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“So, what did you tell her?” Arthur asked. Nikolai sighed heavily as he ran his hand through his thick blonde hair. “I told her Dad would tell her and I left.” He responded in a frustrated tone. “That’s pretty sick. I’m sorry man. I know how much you love your father.” Caspian jumped in. “I don’t know what to do with this mess guys. I’m shipwrecked.” Nikolai said in defeat. “A tough ass hole like you shipwrecked?” Caspian laughed. "When it comes to the women in my life, I'm hopeless." He sighed again. "Women? Is there another one apart from your mother?" Caspian asked. There was silence for a few minutes before Nikolai answered and said, "No." It was a week later since the incident in his father’s office and Nikolai refused to go home after that. He spent the rest of the week taking Joane shopping and renovating the penthouse according to her preferences with the help of Isabella. There was a knock on the door that made Nikolai look up and place his palm on the phone, “What
“Mum, what are you talking about?” Nikolai asked.Marjory stood from where she was sitting and moved closer, “You need to get married. It’s essential for you to secure the CEO position.” She half whispered.“What if I don’t want it?” Nikolai ran a frustrated hand in his hair,Marjory laughed like she had just heard a joke of the century, “Are you trying to kill me?” She moved backward and took a step behind, “Oh Lord! The child you gave me. He wants to throw away all I’ve worked hard for. Do you think I married your father because I loved him?”“Why did you marry him?” Nikolai asked softly, the previous events flashing in before him as he felt guilty for avoiding her the whole week. Marjory sighed, “It was to merge the two companies so that we wouldn’t lose the MacAdams Group. So many people were depending on that. So many families would have lost their jobs and slept hungry had I not made that sacrifice Nik. I hate to put this kind of pressure on you, but I have no choice. It’s eithe
Everyone’s jaw was on the floor as they watched the exchange between Nikolai and Joane. Nikolai was known as a player, but no one had ever seen him get physical or touch any woman in public before. The two ladies who had mistreated Joane exchanged a look of regret as they cleared their throats which suddenly felt extremely dry. Isabella who was equally shocked smiled as she came forward.“Nik, what are you doing here?” She smiled.“I came to check if Joane’s dress shopping is going fine. This is her first time here so I don’t want her getting uncomfortable or lonely.” He looked at Joane while saying all those things.Joane felt like her breath was caught in her chest as her stomach churned with different emotions as they exchanged looks. “Thanks, for coming,” Joane said as her face turned pink from the blush that was creeping up in her cheeks.“I guess we should get started then. Joane, have you seen any dress you like in the shop?” Isabella asked.“No, I need to look a little more,”
As Nikolai and Joane entered the hotel, they were greeted by the staff manager, who welcomed them with a warm smile."Mr. Cooper, welcome back. Your room is ready, as requested," the manager said, handing Nikolai a keycard. "And the table for your guests is all set."Nikolai nodded, thanking the manager before turning to Joane. "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing towards the elevator...Joane nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. Her heart was racing as he placed his hand on the small of her back.She was looking forward to arriving but now that they had arrived, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. A part of her felt like it was her first time and she didn’t know what to do. ‘I’ll choose random sex over planned sex any day!’ She thought as she stepped into the elevator and Nikolai joined her.As they rode the elevator up to their room, Nikolai turned to face Joane and moved slowly towards her with a smirk on his face, “I can hear your loud beating heart sweetheart, I don’t
“Do you have any manners young lady!?” Mr.Park snapped angrily. The reason Nikolai had agreed to meet him was, to notify him of what would happen to his company since Nikolai and Arthur were now Marjory shareholders. Most of his workers complained about how abusive he was and barely paid his workers minimum wage when he made them work in poor conditions and over time. Nikolai's Jaw ticked as he looked at him with a cold glare which made him shut up upon realizing his mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just thought it was unprofessional of her." He stuttered as he took his seat. Nikolai laid back in his chair and watched him calmly even though his insides were boiling. "Is that so? I suggest you apologize to the beautiful young lady because, to me, it seems like you're the one lacking manners. Don't you agree?" When Mr.Park looked up, the look in Nikolai's eyes told him not to argue, "Ahhh, yes. Miss," He turned to Joane. "Please accept my apology." He bowed his head sli
As the announcement echoed through the room, Joane felt a wave of shock wash over her. She looked at Nikolai, whose expression mirrored her own surprise.Isabella, standing beside Marjory, beamed with joy as she raised her hand to show off the engagement ring. The room erupted into applause and congratulations as people approached Isabella to offer their best wishes.Joane stood frozen, unsure of how to process the news. She had no recollection of Nikolai ever mentioning sharing romantic feelings with Isabella, let alone being engaged. She felt a pang of hurt and confusion, wondering why Nikolai had never mentioned this important detail to her.So many questions began to hit her and she felt her knees go weak.‘When did this happen? How could this happen? I’ve spent two weeks with Isabel and she even wished Nikolai and I would be together, so what is this I’m now seeing?’ The questions kept on coming but she couldn’t think of an answer that would fit any of the questions.“You even ga
“You’re like my drug. I’m addicted and I can’t get enough of you, Bullshit!” She mumbled under her breath."I love you. More lies and more bullshit!" Joane continued to speak under her breath. Joane had managed to find a taxi with the help of the stranger. She didn’t even wait to get his name when she sat and gave the driver the home address. She felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest as she replayed Isabella's words. She had hoped against hope that there was still a chance for her and Nikolai, but Isabella's confirmation shattered that hope into a million pieces.Tears that she had been holding inside erupted like a tidal wave. She couldn’t hold them back anymore as she clamped her mouth trying to muffle the sobbing. She felt like her heart was ripped into tiny pieces. It hurt so much that she wished someone would make it stop.Her shoulders were shaking as she cried her heart out. The pain of betrayal was fresh and new. “What should I do?” She asked no one in partic
“Is that Joane?” Isabella asked in surprise.“Seems like it. My girl is turning the city upside down.” Nikolai smiled proudly. “You looked gorgeous Sweetheart.”“Where did you get that dress?” Isabella pressed on curiosity building inside her.“Oh, you suddenly went mute so, I called Kiana for help.” Joane shrugged. “Kiana Reed, always reliable.” Nikolai laughed as he brushed Joane’s hair. A habit he had of playing with her hair anytime she was close to him.Isabella gasped, “Arthur Reed’s wife is your friend?”“Yeah.” Joane half laughed, “You seem pale, are you okay?” Joane asked.“Yeah. I’m good.” Isabella cleared her throat. Looking back at the TV.Joane's attention went back to the TV and was still shocked that her picture was the one that was making headlines, “Do they do this normally?” She asked.“Yes, they select one male and one female who stands out during the event and ask them to do an interview with Stay TV,” Nikolai explained.“Stay TV?” Joane asked. Still confused.“Ye
Hello my lovely readers, I hope you are all okay. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you for giving my book a chance.We've come.to the end of Joane and Nikolai's story and I hope you enjoyed their bumpy ride. I'd love to hear from you so please do drop me a review on the main page and a gem if you can. My next book will be dropping next month and I look forward to sharing with you that new journey with you once again. OTHER BOOKSPlease do check out my other works too.BILLIONAIRE'S SWEETHEARTMR.CEO, PLEASE LOVE OUR MUMMY OWNED BY THE MAFIA KING I love you all, take care and have a great week.
Five years later:“I think you just have a problem!” Julina said angrily.“How can I not when you keep finishing the food before it goes where it’s supposed to go?” Caspian shot back.“That's not true!” Juliana defended herself as she looked at Kiana who looked down, she looked at Joane who suddenly wanted to grab her phone.Juliana scoffed in disbelief as she watched her best friends look anywhere but her as if siding with her husband. “I think it’s true but Uncle Caspian doesn’t seem to mind, he loves you!” Natalia said as she grabbed the cookie jar that Juliana was holding onto.They were at Juliana and Caspian’s house where they were celebrating their daughter’s second birthday. Everyone had gotten so busy after Joane and Nikolai’s wedding that they rarely saw each other.When Juliana sent out invitations to reunite everyone after five years, they gladly showed up at their vacation home.Juliana had quit her job at Clear Cosmetics and decided to be a full-time house wife and help
Joane sat at the kitchen table, cradling a steaming mug of coffee in her hands. The aroma filled the room, but she hardly noticed it as her mind wandered. The weight of her sister's illness had been pressing down on her for weeks, making every moment feel like an eternity. She took a sip, as she searched for any donor on the website that Angela had told her about.Her phone buzzed on the table, jolting her out of her thoughts. She picked it up, seeing the name "Agness" flash on the screen. Her heart skipped a beat as she answered the call."Hello?" Joane's voice was shaky.For the past two weeks, that was the case with Natalie, she was getting worse and they were running out of time. Every time her phone rang and it showed “Agness” Joane would hold her breath in the hope that it wasn’t news of her sister’s death."Joane, it's Agness. You need to come to the hospital immediately. Natalia's condition has worsened, this might be her last few moments. You can come and say your goodbye.” S
Two weeks had passed and Nikolai had been taking Joane to see a psychologist to help her ease her trauma and that helped her get better.The guilt over John's death was still there but she felt better when his mother visited her and told her it wasn't her fault. She hugged her and they cried together that day. After Isabella’s arrest, Joane had visited her discreetly and injected her with slow poison, seeing Isabella in tears and begging for her life made her feel better about her child and John, someone she loved like family who were unjustly taken away from her. It somehow made her feel like they were avenged. Even though it would never feel the void, knowing justice was served made it easier to live with. *******Nikolai had decided to take Joane out for some air and they were on a yacht. It was just them and the captain and seeing her smile again put a smile on Nikolai's face too.It had taken some time for him to move on from the betrayal but he had eventually forgiven Micheal
The moment that Nikolai packed his car, he saw Isabella from his rearview mirror and informed Arthur to be on stand-by. When he stepped out and she asked him to throw the phone in the water, he pressed the SOS button to inform Arthur of how serious the situation had turned out to be.Arthur took the signal and with the help of Kayden’s great hacking ability, he was able to find Isabella’s car through every street camera. When they drove to their destination, Cade tagged along to help Arthur because he too had been searching for Isabella over the crimes she had done with Annabel.Nikolai’s pulse raced as the sound of sirens grew louder, the distant wail piercing through the tense atmosphere. Isabella's eyes darted around in a mix of panic and fury. Her henchmen exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of their next move.“Damn it,” Isabella hissed again, her grip on the gun tightening. “We need to move. Now!”But when she noticed they were surrounded, she got Confused and was unsure of where
Nikolai’s head throbbed as he slowly regained consciousness. The dull ache intensified with each heartbeat, and he groaned, attempting to move but finding himself restrained. As his vision cleared, he realized he was tied to a chair in a dimly lit warehouse. The air was thick with the smell of dust and oil, and a single, flickering overhead light cast long shadows on the concrete floor.Panic surged through him as he remembered the last thing he heard—Joane’s scream. He struggled against his bindings, feeling the rough ropes cutting into his wrists. Every fiber of his being ached to find her, to ensure she was safe.A soft whimper caught his attention, and his eyes darted around the room. He saw her in the corner, barely illuminated by the weak light. Joane was lying on the cold floor, her hands and feet bound, her face pale and streaked with tears. Anger and fear surged through him, giving him a boost of energy to fight against his restraints.“Joane!” he called out, his voice hoars
“It’s good to see you,” Leo said as Nikolai walked in.He found his mother sitting silently and wondered what made her extra low. Even after what had happened, Marjory wasn't the type not to jump when she saw her son so something felt off and he was going to speak to her,After talking to Leo.“I don’t have much time, so let’s get to the point,” Nikolai said.Leo cleared his throat as he eyed his son. Isabella had not told him what she had done with Joane but only told him to force Nikolai to marry her and because he wanted to be with Katherine, he gladly accepted to do so.“I’ve set the date for you and Isabella. You didn’t break off the engagement publicly as planned so they still think you’re together. This is your chance to make things right.” Leo said but didn’t get a chance to say the next words as Nikolai’s fist met with his cheek and made him stumble backward while grabbing his side of the face in pain.“What the hell!” He shouted.“Nik!” Marjory stood but didn’t even bother t
Nikolai paced the length of his office, his phone pressed to his ear. He had been trying to reach Joane for hours, but all his calls had gone unanswered. Worry gnawed at him, each unanswered ring heightening his anxiety.“Does she hate me that much?” He mumbled under his breath.Nikolai didn’t want to call Arthur because he felt like he was already putting his friend in an awkward situation by making him the middleman. He tried to deal with their problem on his own.After trying again, he decided to first reach out to Micheal in case he knew something. Who picked up on the second ring.“Hi.” He answered, “Do you need me for anything?”Nikolai froze for a few seconds. He had been thinking about what he had said to him and a part of him felt guilty because Micheal may not have told him he was his father, but he stood by him through it all, including in moments that he was too ashamed of talking about. Nikolai had a great relationship with Leo but it got stained after the day he caught h
Joane's brow furrowed in confusion. "What plan?"Isabella rolled her eyes, her expression turning cold and irritation evident on her face "Oh, you don’t know anything do you?” But she didn’t wait for a response when she continued while she paced around, "You see, my dear, this all started long before you came into the picture. My father was supposed to take over the Cooper Group. It was his birthright, and my birthright was to Marry Nikolai so we could be reunited as a family. Then you came along and ruined everything!"Joane struggled against her bindings, trying to understand what she had just heard but it wasn’t making any sense to her, having slept in a chair didn't help her body ache either but she remained focused on getting the confession out of Isabella, "Your father? What does he have to do with this? And how is marriage a birthright?" She half laughed at how ridiculous Isabella sounded. "Leo Cooper is my father. You dumb ass, and Nikolai is my soulmate. His purpose is t