NIGEL The way the words love sounded made him feel taken aback fair and squarseeinge was a huge word and even that thought being insinuated made him think twice, especially when Erika was the girl in question. But he felt relieved that Rachel wasn't taking it too bad. "I don't," he said with a subtle smile on his face that didn't give off much, "Because I hate her with everything I am worth." That's what he said before he stepped out of the restaurant with a free feeling in his mind. He hated being bound to do something and liberation made him happier. But there was still no time for relief, he needed to find her to get rid of this tight feeling in his chest. He jumped into his car and headed straight to the hotel, but that turned out futile. It was empty. He could go out and search every restaurant with a beach view but that would just be a waste of time. He needed another way. He needed to find her immediately. He drove around the areas where they had previously been and he knew
ERIKA Erika watched Nigel teach her how to make Somaek with soju and beer and it was just adorable to look at. His love towards food and such details made it feel so genuine that she felt lost watching him. It was just so breezy and comfortable that time and rounds of drinks felt like they passed by in the blink of an eye. Glasses lined up and even though Erika could feel the daze hitting slowly, she didn't back down at all. He looked perfectly fine as they chatted away and laughed at particularly nothing. They realised that they were getting drunker, gradually, and it was a nice feeling. The food had cleared out and the bottles were empty, but they didn't care. The conversations had never been smoother with their legs sprawled under the table, entangled in a pattern. He stared at her for a moment and then got up. And that's when he took the spot right next to her, with their shoulders touching as they fit into that cramped space. Erika did not care, if anything she liked that feel
ERIKA Her head arched back with the way his tongue moved and her hand gripped his hair tighter. He didn't even have to guide him because he was so good, his tongue slid into the right spots. She was a mess, moaning, gasping and whimpering, her legs going numb and breath hitching. He hoisted her up and moved back up on top of her, his fingers caressing her clit, slowly inserting itself in her and her mouth parted open. But he kissed her neck and the moans doubled. He was so good and everything felt so nice that she could even forget everything he had ever done. Now she understood the women fawning over her and the craze surrounding him. She understood them. Hell, if they didn't have history, she might've even become one of them. And as he put a third finger in, she knew he was preparing her for a ride, for just that night. She gasped for air as he moved them inside her fast, all while kissing and stealing moans off her lips. He held her close, his broad shoulders fawning over her li
ERIKA "I knew he'd do something like that. He's a jerk, you should've known that after everything he had done to you. I don't get why you would go ahead and share a bed with him after everything. What were you expecting?" He said as if he wanted to get out of the phone and physically shake her back to reality. "I don't know, I juin st.. he was not that bad the last two days. I mean.. he was just..", Erika stuttered and he felt quiet as if he had realised something crazy. He let out another audibly riveting gasp and her heart sank immediately. "I can't believe this," he said like she was in the rain on a huge procession day. Like she was the reason for all evils in this world. But the words he spelt out next, tripped her over on all the mess inside her heart that she was aching to finally resolve. "You are in love with him, aren't you?" Her jaw dropped open like it had detached from her face. She had no idea where he even got that idea from but just those words reverberated throu
ERIKA That's when she felt someone fill the stop beside her and her heartbeabut about rika about r eyes a little bit to the side to see it was him. He sat beside her with a laptop on his lap, not looking at her. He gently placed his hand on hers, the one that squeezed the seat handle tight and suddenly, her fingers rested with the same familiar warmth. She hated how all his touches felt different and she hated how vividly she had a recorwhich all of them. She looked up at him with sorry eyes because she hated being a burden. "I have taken your responsibility. There's no need for you to act this cold with me even if we decided we would pretend those two days didn't happen. As long as I've brought you here, I'll take care of you," he said, breaking the silence in what felt like hours. He sighed, mostly at her stupidity, butabout Erikaabout felt guilty instethe ad. He shouldn't be acting borderline nice to her after all of that but also for what was about to happen. It was easier to tri
ERIKA As the anger from the things he had said to her the night before built up, she couldn't help her feeling of success, even if it might not turn exactly the way she had planned. She was happy to see the way his face looked. "We have to leave," he announced but she didn't know if it was enough or okay to leave immediately. She hesitated and he instantly grabbed her wrist to pull her with him among the sea of journalists. That gave the fire of controversy a greater rise as she could hear audible gasps from them when he held her hand. He knew the consequences but he also knew the damage was done. But there was no way they would get through this sea unscathed as the journalists hounded them with a million questions that overwhelmed them. Nigel had his phone pressed to his ear to call for back up but Erika heard everything and as she did, the smile that she tried to suppress actually faded away. The questions stabbed her from every corner till she felt dazed in the ocean of words. T
ERIKA "I mean, if the media successfully confirms the fact that you and Nigel are a couple, he can't throw you out. We just have to make sure it looks like you two are a couple and not just with the help of one picture at the airport," he explained and it made more sense than everything she was worried about. "Okay but how do we even show that? It's not possible.. we don't have any pictures together," Erika pointed out. "Don't worry about it because I'll handle everything. Just keep an eye on the internet and keep me updated. Trust me, I'll get you out of this with zero scratches," his confidence made it possible for her to breathe again. She really hated the way her body shook with fear. After she hung up the call, she brought the phone closer to her face to check what was going on in the internet. And if she said she was surprised, that would be a complete understatement. The scandal had spread everywhere like an ugly wildfire and that was all everyone talked about. Every public
NIGEL "Stop it, okay? Don't act like I cheated on you or something. We aren't even dating, you don't get to teach me a lesson about this. So lower it the fuck down," he spoke up, quietening her completely. She stared at him with anger but it was still something she could do nothing about. Nigel had his own free will, she knew that pretty well. "Things have gone wrong, and I will fix it so let it go." "But how? With all the media involved, there is no way you can just tackle all this-" "I have an idea," he announced, standing up and walking to Selena with a scheming face that she too recognised, "And you're going to hate it." "What is it?" Selena walked to him, clearly concerned because she knew the kinds of things he could pull that can completely throw her off. He looked at her and shook his head. "Don't scare me, tell me what it is." "I can't tell you right now, maybe not later too. You'll have to see it for yourself because I won't have an explanation for you later too. You jus
ERIKA"I genuinely loved you then, when I didn't know what it was like to have you so it was never about the chase that I would find someone else now that I know what it is like to have you. When I saw you, I knew you were the one even if I ignored it for as long as I could. I have no doubts that this feeling wouldn't change. You're quite literally the drug I am addicted to.""Well," she stepped closer to him as her hands snaked up his neck and coiled it till it was tight enough and wrapped him deeply into a hug. "That makes the two of us."The rest of the night was as peaceful as all of them Erika and Nigel had spent together because it never felt enough as it was just as easy going and soothing as ever. It felt like to her that everything was finally okay. Who knew what might happen to them next or what the future held for them. All she knew was that, it was truly one of a kind.~And that was all it took for everything to fall back into place with everything they wished for. The ne
ERIKAShe asked, knowing she was voicing his concerns as well because they never really ended up talking about it to the point that there was no room for confusion. "We love each other and in the world's eye we are dating. So.. we can just do that in real life too, right?" Nigel asked because he was not sure where she was getting at even if it was complex."But.. are you sure that will be the right move? We are still new in understanding the feelings we have for each other, we didn't even have enough time to spend with each other and really know the kind of people we really are because we have no time, are you sure we are ready to take the next step? Especially when I'm moving away to Paris?" She asked and even if the questions were very hard hitting, she had put them forward without contemplating. People spoke a lot about how things get serious and more real after the so called honeymoon phase of a relationship gets over. And if they needed to draw the estimate, she could tell that s
ERIKA"Just because I told you not to do something, it's not an order. It's not a command but a suggestion, a logical something I'm trying to tell you about. I know why you take what I say so seriously, because of the contract and how we started but that's not our reality, Sterling. We are equal and we'll listen to each other but we'll have our own free will, is that clear? You don't have to look up to me," he said with a concerned look on his face but it made her calm down just as quick.And she saw the truthness in his words because no matter how much she tried to deny the fact that she was, in fact, always scared of angering him and was always paranoid that he would flip and tell her this was all a joke, she knew it had stemmed from the time that Erika originally came to this mansion and agreed to be a comtracted slave because Nigel wanted so because of his revenge. But those days she has spent trying to decipher his unpredictability, it had also caused a shift in her own behavior
ERIKANigel's face was a mixture of exhaustion and anger but as he moved to Erika, closer and closer, covering the distance between them, her eyes kept getting thinner to slits as she shut them down tight as she flinched when she felt his silhouette cover her entire body and his strong hands grabbing her into a tight hug."Thank you, Erika. I don't even know how to say it but thank you so so much," he let it all out with his head buried in her shoulder as she stood as still as a rock that was electrocuted. "For the first time in years, he has called me his brother."His voice was shaky, almost like he was experiencing a sense of euphoria or a different unknown form of an emotion altogether. Something he has probably never experienced before. And all Erika could do was stare at him and feel him around her in awe because she was still processing how her stupid move had turned out. She could've thought of a million more alternatives on how this thing could've turned out as but not this b
ERIKABut before she left, she stood by the doorway and looked back at Laurent, a spitting image of a young Nigel, and said the words that shook him even harder. "But your brother did mention that you two drifted away a lot, apparently, it's not the same as it used to be between you two anymore. That's why I assumed you hated each other. Anyways, I'll get going, thanks again!"With that, Erika left a completely raged Laurent behind knowing that he hated being called enemies with his own brother. And even if it had raised any kind of conflict in his heart that would ultimately lead to a confrontation, her job there was done. And now if things magically go the way she wanted it to go, it'd all be better. That's what she prayed for as she took her nervous steps away from his doorstep and towards Erika's own room. She just hoped this doesn't take the turn for the worse. She went back to her room and started working on the budget and planning of her moving to Paris that Nigel had done a l
ERIKAViolet had been there and in her words, he looked very upset about something and he was pleading with Nigel to let him meet her but Nigel was taken aback so he asked Metin to come back when he was home. He asked me to send you the message and get you to call him. And that made her finally let out a sigh of relief. Metin was sorry and guilty about his actions. He wanted to say sorry and that was the reason he did it. Finally, it felt like she could breathe a fresh air and let off the steam of everything happened in the last day. Maybe things were finally looking up and maybe this was a sign that she should just go through the plan she had thought of last night without thinking of the consequences too much.Even if Nigel had asked her not to meddle in or try to talk to Laurent about any of this or just anything at all, Erika knew she had to disobey that because if she doesn't take the first step, all of their steps would inevitably stay static. Someone had to take the blow first
ERIKAIf he wanted to sleep in her bed, he'd have just stayed but he was the one who got up to leave first without her asking. What else could that mean? Erika immediately gaslighted herself into regretting saying that. And before she could try to switch it around, his eyes lit up."Yes, of course," he said like that was the easiest decision of his life. It took Erika aback."You will?""Yes. I didn't think you'd want me staying here," he came back on the bed to fill the spot that felt extra empty after he left."Of course I would," Erika said, smiling with the familiar warmth. And that's how he climbed into bed with her and slowly laid down beside her. They faced each other, laying side by side as they looked into each other's eyes silently. The unsaid was a lot in the room, more than she could let out on. It felt like crumbling and being fixed in the same moment but at least having someone to go through that with. His soft eyes were comfort enough."Come here, you must be tired," he
ERIKAThat's why, when the door sounded because someone had arrived, she couldn't find the voice to ask them to come in. But finally when she called them in, someone entered the room with a trolley with food. Erika didn't have it in her to tell that person to leave because she didn't want to eat. She sighed and looked up to see Nigel starting to set up the food on the table in front of the couch and start placing it in order. Erika's mouth opened and closed in shock."What are you doing here?""I'm here to eat. With you," he said with a small smile, making her mouth drop open with shock at the thought that he had left the table. He read the shock off of her face and decided to give her a better clarification for this. "Yes, I left the table after you did. Thanks for asking. And no, you're not jeopardizing my relation with my family because we've had hundreds of fights like this, even way worse than this. They know I'm not doing this under your influence because I've never been that pe
ERIKA"He doesn't like to talk about his surgeries after so we couldn't tell him you've been there for all his surgeries. He doesn't know and he's mad so he won't ever come talk to you about it," Julia said, she was just as worried, her eyes filling up with tears."It's alright, I understand him," Nigel nodded with a small smile. That's when Lydia returned alone with a strange look on her face. "Where's Laurie?" William asked."He said.. he wouldn't eat if.. Erika's sitting at the table," Lydia informed, washing everyone over with a sense of confusion. The awkwardness spread and it looked like even Lydia didn't want to say it out loud but Laurent had asked her to announce it to let Erika really know what was up. She gulped and looked around with an expression she didn't know how to change. And even though everyone else looked horrified, they knew what was the right thing to be done."Erika, I.. it would be better if.. god, I'm embarrassed to say it," Julia started and it clearly look