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Chapter 44
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2024-10-29 19:42:56All the preparation, as well as the money spent on it and the dress chosen with Dante's help for the occasion, was worth it. She looked stunning as she entered the party hall, capturing the attention of many of the attendees. She could almost feel the heat of certain bright eyes on her, and she greeted the owner of those eyes with a polite gesture, receiving a friendly smile in return.
Nicholas waited for Sophie, Ryan, Brad, Ian, and their dates to take their seats at their table, and he went over with Will and John to greet them. He kissed Sophie's hand a bit more slowly and intensely than those of the other women at the table, but apart from that, it was just a greeting between people who occasionally crossed paths due to their work, nothing more. He moved to another table to greet other business partners, and she engaged in a lengthy conversation with Brad's wife.
"Someone's jealous, huh?" John asked, approaching Nicholas a while later as he stood at one end of the
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The Key To The Heart Chapter 45
"I... Um... How do you know?" she asked."Dante Kammel. I was with my mom today at his studio to get some alterations done on her dress. She saw a picture of you with him... and wanted to know about you." He shrugged."Nicholas." She sighed. "I didn't tell you because it wouldn't make a difference. I might be single now, but that doesn't change the fact that you're getting married soon... It doesn't change our past... It doesn't make it possible for us to really work things out and...""Nicholas. Sophie." John suddenly interrupted Sophie. "I'm sorry for appearing out of nowhere like this, but you need to come in. The auction is about to start."Nicholas had to present the set pieces and costumes that his station had donated to the charity auction, so without further words, the two returned to the hall. He guided Sophie by putting his hand on her back until they reached the station's table. She didn't question it, sat there, and remained in John's company.
The Key To The Heart Chapter 46
As Nicholas prepared the food, and throughout the dinner, they conversed animatedly about various subjects and exchanged smiles, glances, and affection, as if they had become a couple again, like in the old days. He surprised her with an Italian straw dessert, and the two reminisced about the times they used to invade Mrs. Colbie's kitchen and make their favorite dessert together, playfully smearing each other with chocolate, teasing that usually ended in embraces that, if witnessed by her family, would have gotten the young ones into trouble.After dinner, the couple moved to a small room where they enjoyed liqueurs and listened to music, continuing to engage in lively conversation. It was remarkable how, despite all the time they had been apart and the lingering resentment between them, their reconnection was so strong that conversation flowed effortlessly.Of course, eventually, everyday topics gave way to innuendos, flirting, intimate playfulness, and the two start
The Key To The Heart Chapter 47
As he told her, experiencing that moment was like having an exact understanding of what hell would be for Nicholas. And not only that day, but the days that followed as well. He was miserable. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't talk to anyone, he would go from work to home and from home to work. He left the Parker's house immediately, moving in with a friend whose family empathized with his ordeal, and he left his position at her family's company as soon as he could, despite Levvy apologizing for his daughter's actions countless times and urging him to stay.Nicholas was quite unhappy for a while, and he only began to genuinely smile again when he started taking care of the business left by his grandfather. He would often think of Sophie, but not as the woman he loved, but rather with bitterness. She became the person responsible for the worst moment of his life, the most unhappy, shocking, and humiliating moment of all! And when he had met her again, thanks to their work, he had felt
The Key To The Heart Chapter 48
When Sophie left Nicholas's apartment, the only thing she could think of was isolating herself completely from the world. She had gone from heaven to hell in a matter of minutes with their conversation, and she knew she couldn't continue her daily activities as usual. How could she act naturally in the face of so many overwhelming emotions—disappointment, resentment, anger, sadness, jealousy—all flooding her mind and heart at once?While taking a taxi to her apartment, using the little rationality she had left, she called one of her bosses and said she needed a few days off due to a family emergency. It would be complicated for the magazine to be without its editor-in-chief for almost a week, but Sophie had a lot of credit with RIB due to her excellent work, and she was granted the leave, promising to return the following Monday.At home, she packed some clothes into a large suitcase, considering places where she could escape without encountering anyone who
The Key To The Heart Chapter 49
Friday and the weekend were dedicated exclusively to the reality show's finalists for Nicholas. John had arranged meetings between Pierce and the families of each of the finalists, but since there wouldn't be enough time for the cast to travel to other cities, the families traveled to L.A. Instead. Different locations were chosen for the shoots: the first meeting, with Dianna Cooper's family, took place on Saturday at the Terranea LA Oceanfront Resort. The gathering with Maya Hewitt's parents and grandmother occurred on Sunday, and they visited tourist spots in downtown Los Angeles.Nicholas got along relatively well with the Coopers, although at times, he got the feeling that Russell and Judy cared more about what the cameras captured of the two of them rather than the impression they would leave on their potential future son-in-law.Dianna's father seemed to be too attached to traditions that Nicholas didn't value and appeared to be somewhat sexist, but at least he w
The Key To The Heart Chapter 50
"Nicholas! We don't have... chemistry. We're friends! I don't even understand how we've become SUCH good friends in such a short time, but that's what we are.""Well, now you have a good point! But I don't know if I have chemistry with Dianna either... And marriages, after all, last longer due to companionship than passion." He shrugged."It's not quite like that, Nicholas... and you know it. There needs to be some level of desire, after all, we don't want to become celibate for the rest of our lives... and even to have the children that you and I both want, something needs to happen that I don't see myself doing with you. Sorry!" She made a face at her own bluntness, and he laughed."Touché!""Also..." she spoke slowly, suddenly becoming a bit sad. "I think I've fallen for the idiot.""Well... if you're calling the guy an idiot, I guess I can conclude he doesn't feel the same.""I... don't know. Honestly, I don't know. He's been chasing after me
The Key To The Heart Chapter 51
On Monday morning, Sophie put extra effort into her appearance before heading to work. She needed to feel good about herself, beautiful, sexy, elegant, powerful, in order to face her successful professional life and forget the failure that was her personal life. To achieve this, she chose a slightly shiny Armani dress, a J Brand blazer, Dolce & Gabbana shoes, applied makeup meticulously to ensure it looked natural, and completed the look with Gucci glasses and one of her Hermès bags.Feeling that her facade was perfect, she left home and took a taxi, quickly arriving at the TVZoom office, where she greeted people. She had realized that being unfriendly and rude didn't protect anyone from the wounds of human relationships. However, she didn't smile until she reached Blaine, who, upon hugging her, broke the ice completely."It's so good to have you back, Soph!" he said, still holding her in an affectionate embrace, which she reciprocated. The two were in her office, with the doors close
The Key To The Heart Chapter 52
“This problem is going to be easily resolved, honey! And you unknowingly gave me the solution yourself," she saw him furrow his brow and laughed. "Have you ever heard of Neil Hoar? The MMA world champion?""Uhm... of course, darling! I don't like violence, but I love well-built bodies, and his is definitely... WOW!" he affirmed, fanning himself."Let Dante not hear you say that," she teased. "Well, I'm going to convince Neil, and he'll convince the others," she said again, and her assistant looked very puzzled. "I wasn't remembering this competition in Vegas, but that's what Neil is here for, of course! Neil Hoar is my older brother, B.""But... Hoar?""He's my mother's son from her first marriage," she explained, trying to call her brother again, as they now had an important topic to discuss, and she had an overwhelming desire to catch up with him.Neil had always been her favorite brother, her friend, her protector. He had covered for her when she was dating Nicholas, back when they
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The Key To The Heart Epilogue
Impressed, Sophie watched the fireworks light up and color the sky, marking the farewell of one year and celebrating the arrival of another. The year that was ending had been a milestone in her life and would always be remembered, but the new year was welcome and also promised to bring her many joys.While she watched the festivities, with Nicholas behind her, holding onto her waist and his face close to hers, she had some quick memories of the past few months and was still amazed at how much had happened in such a short time.First, she had returned to the United States, then her reunion with Nicholas had happened, the hesitant coming together of the two, the inevitable surrender, misguided judgments, anger trying to overshadow love, the revelation of the truth about the past, and finally, the union of two people who could never be
The Key To The Heart Chapter 63
No sábado seguinte, everything was arranged, and Dante and Blaine insisted that they at least celebrate their union with the two of them, Sharon, John, Will, Emma, Maya, and Tony at a newly opened bar in Santa Monica. So, Nicholas made a reservation at one of the best restaurants on the beach and took Sophie out to dinner before meeting their friends because he still had some surprises in store for her.The two were led to a more private area of the restaurant to avoid being bothered or photographed by paparazzi. They received the wine list from a waiter who then left them alone. After choosing their wine and being served, they were given menus. Without realizing that Nicholas was simply watching her, Sophie opened her menu and spoke absentmindedly."What's this, Nicholas?" She asked, feigning annoyance but smiling after glanc
The Key To The Heart Chapter 62
Nicholas's speech wasn't a declaration of love; after all, he wasn't speaking to Sophie but to the viewers. He didn't want to involve the public in their private affairs, even though he suspected some might be interested. He wanted the final episode to be successful and emotional, but he handled it with the necessary objectivity, hoping most people would understand his decision, even though there was a risk of not being understood.Nicholas knew that if he chose Maya, Sophie would pretend for the media that their relationship had ended and the wedding had been canceled. However, he felt terrible about deceiving people, and he feared Sophie might not understand the ruse, potentially ruining any chance they had of being together.Sophie watched everything silently, standing in the middle of her apartment's TV room. She smiled like a fo
The Key To The Heart Chapter 61
Tony spent a few seconds processing the information. Maybe he would never have a concrete chance with Maya, even if she didn't marry Nicholas. But perhaps life was crazy and unfair enough that, even though he wasn't worthy of it, he did have a chance. Either way, there was only one way to find out, and that was to go after the girl and open his heart for the first time.He grabbed his car and sped down the road that connected the mansion's location to downtown LA as he had never done before. It was easy to spot the car carrying the girl since it wasn't a busy route, especially at that time of night, and the driver was driving at a moderate speed, with no hurry. Fueled by insane and passionate hope, he honked incessantly, startling both the driver and the girl, and didn't give up until he forced the car to pull over to the side of the road, where he also parked.
The Key To The Heart Chapter 60
Sophie took her breakfast calmly, stopped by her own home, and went to work, acting as if it were any other day. She left her phone in a drawer, the same phone number Nicholas had since their first meeting, to avoid constantly checking it, hoping for his call. If someone needed to contact her about work, they would call her office. She didn't want to nurture hope even when she received flowers with a card that said, "I love you forever," because that phrase could mean a fond farewell, or it could simply mean he would love her from afar until the end of his days.Nicholas, on the other hand, spent a good part of the day anxious because Sophie wasn't answering his calls. He didn't want to call the magazine's office, as he imagined she might not appreciate interference in her personal life at work, but he couldn't understand why, after the previous night, she might not want to talk to him.
The Key To The Heart Chapter 59
Their lips sought each other and greeted several times until their tongues also had their long-awaited encounter. Nicholas pulled Sophie's body so she was completely on top of him, and while keeping one hand firmly on the nape of her neck, he caressed the part of her back that the dress didn't cover with the other. She lightly ran her nails through his scalp and neck, already wanting to intensify the contact between them.As the initially calm, slow kisses gave way to more eager and rapid ones, and their hands couldn't stay in one place anymore, wandering and exploring their bodies, their breathing became more frantic. Sophie pulled away for a moment, kneeling between Nicholas's legs. She removed her dress, leaving her in just a small pair of panties, while Nicholas, enjoying the sight of her, quickly discarded his shirt.She pushed
The Key To The Heart Chapter 58
"I know I should have trusted you, Nicholas. I know!" Sophie suddenly said, pulling Nicholas out of his musings and making him stop pacing like a madman. "I was stupid, naive, impulsive... and I understand if you never forgive me for the suffering you went through. But I needed... I really NEEDED you to know that I loved you. That I didn't trade you for anything, that I... would never trade you.""Soph..." he approached, getting very close to her and taking her small hands in his. "You were eighteen... and, as you said, you SAW. I think if I saw you in bed with another guy, completely naked, I wouldn't wait for explanations either. And if you tried to explain, denied what I SAW... I probably wouldn't believe you," he wiped her tears away again with his fingers. "I don't even have to forgive you!" he shrugged, and she started crying uncontrollably again, throwing herself into his arms.
The Key To The Heart Chapter 57
"I needed to see you," she interrupted, taking a deep breath and fighting back the lump in her throat. "I need to tell you so many things! I need you to know that..." she couldn't finish the sentence as she broke down into sobs again, and he got up, deciding she needed something to help calm her."Where are you going? Stay here. Stay close to me, Nicholas. Please, stay close to me!" she said, a little more desperate than she would have liked, reacting to the torrent of emotions building up inside her with each passing minute since her brother's revelations."Calm down," he said, sitting back down and wiping her tears away with his thumbs gently. "Calm down, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," he gave a little smile, and she managed a very timid one in return. "I just think you need something to help you calm down so you can tell me al
The Key To The Heart Chapter 56
Nicholas was in the living room of his apartment, reading the script of an action movie that a director friend had proposed for GHShow to produce. He had convinced John that he didn't need to spend the whole night at the mansion where his TV show was filmed, and now he was enjoying the solitude he was about to lose.There was a part of him that found this good, of course. After all, he had created the show because he wasn't truly satisfied with not having someone to share his life with, to come home to at night, to have conversations with, and to learn about their day and share his own. Another part, however, had doubts about whether it would really be a good idea to have a woman waiting for him, eager to hear about his day and share hers, when that woman wouldn't be the one he truly wanted to tell about all his joys, fears, expectations, successes, and anxieties, and whose routine he would l
