[Six months later]
Grace adjusted her coat one last time and took a deep breath before pressing the bell at No 5 on the hill.For a while there was silence, then faintly she could hear footsteps in a distance growing closer as they approached the door. She felt a sudden edge to run.The door swung open, and an elderly man stood looking at her.“Good afternoon, Miss Moon,” Mr. Monrow smiled at her. “We have been expecting you,”He reminded grace of her grandfather. He was a warm man with greying hair at the temples, and a round handsome face with permanent laughing lines. Instantly she felt at ease with him as he led her through a long passage.The outdoors didn’t resemble the indoors. From the outside, the house was intimidating and cold. With a clean lines landscape, manicured lawns, and flawlessly trimmed trees. But everything inside this home was warm and welcoming, although still very big, the Meyer mansion was a family home, with antique pieces and family portraits scattered around, giving the place a traditional character.Feeling like an intruder, she followed behind the elderly man, until at last, they reached a closed door. He tapped lightly on the door and a deep husky voice from the other side responded.“Come in James.”Mr. Monrow opened the door and stepped aside to let her in. she stepped inside a carpeted room. Feeling the sudden change from the marble floor she had been walking on. The last thing she needed was to lose her footing. The room looked cozy, it was a library with walled books on each side, a blazing fireplace at the corner with a comfortable-looking couch in front. a tall window stood in the middle overlooking the garden. Next to it, there was a bar table laden with drinks and glasses.Scanning the room she saw the person the voice belonged to. There he was. Nickolas Meyer, in the flesh. She let out the air she didn't know she was holding. He was sitting on the couch next to the fire.He was wearing grey formal pants and a matching sweater, his long legs spread out in front of him, and his hand was playing with the glass he'd been holding, but his eyes never left her face. Those soul-searching eyes. She wanted to hide from his gaze.“Hello Nicko,” she said, suddenly feeling self-conscience but grateful for her oversized coat. “It's good to see you,” she added awkwardly, aware that she did not look the same as the last time he last saw her.Nickolas hadn’t said a word since she stepped foot into the room. He just sat staring, Mesmerized by her, she looked more beautiful than he remembered. She was fuller, her skin was glowing, and even her hair was thicker and glossier. the breakup hadn’t affected her as much as it had him. Slowly getting up from his chair, he stood in front of her, taking her hands in his, he was now towering over her, his face a mixture of confusion and sadness, fighting to keep his smile. He searched her eyes as if looking for answers to an unspoken 'why' question. He stood so close that grace was afraid that if he took one more step, he would bump right into her. “It's good to see you, Gracie,” he said showing her to the couch. He went to the bar and fixed them both a drink. Now that she was seated, she could have a proper look at the man she had been thinking about since she abandoned him on that fateful night. This man wasn’t the same Nicko she remembered from the ship. He looked older, tired and
Grace didn’t know whether she should get up and leave or sit and wait. she couldn’t tell how the meeting with Nicko went. Grace had rehearsed so many conversations with herself for this moment. but now that she was here she was at loss for words. or maybe it was the fact that she did not get the desired response from Nicko? he didn't respond he just...left. it was as if there was an invisible bridge between the two of them. one was standing on the other side of the bridge shouting to the one on the other side, but could not read the body language of the person on the one side of the bridge.she knew for a fact that he got the message of what she had come here to convey, but that was about it. he didn't say or show any emotion about how he felt about the news. he didn't say anything at all. she couldn’t read him. He was a closed book. How easier life had been on the ship. how easy was their communication? they could talk for hours on end, she longed for that bond again. to just talk to
Nickolas knew that morning that Grace was coming to see him, to discuss an important matter. He had finally given in to meet her after months of countless calls and emails that she sent to his secretary. In all honesty, he only agreed to the meeting out of curiosity. He could not possibly imagine what was it that she would want to talk about after the way she left him.One minute they were making plans about their future in his suite and the next minute she vanished. without even the audacity to leave him a pathetic note. The rest of his cruise had been tarnished, he wanted nothing to do with her until recently.The moment she walked in, Nickolas was taken aback by how beautiful she was, and had grown in the last few months.He could not trust his legs to hold him up, so he remained seated until the buzzing in his head subsided. When he felt brave enough. He Stood in front of her, taking her all in. it took everything he had not to kiss her and start again where they left off on the sh
The Next morning Grace woke up feeling refreshed. She could not remember the last time she slept like that. Maybe it was the soft bed and everything in it. Shaking off some sleepShe tried to remember what happened last night. The last thing she remembered, was being on the couch in front of a fire, enjoying Mr. Monrows pastry treats before everything went blank. Now here she was, dressed in a baby-soft night dress. Turning on her side, she knew she needed to pee.Jumping out of bed.Then realized her mistake, when a pair of strong arms caught her before she could fall. Gently Nickolas placed her back on the bed, not taking his eyes off her.“Are you okay?’’ he said hoarsely “you need a doctor.”“No...I got up too fast.” waving her hand at him“Come let me help you to the bathroom” he took her arm and put it over his neck, he guided her to the room's en suite. “You do know that I can perfectly walk,” she said stealing a side look at him.He looked like he had just woken up. His hair wa
When she woke up from her nap Nicko was gone, she looked at the watch next to her bed, and it was almost lunchtime. The breakfast tray from this morning had also been replaced. either James or Nicko had come in when she was sleeping.Feeling refreshed after the morning's activities, She got out of bed and went into her closet to find something to wear, a white summer dress caught her eye. It was the perfect outfit to go with her mood. Then take a tour of the grant Meyer mansion in search of Nicko. Wherever he was in this big house. They still needed to talk.*****Nicko tried to concentrate but he could not get anything done. His mind kept on going to the events of that morning. He felt angry at himself for letting his feelings take over like that. He had not gotten any of the answers that he needed but already jumped into bed with her.He was very aware of how his financial standing could be used against him. Everyone knew who Nickolas Meyer was. His desperation for an heir meant that
The door opened and an Amelia came in, grace noted how pretty she was, her bouncing blonde hair was cut into a clean bob, She had on a classy cream suit that she folded at the wrists, exposing a beautiful gold watch. Grace noticed that her nails were painted a striking red that also matched her lips. making Grace feel plain in comparison. She walked purposefully to where Nicko was standing, kissed him on the lips, and put her hands on his waist.“Darling, James said I will find you here, I didn’t know you had a meeting,” giving Grace the up-and-down look, clearly not impressed.“Amelia this is Grace, Grace this is Amelia my fiancee.” a pale-looking Nicko said, finally finding his voice and introducing the two ladies.Grace felt like someone had punched the air out of her. she felt hot and nauseated. The room started spinning, and everything turned blank.*****When Grace came to. she was laying in her bed, she could feel the soft covers from earlier. she tried to get up but her head f
She Stumbled out of bed and checked the time next to her bed. 01:45 am. her knees felt weak but she got dressed and went in search of her coat, she put it on, collected her small belongings, then made her way to the front door. She opened it and she went out, trying to make as little noise as possible.She sat down by the water fountain in front of the house. and played back all the episodes of that day, how could he blame her for everything? her heart was aching. And today she could hardly look at him, standing next to that woman like a terrified schoolboy. How could he act as if nothing happened between the two of them?She remembered the night she saw Nicko for the first time. She was out to get fresh air when she stopped dead in her tracks. There he was on the top deck standing on the guardrail. He seemed to be deep in thought, gazing ahead into the blackness. the lights behind him were on but she could only see a part of him. She hid in the shadows where she could stare at him op
Grace was back in the flat she shared with a roommate in downtown London. A week had passed since she left the Meyer Mansion. The past few days had been brutal on her. She spent most of her time in bed wallowing in self-pity. In all that time She had not heard from Nicko and did not expect to.Now that she was going to be a single parent, she needed to make arrangements about where she would stay. The flat was too small to bring up her child in. their child.The place had been perfect when she was still a hostess on the ship but since she could no longer work, the place felt cramped. Today she planned on calling the flight Center to get a flight back to Ireland as soon as possible. She was moving back to her childhood home in Culmore. The house had been vacant for 5 years now. She took a long shower, giving her time to put a pause on her thought, relishing the pressure of the water on her skin. As she stepped out of the bathroom, she felt like a new person. Her mind was clearer th
"Watch your step." Nickolas walked behind a blindfolded Grace."You know how much I don't like surprises. Are we there yet?" They had been walking for a while now and she was getting suspicious about the so-called surprise. "Almost. You gonna love this one." He was praying he hadn't gone off the mark. They took the last step and he stopped them both. Grace could smell the salt In the air. It reminded her of the smell that was a permanent fixture in their old basement. "Now you can open them." He let go of the cloth that was covering her eyes.When Grace opened her eyes, she couldn't stop blinking at the sight in front of her. "No!" She screamed in delight. "Yes." He couldn't stop grinning as he took in her happiness. The yacht had been an impulse purchase but he was glad he had bought it. "I thought since we met on a cruise ship, for our second honeymoon, we could recreate that experience on a more intimate scale." He was usually very confident but in the past months, he had be
Grace put a steaming cup of coffee before Nickolas on the kitchen island."You are starting to behave like the wife I was meant to have." He looked at the steaming cup and she raised her eyebrow and glared at him."I will take it back if you don't behave." She sat down on one of the high stools and looked at him, her face softening. "Can I ask you something?" She cleared her throat. shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Nickolas raised his eyes and looked at her. "Anything." She shifted in her chair. "When we were clearing out the mansion, I saw a jewelry box in your study…" She let the sentence trail off. "What about it?" He took a sip from his coffee without looking at her. "Is it yours?" "Yes. Pretty much everything in the study was mine. Say what you mean and mean what you say kiddo." He eyed her suspiciously."There was a picture with a woman and a child inside.""And you wanted to know who the woman was, if you must know, she's not my woman.""Of course, I know that I'm your w
The following morning, Grace, Nickolas, and Luther walked into the Meyer mansion. The furniture on the first floor had been removed, giving the place an overly open feeling. As much as the light came through the big glass windows, the air inside was stifled and cold, giving the illusion that the house had been vacant for a while. The dust had started to settle on the marble floor, causing a scraping sound as their feet moved against the floor. Nickolas opened the door to his office, the only room on the first floor that had not been touched. Except for the mess that was on the floor, the room was intact. He also felt strange being there, given the fact that he hadn't been gone for over a week. Maybe the mansion had always carried a heavy presence without him realizing it, what was worse, he had gotten used to it. The office looked like someone had ransacked the place or the windows had been left open causing the papers to fly in all directions.He crossed the door threshold, insta
Nickolas made a move to walk towards the bed. But Grace opened her mouth and shook her head. "I don't think I'm ready to go there just yet." He stood next to the bed, hearing what she was saying but not understanding her. "What do you mean by that?""That I don't think I'm ready to share a bed with you just yet." It didn't get any louder than that.He gathered his wayward thoughts and mumbled something before walking into the ensuite bathroom, to take the longest cold shower of his life. Grace sighed with a smile on her face and changed for bed. She picked up the red dress from the floor, shook her head, and smirked at it. Nickolas looked at the two water taps and didn't understand how the cold tap could feel so hot against his skin. He needed it cold. Ice cold to freeze his bruised emotions. Grace was rejecting him. She had been ready to walk out through the front door with her chest barely covered to meet another man and do god knows what but she wasn't ready to share a bed with
Grace looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress looked, as though it had been sewn on her body. The neckline was too low, and the bodice that was supposed to cover her breast barely covered the whole breast. One mistake and they would be out on display for everyone to see. She put on her matching fuck me heels and did a final twirl in front of the mirror. Satisfied, she took her purse and carefully walked downstairs. She paused at the last step and looked around. With the furniture installed, the house looked more like the home she had envisioned. They had delivered everything she had ordered right to the T. Now all she had to do was to enjoy it. Starting this coming Saturday, with the get-together with her friends. She walked into an open plan that includes the lounge area and kitchen, next to it, the dining area. She walked to the kitchen and took out her wine glass. She needed to calm her nerves before she left the house. After pouring the wine, she gulped
The following morning after he spent a miserable night on the floor. Things seemed to be abuzz at the house. Grace was already up and having a merry time with Niells Nanny. "Good Morning. Hope you had a relaxing night, after all that work you and Luther did." She said when he approached them, moving to the kitchen, to take out two cups. The nanny disappeared at the same speed. Nickolas followed her to the open-plan kitchen h he had a miserable night. While She, on the other hand, looked as radiant as ever, liked someone who had a night's rest in a plump bed with supporting pillows. "It was okay. Not one of my finest. But it was okay, thank you for your concern." He thought his body would snap at the slightest movement. She busied herself in the massive kitchen and brought him a cup of coffee. After last night's events, he hoped it was not poisoned. He closed his eyes and took a sip. It tasted amazing. He looked at the cup in surprise. "What would you like for breakfast?" Grace wa
The following day, The Meyer mansion started getting cleaned and furniture wrapped. And other important items were put away into boxes for storage.By midweek, the undertaker had come to dig up the little coffin from the shallow grave by the pond to be moved to the new estate. Grace was home and they had already chosen a spot to lay her to rest.Nickolas now had two houses to sell. If Amelia ever left hers, he would also sell that house. "The house is in the process of being sold." He told Grace after the undertakers had put the coffin on the ground. "That means you will be homeless soon or are you not moving in with Amelia at her house?" He was taken aback by her question, he didn't think she would ever bring her up. He had a lot of repairing to do. "No. I thought you could spare a room for me. One room at the furthest side of the house. You won't even have to see me." He knew he was pushing his luck, but she looked at him as if considering his words. "I'm desperate here." He add
When Nickolas got home that evening. Stravos met him at the door. "Madam left with her luggage and the baby." Those were the first words that left the man's mouth. "Ok stravos, thank you for letting me know." He had known that it was inevitable, but he still felt a tug at his heart. He had been hoping that they would move across this hurdle unscorched. But maybe he had been right all along. It was too much for her. After all, it had been his cross to bear and not hers.He made his way to the master bedroom and started opening closets, she had taken everything. She wasn't only mad at him, this time she was done, and little Neill? Would they have to go to court and fight it out? It was his rotten luck. He sat at the edge of the bed and thought about his choices. To add salt to injury, Amelia had come out of their affair happier than him, and without a hair out of place. He laughed out loud. She had bagged a child with a man she loved and most of his money. He truly envied her. He got
When Nickolas got off the elevator, heads turned to look at him, some who were brave enough, whispered to their coworkers under their breath. It was clear that everyone was shocked just as Luther had been that morning, that they were going to work. He wondered what they must have been thinking all along. Did they think he was dying and the company was going down under? Lucky for them, he was back and ready to stir this ship to greater heights. As soon as Nickolas sat at his desk, his secretary came to his office and gave him a heap of messages that he needed to return. Soon enough he forgot all about Amelia and her drama, he had dodged a bullet there. Funny enough he thought he would lose his mind the day he found her with another man, but to his surprise he didn't feel a thing. Rather, his mind was preoccupied with Grace and the plans he had for them if she ever forgave him for his derailed ways. He wondered if it was too soon to ask for a second honeymoon.Luther knocked and peek