am I doing here exactly?” Ray asked as he sat at the table nursing a cup of coffee.“Moral support…” Dean whispered back.Nadia rolled her eyes at the two men and looked at her son who was playing with his blocks not caring about their conversation whatsoever.“Luke… Mommy has an important thing to talk about, can you look at me?” She said Luke and looked at her with curiosity.“Okay…” He said as he turned toward her and she smiled at him.“Soo, Uncle Dean and I decided to marry each other, do you know what marriage is?” She asked and Luke nodded.“Yes! It’s when a mommy and daddy love each other and then they get married and have a baby!” He explained with an excited smile sharing important information.“So Mommy and Uncle Dean are going to get married. And do you know what happens when we get married?” Asked and this time Luke tilted his head to the side.“What?” He asked.“We become a family. Uncle Dean, you and I are going to become a family. Are you okay with that?” Sh
Dean sat on the couch and stared at the skyline view before him his half-empty coffee cup forgotten in his hands. Nadia was out for her meeting with Mrs Payne. It seemed like she needed to take care of some urgent business for the kindergarten and departed with Luke soon after their breakfast.“You look like a sixty-year-old man waiting for death after a satisfying lifetime,” Ray said as he walked past him assaulting Dean’s nose with the smell of cologne.“And you smell like a teenager preparing for his first date,” Dean retorted.Ray simply threw him the middle finger as he buttoned his shirt and put on his blazer looking at the mirror before him.“Did you decide what to do?” Ray asked.“My mind was made up a long time ago…” Dean answered simply.“Are you going to tell her?” Ray asked again and Dean sighed.“When the time is right, yes, I am going to tell her. But I need to be sure about this first,” Dean explained.“The video is practically destroyed, how are you going to do that?”
“What do you mean?” Nadia asked as she stared at her father with a cool expression.What in the world was he plotting this time? There was no way that he would be handing her the properties so easily.Her father then gave her a smile that left her unsettled. It was almost a gentle smile full of remorse as his eyes gazed at her. There was something about his expression that felt almost nostalgic and she had to remind herself that there was no way that her father ever smiled at her with so much kindness.Or was there?“I’m just now realizing what I did to make you look at me with distrust,” He said.Nadia thought that she was hallucinating for a moment. Was her father really blaming himself?“What are you trying to do?” She asked.“I’m not trying to do anything. I am here to give you everything that was rightfully yours in the first place. Here is the document signed with the handover paperwork. Also, I made sure to include whatever I got from your mother, they’re all still functioning
“Nadia, this came for you,” Leilah said as she popped her head into the makeshift Office Nadia now occupied after another fight with Dean.It was decided that this place was her come-to-spot whenever she didn’t want to see Dean.“Thanks, I was expecting that…” Nadia trailed off as she reached out taking the document from her as she sat down before her.“Is the matter settled with your father?” She asked.“Surprisingly, yes,” She nodded as she looked down at the last piece of confirmation she needed to finalize.Her father went through with the paperwork after that and even offered to give her the businesses and the estate once again. But Nadia refused. It was something her mother gave to him and she didn’t want to take it from him.Sometimes, she wondered what kind of relationship her parents had, she couldn’t remember because she was around Luke’s age when her mother died. But somehow she had a hard time imagining her mother getting along with a nasty person like her father.People w
Dean leaned back as he looked at the email he got back while he was in his meeting with Miller and Nadia. His heart beat a little faster as he reached for the mouse to click on it only to hear the sound of footsteps from the room while Nadia and Luke’s chatter became clear.Exiting the page, he looked up in time to see Nadia and Lukr coming out of the bathroom. Luke was bundled in a towel looking like a burrito making Dean smile almost unconsciously. They were smiling at something Luke said. Nadia looked up at him her smile still in place and the sigh of the two of them still damp from bathing Luke their eyes bright with happiness made his heart soar. If only he could be included in their happiness. For real this time.“Hey! Can you look over Luke while I change?” She asked.“Sure…” Dean answered and she made her way into the room to change him. Dean followed her taking the clothes she picked out for him.“I will help him change, you can start getting ready,” Dean told her and she
Nadia liked silence, in fact, she enjoyed the lonely silent hours when Luke was asleep and she was left to her own devices at night. When Dean was moving in with her, she was certain that she was going to lose that pleasure.But she was finding out that she was wrong. As they drove in silence, Nadia let the warmth of Dean’s hand seep into hers as she watched the street lights go by. So far their moments of silence were filled with thoughts and maybe awkwardness, but before she knew it they weren’t like that anymore.As Dean parked the car, and picked Luke’s listless body into his arms, she watched the heartwarming scene as Luke unconsciously circled his arms around his neck. Slowly patting his back, he turned toward her reaching out with one hand which she gladly took as they walked toward the elevator.Dean took care of Luke’s routine as she popped her head into the room watching over them. The moment she saw him stare into his sleeping face deep in thought, then lean forward pressin
Nadia woke up with a start breathing heavily as sweat dampened her temple. Feeling someone shift beside her, she shivered at the whisk of air passing through her damp skin as Dean sat up in bed beside her.“Hey…” he whispered and Nadia sighed covering her face with her palms.“I’m so tired of this…” she said hotly as she tried to suppress the frustration tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.She felt a blanket being thrown on her shoulders before Dean’s big and warm hands stroked her back slowly soothing away the nerves that had been keeping her body tense.“Come on, lay down…” he said in a soft tone and Nadia followed his command laying against him as he circled his arms around her.His fingers combed through her hair slowly massaging her skull. Her heartbeat was begin in to slowly return to its natural rhythm when he finally spoke again.“Maybe you need to say your goodbyes..” he said slowly.The way Dean spoke and how he acted was becoming their routine. Since her days in t
Three weeks later, "So, how was your last check-up with the doctor?" Nadia asked as she sat at the bedside of the huge man before her.The man chucked and gave her a wry look as if asking her if she was really asking him this question."I should be the one asking you this question, Miss. You're the one who got admitted recently," he said with a smile."Oh, come on, Blake! Mine was just a flesh wound and too much drama. You're the one who was about to cross to the other side for a moment there," She answered with a fake frown.Blake, the man who saved Luke when he was kidnapped, regained consciousness only after Nadia was admitted to the hospital. The first thing the man asked for was his hospitalized daughter and Luke.Nadia had made a vow to herself that she would do her best to protect the man and his daughter no matter what. So once she heard that he was awake, she visited him and they began talking. It turned out that the man wasn't a criminal and that he only did this mission b
Dean raced down the seemingly endless corridor, each step echoing with a sense of dread. This floor had been reserved exclusively for Nadia's penthouse, accessible only with her permission or a special keycard. Yet, Dean knew that Mark had the potential to breach the security. Nadia had been aware of this vulnerability in the system, which was why she'd consented to have a bodyguard with them at all times.But Miller, in his attempt to spring this trap, had incapacitated their bodyguard, leaving them vulnerable just when Mark arrived. As they approached the open door, Dean's heart raced with a mix of fear and determination. Agents ahead of him cautiously entered the room, assessing the situation. When Dean was finally permitted to move forward, the sound that greeted him was heart-wrenching.Nadia's muffled sobs pierced the air, a stark contrast to the chaos within. Mark lay on the ground, his face a grotesque mask of brutality. Nadia was in Karl's arms, her tears flowing uncontrollab
"It's nice to see you always running to the rescue of your fiance... But we can't have you going in there ruining our plans yet," Miller said with a smile as he looked at his agents and nodded."Make sure they won't run away," he ordered."Hey! What are you doing!" Keith protested as they surrounded him."You were in on this all along..." Dean said gritting his teeth as he struggled against the agents that were holding his hands back.How had he not seen this?"Wait a minute, What are you talking about?" Miller asked looking at him with a frown."You're acting like nothing is wrong, then why are you standing at the door of our apartment building stopping me from getting inside? Is the agency now supporting Mark, or were you on his side all along and we were the idiots believing you?" Dean asked feeling helplessly frustrated as he pushed back against the men holding him only to be overpowered again."Wait a minute, I think there is a misunderstanding here..." Miller trailed off and Dea
"Dad, call the bodyguards and make sure to keep an eye on Luke!" Dean told his father as he made his way to the front of the house where he parked his car."What's going on?" He asked following him."Mark managed to escape from the police. The first place he would be heading to is where Nadia is. I need to head there right now," Dean explained and his father nodded."Okay, be careful. I will call the police to make their way there too." His father said as he closed Dean's car door after he got in.Dean nodded and started his car starting to back up when the passenger door opened and Keith jumped inside."Think that I would let you go alone this time too?" He asked with a smirk."It's gonna be dangerous," Dean warned."The more reason I need to go with you," Keith insisted, "What are you waiting for?"Dean sighed and backed away from the spot making his way toward the penthouse. He sped through the street his car eating up the road between them. He had never regretted the distance bet
Nadia opened her eyes as she felt someone lean against the bed beside her. Looking up, she found Dean smiling down at her the sunlight streaming through the window making him look as if there was a halo around his head.Groaning, she shidted to her back readying herself to cover her face with the blanket only for him to stop her with both arms."You need to wake up," He said softly."Said the guy who wore me out last night," She retorted with a sigh, "You're way too bright for me to look at, go away,"He chuckled finding her statement funny, even though she wasn't joking."It's already noon, you're going to sleep all day at this rate," He informed her but she simply shook her head stubbornly."I can't move... My muscles are sore," She complained.Dean smiled and leaned down against her pressing a kiss against her neck, right where he left a mark last night."Realy? Even though I went easy on you last night. I was having such a hard time holding back while you called out my name, in mo
"Oh, it's finally here..." Nadia remarked as she walked past Dean at the kitchen counter. He nodded absently as he stared at the test making Nadia wonder for a moment if there was something wrong with it. Leaning over his shoulder, she could see the positive green letters standing out like neon lights in the darkness."It's positive," She stated."Yeah..." He said with a satisfied smile kissing the palm of her hand as he resumed staring at the paper. Nadia smiled shaking her head at the man, he was just way too cute. Ruffling his hair, she resumed walking toward Luke's room to see if he was ready."He should be here anytime now," She informed Dean who nodded again not moving from his spot.Nadia found Luke in a similar state to his father bent over his toy his shoes and socks only half worn."Luke! You're supposed to wear your socks. Our guests will be here any moment," She said with a smile."Who's our guest?" Luke asked as he finished wearing his socks."It's my father..." Nadia s
"You..." Dean took an exasperated breath letting it out slowly..Nadia sat on the couch uncomfortable as she looked away from him. She was readying herself for another scolding when she felt a hand on her head softly patting it. Dean was looking at her with a gentle smile."If this is going to give you some peace of mind then by all means, let them meet. But I don't want you to do it at the expense of your feelings," Dean reassured her."I want Luke to meet him and know that he has a grandfather... But I can't bring myself to trust him. I don't believe that someone can change like that overnight..." She explained.Dean leaned back and she leaned against him snuggling into his arms."I always thought that it was strange that your father seemed to always think that he was the victim. It was as if he felt like he was betrayed by you but in fact it was Kate who was lying to him about you all the time. Perhaps he was never that bad of a person in the first place..." Dean said, then he corr
Standing before the hole in the ground, Nadia was filled with so many thoughts and feelings. One of them was that she was probably a hypocrite standing there wearing black and listening intently to the prayers of a man who knew nothing.Another thought is that... Well... It was sunny. Nadia always had this conception that it never was sunny on funerals, it was always raining or gloomily grey. But no, it wasn't, it was sunny, and flowers were blooming around while butterflies were mating. Burds chirping and most of all... it was warm and pleasant.To sum it up, it was the weather that destroyed her conception of funerals...Nadia watched silently as they started lowering the coffin to the ground. The coffin was made from dark wood. One Kate would have hated. And decorated with white spider lilies. Kate hated white. She always said it wasn't a color. Although she would conveniently wear it whenever she felt like the situation would require from her to add a flare of innocence. Mainly w