-ANASTASIA-
“Did you get leave from the office, dear?” My father asked taking another serving of quiche. I nodded my head. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t get it but if I said that my mother might pinch my ears. “They sure are lenient considering the year long gap you had taken.”
I glanced at Nathan with a sly smile. “What can I say? My boss is very influential indeed.” Nathan smirked. We were leaving after breakfast but my mother had decided to delay it to the most by making an extremely large breakfast.
After saying one last goodbye to Helena we left for Maldives. Would you call me excited? I don’t know, seeing a new place is always great but twelve days alone with Nathan would be something as well.
‘When have you taken an unexpected trip? Not an emergency but for leisure… I find it weird writing in a plane but that is how life is. I am not going to tell you curious ones
-ANASTASIA-I can’t believe we slept the entire afternoon and night. I woke up at 6 in the morning thinking it was still the previous day but my phone corrected me. I looked beside me and smiled when I saw Nathan still sleeping.But when I came out of the bathroom, he was no longer there making me frown. I hate to remove his tank top knowing that if I did his smell will no longer comfort me. My phone pinged with a message.Nathan: Come to the gym in ten.“Gym?” I don’t remember seeing a gym when I went around the house yesterday and who has a gym in a beach house? I hope Priya had packed something I could wear for a workout. I took the unopened bag from yesterday and placed it on the bed. “Oof. Heavier than I remember.”Unzipping the bag, I wondered about Helena, mama had said I shouldn’t call her every now and then and that I should wait for three days till I call. She did
-ANASTASIA-The interview would start in ten minutes and I am still panicking on what to wear. I had managed to find a decent blouse from the outrageous clothes that Cain had packed but I couldn’t find a matching pant.I know you are wondering if I am worried about Nathan walking in on us then I have everything planned. I told him I had a headache and wouldn’t be able to work out today and he is in the gym building more muscles. I didn’t tell him per say, I texted him.After you know... whatever happened in the gym, we didn’t get the chance to talk not that I am looking forward to it but only if he wanted to say anything. The laptop chimed with the link to the interview, my palms were sweating as I sat down in front of it.Someone admitted me and I wiped the last bead of sweat before switching on the camera. I smiled at the man watching me from the camera. “Good morning Mrs. Dominic, I am Chad Melendez
-ANASTASIA-He is angry, I know that. What I don’t know is why is he being childish and avoiding me? It is something we girls do. I peeked from my menu card to check on him but he was busy going through the menu.The entire ride to the restaurant was silent and now here also he is, seeing his bad mood I had assumed he forgot about the lunch but he didn’t. The waiter was back with his note pad waiting for us to place the order. I smiled at him, “I would like the rich with chicken stroganoff.”“And what would you like to drink?” He asked maintaining his cheerful attitude. I am glad there are no chest popping waitresses around here to seduce Nathan.Nathan ignored me on purpose when I looked at him for a suggestion. “I guess a strawberry lemonade will have to do.”“Nice choice.” Nathan scoffed making me glare at him. “What would you like sir?” the sweet waiter did
-ANASTASIA-The sunlight oozed through the window reminding me of my carelessness. I should have closed the curtains especially when we have long windows almost the size of the door. Nathan groaned beside me. “Close the curtains Monroe.”I turned around towards him so that the light didn’t hit my eyes. “You do it.” I mumbled.“Please, I will take you for sightseeing if you close the damn curtains.”Opening one eye I saw his hand covering his eyes. “With no guards around?” he stayed silent for a few seconds that I thought he didn’t want me to close the curtains. Fine with me. Just as I closed my eyes, I heard him groan. I opened my eyes again, he was nodding his head making me smile. “a deal I can’t deny.”I got up and closed the curtains before climbing back into the bed. With one hand he pulled me closer to his chest, I tried to wiggle out of him but he
-ANASTASIA-By the time we were done with all the ice creams I had a hand over my mouth to prevent myself from burping loudly. “You full?” Nathan asked getting on his cycle, somehow my bicycle had managed to travel all the way from the place where we left it and reached outside of the restaurant.I knew he wouldn’t keep the men away even if I had insisted.He knew I will need the exercise after the large intake of calories. I nodded my head and climbed on my cycle. “thank you, Nathan.”“You are welcome. Do you want to go the market I suggested?” Nodding my head once again, he started to lead the way and I followed him. I can’t believe the number of flavors, imagine an ice cream with the flavor green mango with matcha powder. It is not my favorite but I did like it.Once we reached the local market, we locked our respective bicycles and walked inside the market. The right name of this
-ANASTASIA-The next part of my plan is completely dependent on luck. I scrolled through her pictures in social media, she is ought to have something. I looked at Nathan working on his laptop and sighed. “Take a break Nathan.”He shook his head. “the entire day was a break. And I need to complete this tonight. Stat.”Rolling my eyes, I clicked on one of her pictures with a background that was really interesting. “Nathan, do you take assistants when you go to a different country?”He didn’t answer me so I threw a pillow at him which he caught without taking his eyes off the laptop. “Yes. Most of the time, why?”Uh… “One of my friends is looking to be an assistant so she had this doubt.” He closed the laptop and gave me a look that said he knew I was lying. “I am serious. Her name is Rachel, she works for us in the publishing office... now that I remember
-ANASTASIA-Did I do something wrong? I stood up and waited for him to explain but he was busy glaring behind me. I turned around and saw his victim, Gerald. “Nathan, I asked him to come with me. The other men aren’t around and I thought you didn’t want me to go alone.”He raised his brow, “who told you that? Park is there behind the house and yes Steve is out doing some work.”I looked at Nathan in disbelief. Why did Gerald lie? There was only one person who could answer my question. I turned around and he removed his shades, there was guilt in his eyes. I felt my shirt being wrapped around me making me glare at Nathan. “Why did you lie?”“I… I just wanted to be with you. You are so hot but kind to everyone, I think I can’t be just friends with you Tasha.” He said trying to reach for my hand.I took a step back. “No.” I didn’t want to look a
-ANASTASIA- Everyone at least the six of us which included myself, Mr. Stuart and two other men from whom I think is one of his assistants and lastly Jocelyn waited for Nathan to answer. I only had one thing in my mind. Please don’t say gorgeous. He had said that to me making me feel special and a heart break is guaranteed if he does call her that. I know and have accepted the fact that she is pretty. She looked amazing in her silver formfitting gown and her hair in a high bun. What is with the colors gold and silver for her? She is always wearing those colors or red. I looked at Nathan who had removed his hand from mine. “Nathan I am sure she is waiting. Answer her, we have a gala to begin.” Mr. Stuart chuckled but Nathan continued to glare into space. “I will see you in a while Mr. Stuart.” He said before turning around and leaving us stunned. He did pass us girls each a look but didn’t say anything. Should I be surprised h
-ANASTASIA-“There you go.” I said pulling the t-shirt over my three-year-old and as always it was a green t-shirt, the boy didn’t like anything other than green. He gave me a cute smile before jumping off the bed giving me a heart attack and ran off to the kitchen to steal one of the cookies that Nathan made the other day. “Don’t take more than one, Chris.” I yelled but I know that it is off no use.Hurrying I changed into a maroon formal dress and did a half up and down before getting out of the room. “Come on Chris, I have a reading to be done with and then we have to go to your sister’s play.” By the time I reached the kitchen I was panting.Chris had cookie crumble all over his face, “Mama can I have another cookie?” I looked at the plate, out of six cookies that were there only four were remain, I gave him a knowing look which made him pout. “Two mama, yummy dada&rsquo
-ANASTASIA-Oof! All the bags were packed but I was only taking one with me, Nathan said he could send the rest to Philadelphia. No, he is not okay with me going but that is how it has to be. My bus comes at 10 which means I have to leave now if I want to catch that bus.I read my response to Philadelphia once again with a sigh. I guess I am happy with my decision, this is for the best. “Are you packed?” Nathan asked making me turn around and see him leaning against the door.Last night I thought he would not stay with me in the room but he did, he hugged me tightly almost as if I would get up and leave at night. Then again, I didn’t complain because I don’t know when I will get the chance to sleep with him again. “Yeah. Helena awake?”He nodded. I removed the shirt I was wearing noticing my belly, it was not showing yet, Dr. Melendez said I would have to wait for three months to see the bump but he sai
-NATHAN-“Why did you lie to me?” She asked tears filling her eyes. I thought she was bothered by me not being Helena’s father but her problem was that I lied to her.Sighing I pulled at the ends of my hair, I was going to tell her when we went on that date but then she felt insecure and the day went with that. I tried many times but backed off afraid of her reaction. “I was scared.”She scoffed. “Is that the truth? Because Nathan as far as I can remember from the time, we met you have only been feeding me with lies and me, like a fool believed each and every one of it.” Her words hurt but I deserved it and I won’t ask her to take it back or apologize.“I am now telling you the truth...” I said trying to reach out to her but she stepped away like I was a stranger, this hurt way worse than when Jocelyn cheated on me and I can’t imagine the pain I caused her. “Anastasia
-ANASTASIA-My eyes widened. “Ar… are you sure?” I asked trying to remember whether we used any protection, all the times we did it but I am not sure. I didn’t take any pills but about Nathan, I am not sure.“Yes. WE checked twice since we were shocked.” Should I panic? No, I am not sad, I have a life growing in me, in nine months I will get someone like Helena there is nothing to be sad only happy. But I don’t know if Nathan felt the same. “Anastasia, we took your blood with you pregnant that is not good.”I frowned. “How so? The baby is fine right?”“For now, yes but I don’t know about the future, because as you can see you have intense pain and that is not going to reduce. During the delivery you are going to have complications and anemia is something you will have to suffer throughout the nine months.” I smiled at him, making him raise his brow. &ldqu
-ANASTASIA-I had stopped listening to the doctor and had my eyes on a frantic Maria. Moving away from the others I walked over to her, somehow my mind kept telling me that something is wrong. But what could go wrong? Maybe Helena was being fussy so Maria brought her to me.Yeah, that is the best explanation. I touched her shoulder, she turned to me and heaved a big sigh of relief. “Tasha... Helena is not well.”I raised my brow before taking Helena from her, “What could be wrong? She was fine when we left her in the morning.” I said chuckling nervously. I touched her forehead, it wasn’t warm but she looked pale and wasn’t opening her eyes. “She doesn’t have a temperature but why is she so pale?”Maria shrugged. “She was playing with her toy when it dropped from her hand, I thought it was normal but when I looked at her, she was on the verge of fainting. I picked her up and calle
-ANASTASIA-Their eyes were wide like saucers when the door was bashed open and Nathan came in with the cops. “Surprised?”I smacked his arm. “Stop being so dramatic, they get our point.” Nathan glared at each one of them and I saw his clenched fists, I didn’t want him to fight in here no at least not in front of the cops. I took his hand in mine releasing the knuckles and then entwining our fingers.“You. Were. Alive?” Jocelyn asked still in shock.“Yes. If you only wanted to kill me and take my place in the company then why did you pretend to be in love?” Jocelyn’s head bowed in shame, his eyes were on Stella. Even when he says that he doesn’t care, I knew he did after all it was his cousin and first love.Stella was screaming and throwing her feet in air as they dragged her out. “Nathan we are cousins, why do you think that I would plot to kill you? I am&hel
ANASTASIA-Surprisingly Dave wanted to meet today, that is a week after our conversation. I wonder why he did that? “Park how long till we reach?” I asked him leaning over.“10 minutes ma’am.” Nodding my head, I continued to look outside. I knew Nathan was ten feet away from me but I couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous. If everything goes well, then according to the plan Nathan will announce that he is alive in the afternoon and from tomorrow I can go back to reporting and Nathan can go to his second home, his office.Dave wanted us to meet in a hotel, not a very pricey one but considerably cheap. It was a motel more than a hotel. When Park parked the car, I took in a deep breath before praying in my head. I am scared, I don’t want to do this. Shit! I am panicking. “Relax, I am right behind you.”Nathan’s voice calmed me and I smiled at myself. “Let’s go teach thi
-NATHAN-Jocelyn had entered my list as number three, yes, she managed to pass five other people. Seeing Anastasia’s shocked face, I could understand why she would think that I wouldn’t put Jocelyn’s name in the list. What she didn’t know was that I am way too rational and practical, I don’t trust anyone easily.And Jocelyn had stepped down from my trust list the day she cheated on me. Also, her sudden interest to be with me again was way too obvious, she wanted money which was actually greed but I knew what she wanted more and that is power. “Stop looking surprised, Monroe and tell me if you think of anything else. I will run this with Marco.”She nodded and went out of the room only to come back within minutes. I smirked at her, “Missed me already?”Rolling her eyes, she came near me past my desk and stood in front of me with one hand on her hip making her look sexy, the crop top she
-ANASTASIA-“I am sorry but you are wrong.” They looked confused and Cecilia’s face suggested that she thought I was crazy. Standing up I took my purse and said to them, “Come on, I will prove it to you.”Without waiting for their answer, I left the office and Stella glanced behind my back, I hope they don’t talk to her about what happened inside. I watched through the open elevator doors as they came out of the office eyes filled with tears and passed by Stella. Thankfully, they did not speak with her. “We will follow your car, Tasha.” Michael said getting out of the elevator.Nodding I got in the car and asked Park to drive to the Dominic residence. This was a better idea because then I might get a chance to warn Nathan. He is not going to expect this which makes his reaction almost unimaginable. I don’t want him to be mad at least not after last night.Last night’s memories au