Chapter 24


    Belle''s POV


    When we arrived home, I asked Alexei to have the chef from Dilee over because I want him to


    teach me how to make bread. If I can''t cook a decent meal, perhaps I can make edible bread.


    Hopefully.


    After several minutes the chef arrived with the woman he''s always with. They brought all the


    ingredients and some tools with them.


    Goatee is resting on his makeshift couch. I feed him with green leafy vegetables. Poor Goaite, so thin


    and weak. I''m gonna make sure he recovers fast so I can bring him to a farm or something.


    We are on the center ind of the kitchen. Alexei is sitting right across from me doing something on his


    phone. I''m wearing Alexei''s shirt. I rolled a portion at the back and tied it to a bun making it a crop top. I


    borrowed Yelena''s pink daisy dukes and just stood barefoot. I collected my hair into a messy bun.


    After several minutes I''m already mashing this soft white thingy flour mix the chef already made for me


    because my patience has already run out. I don''t usually get impatient towards anything, this time


    however is different, perhaps because of my frustration about what''s happening between Niki and I.


    Everything that has happenedst night, and the fact that Niki went to Boston to see that woman,


    are slowly eating me up. I realized I''m actually angry, mad even!


    I punch the flour mix and squeeze it as hard as I can. My sweat is already dripping on my neck. And I


    can feel my body heat up because of this anger I feel inside me.


    "Princess, don''t overwork yourself."


    "Let me be Alexei."


    To my surprise, Niki arrived. He has a bouquet of red daisies in his hand and he''s looking at me as


    he enters the kitchen. He is wearing a grey suit and as per usual instantly filled the room with this


    indescribable godlike charm.


    Niki is inching closer to me. I just stood and continued squeezing the flour mixture. My sweat is


    dripping down my neck and chest.


    "Baby.." Said Niki while drawing close to me.


    The chef and the other woman quickly went near the oven and turned their backs on us. Yuri and Boris


    are standing at the entrance of the kitchen.


    I on the other hand did not say a single word. I just continued with what im doing.


    "I''m not going to apologize for what I didst night. I have all the right to react that way. You gave me


    no choice."


    Why am I not surprised by this? He sounds like the other Boss I know.


    Niki stood right next to me. I can already smell his icy cologne.


    I added another handful of flour to the mixture. Niki slowly slid the bouquet of red daisies in front of


    me.


    I rolled my eyes and instantly took the flowers and fed them to goatee.


    "Here buddy.." Goatee chewed the flowers. "Good boy."


    "Meeeh." Said goatee.


    "You know goatee, you talk more sense than someone I know."


    I heard Alexei snort like he''s holding back hisughter.


    "I''m gonna shoot that animal down if you won''t talk to me." Said Niki all too seriously.


    I shot a re at him. Oh god, he looks like he''s not kidding at all.


    I went back to my position on the center ind and continued mashing and squeezing. One thing I


    know about my future husband is that, he can''t stand not to touch me, and what better way to punish


    him than depriving him of that touch.


    "Don''t you dare touch me Niki."


    "You''re mine, I will touch you whenever I want to touch you."


    "Oh, just like Yrina? You go to her whenever you want to go to her like I just don''t exist?" I looked at


    Niki sternly.


    He then gestured everyone except for Alexei to exit the kitchen. After everyone exited, Alexei also


    followed, leaving me and Niki.


    N?velDrama.Org owns this.


    "She''s just a business partner."


    "A business partner who touches your chest and looks at you like she''s obsessed with you?"


    A smile is slowly forming on Niki''s face. Unbelievable! At this point, the anger inside me is starting to


    boil up. I inhaled deep and sighed hoping to calm myself down. I then turned my back and went to the


    sink to wash my hands.


    "You''re jealous." Is this man being serious? Ya think Niki?


    "It''s nice that you are very happy Niki. If she makes you this happy why don''t you marry her? Here,


    give this ring to her instead. I think she''ll be more than happy to give you babies you have been


    wanting."


    I then tried to take the ring from my finger but Niki grabbed my hand.


    "Don''t you ever take this ring from you Mary Arabe Volkov."


    "I''m not yet a Volkov, so stop calling me a Volkov." I flicked his hand from me.


    "You are still not a Volkov because you don''t want to fucking marry me!"


    I parted my lips in disbelief. Oh my god. I can''t believe Niki can be this unreasonable. He then


    inched too close to me and meets me in the eyes.


    "Why baby? Do you prefer to be called Mrs. Bogdani instead?"


    Howe this has be my fault now?


    "How many times do I have to tell you that Artan is nothing to me!"


    "Then why aren''t you believing in me when I say that Yrina is just a business partner?"


    "You went to Boston without even telling me and that''s beside the fact that we still have a problem that


    needs to be fixed. How would you feel if I do that to you Niki? You made me feel like I don''t matter!"


    Noki went silent. I dare not look at him in his eyes.


    "I know you went to Boston the night before you told me that you yed me. And Alexei covered up for


    you by telling me that there has been a weather disturbance that''s why you won''t be able to go home


    that night."


    Niki extends his hand to touch me.


    "Try and touch me Niki and I will be out of this ce and your lives in an instant!"


    "You''re going to leave me? Where are you going when you leave? To Artan? Huh?! So you can be one


    big happy family?!" He held my right arm so tight while yanking me. Niki is already drowned in


    jealousy.


    At this point my tears are threatening to fall.


    "Niki how many times do I have to tell you that you and Alexei are the love of my life! I have given


    everything that I could possibly offer! My world revolves around you and Alexei! I said yes when you


    asked me to marry you. What else do you want me to do?!"


    Niki clenched his jaw. I can see his adam''s apple move while looking like I have pped him in the


    face.


    Niki lets go of me and run his hand through his hair. My heart jumped from my chest when he


    snarled and swipes everything from the tform near the sink. The coffee maker and some tes fell


    down and broke into pieces.


    "Fuck!" Yelled Niki.


    I stormed out of the kitchen leaving Niki behind. I see Yuri and Boris standing outside the entrance


    of the kitchen. They just stood while sporting their usual poker faces. I then went upstairs to Yelena''s


    room and took a white cardigan. I went back downstairs hoping to leave but Niki is already standing


    at the bottom of the stairs.


    "Where are you going?" Siad Niki as he looks at me intensely.


    I just continued stepping down. Niki is already fisting his hand in anger.


    "Go back to our room Belle!"


    I took another few more steps towards him.


    "Did you not hear me? Go back to our room now!" Said Niki while raising his arms pointing upstairs.


    "No! I want to get out of this suffocating ce! Go back to Boston if you want! It''s not like you still need


    my permission because apparently my opinion doesn''t matter in this house!"


    "Guard and lock the door! Nobody let her out of this ce or I will personally make sure that everyone


    gets punished!" Said Niki angrily making sure his men hear him.


    I then stepped to the side and pushed Niki away but he did not move even an inch. He then held me


    on my arms very tight.


    "Let go of me Niki! You don''t have the right to touch me!"


    I''m trying to break free from Niki''s tight grip but he doesn''t let go of me. Niki''s furious green eyes


    are looking at me madly. I however am not surprised by this kind of Niki. His reactions are always


    like this whenever Artan is between us, or any other man for that matter.


    My tears are now starting to fall. My heart is beating so fast. I feel exhausted. I feel betrayed. I feel


    worthless.


    Niki lets go of my arms and grab me by my waist.


    "I''m sorry baby. Please don''t cry."


    "I hate you Niki." I said as I wipe a tear falling down my face.


    "I know. I''m sorry."


    I did not answer him. Niki reaches for my face and wipes the tears off of my cheek.


    "I miss you... I''m sorry for going to Boston without letting you know. Please just stop crying." Niki is


    already pleading.


    "Let go of me Niki."


    "No. I will never let go."


    "I epted everything and took everything that happened between the two of us but one thing I could


    not ept is if your cheating on me. Cheating is my breaking point Niki." I said all defeated.


    I have seen many rtionships ruined by unfaithfulness and I swore to myself that I will never let that


    happen to me. Almost everyone from my father and mother''s side are broken families, and it''s all


    because of cheating.


    "I''m not cheating on you. I just need to do something for my father."


    "What do you need to do? Tell me so I would understand!"


    "You will know in time. Please trust me on this?"


    "Trust you? So in the meantime I should ept that you''re seeing that woman? Is that it Niki?"


    Niki''s embrace tightened. He is burying his head on my chest.


    Oh god. I feel like my heart is being stabbed many times. What is it that Niki is not telling me?


    "Let go Niki, I want to go to bed. I''m exhausted."


    Niki slowly lets go of me and looks me in the eyes.


    I turn my back on him and walk upstairs. I went inside our room and slid my body under the covers.


    A few secondster I felt Niki next to me. He spoons me and buries his face on my nape.


    "Don''t give up on me." Niki whispered.


    I feel like my heart is being crushed into pieces. I don''t know what to do. I''m confused. I''m mad. I''m


    hurt.


    Do I follow what Matushka said about standing my ground and owning my ce? I know myself too


    well, I''m not as tough as Matushka. I could not bear the fact that Niki is probably having an affair


    with that woman.