ERIKA That's when there was a knock at the door and when Violet opened it, one of the servants chimed in to say there was an urgent meeting downstairs that Nigel had called. Violet just pulled her down the corridor as they rushed down the stairs and entered the hall area where everyone had gathered around. Nigel stood and waited for everyone, his eyes raising to look the moment Erika stepped into the hallway and then only did he clap his hands to start the announcement. "All of you, listen very carefully. I trust all of you here and I believe you won't let me down, even in this situation I am in with my personal life," he said as if pitching to everyone around. "Tomorrow, I have arranged for a party here and I know I would be able to trust you all to be at the maximum of your hospitality. Do you understand?" And they all sang yes in unison because they did get it. They knew what this was about and if nothing, they were in for the drama, whatever would be presented to them. But Eri
ERIKA The next day, when Erika stepping into the hallways, it was decorated like a black tie event. It looked really beautiful, the way everything was set up. No one looked at Erika or asked her to help with the preparations. Maybe, they were just giving her a break because it was her last day. She wondered how Nigel would carry on the whole hassle to explain to the media about this whole scandal in a way that would push Erika out of the question and would unlink Nigel and her from each other. She tried to humor herself with interest rather than the hollow she felt in her heart. When she looked to her side, she saw Nigel striding down the stairs of his bedroom with Selena following closely behind with a smile on her face as they talked about something. They had spent the night together it seemed. If there was something that was holding Erika back from leaving, that was gone now. She had no reason to stay there anymore, not even her complicated feelings for Nigel Asher would keep he
ERIKA They all held their breath as Nigel finally spoke out. "I found the one. I have someone who I love with my whole heart and no matter what, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get her out of my mind. I don't care who she is or what she has done but I knew her for the person she really is. And she's a beautiful person. She's the love of my life and I couldn't keep her hidden any longer," Nigel announced, making Erika's heart sink as she saw the smirk playing at Selena's lips. This was how he was planning to get Erika out of the picture. But that's when, a spotlight fell on Erika on the bar stool and every eye turned to look at her once again with another audible gasp. "Erika Sterling, my girlfriend," Nigel announced. The room filled itself with gasps and simultaneous awkward claps. Erika felt the slightly warmer spot light on her skin and all the colours drained from her face. She stood up, knowing she was expected to do that. As she slowly looked around with her stup
ERIKA Erika started, making sure he was getting her point and understanding what she was trying to get at. But maybe that thought had never occured to him so he stood speechless. "I want to let everything go now. I've been through enough not to want a life where everyone hated me and wanted me dead. I want to start over." "I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say," he was concerned but confused just the same. And that told her well enough that he wasn't expecting what was coming at all. "I want to leave," Erika said, boldly, not a hint of hesitation on her face. She let the words settle between the both of them as she saw all the colours slowly drain out of Nigel's face as he stood there, stupefied. He looked like someone had sucker punched in the gut and he was holding the reaction in. She waited but after a few moments, he just shook his head like he was shaking his thoughts away from his head to go back to his neutrally aligned expression. "Leave?" "I want to leave t
Nigel had tried to give her as a threat to make her stay, but just because.. he wanted her to stay. All his hate had been a front to hide what he really felt and how impossible it was for them to stay together. And now, he had messed it all up. Nigel groaned with anger at something he couldn't figure out as he swung his hand on his desk, making everything topple over and scatter on the floor. With his hands on both sides of the desk, he shook his head. Would he really just let her go? Was it really the end? He knew he would get all he wanted from the start once she left because he would have nothing holding him back, but why did it feel like her absence would make everything feel less fulfilling? Why would she ever stop? ~ ERIKA The bag was chained up again for the last time. Everything she owned was packed up as she sat down with an exasperated sigh. She felt her body wanting to collapse and take her last night's sleep in that bed before she left this godforsaken place for life.
ERIKA "Why are you still walking?" A voice too familiar hit her immediately. Her heart thumped in her chest as she finally looked to her side to see his perfectly devastating face. The face she couldn't see before leaving. Nigel Asher. "You have zero survival instincts." "Why are you here?" She slowed down but didn't stop walking. "If I was a creepy man, would you have not run? How do you think you will survive out there?" He said with a small smile that underestimated her. She didn't want that before leaving. "Leave me alone. I didn't want to-" "See my face before leaving?" He raised an eyebrow and she didn't say a thing. He scanned her and her belongings and Erika hoped he didn't ask her where his gifts were. But then he said with a neutral tone, "Get in." His straight face gave out almost nothing and it completely looked the opposite of how Erika looked. Her eyes had widened at his proposition and she realised that even if she was trying to avoid the things that could go wrong
ERIKA "Are you ready to sign a contract?" She asked, looking straight ahead like she was embarrassed to meet his eyes. He flipped his head towards her with a confused look as the car slowed down on the highway. "What contract?" "Just like the one you made me sign. A contract stating that I'll stay a month and you'll let me leave after that," she asked and was met with his immediate yes. He was on board, even though she didn't understand why he was worried about her distress so much. It was almost.. out of his usual. "Turn the car around." And the glint in his eyes suddenly appeared as he realised she had said. Maybe what she agreed to was a mistake, but something inside her, the full blown feelings she had for him, turned her weak and his brightened eyes made her fall for it with half the regrets that she should be having. But she knew returning back would be a better option because of the newfound shortcomings she had encountered. She was afraid to be left alone with that much
Erika "No, you won't do any of the work here. I'll make sure to get rid of the slave contract you signed, you're not a servant here anymore. I'll make sure you're kept here with proper care," his words held some degree of real care and concern if she was even seeing it right. He stared at her like he had already thought of all the answers to all the questions so she skipped through all of them that were popping up in her head. "Why are you doing this? What can you even possibly gain from this? You kept saying you hated me all this time then when I'm finally getting out of your hair, how are you suddenly so nice to me? What are you planning?" She asked, really concerned. "To win you over," he said, without batting an eye. It looked like he was a child because they were always brutally honest. Erika's mouth opened and closed as he blinked at her like he had said nothing at all. "All these things aren't going to work on me, so please don't.. talk like this," she said, making sur