《The Hot Tycoon鈥檚 Ex Wife》


 One

    Astra stared at her own personal copy of the divorce letter, and the pain still felt the same. Five years down thene, she still feels so bad for not putting in her best; for not trying to fight hard for her marriage; for not attempting to fight for the love they shared. Maybe she wasn¡¯t the problem; perhaps he was. Thankfully, it was starting to sound convincing to her ears. She rarely med him all those years; she spent all of those years ming herself. It was easy to me herself because she loved him too much. Creating excuses came in a very easy manner, and she hated the way it was easy for her. When they were married, he made sure she didn¡¯t think he was doing her a favor by being with her. She was nothing but a poor girl that he fell in love with. He didn¡¯t care about what the tabloids thought of them together or what the whole world felt about their union.


    He was perfect, and he could have had any girl he wanted, yet he chose to spend forever with her. She never knew what went wrong on their date, but the least she could have done was try to fight for him. Instead, she shut down and switched to alcohol. She still ended up ruining herself and almost losing her life. She almost took her own life with drinking, and she remembered she had no one with her during those days. It was like her own darkest hour with nobody to share it with. At least the person who promised never to leave her side did leave. Nichs had stared at her in the aisle, and he promised her that he would never go back on his promise. Their wedding was magical, and she could have sworn that it would never end.


    She ran her hands through her hair, and she felt at peace. At least the fire didn¡¯t ruin her life. When Nichs divorced her, she felt like her life would be on hold; she wanted nothing but to die. Then the fire happened one night after she passed out from excessive drinking. She didn¡¯t know how she got rescued, but she knew when she woke up, she was too broken to stare into the mirror. When her alimony came, she didn¡¯t have enough balls to reject it because she would be left to fend alone.


    A trip out of the country and facial reconstruction surgery were what it took to restart her life afresh. Moving on wasn¡¯t that easy, and every time she was healing, she always found something to push her down that darkne. However, the memories she shared with Nichs would always remain with her. She would never forget their first meeting. She was just a young woman, fresh out of college, and she needed a job. She had no one to help, and student loans were driving her crazy.


    They had met at a party that she was ushering at. It was an elite party, and she would be earning three times her usual pay for serving drinks at the party. She jumped at the offer and wore her best outfit; she was tired and worn out by the end of the party. She wanted to do nothing but return to the apartment she shared with Julie, her college roommate, and sleep away from her fatigue.


    She was sitting by the trunk of the car, and she was almost dozing off while waiting for the cleaning services to do their job. They would leave the venue together, and it would take a whole hour to get back to her apartment. She needs to sleep well enough so she won¡¯t feel sleepy on her next shift. Someone approached her and handed her a ck silk card, asking her to call the person. The card looked rich, and Astra knew she was about to make it out of the slums. Her head came up with different scenarios of what the man could want, and everything led back to sex. One night with the man would barely hurt anyone.


    When they were leaving the venue, she could swear that she felt someone eating her up with his eyes from a nearby limo, but she ignored it. When she got home, she shared the information with Julie, who egged her on and advised her to put a call through to him. When she first called, part of what made her fall in love with him more was his voice. She could vividly remember when he picked up the call. He sounded so confident and sexy that her pants pooled at the sound of his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been expecting your call,¡± he replied before she even had the chance to introduce herself. Her head was spinning in different directions, and she was a blubbering mess. She couldn¡¯t form a coherent sentence, and she remembered the way he chuckled at her poor attempt at replying to him.


    ¡°How about we do this? I pick you up tomorrow for lunch, and we talk over food.¡± He asked softly, and she nodded her head. She had forgotten that he couldn¡¯t see her. He said something else before hanging up, and Astra slid down the wall. This would change her life; she could feel it in her bones. Indeed, it changed her life. Firstly, it brought her good tidings, it upgraded her life and he made her feel like a queen for some time before it shattered her the same way it had elevated her. The backslide was faster because this time she didn¡¯t have anyone to hold on to or to help him stay sane.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    He had picked her up himself that afternoon, and she spent hours trying to look simple without giving away the fact that she put all her efforts into this with Julie¡¯s help. That afternoon, he blew her mind away. She drank in his appearance, and she knew she was sold. He had all the muscles in the appropriate ce, and his smell was heavenly. Astra couldn¡¯t decipher the strong cologne that reeked of hardwood and something sweet. He smelled manly and sweet at the same time.


    ¡°You must be Astra. You look way better when you¡¯re near, and I must admit, you look just as celestial as your name¡±. That was the first thing he said to her in his deep baritone voice. Moments after she got into the car with him, the voice was still going off on repeat in her head. The way Astra rolled off his tongue made her feel more beautiful; no, it made her feel more queenly. She loved the feeling. She had no idea where they were going, but her gut trusted him. That turned out to be the best first date she had ever been on. They went on a couple more dates before he took her on vacation.


    This vacation sealed their rtionship, and it made them official. Before the vacation, he made her move out of the apartment she shared with Julie, and he got her an expensive apartment in the ¡°rich people¡¯s vicinity,¡± as she and Julie would call it. He got her a job at his friend¡¯spany, and he would drop by too frequently just to see her face. They had a beautiful thing going on, and almost everyone could see it.


    Their first night together was memorable, and he made her feel like a queen. It wasn¡¯t her first because she had had a couple of boyfriends in college, but it was her most enjoyable one. Sex with Nichs was something she always looked forward to because there was never a dull moment with him. He would always try out new styles and new positions. He adored consent, and he would always make you the center of the show.


    The first time he ate her out was on the beach; it was a private beach, but few people were around. She was lying t on the mat, enjoying the breeze, when he suddenly brought his mat behind hers. Hey on his mat, bringing his head to herp. She didn¡¯t know he had anything to do, so she thought he was being clingy as usual. He parted her robe slowly before trailing his hands over herps. She got an idea of what he wanted to do. She tried to move him off, but he wasn¡¯t budging. Not like he would listen to his warnings and not do what he had in mind.


    If you scream, they will escort us out of here, and we won¡¯t be allowed in here anymore. Plus, we will be doing a ¡°walk of shame¡± back to our suite; I¡¯m not sure you would like that. So the ball is in your court. ¡± He chuckled darkly, and Astra felt hot at the threat. She was a screamer and a squirter; keeping her voice low would be a great challenge, but she was willing to try.


    Her phone rang, drawing her attention away from her thoughts, and she slid the hand over the screen to pick up the call. It was her supervisor at work, and she groaned. Her vacation isn¡¯t supposed to be over yet, even though she never left her room all through the break. It seems there¡¯s an important job waiting for her approval.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Woltman. How are you doing this morning? ¡± She weed him, and the older man replied with enthusiasm. The man had always treated her like his own daughter. Even when she didn¡¯t want to practicew anymore, he reminded her why she studied it in the first ce. Whenever she lost a case, he was always there to cheer her on. When she came back from her forced sabbatical, she needed a new job. Mr. Woltman had been there for her, and he made her feel better just by smiling at her. He was her father in the firm, even though she didn¡¯t tell him that.


    ¡°Good morning, Astra. We apologize for interrupting your vacation, but we have a significant case on our hands that the client has specifically requested for you.¡±I think the world won¡¯t forget how you helped that little girl get justice. He¡¯s willing to pay extra for the trouble of cutting your vacation short. G He would love to meet you personally tomorrow. ¡°Sounds like a solid deal to me,¡± Mr. Woltman said, and Astra sighed. as if she knew that she had a critical case on her hands. She was having mixed feelings about this client who had requested her personally. She just wanted to heal, but if she was being honest with herself, it would take her more than a vacation to heal. Maybe she should go back into the love market and she would have a few flings without strings that might help her take away the hurt. He called her a whore; maybe it was high time she started acting like one. Good girls don¡¯t get rewarded; bad girls snatch their own rewards.


    ¡°Alright, please forward the details to my email; let me round up things on my end here before the meeting tomorrow,¡± She replied before getting up from the bed and returning the divorce papers to thest drawer of her shelf. She was about to leave her room when Mr. Woltman¡¯s following words stopped her. She never expected that toe from him or anyone else. She thought she was finally free from it.


    ¡°Mr. Nichs Michealson would be happy to hear that you¡¯ve epted his demands.¡± The man said this without any idea of what his words were doing to Astra. She was shocked, and the rms went off in her head. Her ex-husband was her new client. She had a whole lot of questions, but her boss had already hung up. She wanted to ask him plenty of things. The fact that Nichs was making his way back into her life was something that didn¡¯t sit well with her. She had worked for months trying to start afresh and be her own person, but here he was trying to ruin everything she had worked hard to keep.

 Two

    Nichs sat in the conference room along with two of his legal advisers, and they waited for his ex-wife to show up. He had explicitly asked her because he wanted to see how well she was doing now without him. Part of him felt guilty for how he didn¡¯t give her a chance to exin herself. Instead, he tossed her out just like everyone in her life had. He was hurt too; for the first time he let someone into his heart, she ruined it for him. He hasn¡¯t had a decent rtionship since then. He hated how she made him vulnerable in a way that no other person had made him feel. It was like she allowed him to love her before she shattered him into tiny bits that would forever haunt him. His love life was a mess after their divorce, and he would not be able to look at another woman the same way he looked at her. He has given a few rtionships trials and she needs to ruin them for him without her having to try at all.


    He once moaned her name during sex and his then partner got annoyed that he was still hung over the same ex who cheated on him and broke his heart. If there was one thing he regretted from the whole rtionship, it was the fact that he let himself break without closure. He threw her out without asking her the vital questions she should have asked him.


    The door opened shortly, and the familiarvender smell he had spent most of the years of their marriage sniffing attacked his nose, and he knew she was here. The hairs on his nape stood at attention as she turned to her assistant, who was asking how her vacation was. She smiled, and his heart constricted painfully; she used to smile at him like that; it was one of the things that drew him to her, the way her entire face lit up at the spread of her lips. When she turned, he stopped.


    The woman before him looked nothing like his ex-wife, but the body confirmed it was her. The whole face had undergone a significant change, and her face was perfect. Her lips were fuller now, and she looked like she was made for the runway rather than aw firm. That was when the whole thing clicked. She had done the facial surgery out of shame that she cheated on him. She didn¡¯t want the entire world to recognize her again, and she would find another man to deceive again with her innocent face. The nerve of the bitch His blood boiled at the sight, and it only confirmed his worst fears. She had moved on, and he was nothing but a thing of the past to her now. Here he was beating himself up for the past five years, resisting the urge to go after her, only to find out she didn¡¯t even care to begin with. He doubled the alimony because he felt she needed to survive, but the bitch used his money on cosmetic surgery.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the dy; apparently, my brain doesn¡¯t remember that vacation is over. So let¡¯s get to business now. Tiannah, could you please get me a cup oftte? Thank you. ¡± She said this before walking briskly to her seat opposite Nichs and his advisers. Nichs couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of the way her body moved as she walked. The soft sway of her hips-he could swear those thighs had gotten way thicker than he could remember. Her breasts looked fuller from the way her shirt constricted against them tightly. as if they were begging to be let out. He would give her orgasms just by ying with her breasts in the good old days. He wondered if they were still as sensitive as they used to be.


    Excuse me, Mr. Michaelson? Is there a problem? ¡± Her voice snapped him away from his thoughts, and Nichs reced the neutral look on his face with a scowl. She rolled her eyes subtly, but he still saw it. the same way she rolled her eyes whenever he suggested a movie she didn¡¯t like. She hasn¡¯t changed a lot. Nichs¡¯s trousers constricted painfully as she ran her tongue over her lips while she flipped through the documents. He couldn¡¯t believe he was getting turned on by the sight of her licking her lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember mentioning any,¡± he replied coldly, and she muttered something under her breath. She continued with her skimming through the pages of the files, and she looked unaffected by his coldness. This wasn¡¯t the reunion he was expecting; he hoped for the same old Astra who didn¡¯t like getting on his wrong side. This one has already grown wings.


    You want to sue Thompson¡¯s Conglomerate? That¡¯s huge, and if I may ask why? ¡± She asked before closing the file in front of her and leaning back into her chair. Her gaze was fixed on them, and Nichs was disturbed by her stares, as if she could see right through them. When she didn¡¯t say anything, that was when he realized she asked a question, and there was no way he would ask her to repeat herself; his pride wouldn¡¯t let him. They stared at each other for like five minutes, and she didn¡¯t repeat herself.


    ¡°Mr. Michaelson, I don¡¯t have the luxury of waiting here in a startingpetition. I have way better things to do with my time. Why not just reschedule this meeting? If you¡¯re not ready to have me on the case, please contact Mr. Woltman and ask him for awyer change. Do have a nice day, sir. ¡± She stood before shaking the two legal advisers¡¯ hands, then sat back in her chair, flipping through another set of new files, theirpletely abandoned.


    ¡°A leopard would never change its spots. A whore would always remain a whore, ¡°he spat bitterly, and Astra raised her head, realizing the two legal advisers had left them. She smiled before looking at him dead in the eyes. Nichs hated that she seemed unfazed by his words; he wanted her to feel the pain he felt. Her smile seemed sinister, and he hated that she was getting to him. The look on her face looked nothing like the woman he had fallen in love with; instead, she looked like the mastermind of a deadly game and the yers found out they had been yed. She looked like she was enjoying this showdown between them, and he hated it. He wanted to scratch the snug look on her face away and maybe make her feel worse than him.


    A coward never gets tired of running from the truth. Look at you, Nichs, all broken and hurt. Do you still punch your mirror when the thought of me crosses your mind, or do you still drink yourself to death? No matter what you say to make me feel bad, you will always be the one on the losing end. Allow me to burst your bubble; my husband doesn¡¯t appreciate people talking down on his wife. Unlike you, he will go miles to defend me, ¡°She replied with a smirk, and he wanted to wipe the sick smile off her face. His heartbeat picked up at the mention of her husband, but his private investigator said she hadn¡¯t been in a rtionship. She can¡¯t be serious about being married. Did she move on that fast?


    She stood up before stopping in front of him. ¡°Requesting for my presence on a case yourpany could have handled on their own says a lot about how you¡¯re still hurt over this ¡®whore¡¯. I bet you think I¡¯de running between your legs? Admit it, Nick. You lost. ¡± She whispered, making sure to lean in and keep her body rested against his. She walked away, making sure to add extra sway to her hips, and he watched with clenched fingers. She was correct; he¡¯s still the one broken and living in the past. She has already moved on.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Nichs walked away from the boardroom and walked into the waiting car. One thing he would never get out of his head was the fact that maybe half of the men in the elite circle had fucked his wife. The day he received those pictures was still vivid in his head. The way those men in the picture had their wives in different positions was enough to make even the strongest men run mad. He hated to imagine that the same body he would spend hours worshipping in bed was the same body those men treated like dirt. It was the same body that those men groped aggressively and tied in a way that suited their fetish. He knew she had a daddy kink, but when they had that discussion, she told him it was mild. He was confident that he could handle it at any time. If only she had opened up to him about the whole thing, maybe he would have tried his best to satisfy her. Rather than inform him about having another round table discussion with him, she resolved to fuck everything in her pants. The thoughts of those pictures still made his heart constrict painfully.


    The anonymous mailer sent twenty printed pictures and continued through them one after the other, breaking his heart over and over again. He kept going, flipping through everything to the point where he wanted to run around in circles. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to imagine it was Astra, but the proof was right there in front of his eyes. He couldn¡¯t throw the pictures too far away either, because he felt another person finding them might use them to ckmail her. He shouldn¡¯t have cared about anyone ckmailing her or not, but he still did. He never believed Astra would ruin him that way; she knew how much he loved her. He felt his whole world falling apart, and he had no idea what to do anymore. He couldn¡¯t call anyone, and finding her looking all innocent in their shared house made him lose it. That night in the rain, he sent her out, and he never looked back. He tried to focus on himself, but the more he remembered those pictures at the bottom of his drawer, the more he became hurt. He hated to say it, but the mere sight of those pictures reminded him that the beautiful body used to be his to love and worship until she made a pact to punish him, maybe even make him suffer for it.


    Even after she signed the divorce papers, he waited for her toe clean with him and apologize. He wanted to give her a second chance. Maybe mistakes do happen, but it seemed like she didn¡¯t regret it because the next thing she did was jump on the next avable flight out of the state. He watched her up to the point she left, and then he knew he had lost her. Maybe they still had a shot at this future thing. But she never did; he didn¡¯t know she was back in town until he discovered that she was working in aw firm close to him now. He couldn¡¯t stop himself from going over to see her; he wanted to know how she was faring without him. He wanted to know if she was still trying to forget him like he was trying to put her in the past, but he was failing terribly at it. He was right, even after five years. She didn¡¯t give a fuck about him and she never would. ording to her, he had lost, and he hated to admit it, but it was the truth. He had failed terribly at it, and she had the upper hand in a game he had no idea they were ying. As pathetic as it may sound, she was absolutely correct.

 Three

    Astra walked into her apartment, and she made sure she locked the door before she dropped her bag on the floor and slid down the wall. All these years of thinking about her reunion with Nichs, she never imagined he would hate her that much. She could see the hatred in his eyes as he called her a whore. The same five years didn¡¯t heal her heart and the same five years wasn¡¯t enough to make her stop hating him. The most painful part of this process was that he never told her what happened. He threw her out in the rain, called her names, and banged the door in her face. She felt betrayed because this man had promised to love her forever, promised to cherish her forever, and yet on one day, he turned her out and threw her to the wolves.


    She sobbed quietly, and she covered her mouth. She willed herself to cry because she had been holding on to her tears for so long. No matter what she did, she hated the way simple name-calling from him could send her back into the trenches she wasing out of gradually. Her phone vibrated, and she searched her bag for the ringing device. She brought it out, and seeing the caller¡¯s name, she wiped her tears. She cleared her throat before picking up the call.


    It was Jared, a guy she met at awyer¡¯s dinner, and they hit it off immediately. Astra enjoyed hispany because he had a good sense of humor and they went out a few times. She always pretended that she didn¡¯t notice that Jared liked her and wanted something serious. She made sure not to sound stressed or as if she had just finished crying.


    ¡°Hey, Jay. How are you doing today? I meant to call you. ¡± Astra said that as soon as she picked up the call, she blew air through her mouth. She hoped her voice didn¡¯t sound as stupid as she felt. She heard ruffling in the background, and she guessed Jared was clearing his table. He was probably sitting on the table and about to give her an earful as usual.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I heard your ex-husband came around today, and a particr birdie told me that you cried in the bathrooms too. Astra, breathe. You are not at fault here, and it¡¯s not you who is shit. If a man who promised to love you forever decided to abandon you halfway without any excuse, then you should know you¡¯re not the shitty one he was. If I asked you what happened to your voice, you¡¯d tell me that work stressed you without blinking. Astra, I know you are still creating excuses for this man who wouldn¡¯t think twice before tossing you out. Aren¡¯t you tired of this circle every time?¡± Jared rambled in one breath, and Astra hung up.


    She was still hurt, and thest thing she wanted to hear now was someone trying to make her feel like a fool for feeling this way. She wasn¡¯t a fool, and she would never be one. She doubted if Jared had ever loved someone the way she loved Nichs. Suppose he ever felt like his entire world revolved around this whole person?


    She hated that Nichs was no longer in her life, yet he still made things worse for her. She wanted to hate him from deep down, but she couldn¡¯t. Jared was right because each time she got hurt, she always created the perfect excuse for them. When Nichs threw her in the rain, she made excuses for him. At least, everyone goes through things at times. When he didn¡¯t check up on her after the divorce, she concluded he was still hurt by everything that happened, even though she had no clue what happened in the marriage or why she was dumped. Even when the fire ident happened, she med it on him because he had a multi-millionaire business to look after.


    Her phone chimed, indicating a message had juste in. It was a text from Jared, apologizing forshing out at her like that. Next week, he invited her to an art showcase, and he wanted to apologize again. She switched off her phone before stripping off every one of her clothes. It was time to cry in the shower.


    ____________


    Nichs took another shot of his tequ, and he winced at the burning taste. He wanted to do more, do something like hit his mirror again, but Astra¡¯s words earlier stopped him. She was correct; he was the one who was hurt, who was broken, who was still haunted by his ex five years after the divorce. He didn¡¯t want to prove her right; he wasn¡¯t going to.


    Three bottles of his most potent vodkater, and Nichs was a blubbering mess. He no longer looked like the man he used to be; he looked more like a shadow of himself. He wanted to disappear from the face of the earth and maybe allow himself some time to heal. Instead, it was a mess already. He looked at the table, and staring at her address neatly written by his private investigator made him feel uneasy. He wanted to visit her, tell her they should put the past behind them, and continue their love again. Maybe all of these aches will go away.


    He was Nichs Michealson, and he wasn¡¯t supposed to bow to anyone. Three times the richest man ording to Forbes and the CEO of a chain of multi-billion dor restaurants, he shouldn¡¯t be scared of a mere woman. Not just any woman, the one who broke his heart and reduced him to nothing. She made him crave her love till money meant so little to him, and all he wanted was to be wrapped in her arms. No woman would do that to him and go scot-free. He had the power to do and undo.


    He stood up, and he grabbed his car keys. He was going to give her a piece of his mind; he would let her know how evil she was and how she would suffer for so many years. He would tell her how the devil would bow at his feet when he dealt with her to his satisfaction. Everyone would be scared of him, and they would call him the Devil.


    He entered his car before reversing out of his driveway, and he drove towards Astra¡¯s house. He was going to empty his heart and tell her how much she hurt him. He would ask her to apologize, and they would be one happy family again. He pulled up in her driveway before muttering some words of encouragement to himself. He was sure she wanted this too; she wanted them to mend things. He saw it in her eyes earlier.


    He knocked raptly on the door, and he waited for her to open the door; he knew she would soon open the door. He was half expecting it, and when some minutes passed without her opening, he rested on the door; he was starting to regret why he came here at first. He could have just stayed at home and gotten another round of alcohol. He might wake up with a banged head, but it¡¯s worth more than being ignored by the only one you feel something for.


    He left the door before he sat on the pouch; he was here already, and he wasn¡¯t going to leave until she opened the door. He had already embarrassed himself, so it¡¯s better he allowed himself to be embarrassed further than go back home without talking to the only woman he has ever loved.


    He heard the keys in the lock, and he thought he heard things until the door opened to reveal Astra with a deep scowl on her face. Her face morphed into surprise when she saw him, and she wasn¡¯t expecting him at all. He let his eyes rake over her body, and he felt all his blood run south. She still had that effect on him, the ability to turn him on without even trying at all. All she had on was simple nightwear with a Hello Kitty inscription.


    ¡°Mr. Michealson, Is there a reason you are at my house at this time? ¡± She asked, and he stood up from where he was sitting and walked towards her. She walked him while he tried to walk without losing his footing. He got near, and he pushed the door open before entering, and she shut the door after them before locking it. She was about to give him an earful about visiting her dead in the middle of the night, dead drunk. He pressed her against the door before putting his hand on the door and preventing his entire weight from being dumped on her. She looked up at his tall frame, and he had this faraway look on his face. Those days when he would tease her for her height and thene back to apologize-the good old days.


    ¡°Look at how beautiful you¡¯ve be. You don¡¯t look affected by our divorce. I¡¯m the one that divorced you, yet I¡¯m the one who suffered the most. Look at what you¡¯ve reduced me to, amon alcoholic with money. I¡¯ve lost interest in almost everything, and you do nothing but invade my head all day and give me nightmares at night. Is this what I get for loving you, Astra? Is this what love does to people? They take away your power and leave you vulnerable to them. If this is love, I don¡¯t want to experience it anymore; I want to be alone with just my thoughts and no care in the world, ¡± He ended his rant with a shout, and Astra scoffed.


    He had the nerves to think she wasn¡¯t hurt too or that she never cried herself to sleep almost every day in the first year of their divorce; how she would trek long distances for no reason at all other than to walk and let the breeze blow her hair in different directions. She would cry during her walks at night and still wake up the following day to prepare for work.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one hurt. Sorry to burst your bubble; you¡¯re not the only one hurt. Imagine someone who promised to cherish you forever throws you out in the rain one night with no money on you. You try to reach everybody. Instead, you are called names. Nobody wants to listen to your side of the story because you don¡¯t even know what went wrong. Every day, your so-called husband is seen by different women at different events. Astra stopped counting all those people.


    I¡¯m sorry I hurt you, Astra. I¡¯m here to make things right between us. Maybe we can rekindle whatever we used to have. Astra, I don¡¯t think I would be able to love any other person the way I love you. He ended his deration by pressing his lips against hers. She wasn¡¯t expecting this, but she has definitely missed it. The way her lips always mold into his, and they will create perfect sync. She knew she missed him, but she never realized how much. She wrapped her hands around his neck, and she pressed her body against his. This was getting hot so fast, but none of them cared. He lifted her from the floor, and she wrapped her legs around him. Their tongues battled for dominance for a while before he trailed his tongue down her neck, just the way she liked it. She gasped as his teeth grated against her neckline, and he gave her ass a gentle squeeze.


    He raised her nightgown a little bit over her ass, and he pressed her back to the door while he worked his magic on her throat. Astra didn¡¯t know whether to scream or moan at the intensity of the pleasure. This was the first time that someone was driving her close to getting an orgasm without pration in five years. Everything clicked in Astra¡¯s head, and she decided to stop him from going further; she was not going to let him waltz back into her life after five years of causing her pain and sorrow. She unwrapped her legs from his body, and he looked at her with puppy eyes.


    I don¡¯t want to do this now; I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready for it now. Let¡¯s just sleep, ¡± She whispered, and he followed her to the bedroom. This time, he held her while they both slept. For the first time in five years, Astra slept like a baby.

 Four

    Astra didn¡¯t know which one excited her more: the fact that she was going to visit an art showcase with Dn or that she just woke up on the good side of the bed naturally. She had always felt heavy each time she woke up, but today was better. Surprisingly, she had a weird dream about Nichsing to her home. E! Nichs would nevere, not with all that hate in his eyes. She was even scared of it herself. She said hello to every co-worker she met on the road, and she couldn¡¯t help but notice the stares they gave her. It¡¯s like something happened, and she wasn¡¯t in the loop. She shrugged and med it on the fact that she looked fantastic today. Her big smile was doing a good job of bncing it out.


    One thing that stopped her from moving forward was how people hung around her cubicle while staring at it; they were not just staring. They were talking too. She had no idea what they were talking about, but one way to find out was to move closer and see things for herself. She caught a whiff of the conversation, and someone dared to say she was always on the receiving end of everything good. She wanted to scream, but nothing was going to ruin her mood for today, not even them. Then she walked close to her cubicle before clearing her throat, and everyone started working fast in a different direction; the party was over.


    She walked into her favorite space, and a big bouquet of flowers ate everything else up. The flowers were so big, and the fresh scent made her weak in the knees. She searched her bag for the one person she knew could do this, Jared. He probably felt she was still angry about the whole Nichs thing, and she wasn¡¯t. He told her the truth, and she was grateful for that. She knew that not everyone would be that honest with her, and she had been sulking about Nichs for far too long, and she had barely noticed Jared¡¯s fierce love for her.


    The phone rang when her eyes caught sight of the note attached to the flowers. She picked it up and tried to read it. The content made her heart do a double flip.


    ¡°Astra, my own from the stars. At the start of every new day, you get prettier and maybe inpetition with the sun. I hope today is as beautiful as the flowers.


    N. M¡±


    She didn¡¯t need a sage to tell her Nichs sent them; those were the days they were married; he would have a bouquet delivered every time she had cramps, every time someone at school pissed her off, or every time she felt bad, and sometimes she got flowers for no reason at all. She had no idea why he would send her flowers to begin with. Jared¡¯s voice came up, and she realized she had dialed him.


    Hey, I¡¯m so sorry about the other day; I hope you aren¡¯t calling to cancel, yeah? He rambled in one breath, and Astra smiled. He looked adorable with the way he was trying to confirm if she was still angry or not. She confirmed that she wasn¡¯t canceling; she just called to say hi. She felt terrible for lying to him, but she picked up the flowers and thought of throwing them out of the office. Nichs indeed had spies here for the flowers to get into her cubicle. She smiled before picking it up after getting a new idea. It was still early, and her co-workers would probably still hang around. She grabbed the flowers, and she made sure to look as disgusted as she could. She made her way to the trashcan in the hallway. Her heels made a clicking sound as she approached the hallway, doing what she calls her angry walk. Every eye was on her as she opened the trash can and dumped the flowers. That felt good!


    ___________


    She took another look at her row of clothes, and nothing looked too adorable for her to wear to an art showcase. She wanted to look pretty without having to try at all, and with the way thisziness was building in her blood, she doubted if she would be able to visit the museum with him. She was extremely sluggish and everything.


    A smile made its way to her office as she remembered her decision this morning after Nichs almost blew up her phone with calls after his spy told him she dumped the flowers. She walked up to her boss and told him she wasn¡¯t going to continue with Nichs¡¯ case. It sounded like a joke at first, butter her boss realized she wasn¡¯t joking. She didn¡¯t care if it would cost her this job. She was done with Nichs Michealson messing up her life from the bleachers.


    Her phone ringtone stopped her from going further, and a private number stared back at her. She wondered who could be calling with a private number, and her mind went to a certain bastard. He was the only person who would call her with a private number. She wasn¡¯t shocked when he got her number. She knew her boss would give him a few dors on the toss. She picked up the call. He probably wanted to confirm if she was off the case like he heard.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Michaelson.¡± She said curtly, and his sharp intake of breath hit her ears. Gone were those days when sounds from him used to set her body on fire. She wasn¡¯t ready to go down thatne with him. Even though, at the sound of his voice, her pants would be a pool of juice, she didn¡¯t mind. She waited a few minutes for him to speak before she hung up.


    ¡°Astra, you dropped the case after I specifically requested it for you.¡± She tried to hide theugh that was building up in her throat. He was probably expecting her to cower at his voice or something, but this was a new Astra, and he wasn¡¯t ready to meet her yet. She waited the same way he waited before replying to him. She enjoyed the way her name rolled off his tongue, and those were part of the things that made her fall in love with him five years ago, but things have changed now.


    ¡°I believed my boss delivered my message to you that I wasn¡¯t interested in being yourwyer anymore. There are other betterwyers at the firm, and I don¡¯t think this is debatable. If you¡¯re not satisfied with our work, there are over a hundredw firms in the state. ¡± She heard him take short breaths. He was probably too angry, and he didn¡¯t want to overreact or say something she would sue him for.


    ¡°I can make you jobless within minutes, and you will have no choice but to crawl and beg for my mercy,¡± he said, with each wordced with anger. She wanted tough at him and remind him that she didn¡¯t care about his little threats anymore. The urge tough took over, and soon she startedughing loudly while he listened. When she was doneughing at him, she bade him goodbye before hanging up without waiting for him to reply. She doesn¡¯t even care if he killed her soul. She chose the short sunflower dress in the corner of her wardrobe, and she decided to pair it with ts.


    ___________


    Nichs stared at the wall, and he hated the way he couldn¡¯t do anything to get her back on the case. He had even offered to pay thrice her usual price, but her employer was adamant about not forcing her to continue the case. When it was starting to get awkward, he knew he had to stop himself.


    He stared at the unopened bottle of scotch and the reality of her words got back to him. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said all he did was drink himself to a stupor and me her for things she had no control over. He hated himself for being very vulnerable to him and letting him toy with her in this manner. She knew the power she had over him, and she was using it in the perfect manner.


    Five years down thene, what they used to share didn¡¯t have any effect on her anymore and she is probably married to another person. He didn¡¯t care, but yet he could barely get his thoughts in ce at the thought of her. The lucky bastard who got married wouldn¡¯t know how lucky he was. Maybe he should have waited to talk this out amicably with her, without having to shout at each other like adults.


    He was starting to doubt if she was truly married because she had no ring on her finger and yet she was iming her husband hated people breathing down on her. There was only one way to find out how she had been doing all these years and why she went under the knife for a new face. She was sure there would be fresh juice to delve into.


    He picked up his phone and ced a call to his private investigator. He ordered him to get a detailed file on how Arya had been dating after their divorce, and he hoped to keep his fingers crossed while waiting for the files. Maybe taking this scotch wouldn¡¯t change anything. After much deliberation, he finally opened the drink. He was going to get drunk because his ex-wife doesn¡¯t give two fucks about him anymore. Sad much?


    Three bottles down, Nichs felt the urge to visit Astra again. Perhaps he is still haunted by her, and no one cares. He was not even feeling shame at the thought of groveling for her to take him back, and he knew she was lying about the whole husband thing. There¡¯s no ring yet on her hand, and he doesn¡¯t even care about the whole thing. He picked up his car keys again and he made his way to his car. He was driving to only one destination in his mind, and that was Astra¡¯s apartment.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    He knocked on her door, and she threw it open. He made his way inside without even waiting for her to invite him inside. Astra wasn¡¯t surprised at the whole thing, and she knew that before she knew it, he would be in her bed sleeping. She could perceive the alcohol on his breath and she almost puked. She knew the dream she had the previous night was actually very urate and that he was truly in her apartment. It was starting to be a frequent thing, and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop him from visiting her. She hated to admit it, but suck was enjoyable with him spooning her.


    She closed the door after him, and she saw him make his way to her bedroom like they owned the apartment together. She hated to admit it, but he looked so good here. If only they were a true family and they hadn¡¯t had that nasty divorce five years back, then he would have been happy with her.


    She climbed into bed after she helped him remove his jacket and his shoes, and she covered him with the duvet. She resisted the urge to go closer to him, but in the end, she gave in to temptation and allowed herself to go closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and instantly his arms came around her protectively. He snuggled his head against her neck before whispering.


    ¡°Why are you doing this to us?¡± He whispered, and very soon his soft snores filled the room. Astra had no answer to his question, and she had no idea why this was happening. She had no idea why it was happening to them and if she could just suddenly put the past behind her and live in the present.

 Five

    Astra grabbed the cup of coffee the waiter had just ced beside her on the table and sipped it gently after stirring it with the spoon. ¡°You still don¡¯t like sugar?¡± Stephanie asked her while cing some cubes into her own cup. Astra smiled and said nothing to Stephanie. ¡°Uhmm! This apple pie always tastes like heaven.¡± Stephanie dered while devouring the apple pie. ¡°The delicacies here are meant for our taste buds, my dear friend.¡± Astra replied. Stephanie nodded in approval. I needed this breakfast more than I needed anything. I missed it, ¡°said Stephanie. It was always cheese, fish, and some dumb veggies for breakfast throughout our honeymoon. I couldn¡¯tin but kept eating the whole damn thing. ¡± Stephanie confessed with disgust while shaking her head.


    Astra smiled at her and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me how it went.¡± Steph chuckled and replied. ¡°You sure don¡¯t need every detail of my honeymoon.¡± Girl, I need all the details I can get. ¡± Astra retorted with a twinkle. ¡°Well¡­¡± began Stephanie while stirring her coffee and licking her lips. ¡°We wined, dined, and moaned,¡± she said in a mischievous tone. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± asked Astra. ¡°Yea, What else do people do on honeymoons? ¡± Stephanie replied. Astra giggled and nodded. She quickly drifted her mind to the thought of her honeymoon with Nichs. Those moments sure formed one of the best days of her life. Such unforgettable moments. Those morning strolls at the beach, Nichs¡¯s ritual of serving her breakfast in bed. The warm bathtub moments, the entertaining movie sessions, and the heavenly orgasms.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Stephanie asked Astra, whose gaze was fixed on the other corner of the road. She was stretching her neck. ¡°Yea, I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied. Meanwhile, she could swear she saw Nichs just walk into the baby clothing store across the street. Was her mind ying games with her? She also saw ady with blonde hair walking behind him, and she could swear they went into the store together. She pushed off the thought and concluded it was a mere illusion.


    ¡°I have to go now,¡± she told Stephanie while swiping her phone screen hurriedly. ¡°Chill girl. It¡¯s 8:32 am. You still have some time before 9 a. m. Do you report by 9 am right? ¡± Stephanie said, while cleaning her lips with a napkin. ¡°Unfortunately,¡± said Astra, who was standing up already. My boss just texted me. He wants me in his office right now. Like right now, ¡± added Astra. She quickly emptied her coffee into her mouth and pulled out a napkin to clean her mouth. ¡°You are always busy. ¡°Come on, girl.¡± Stephaniemented while looking at Astra. Astra adjusted her grey jacket, grabbed her purse, and left the restaurant in a hurry after whispering, ¡°Bye girl. We¡¯ll talkter. ¡®to Stephanie, who muttered, ¡®Astra. Bloody career woman. ¡® She smiled and licked her fingers, which were soiled by crumbs of apple pie.


    Astra immediately turned around the moment she came into her office. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Suzanne, her secretary, whom she had collided with at the door. ¡± Suzanne must have noticed how restless Astra was. ¡°Yeah, good morning,¡± said Astra, who quickly left the spot and hurried to her boss¡¯s office. ¡°Come in,¡± said her boss from the inside, after she must have given what seemed like a silent knock on his door. ¡°Good morning, Sir,¡± she said, then cleared her throat loudly. ¡°Have a seat,¡± he said.


    Trevor Abby owns the firm Astra works for. A man in his early fifties whose height could pass for an NBA star. The man is known for his eloquence, sensitivity and evident neatness, which is reflected in his snowy shirts and well-ironed in trousers. He always glows from the tip of his head to the soles of his feet. There is a narrative that Trevor Abby is a strict man and hard work is his theme in life. He is a man with standards. He doesn¡¯t joke with business either. Astra sat on the chair opposite him. He was signing some documents. He cleared his throat, indicating he was done and now ready for Astra. She immediately lifted her head, which was bowed a little while ago. Mr. Trevor is not known for exchanging pleasantries. He always hits the nail on the head.


    ¡°Astra,¡± he began, adjusting his well-ironed brown tie. ¡°You are working on Nichs Michealson¡¯s case, right?¡± he asked, staring directly into Astra¡¯s eyes. Astra was expecting him to find out why Nichs withdrew the case from their firm, which she guessed he must have done, especially after their drama yesterday. ¡°I want you to work on this case with all you¡¯ve got and no matter what happens, you can¡¯t let this case slip through your hands. Mr. Trevor dered. Nichs didn¡¯t call off the case?¡¯she wondered as she stared at her boss in a shocking way.


    ¡°What?¡± blurted Astra. ¡°Astra I think you are one of the bestwyers this firm has and I guess your previous work has been speaking for youtely. ¡± Mr. Trevor said. ¡± She lowered her head while he continued speaking. ¡°Mr. Nichs called me and personally requested that he have you on this case. ¡°You and no one else,¡± added her boss. ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Astra said in her mind while biting her lower lip. ¡°So henceforth,¡± continued Mr. Trevor. ¡°You have been relieved of any work around this ce. I want your full attention on this case, ¡°he said, hitting the table like a high school principal addressing a student who just faltered. ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± interrupted Astra. He nodded in approval, signaling she could go ahead and speak. ¡°What if I find the case kind ofplex, or maybe it doesn¡¯t suit my interest, or let¡¯s say I am not into the case?¡± Can we have a switchover? ¡± She asked. Her boss smiled halfway and said ¡°Look, Astra. Nichs Michaelson is who we are talking about here. Go check him out on the Forbes billionaire rating list. This man can buy this firm over and over again, and he personally requested that he wants you on this case and no one else, ¡± said Mr. Trevor. ¡°So Astra,¡± he continued. ¡°You will make it work. I don¡¯t care. You gotta find your way and don¡¯t you dare let this man take this case away from this firm. ¡± Her boss spoke while still taping the table and his voice was emotionless. She knew he meant business. ¡± You decide to abandon the case. ¡°You get fired,¡± her boss revealed. Astra¡¯s mouth was wide open. She began to stammer.


    ¡°Sir¡­ I.. But.. What if?¡± ¡°Listen, Astra,¡± said Mr. Trevor. His voice was now stern and authoritative. This firm runs on money, and I need all the money I can put my hands on to pay any damn staff here. ¡°Mr. Michaelson has invested a lot into this firm for the sake of this case, and my firm needs all the money it can get, so believe me, Astra, I am going to fire you if you don¡¯t deliver,¡± he concluded.


    Astra knew what was at stake. She either loses her hard-earned job or she works with Nichs on his case. Astra wanted to yell at her boss. She wanted to scream at his face or leave his office after mming the door, but instead, she nodded and slowly said, ¡°Noted sir. I will do my best. ¡± He gave his evil smile and showed her the way out with his right arm, signaling they were done. She stood up, heaved a deep sigh of frustration rather than relief, and went for the door. ¡°Hey Astra!¡± he called out to her as she was reaching for the doorknob. You can do this. ¡°Good luck,¡± he said. She smiled faintly and left his office with her heart racing uncontrobly.


    Astra quickly got into her office and sank into her chair. She was infuriated over the depth of revenge Nichs was willing to dive into to see her suffer. She ced her hand on her chest as if she was reducing the rate at which her heart was beating. She wanted to see him from a different perspective. Nichs Michaelson, who loved and adored her, died. He wouldn¡¯t lift a finger at her, and whenever she felt sick, she could see him shiver with fear. Nichs would look restless when she had a cold and would be mad if she failed to take her drugs. What happened? She wondered. Then that night, he threw her out like garbage, hurled insults at her, and made her feel less. ¡°This is a new Astra,¡± she told herself. He must have sshed millions on the case. She thought. Her palms were spread across her face, and her heart was beginning to ache. She knew how hard it was for her to pick herself up from the ashes Nichs left her. She has had enough and wouldn¡¯t go back to the hell she came from.


    Suzanne just walked into her office. ¡°Not now, Suzanne,¡± she said with her face in her palms. ¡°Mr. Nichs is here,¡± announced Suzanne. Astra immediately stood up while Suzanne left her office. She quickly sat back in her chair and adjusted her jacket while breathing heavily but softly. Nichs walked into her office wearing a dashing ck suit with a brown tie matching his designer shoes. Such a devilishly handsome man. ¡°Handsome as ever,¡± she thought. Nichs stared at Astra¡¯s office and was overwhelmed by the spread of pink. The Astra he knew hated bright colors and found beauty in odd and dull colors. This sudden spread of pink around her confirmed his suspicions that she had totally changed.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you offer me a seat, miss?¡± he asked in a sarcastic tone. ¡°Is a seat so hard to find around here?¡± She retorted, staring into his eyes. He hated it. Her audacity The way she looked at him in the face and let words fly from her mouth without remorse. Nichs sat on the huge ck sofa opposite her and requested tea. ¡°Tea?¡± he asked. ¡°What?¡± she screamed in disbelief. ¡°Listen Astra,¡± he began. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether your boss told you anything, but henceforth I own every damn working second of your life,¡± he boasted, while Astra stared at him without uttering a word. She wasn¡¯t going to


    ¡°You will do as I please till your working hours are over. You will serve me, madam. So shall it be till the case is over? Do you understand? ¡± He spoke in a harsh tone. She chuckled before she replied to him. She knew her chuckles would drive him off the edge, but she was living for that; she was living to rile him up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Mr. Michaelson¡± He was immediately irritated by her chuckles. She did it to taunt him, and it was working. He thought, ¡®Why does everything he does to get at her or ridicule her seem to be failing? ¡® he thought. She prepared the tea for him and handed it over to him gracefully with a smile. The mug is on a pink saucer. He took it from her and immediately sipped the tea. He emptied the whole content from his mouth onto the floor in disgust. ¡°Too much sugar. I don¡¯t take sugar Astra and you know it, ¡°he screamed in anger.


    ¡°Oops! ¡°I forgot, plus I don¡¯t keep irrelevant information in my head anymore,¡± she replied, rubbing her palms against each other. She went back to her seat. She didn¡¯t forget. In fact, it was Nichs who made her reduce her sugar intake. He doesn¡¯t like it, so she got infected with this act. Nichs was wiping his mouth with a brown handkerchief and staring at Astra with scorn when his phone rang. ¡°Hello,¡± he said, ¡°What?¡± he thundered, and stormed out of the room, leaving Astra stunned. She knows Nichs only reacts like that whenever there is an emergency. ¡°What happened?¡± she thought.

 Six

    As soon as Nichs left the room, Astra let out a sigh of relief. She was not sure how much more of the interaction she could take. It was because of her stupid boss. That was the only reason she had to deal with all of this.


    She felt a rumbling in her stomach, reminding her that it was lunch time. Astra had to get something to eat, and quickly. The breakfast she had with Stephanie that morning looked like it was not going to be enough to sustain her. Maybe she could juste inter to work on her project. As she pondered this idea for a moment, the sound of her ringing phone cut through the air.


    Astra picked it up off the table and nced at the screen.


    ¡°Jared,¡± she noted with a sigh. Her mind took her back to Jared and Nichs¡¯ reaction. It hadn¡¯t ended well, and with the mood that Nichs was in already, there was no telling what he would do if he found out who was calling.


    Astra¡¯s shoulders slumped a little, as she leaned against the table to ease some of the tiredness she was starting to feel. It was more mental than physical, but still, standing in ce couldn¡¯t help. After she put her weight on the table, Astra answered the persistently ringing phone.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she said softly. She couldn¡¯t hear any sounds from outside her office, so it seemed that Nichs had gone far. However, there was no need to risk a loud conversation.


    ¡°Hey, Astra,¡± Jared¡¯s voice said through her phone¡¯s speaker. ¡°Are you busy?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± sighed Astra.


    Damn, that¡¯s a shame. Would you like to take a lunch break? I didn¡¯t call to hear a no though. ¡±


    ¡°What did you call me then?¡±


    ¡°Say you¡¯lle,¡± Jared urged. ¡°I, uh, I sort of have to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Jared, I-¡±


    ¡°Could you pleasee on?¡±


    Astra let out another sigh, knowing that she was not going to win the argument. ¡°Fine, where should we meet?¡±


    Jared gave her directions to a small burger ce that wasn¡¯t too far from the office. It wasn¡¯t her first choice, but at that point, Astra was willing to eat almost anything.


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you there in ten minutes,¡± Astra stated. The line went dead and she brought the phone down from her ear. She looked up to see Nichs standing at the door, leaning on its frame with his hands folded.


    ¡°Ah! ¡°You almost gave me a heart attack!¡± she cried, cing her hands on her chest in an effort to steady her breathing. She began to wonder if he had listened in on her conversation.


    ¡°My bad,¡± he said, jokingly.


    ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡±


    I just got here. Did I interrupt something? ¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Astra said quickly, trying to keep her voice even. She had no idea why she was suddenly starting to get nervous around her ex-husband. ¡°I¡¯m going out for lunch.¡±


    ¡°What about our work?¡±


    Nichs seemed a lot calmer than he was when he had left to take that call. Maybe something that had happened on the phone got him to cool off. This should have been a good thing, but Astra just couldn¡¯t shake the uneasy feeling she was getting. This looked more like the calm before a storm, a huge and disastrous storm.


    She assured him that ¡°I won¡¯t spend a lot of time on it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back to work in no time. I just need to get some food in me first.¡±


    She picked up the few things she needed and headed to the door that Nichs was still standing in front of. As soon as Astra got to the door, Nichs stopped leaning against it. He straightened himself as if he wanted to stand in her way. The small smile that had been on his face also widened. Astra knew that if he did this, there would be no way to move past him. What¡¯s worse, was that she was getting distracted.


    His scent seemed to wrap around her because of how close they were. It was intoxicating.


    ¡°I need to leave,¡± she said. The smile on Nichs¡¯ face vanished in an instant. He was clearly upset by this. Astra decided to ignore this by pushing past him and walking out the door.


    As soon as Astra was out of sight, He moved to the table, still fuming in anger.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°How dare that little¡­¡± With one quick swipe, Nichs cleared the contents of the table, tossing all the documents on the floor. He had heard the entire conversation. Astra was going to have lunch with some other guy.


    ¡°She thinks she can just move on from me?¡± He asked, even though he was the only person in the room. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    Astra walked out of the building and made her way to the car. A few momentster, she was on her way to the restaurant where she would have lunch with Jared.


    It was a small establishment that she had passed on her way to work several times but had never considered eating in. Astra spotted Jared sitting in an otherwise empty booth. He spotted her and waved her over to join him.


    ¡°Over here,¡± he said, lifting a hand even though she could already see him.


    Astra took a seat and was attended to by the waiter. Soon after, her meal arrived, and she began to scarf it down.


    ¡°Woah,¡± Jared said, watching her eat. ¡°And you said you didn¡¯t want to get lunch?¡±


    Astra swallowed I said I had to work. Why¡¯d you want us to meet? ¡±


    ¡°Look, I need to get this out there,¡± he said, leaning across the table. I like you, Astra. I feel like you like me too. It¡¯s like there could be something beautiful between the both of us, but you¡¯re trying to stop it. ¡±


    ¡°Jared I¡­¡± I can¡¯t do this right now.


    ¡°Is it because of Nichs?¡±


    Astra felt her anger bubble in her throat, seeking a way out. She had to close her eyes for a moment to prevent some kind of outburst.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of Nichs. ¡°Or maybe it is¡­ Argh!¡±Astra¡¯s frustration was slowly starting to show.


    ¡°Exin it to me,¡± Jared said, in a soft voice. His hand moved to where hersy. He gave it a gentle squeeze to reassure her.


    ¡°I really loved Nichs,¡± she sighed. ¡°Everything that happened between us, it¡¯s not something I can just make disappear. Believe me, if I had the power to do so, I wouldn¡¯t waste a single second waiting. It messed me up and I haven¡¯t been able to have any healthy rtionships since. ¡±


    ¡°I could be the start,¡± Jared said. You only need to give me a chance and I¡¯ll treat you right, the way you really deserve to be treated.


    Astra purses her lips. I¡¯m really ttered that you like me and you had the courage to confess your feelings to me. I think it¡¯s amazing that we¡¯re able to sit and talk like this, but this is all I¡¯m ready for right now. I only want a friendship with someone I can talk to like this. I am not ready for anything serious, at least not right now. Can you understand that? ¡±


    ¡°I can,¡± Jared said. He clearly wasn¡¯t happy with the decision, but it was something he had to ept either way. I can and I do. I¡¯ll be here for you, whatever you need, but I¡¯m not giving up, Astra. I¡¯m willing to wait until you¡¯re ready. ¡±


    Astra realized she should probably tell Jared that she still has feelings for Nichs. What they had was not just going to disappear like that. It had been special, too special to forget. Now that he was back in her life, it was like all those designs had jumped right back into her body again.


    Jared lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. He pulled her in a little closer and leaned over the table as well. Their lips inched closer and closer to each other. They were so close to touching when the sound of Astra¡¯s ringing phone ruined the mood. Jared let out a small grunt in frustration. Astra only gave him a small apologetic look before picking up the phone and answering.


    ¡°Astra!¡± Nichs said. ¡°Astra, I need you toe to my house, please.¡± His voice trembled like something terrible had happened. Astra adjusted in her seat.


    ¡°Hey, what is it?¡± Astra asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an emergency,¡± he replied, the urgency in his voice rising. He even sounded scared. What could frighten Nichs? It had to be serious. ¡°You need toe here immediately. Please hurry! ¡±


    ¡°Try to rx. What¡¯s the emergency?¡± she asked. All that Astra got as an answer was a frustrated groan, before the line went dead.


    Astra picked up her things and rushed out the door of the building. She could hear Jared calling out to her, asking if everything was okay, but there was no time. She had to get to Nichs immediately.

 Seven

    Astra quickly changed the direction of the car to Nichs¡¯ home, the home that was once hers. Not the time to think of that, Astra, she scolds herself.


    ¡°This had better be some serious emergency,¡± she mutters. With the speed at which she was going, she¡¯d definitely get pulled over. Luckily for her, there were no police around. Astra prayed in her heart that Nichs was okay. She shouldn¡¯t have cared. She should have been doing quite the opposite. But deep down, she knew no matter what, she¡¯d always care for Nichs. His voice over the phone sounded hurried, frightened even, and before she knew it, she had sprinted out of the coffee shop without giving any exnation whatsoever to Jared.


    What was she to say? ¡°Sorry Jared, Nichs needs me. You know Nichs, don¡¯t you? Yes, the same man you met in my home a week back that harassed you. In all honesty, my ex-husband that threw me out into the rain five years ago, ah yes, that¡¯s the one. ¡°Jared would have looked at her as a stupid woman, and in all honesty, she did feel stupid. She should have ignored his call, but instead she picked it up hurriedly. Part of her was trying to be convincing that the only reason she cared was that he was currently her ¡°boss¡± and if she didn¡¯t do as he pleased, she could lose her job. But she knew damn well that wasn¡¯t the reason.


    Astra heaved a sigh of relief when Nichs¡¯ home came into view. She packed the car right outside of the mansion. The several guards that Nichs hired were still stationed at their various positions. James, the guard positioned at the gate, was more than surprised to see Astra after so many years. She herself was surprised to still see him working here.


    ¡°Madam Astra? Is that you ma¡¯am? ¡°James inquired.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if indeed it was Astra. Her face looked slightly different, her lips fuller and her nose more pointed. Her body, though, had the same features except for the increase in her bust. Another reason why James questioned if it were Astra was that after that night, James could swear she¡¯d never step foot into this house again. He had watched the whole thing happen from afar. And even Astra herself swore she¡¯d never return here, and look where we are, folks. In the one ce that brought too many memories, Astra looked at the house. It was still magnificent and had the same power it had over her when she first saw it. Nichs had great taste. They had picked this house for them to live in after their marriage. As she stared at the mansion standing in all its glory, memories of the times spent here couldn¡¯t help but flood her mind.


    Suddenly, she recalled the main reason she was here. After saying a quick ¡°Hello James¡± to confirm his thoughts that indeed she was Astra, she darted to the front door and was stunned that none of the guards attempted to stop her. She rang the doorbell once, and after ten seconds, she got no reply. Well, that was odd, she thought. It never took Butler Adams more than 6 seconds to open the door. That young man was so fast that he had been nicknamed ¡°Young Bolt¡± among the staff that worked for Nichs. Then it urred to her that it had been five years since Astra had worked here; how certain are you that he still works here? She thought he should. Nichs was very fond of Adams; he even wanted to get him a house of his own and start up a business for him, but Adams refused. He said that he really loved his job as well as working for Nichs and that he didn¡¯t like free money and would prefer to work for it. Nichs was more than impressed with his words, which rarely happens, and he promised Adams that he could work here for as long as he wanted and that he should see this ce as his home and not a workce.


    Nichs was certainly a man of his words, hence the reason for her surprise. She rang the doorbell again and again, yet received no reply. Maybe it was a bad idea toe. She should have just ignored the call and risked the chance of losing her job. cing her palm on the door handle, she twisted it and was shocked to find it unlocked. Another odd thing. Entering the house, she surely was not expecting it tock life. Usually, there were staff running up and down carrying out chores and maids cleaning up the ce. But now everywhere feels empty. Where were all the staff? The ce looked like it hadn¡¯t been dusted in a while, like no one had stayed in it for a while.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± she called out, looking around for him or any other form of life. If someone had told her five years ago that Billionaire Nichs¡¯ home would be like this one day, she would have called them a liar. Astra stood still as she heard a loud bang that seemed to havee from upstairs. She stayed in that position for a while to see if that sound would be made again, and when it wasn¡¯t, she quietly climbed up the staircase, careful not to make any noise. After she had checked all four guest rooms, she decided to call Nichs. She quickly searched for his contact, but before she could ring it, she heard another banging from the room at the far left corner. Of course, how could she have forgotten?


    ¡°Nichs, is that you?¡± She whisper-yelled as she walked slowly towards the room. Upon getting there, she deliberated about going in or just getting the hell out of here. The house was so quiet that she was sure no one was home. But he had asked you toe, hadn¡¯t he? ¡°He even said it was an emergency,¡± her conscience barked at her. Turning the doorknob, she entered his room and was met with pitch ckness. She walked carefully around the room, with her hands on the wall, searching for the light switch. Atst, she found it, and when she switched it on, she was surprised at the scene before her. A shirtless Nichs sat on the floor with a huge grin on his face. He looked quite alright,pletely okay. Her eyes scanned the room for anything that might scream danger, but she found absolutely nothing.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯de,¡± Nichs said, with a smug look on his face. Astra scowled at this statement. What the hell did he mean by that? There she was a few moments ago, worried that something might have happened to him, and here he was looking absolutely fine.


    ¡°What is the emergency, Nichs?¡± Astra asked with gritted teeth. She was getting madder than she intended, and she was trying so hard not to let it show on her face. Nichs simply grinned at her, his sparkly white teeth putting the brightest sun rays to shame.


    ¡°Emergency? ¡°What emergency, Astra?¡± Nichs said, feigning ignorance. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± He was taunting her and she knew it. Though she was trying so hard to control herself, if this man said one more annoying thing, she¡¯d snap. With Nichs, she was an emotional mess. She was never in control of her emotions; he was. He just knew all the right buttons to push, as he was doing at the very moment.


    Astra clenched and unclenched her fists, taking deep breaths as well as exhaling.


    ¡°Why did you call me Nichs?¡± she asked with a tone that showed how hard it was to contain her anger.


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s sir, not Nichs. Second, I am your boss. I give you orders and you have no other choice than to oblige. I can call you at one in the morning and request that you bring me a cup of tea, and you have to. ¡°Cassandra, I have your job at the tip of my fingers and I wouldn¡¯t mind ruining your life again.¡± Did he just call her Cassandra? He knew how very much she hated her middle name. He¡¯s doing this on purpose Astra, just breathe, just breathe, she advised herself. after taking one long drag of air. She said to him,N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    ¡°I think I know why you called me here, sir. You overheard my call with Jared, didn¡¯t you? And you are aware that it was him I had lunch with. It¡¯s hurting you, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve moved on and I¡¯m living my best life without you in it. That¡¯s why you are doing this because you can¡¯t move on and you are trying so hard to force me to spend time with you that I wouldn¡¯t willingly. In summary, you, Nichs Miguel Michealson, are jealous. ¡± To this, Nichs rapidly sprints up and approaches Astra in a menacing manner. Her posture did not waver. She stood still, her eyes daring him to deny what she just said. She had hit a nerve and she knew it. He wasn¡¯t the only one who knew how to push buttons. She was a pro at this game too.


    ¡°I am not jealous, Astra. Don¡¯t be delusional. Jealous of who? of what? I couldn¡¯t care less if he had you. You are nothing but a whore, a prostitute. ¡± Astra stilled at these words. How badly she wanted to scream, ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat, you have it all wrong, but what was the use? She said nothing but simply stared at him, and that was when she noticed how terrible he looked. His eyes were red and puffy, and his hair was a total mess. Thest time she saw Nichs this way was when he lost his mother seven years back. Her eyes drifted to his left hand, which held a bottle of vodka. He had been drinking. Her eyes shoot back to his face. The anger that was in his eyes had dissolved and was reced with vulnerability. This pulled at her heart. In that moment, she wished they were still married. She would have cradled him on herp and whispered cooing words into his ears. She would do absolutely anything to make him feel better because she cared and still cares.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± The words flew out of her mouth before she knew it. Nichs¡¯ eyes grew wide with surprise at the question. That wasn¡¯t what he had expected her next words to be after he had just called her a prostitute. He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised; Astra was something else entirely.


    ¡°Why should you care?¡± Nichs asks, his voice barely a whisper. Astra did not reply. She herself did not know why she cared. She strolled closer to him and attempted to take the bottle out of his hand, but Nichs pulled it far away from her reach.


    ¡°Nichs, give me the damn bottle. You shouldn¡¯t drink it. ¡± Astra said, her voice filled with concern rather than judgment.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to get it?¡± At this point, Nichs¡¯ body was less than an inch away from Astras¡¯. Her honey scent filled up his nostrils and intoxicated him. Astra, as well, had noticed the close distance between them. She willed herself not to be affected by it, but it was no use. Even from afar, Nichs could still do crazy things to her body, and right now she needed those crazy things to happen. As though Nichs could read her mind, he closed the distance between them, his shirtless skin pressing closely to her rather than his clothes. She could feel her nipples hardening. Nichs wanted her badly. He had never craved a woman this much. He felt stupid for feeling this sort of attraction to the same woman who cheated on him. He thought the five years apart would change how he¡¯d be turned on just by looking at her, and his mind would be filled with the dirty things he could do to her. At that moment, it didn¡¯t matter. None of those things happened. Nichs needed her and she was going to have

 Eight

    Nichs felt utterly andpletely dejected and, most importantly, a fool, a very big one at that. How could he let his guard so easily go and let the pure lust he felt towards Astra control his actions? That was the thing he never liked when it came to Astra, how she was in total control of his feelings without even trying. He could do the stupidest and shittiest things when it came to her. What the fuck was he thinking, trying to coax her into his bed?


    ¡°God, I am such a fool,¡± he muttered to himself, hands folded behind his neck as he looked at the in wall as though it was supposed to miraculously reply to his question.


    The cold wind blew as the trees swung from left to right. Everywhere was calm, and the lights were off. The creepy darkness haunted the streets and not a soul could be seen hovering around. Perhaps some living souls that meant business could be seen. In hisrge ck coat with a muffler around his neck, he stood by the end of the road as he adjusted his big hat, which hid his face. He rested his back against the wall of the bakery by the corner, and the light emanating from the screen of his phone was the only bright thing at that hour. He ced his phone inside his coat pocket and walked straight to the figure at the other end of the road. The person he had been waiting for had just arrived. He hurried and looked from side to side even though no one was around. It was an ungodly hour. He approached his visitor, shook hands with him, and they pulled each other into a darker corner and were overshadowed by the darkness.


    ¡°One more shot please,¡± Astra told the bar attendant right after gulping some whiskey. Her eyes were weary, restless, and gloomy. ¡°Take it easy, girl.¡± Stephanie said to her. ¡°I know you need to cool off, but babe, you¡¯ve had way more shots than usual.¡± Stephanie cautioned her. Astra smiled halfway and pulled down her dress, which was barely long enough to cover her thighs. ¡°You need to chill sometimes . You need to cool off. ¡± ¡°Astra,¡± Stephanie said to Astra while lifting up the shot she just received from the bar attendant. ¡°You, of all the people in the world, telling me to chill today?¡± marveled Stephanie. Astra smiled and said, ¡°So tell me. How is your new manager at the agency? ¡± ¡°He¡¯s a bit rogue, but I¡¯m still watching him since he just got employed. Either he¡¯ll shape up or I¡¯ll fire him. I don¡¯t want anyone messing up my model agency. I put a lot of hard work and money into that shit. ¡± Stephanie said. ¡°I trust you.¡± Astra retorted.


    ¡°You know, when my husband returns to town, we won¡¯t have the opportunity to do this, right?¡±Stephanie spoke to Astra. ¡°I know, my darling friend. That¡¯s why I need to have fun with you before your husbandes to town and snatches you away from me. ¡± Astra replied. They bothughed.¡±You do realize I¡¯ll always be there for you, don¡¯t you?¡±Stephanie said to Astra, in a solemn tone. ¡°Whether my husband is here or not.¡± Stephanie added Astra nodded in approval. She knows Stephanie will always be there for her. They¡¯ve been friends for almost two decades now, and when Nichs threw her out, Stephanie never left her side. Stephanie helped her survive. Sometimes, she wonders what life would be like without Stephanie. ¡°Let¡¯s go dance.¡± Stephanie said, while pulling Astra up from her chair. ¡°Fine.¡± Astra said, then got up. They danced for some minutes and were still dancing when Astra looked towards the stools where they had sat earlier and was stunned by what she saw. He smiled at her and lifted his ss towards her direction. She immediately began hurrying towards him.


    ¡°Thompson,¡± she called him after taking a seat right next to him. Stephanie was sopletely engrossed in the music and dance that she didn¡¯t notice Astra leave her side. ¡°You¡¯ve changed quite a lot,¡± Thompson said to her. and stared intently at her. ¡°We all need to change once in a while,¡± she replied, with scorn in her eyes. You never contacted me. Not even once, ¡± he said in a sarcastic tone while staring into her eyes. Astra said nothing. Thompson is Nichs¡¯s best friend. When Nichs introduced her to him, he referred to him as her brother. She came to know that Thompson and Nichs toiled and rose to stardom together, but fell apart before Nichs threw her out. Thompson and Nichs knew each other like the palm of their hands, and one could swear they were brothers until now. ¡°What do you want?¡± she blurted out. ¡°This is a public ce. Anyone can show up here. You think your husband, I mean ex-husband, owns every damn ce in this town? ¡± Thompson said to him with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Astra told him after getting up. She went to the dance floor, pulled Stephanie by the corner, and whispered in her right ear while Stephanie nodded.


    ¡°I have no business with Nichs,¡± she said while sipping her coffee. She and Thompson had just left the club and were in the coffee shop nearby. ¡°Astra.¡± Thompson began. ¡°I know a divorce is not enough to quench those feelings you both have for one another,¡± he said. ¡°What feelings?¡± yelled Astra. ¡°That son of a bitch threw me out like some garbage. He wouldn¡¯t let me speak but shut me out like some stranger. ¡°Do you expect me to love him till date?¡± she screamed. ¡°I don¡¯t care about Nichs, nor do I care about you. ¡°You both should please leave me alone,¡± she dered while wrapping her jacket around her. She was lying to Thompson. When Thompson revealed to her after they left the club that Nichs was having an affair, her heart stopped beating for a moment. A wave of jealousy suddenly enveloped her and she felt angry and couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the fact that Nichs had reced her. If Thompson said Nichs was having an affair, then he is. Could Thompson be lying to her? They weren¡¯t on speaking terms with Nichs and are ex-best friends now. ¡°Your mental health is paramount to me, Astra.¡± Thompson lied while cleaning his mouth with his handkerchief. He had finished taking his coffee. ¡°When I discovered that you were working with Nichs on the case, I knew I had to speak with you soon.¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t get your hands dirty,¡± he said in a voice that seemed threatening. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the case is all about,¡± Astra revealed to Thompson. ¡°What?¡± screamed Thompson. He looked the other way and smiled mischievously. ¡°Nichs and I had never sat down to work on the case. Probably soonest. I have yet to even receive the case file, but trust me, it will be purely business.¡± said Astra. ¡°Astra, my dear. Nichs is suing me. ¡± Thompson announced. ¡°What?¡± screamed Astra. ¡°You both can go to hell for all I care. I don¡¯t want to get entangled in your messy friendship drama. ¡°I have no business with you two,¡± she said to Thompson and stormed out of the coffee shop.


    Astra tried not to think about the revtion Thompson made to her about Nichs having an affair. ording to Thompson, Nichs had moved on and was ready to shatter the remains of the broken life she was picking up from. Thompson even mentioned that Nichs must have been having that affair while they were still together. She didn¡¯t get the chance to know from Nichs the reason for his fallout with his best buddy, Thompson. Thompson just stoppeding to their home, and when she asked Nichs about him, he told her not to mention Thompson ever again. A few weekster, she was kicked out by Nichs. She thought: ¡®Who was he having an affair with?¡¯ She was getting more and more irritated the more she thought about it. She then got up from her bed and was sitting on the couch in her living room drinking vodka. Tears were welling in her eyes. Why does the fact that Nichs¡¯s affair bother her so much? They were done right? He was an enemy to her, right? She thought.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    It was 11:45 am. Nichs had summoned Astra to his mansion. He had texted her to meet him at his home so she could take the case file and start work immediately. As she sat on therge sofa in the living room, she realized how much she missed the house and all thefort it gave. Nichs had cleared the wall, and the portraits of her that once hung on the walls were gone. Not even their wedding pictures were there. The rails were changed, and so was the furniture. She looked around the house and assured herself that the reshuffling meant nothing to her. Suddenly, Nichs showed up in the living room with a towel across his waist. ¡°So you are suing Thompson?¡± she began before Nichs could speak. I guess you found out. ¡°That¡¯s good though,¡± he replied. ¡°After all you guys have been through?  I thought he was your bro. ¡± she said to Nichs, who was getting mad now. ¡°Damn Nichs, you are unbelievable. You are a coward. ¡°Only God knows why Thompson despises youtely,¡± she dered in disgust. He immediately got up and went to her on the sofa. He held her hands and was shaking her violently. ¡°Am I a bad person, huh? Tell me. ¡°What lies did Thompson feed you with? ¡± he yelled. She began to sob.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Astra,¡± he said, letting go of her hands after he realized he was hurting her. He hated to see her cry. His tears always made him restless, and right now he can¡¯t control this restlessness. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to scare you, Astra,¡± he said, starring into her eyes with passion. Her eyes suddenly lit up and she felt a tingling in her eyeballs. Why was she feeling this way? She thought. This is the man bent on making her life a living hell. ¡°Listen,¡± he whispered, with her face in his hands. I need you to trust me. I need you to believe me in this case.¡± and he suddenly reached for her upper lip and caressed it with his left finger. Astra suddenly went cold and couldn¡¯t control the burning desire to kiss him. She missed the way he ran his fingers through her body, how he bit her ears and told her how she turned him on, how he pinned her to the wall and licked her all over. Nichs always touched her in the right ces, and he knew her weakest spots. She wanted him to do crazy things to her right now. She reached for his neck and kissed it while he unbuttoned her dress and caressed her bosom. Nichs was having an erection. She was wet now and whispered into his ears, saying ¡°Kiss me.

 Nine

    On the 18th of July, A date Astra never thought she could forget in a hurry. About twelve years ago on that day, she tried Sam¡¯s line but it wasn¡¯t going through, so she went to his home instead to ensure everything was fine. Sam always picked up her calls, unlike that day. The door to Sam¡¯s living room opened the moment she gave the door a slight push. His parents were probably out, and Jean, his younger sister, was ying with her friends at the park behind. She dashed to Sam¡¯s room and mmed the door in frustration after the moans she heard drove her insane with rage. As Sam her high school boyfriend was on top of ra, some random girl from her ss. ra was butt naked while Sam had his boxers on. After she hurried home in tears, she imagined ra bending over Sam¡¯s abdomen  giving him a blow job while he screamed in pleasure as she heard him say to ra, ¡°You handle me so well.¡± She was heartbroken. The tortuous scene she encountered back then made her vow never to love genuinely again until she met Nichs Michaelson.Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    As she sat in her bathtub with her head on the sink top, she wept like a child who had just lost his mother. ¡®Why is life so unfair to her? ¡® Astra thought. She wondered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she destined to love?¡± ¡°Why are all the men in her life this cruel?  Shemented. At least with T. J., her other boyfriend before Nichs, she never really loved him but was always around him to keep up her dating manual and have fun. So when they broke up, it didn¡¯t really matter to her. With Greg, it was just sex while he paid her bills, but when she met Nichs and began growing in love with him, the fear she had always had of any man she loved leaving her or cheating on her vanished. With Nichs, she called it true love. She loved Nichs genuinely. She loved Sam more than she could possibly love anyone else. He was her ride or die. When they got divorced, she still held on to the fact that a part of Nichs still yearned for her. She had a strong conviction that he still loved her. She could swear their love was still as hot as coal the past few days, when they got really close and almost intimate, but now everything she believed in is turning out to be a lie.


    How could Nichs be so cruel to her? How could he forget her so soon? Is five years enough to move on? Did he really love her? What if he was having the affair while they were still married, as Thompson alleged? These were the random questions going through Astra¡¯s mind as shey in her bath tub like a corpse. ¡°Maybe I am too selfish,¡± she told herself. Nichs had divorced her, so he had the right to move on. ¡® How can Nichs move on so quickly while she hasn¡¯t even forgotten the scent of his clothes? She remembers the first time they met like yesterday. Their first kiss and the first time they made love. She cupped some water from the tub and washed her teary face. She was burning all over from the inside, and her heart was aching terribly. The pain she felt when she caught Sam and ra having sex was nothingpared to what she felt now. She had always considered Nichs as the love of her life, and now she needed no prophecy to be reminded that she was alone. She had been trying to forget him for the past five years, but there was no day that she didn¡¯t think of him, his touch, his kisses, and the great and passionate love they always made. She turned to the other side of the bathtub and started crying uncontrobly. She felt dejected and unfortunate.


    It then dawned on her that it was Nichs she saw going into the baby clothing store with his mistress, or perhaps wife, the other day while she was having breakfast with Stephanie. It was never an illusion, but a reality she was quick to shove off. She then remembered Nichs admitting to her face that he had fucked the woman and had a child with her. She cried even more. On their wedding night, while Nichs was prating into her, he had vowed to her that she would be the only woman he ever goes into. She and Nichs would wake up at dawn and talk about making babies when they were ready. She promised Nichs that she would give him a Nichs Michaelson Jnr. while heughed and said a junior Astra would be better. Now, Nichs had a junior and it was not from her. She tried to imagine Nichs going into the blondedy and cried as she moved from one side of the tub to the other. She hates the blondedy now and wonders if she is living in the mansion with Nichs. Does he serve her breakfast in bed the way he has been serving her while they were married? Does he kiss her every morning before leaving for work, even if she is asleep? Does he ce her on the kitchen table and run his fingers around her? What if he takes her to the movies every Sunday night, cooks for her, or ys with her in the shower? Astra chuckled as tears flowed down her cheeks and she muttered to herself, ¡°You are so dumb, Astra. ¡°No one owes you anything. Her mother would always tell her ¡°Astra, no one owes you anything.¡±


    In the neighborhood where Astra grew up, life was tough for her and her friends. Parents struggle to make ends meet for their children. She was raised in what seemed like squalor and had been a survivor of hardship and abject scarcity. Her mother was a cleaner at the Life Line Clinic at the end of their street. Back then, when she was fourteen, her father was bedridden with diabetes and was home till his demise. They couldn¡¯t afford the hospital bills, so they took care of her father from home. The ie her mother earned from her cleaning job wasn¡¯t enough. They had to pay for her father¡¯s medication; they needed groceries; there was the water bill, light bill, school fees, and lots of bills. Astra¡¯s mom had to work a double shift at the clinic. She leaves home before 6 a. m. and returns at 10 p. m. every day. Astra stays back at home and takes care of her father. She does the chores, takes lunch and dinner to her mother, and returns home to look after her father. She had to quit school for some months before her father¡¯s sister Becky came over. When her aunty Becky came over, Astra returned to school but would work as a shop keeper after school. She had been doing so till her dad died and her mother never knew because she came back before 6 p. m., earlier than her mother. Only her aunty, Becky, was aware that she was working. From her job as the shop keeper, she was able to raise fees for her next school year, and when she presented the money to her mother, her mother was taken aback. ¡°No one owes me anything,¡± she told her mother.


    ¡°You are a strong woman, Astra.¡± she told herself. ¡°You deserve all the happiness you can get,¡± she said to herself again as the wave of reinvigoration consumed her. To hell with Nichs. To hell with thew firm she is working for. She pondered as she wrapped herself in herrge nket. Meanwhile, Jared had been calling her phone, but Astra wouldn¡¯t lift a finger as she watched the phone vibrate between minutes. ¡°Poor Jared,¡± she mumbled. It waste evening. She had been in the bath tub for hours, sulking, weeping, and cursing fate. She had been miserable, but not anymore. ¡°No one owes me anything,¡± she assured herself . When Nichs threw her out, she thought hell had been unleashed on her. She lost herself and had to rise from the ashes. When she was in that fire ident, she thought all hope was lost, but rather it was the dawn of a new era for her. She will not let life subject her to so much torture. She will no longer allow Nichs to dictate to her what to do. She will be no one¡¯s pawn. Not Nichs, Thompson, or even her boss. She will call Trevor Abby, her boss, and inform him that she is quitting. She will leave the job. Nichs Michaelson can¡¯t continue to ruin her life. First he threw her out, now he wants to control her career? She has a choice and she will not work for the man who took everything from her. She shut her eyes and slept like a child.

 Ten

    Astra marched down the hallway, her red heels making click ck sounds in her wake. The light from an adjacent window shone on her hair and reflected on her defiant face as she walked with purpose.


    She was going to tell her boss she could no longer work on the Michaelson¡¯s case and her stand was final.


    She didn¡¯t know what kind of borate joke this was, being forced to work hand in hand with her ex husband but she was not finding it funny and Trevor had better be prepared to hear an earful because she was not going to be a pawn in this game, least of all to Nichs Michaelson any longer and if it meant her sliding of her chair, packing her things and leaving, she would do it. Hell, she would even move states.


    As she approached the foot of the stairs, she berated herself. Why had she stayed in the same state she¡¯d been broken, expecting to somehow be healed? And why was this thought just uring now?


    Taking the stairs one at a time, she recited all the reasons why she would never work with Nichs.


    One, he was a narcissistic asshole who only card about himself. Huffing as she remembered this trait of his so well, she continued up the stairs.


    Two, he was a self centered prick. She took a deep breath and continued.


    Three, she couldn¡¯t stand his presence because some how every word he uttered found a way to annoy her, to spite her bwithout even trying.


    Four, it was a big mistake in the first ce.


    As she got to the top of the stairs, Trevor¡¯s door was just in sight. An enclosed, fairly adorned door with his name in clean stenciled letters just above it.


    Making her way towards it, she practised her breathing techniques. One breath in for patience and the other for self control. That was all she needed.


    Raising her hand to knock, a deep baritone voice called out from within.


    ¡°Come in!¡±


    She cursed, running her hand through her hair. She still hadn¡¯t figured out the trick Trevor used to know she was at the door without even knocking but for the moment, she put it aside, opening the door wide enough for her slim frame to pass through and closing it softly to avoid provoking him.


    She needed his support and provoking him so early would not work out in her favour.


    ¡°Sit down,¡± he gruffly said. Astra didn¡¯t need to be told twice.


    Trevor was a man whomanded obedience without trying too hard. He didn¡¯t have to, his height did it for him and those not intimidated by his towering presence would be scared shitless by his gruff voice. It didn¡¯t help that he was rarely in good moods.


    Astra knew better than to start talking without him asking her first so she waited out the silence, picking at her cuticles while pregnant seconds ticked by slowly.


    When he¡¯d sorted out what ever he¡¯d been doing before she came into his office, he finally spared her a nce. That was the go sign for her to speak.


    ¡°Sir, I have a problem,¡± Astra bluntly said, impassively staring at the man who¡¯s sses kept sliding down his nose. A long hand stopped the downward movement of his sses and pushed it back to the bridge of his nose. He was frowning.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    Astra hesitated for a moment, deciding whether it would be considered impolite to say nothing was the problem. Already, she was feeling silly.


    ¡°Well,¡± she stalled, ncing round his office in order to avoid eye contact with her boss.


    ¡°I have a problem with the michealson case,¡± came her weak reply. Trevor¡¯s frown deepened and he slumped back in his chair, assessing her. Normally, Astra had never had a problem with any case. She was fantastic, didn¡¯t matter what case she was handling. Never had she voiced her opinion to him on a case because she always had it handled. She understood why Trevor was quizzically staring at her. He wanted to know, without mincing words, what her problem was. If it was something he could help out with, he would but if he, at any moment or time, found her story silly or her exnation uneptable, Astra knew how curt he was with his words when dismissing people.


    She took her deep breaths, feeling her patience already dwindling.


    ¡°Well, sir, you see, I would prefer if I didn¡¯t work this case.¡± I said matter of factly.


    A stunned look overtook his features, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline for a solid half minute before he returned to his shrewd expression.


    ¡°Why? You are aware that Mr Michealson asked for you, right?¡± He asked, leaning forward.


    I nodded my head like a fish out of water, stupidly hoping he wouldn¡¯t ask the reason for my request.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite aware I was the one specifically asked for by Mr Michealson but I just can¡¯t do it, sir,¡± I defiantly said. I would not do it because I wouldn¡¯t let myself go back to that closed #####CHAPTER of my life.


    ¡°Why?¡± Trevor asked, sliding his sses back up his nose. He would do this thrice before cleaning his sses. It was a habit he hadn¡¯t been able to break from. The same way I knew that I would go back to the cycle I had with Nichs unless I broke free, which I was about to do.


    ¡°Well, my reason is that¡­¡± I didn¡¯t get to finish.


    The door which I¡¯d softly shut as I entered the office was rudely opened and the man himself, Nichs Michealson stood there. When I saw him, I resisted the urge to either roll my eyes or bang my head on the table. A concussedwyer could not work a case, right?


    As if he sensed the direction of my thoughts, he shed a wicked smile my way, exposing his pearly whites. I internally groaned. This wasn¡¯t going to end well for me.


    ***


    The most beautiful part of a day was sunrise. He didn¡¯t care if scientists said sunset was prettier. He always knew those science nerds were missing a screw in their heads because who would choose sunset over sunrise?


    The golden rays washed over his body, peaking shyly through fat pinkish purple clouds like an borate artwork painted by some greater being out there.


    As he stared out the ss windows, he thought of what this sunrise reminded him of. It reminded him if something simple but beautiful, tangible and passionate. The sunrise reminded him of Astra.


    Speaking of which, he needed to think if something borate to poison her mind with.


    Not that he needed to do a lot of mind work though because Astra made it so damn easy for him. It was as clear as day and as subtle as an elephant that she still possessed feelings for her ex husband even though she denied it. Pig headed as she was, her emotions were the best way to sweep her off her feet.


    So if he was attacking, it was going to be on an emotional basis. It had to be something that would deeply affect her as well as Nichs.


    He couldn¡¯t have Astra simping up to Nichs not after all his hardwork. He needed to do something and he needed to do it fast.


    Looking out the window, Thompson sighed in pure satisfaction. Indeed, what was more satisfying than watching sunrise while releasing his seed into a woman¡¯s mouth? To him, nothing measured close.


    ****


    Nichs stared at the phone on hisp. All he needed to do was pick it up and call Astra toe over to his house. She would know the direction and her way around without him even giving an address. Perks of her having lived in the house before.


    Apparently, it was easier said than done because the phone still remained on hisp, phone on standby mode. He hadn¡¯t made a move to even pick it up, not because he didn¡¯t want to but because he didn¡¯t know how she would react to him calling her.


    What could go wrong? He thought. The least she could say was she wasn¡¯ting and to that, he could always say that he would call her boss. Then she woulde. Easy peasy.


    As he dialed her number with uncertain fingers and an anxious mind, he had to remind himself of the promise he¡¯d made to himself. He wasn¡¯t going to be soft to her and it was clear she expected no less from him being that she treated him even more than he treated her.


    ¡°What?¡± Her voice cut through the air like a well sharpened de. It sent some waves of sadness through him that he was being spoken to in that manner but he stifled it down. No softheartedness here.


    ¡°I want to discuss the case with you. Come over to my ce. You know that way,¡± he curtly said, not waiting to hear her protest at the other end of the line before he ended the call.


    Closing his eyes and exhaling, he reminded himself. No softheartedness here.


    ****


    Arrogant bastard! Stupid jerk face! Astra cursed at the other end of the phone, tossing it on her bed in pure annoyance. Who did he think he was, ordering her around? And what the hell did he mean by she knew the way? Was that another degrading insult he¡¯d picked up now?


    Growling in annoyance she stared at the device she¡¯d thrown on her bed helplessly. If he wanted her toe over to talk business, then she would.


    She tried not to think too much about it when she found herself taking a shower before leaving. Self denial would have to do for now.


    ****


    Getting to the gate, she realized she¡¯d not even put in an address in the GPS. She still knew the house by heart. She paused in her car, remembering what it was like to live in the mansion without a care in the world. Had she known he would have thrown her out into the cold that day, maybe she would not havee home. She would have stayed at work.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Shaking herself from her thoughts, Astra got out of her car, bag in hand as the guards only gave her sidelong nces before minding their business. They knew who she was.


    On getting to the main door after parking in the parking lot Nichs¡¯s mansion provided, she pressed the doorbell thrice. One for herck of patience, the second for her still present anyway and third time was just to provoke him.


    However, when the door opened, it was not Nichs who opened it but a young man dressed in a uniform she recognized so well. He was the new butler.


    ¡°Good evening ma¡¯am. May I take your bag for you?¡± He politely asked, ushering her in. She shook her head a no and he nodded his in understanding.


    ¡°Mr Michealson is waiting for you. He¡¯s in the music room. He said you would know where that was,¡± the butler softly said. Although annoyance bubbled in my chest again, she forced a smile and he returned one back.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she politely said, making my way up the stairs I knew led to the music room.


    Just because she didn¡¯t live here anymore, she angrily thought, didn¡¯t mean Nichs had to rub it in her face. The only reason she couldn¡¯t forget the house address was not because she wanted to but because it was a part of her whether she liked it or not. He knew she would not forget the music room as well and she found herself wondering whaty under all these little facades and what Nichs was really up to.

 Eleven

    Astra went up the stairs without pausing for an instant, letting her feet walk the familiar path to the music room, where the door was slightly ajar. Astra was grateful that there were no instruments ying there because she wasn¡¯t sure she could handle the atmosphere. She was already finding it difficult to even be in the same room as Nichs. The walls she¡¯d let down wereing back up again, and she was powerless to stop them.


    Astra opened the door and saw Nichs seated on a plush andfortable-looking sky blue bean bag, with papers sprawled around him. He looked deeply focused, and Astra appreciated the fact that he¡¯d started without her .


    ¡°Are you going to keep on standing there ore over here?¡± The tone with which the words were uttered was not harsh; rather, they were mild, yful even. She gulped.


    ¡°Was the butler weing me really necessary?¡± She asked. Her tone had a bit of bitterness in it. Nichs looked genuinely confused, his head tilting a little to the side as he made sense of her sentence.


    ¡°That¡¯s his job, Astra. I pay him to take people¡¯s bags and usher them in. ¡°There was no special service for you,¡± he said before lowering his head to look at the files in front of him. Astra numbly nodded, taking a seat opposite him. As Astra had predicted, the bean bag was extremely soft, threatening to swallow and envelop her in itsfort. Astra steadied herself before noticing the ss of what she assumed was mineral water next to her.


    She clenched her teeth, but she let it go, mumbling thanks as she took out her own files.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get to work,¡± she said, and a tense silence descended upon them.


    ****


    Barely three minutes after they¡¯d started to work, Nichs dropped his files and started to talk with a resigned sigh.


    ¡°The reason I called you over wasn¡¯t to sort out the paperwork with me. ¡°Maybe if I¡¯d known there would be so much work to settle, I would not have gone with legal action,¡± he said, sounding like he actually meant it. Astra rolled her eyes at the joke.


    ¡°I actually called you here so I could talk to you.¡± He finally said, wearing a grave look on his face.


    Astra paused in midair, her eyes instantly alert and her mind moving at light speed. What was it he wanted to talk about? She hoped it wasn¡¯t about the past because she would get up and walk away. The past would stay where it belonged, in the past.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about the case. ¡°It¡¯s been on my mind for some days now and I feel like I should share it with you,¡± Nichs said, much to her shock. Was there more to the case?


    ¡± I don¡¯t understand,¡± she slowly said, and he nodded, like she¡¯d answered the million dor question.


    I want to make you understand better now. Will you hear me out? ¡± He asked, and she wondered if she was the only one who spotted the irony. From the quirk of his mouth, she could see he understood it as well.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she replied, leaning back into the bean chair.


    For starters, you know who mywsuit is against. You know it¡¯s against Thompson and you know why. I sued him for theft and uwful breach of contract.¡± ¡°Nick,¡± said Nichs without mincing words. Astra nodded.


    He was a bad business partner, a bad friend, and overall, a terrible person, but I guess it took me seeing so many checks signed without my knowledge before I finally epted what he was. ¡°He was a bloody thief,¡± Nichs angrily said.


    Astra was well aware of all these. She knew who Thompson was and what he was ying at. She just didn¡¯t understand what made him that way or what had happened to require sueing. She was quite curious about the back story and wanted to know the part where she came into this.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t find out he was a horrible person until¡­¡± Whatever Nichs was saying was lost in that moment because the door to the music room, which Astra had closed behind herself, had been pushed open with enough force to rattle it on its hinges and m the handle on the wall it now rested against.


    To say the least, it was more than a rude interruption.


    The person responsible for the interruption, however, walked through the doorway until she was standing in the middle of the room, some meters away from them.


    As they stared at her, she stared back at them rather bashfully and shyly.


    As Astra struggled to contain the shock, still bodly sttered on her features, the stranger in the room spoke in an airy, slightly baritone British ent.


    ¡°Mr. Nichs,¡± she said, and Astra¡¯s eyes widened. Whoever she was, she definitely knew Nichs. Shit was about to get real.


    ***


    A few seconds ticked by, one that involved Nichs gaping like a fish out of water and the woman in the room awkwardly fiddling with her fingers.


    The tension was enough to be cut with a knife and an axe if needed. That was how thick the air in the room was, and the akwardness just made everything more choked.


    Astra studied the woman, who looked like she was in herte twenties, had a good head of blonde locks and was dressed in the skimpiest outfit Astra had ever seen, and that was saying a lot. Whoever had taught her to barge into ces had also not taught her to not wear clothes that are see-through and damn short. At least, Astra thought, she¡¯s got a nice rack. Something worth looking at.


    ¡°Mr. Nichs,¡± the young woman said again, this time sultrily, and she walked a few steps forward before stopping.


    ¡°I have an appointment with you, I believe,¡± she slowly said, picking her words gently, probably noticing Astra, who was definitely ring at the woman. So Nichs had an ¡°appointment¡±, eh? She bitterly thought. Was it not enough that she was seated in a room she¡¯d shared with the man opposite her? Did he have to shame her more by inviting another woman over when she was there?


    An unfamiliar feeling burned its way down Astra¡¯s throat until her eyes stood with unshed tears.


    ¡°An appointment?¡± Nichs finally got out. ¡°Why do you have an appointment with me?¡± It seemed like either Nichs was feigning confusion or was actually confused. Either way, Astra¡¯s walls were already up.


    She had to get out of here, otherwise she would have a mental breakdown here. She had to get out of this house.


    Gripping her purse tighter, Astra shed the fakest smile in the history of fake smiles as she rode to her feet.


    ¡°I should get going,¡± she said, feigning a nce at her watch.


    ¡°Going? We were having a conversation, ¡°Nick stared, and Astra gave another smile. The more she stayed here, the more she looked at him and his new girlfriend. She just wanted to get away.


    Well, too bad I have a meeting with Trevor right now. If you encounter any difficulty with the documents, you know the number to call. ¡± Astra said, hurriedly brushing past Nichs and the strange woman.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astra couldn¡¯t help but notice the woman¡¯s perfume, though it didn¡¯t smell like what she¡¯d imagined. It was something calmer, softer. A mixture of lilies and honey I was not passionate, but I was sure Nichs would make do with it.


    She closed the door behind her, walking down the stairs and out of the house. As she left, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she was suddenly jealous. This wasn¡¯t good.


    ****


    What the hell had just happened? The vacant space in the room and in the air spoke volumes and answered his question as well. Astra had left in a hurry, not even proffering a goodbye or reason, because between the two of us, we both knew that Trevor wouldn¡¯t call her into his office. There was absolutely no need to have lied, a flimsy lie at that, but what would have prompted her to say it in the first ce?


    He didn¡¯t want to think she was jealous, but she hadn¡¯t said anything except run off the moment she saw the still standing stranger. He would deal with Astrater, but for now, he needed to deal with the half-naked woman in his music room.


    ¡°What exactly is your problem?¡± He rudely asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± she stuttered, but I wasn¡¯t hearing any of it.


    Did you not learn how to knock? Or does your brain capacity notprehend how to usemon etiquette? ¡± He asked again, the annoyance creeping into his voice.


    I didn¡¯t know you were busy, sir. I was told toe today to have an interview for the post of assistant chef, ¡°she apologetically said.¡±


    ¡± Well you would¡¯ve known if you¡¯d just knocked!¡± I retorted, eyeing her form up and down. She mistook my disgust for interest and moved even closer. I openly frowned and moved away. Whatever she thought she was, it was not sexy because I was repulsed by her right now.


    ¡°What did you say you were applying for again?¡± I asked, watching a light blush coat her cheeks. Dear God, the things I had to go through because I was a celebrity.


    ¡°Assistant chef,¡± she said, and I nodded.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t think it proper to put on some clothes before you thought ofing here?¡± I asked, watching her instinctively going to cover whatever ten fingers could cover.


    ¡°I¡­¡± she was stuttering again.


    ¡°You think those things on your back are clothes? I have a better thoughting. There¡¯s no need though; I won¡¯t hire you. I don¡¯t know why you thoughting here dressed like a whore who crawled up from the slumps would get you a position here. I¡¯m not interested in the likes of you and I don¡¯t even want such a lousy person on my staff list. ¡°I ¡®curtly¡¯ said. The girl pathetically nodded.


    ¡± Do yourself a favor; learn how to knock next time, wear some clothes, and close the door behind you when you leave.¡± I dismissed her with a wave of my hand. Scrambling embarrassedly, the girl screamed faster than I could say jack. That was easier than I thought, I said to myself.


    The door closed behind her, softer this time, and I chuckled a bit. It was quite amusing to see.


    She served her right for barging in here and thinking she could just take control of the situation because she was dressed in clothes she considered sexy. The annoying part was the fact that she hadn¡¯t even apologized for the interruption. Tongueshing was always an amusing sight to see. Especially for people like her.


    Now that my meeting with Astra was ruined, I needed to n a new one with her. There were things she needed to know, but dear heavens, I wasn¡¯t sure when I¡¯d have time with her again.


    Reaching for my phone, I dialed her number. As the dial tone beeped, I thought back to the events of today. She couldn¡¯t have been affected by the presence of another person in my house, right? I mean, she¡¯s moved on with her life. I was only overthinking things, I thought.


    The dial tone ended, signifying the call had ended without her answering it.


    I called again and got another ignored call. I was sure she was on her way to the meeting she¡¯d spoken about. Maybe a meeting was happening after all.


    I would have to believe her because the woman I used to know did not lie.


    As I listened to the third dial tone, this one going to voicemail, I couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe, just maybe, the woman I used to know died in the downpour that day.

 Twelve

    Did he think he could just call me anytime he wanted to and I would just pick up his phone? ¡± She threw questions to the wind, as though somehow the wind would answer any of them, she thought as she drove away from the magnificent house faster than she intended. She wanted to get as far away as possible from Nichs and from every misery that enveloped the house.


    What was she thinking? That she could magically just forget what had happened in the house? Somehow, she could work for the same man who had promised her forever and still threw her out in the rain. Even though she had pleaded and begged, he had turned a deaf ear to her plea, making her begging seem like thrash and her crying look pathetic. Astra got it. She really did. Nichs was engaged and happy, but why on Earth did he have to rub it in and the timing?


    perfect timing. Was it all nned, the way she waltzed into the area where they had sat down? Was the whole thing a set up? Get her toe over and then insult her with a stranger and a young one too. Was she satisfying him better than she ever did? Was she the same woman she had caught walking into the shop with Nichs? Was everything that was ever said to her by Thompson actually the truth? She pounded her hands against her steering wheel, as if hitting it would magically erupt some sort of answer, but it didn¡¯t. It just brought a ferocious stream of angry tears, making even angrier lines on her face. She was going to get drunk today, and nobody was going to stop her from getting shitfaced.


    ***


    Nichs paced the woodwork of his house. He so badly wanted to hit a wall and destroy it. He was pissed off and, surprisingly, not Astra. He was pissed at himself for the embarrassment, pissed at the guards, the butler, himself¡­ hell! Everyone but Astra, which was an umon philosophy, but the truth nheless. Sure, he hated it when he didn¡¯t get his way, but what he hated more was being at fault, like the way he was right now and Astra was proving stubborn, not answering his texts or his calls. He thought to himself that she had nearly no right to be upset. She had no right to be upset at all, but he knew she was, and while a part of him didn¡¯t want to understand the reason behind her anger, the other part just felt it was kind of unprofessional.


    He wanted her to pick up her phone. He wanted to cool her down. He wanted to tell her to get her ass back to the house and that she was only a staff member, but she refused to pick up the damn phone, and Nichs grew more impatient than reasonable. He pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache creeping on. The things Astra did without even trying


    ***N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    She had gotten home safe and sound with twenty-five missed calls from one specific number. She didn¡¯t want to ruin anything for him. He shouldn¡¯t ruin anything for her. Astra strolled into her apartment, deciding she was going to have solo fun today. She deserved it, she thought to herself. Nothing was going to stop her from achieving her happiness, not some young blonde and not Nichs Michaelson. No.


    She entered her house, leaving her work load in the car, not wanting to have a glimpse of the one thing that was going to remind her of why she wanted to have fun in the first ce. She cracked a bottle of it and began to pour it into her mug. The trickle of the gin brought back memories of how she would cry with gin, sleep with gin, and wake up with gin and still be fully functional for work.


    Nobody knew that side of her except her, and while she appreciated that, she hated how pathetic it was and how pathetic she was. She was the one who was divorced, she was the one who was thrown out, and she was the one who was put on the streets in the rain with not a penny on her back or any in her ount. No extra clothes, nothing. Every ounce of sense was removed and nothing logical, not attempts at dialogue, attempts at begging, kneeling, changed his mind as he forcefully threw her out in the rain that night, and yet she was the one pouring gin into her mug¡­


    The fucking irony of it all was that the same man wanted her to be hiswyer, owned her work, what she struggled for, just by snapping his fingers and throwing some bills around. She snorted in disgust. Well, not anymore. The bird had broken her cage and was about to fly the fuck out. She told herself and cheered with the quarter cup of gin.


    ***


    She knew that despite how pitiful she looked right now, if Nichs decided to grace her with his presence, she was too weak to defend herself or shut him out. She would shamelessly let him sleep beside her, and he would enjoy it. She didn¡¯t want to be spooned or babied. She wanted to teach herself a lesson she would never forget. Maybe now she would have the best courage there was on the market and kick him where the sun doesn¡¯t shine.


    She didn¡¯t know how the hell she was supposed to evade him. She stood in front of the mirror with the mug still in hand and took a sip, and then it struck her. Her hair was disheveled, her coffee mug stank of gin, and her breath smelled of tears, but here she was fully excited about the best way possible to avoid her ex if he ever came to her house unannounced on a day like this.


    She was going to have to look dazzling for this one, she whispered to herself, and so she went to get ready.


    ***


    Ten thirty saw her busting moves on the dance floor of a nearby club as they yed killer jams. She flexed and twisted her body to the sounds that came from the walls and all around her. She swirled to the rhythm of the music, moving her body to the movement of the bodies that surrounded her in the red, green, and blue lights that moved to and fro, side to side, and then all at once. She kept on drinking, shots after shots after shots of tequ, vodka, dry gin, shots after shots. This was her moment and she was due for it. She loved what she was doing, she kept on reminding herself as she walked carefully to a well-marked bathroom.


    The queue was long, but what was longer was the question that randomly popped into her head, a question that needed an answer; what if she randomly called Nichs? She just wanted to let him know she was having the best time of her life. She was happy and she was content. She was going to sound like the world was giving her a gift after the rubbish that happened today. At first, Astra thought it was just a thought, but it kept hammering until she picked up her phone, fetching it from her back pocket and dialing the one number that had managed to give her thirty missed calls. He answered on the first ring.


    ¡°Helloooooo,¡± Astra slurred, a smile creeping on her face even though it didn¡¯t seem like she was smiling.


    ¡°Hello? Astra? ¡± He asked into the phone, his voice hoarse as though he had just woken up from a deep slumber.


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s mmmee. How are you? ¡± She sounded happy, content, and drunk.


    ¡°Where are you? ¡°Where are you right now?¡± He thundered.


    Astra frowned into her phone ¡°That¡¯s not nice!¡± ¡°You big meanie! I¡¯m at a party; rxxxxx I called to tell you that I¡¯m having a great time and that you shouldn¡¯t bother me any longer. She hung up on him, feeling fulfilled and giving a tiny hup.


    ***


    Nichs tried reaching her again and again. He tried to call her, but she wasn¡¯t picking up. He was furious. How could she be so reckless? He knew that she had decided to go alone to whatever party she was at, but how the hell was he supposed to know which one? He called again, this time hoping she would pick up the phone. When she did, he jumped out of his seat and began re-pacing.


    ¡°Tell me where you are! For fuck¡¯s sake, I¡¯ming to pick you up! ¡°Tell me where you are and I will pick you up,¡± he shouted into the phone. He could hear her talking incoherently on the phone.


    ¡°Astra! Tell me where the fuck you are! ¡± Nichs was going insane, not knowing. He needed to be sure that she was safe and with him.


    ¡°The bulls, bulls,¡± she said weakly. It¡¯s It was past twelve now. He¡¯s He hadn¡¯t realized it when he grabbed the keys to his Lamborghini and walked straight to the garage. garage. ¡°Astra! Can you hear me? Stay in line right now. Stay there, there, I¡¯ming. ¡± She. ¡± She didn¡¯t respond directly to him, but what he heard made him start the engines so fast and move right out of the house.


    The line went dead and he kept on trying to reach her. Luckily, Luckily for him, he knew exactly where BullsBulls was located, one of the clubs located in the area. Why on Earth would Astra do some dumb sh*t like this? Go to a club on your own and get getshitfaced. Was she hoping she would get carried off carried off by predators? Was that her n? To kill herself?


    The thought, the sick thought that she may have nned the whole show made him want to press the elerator past its limit, but at this rate, rate, if he didn¡¯t cause traffic or beat it, he wasn¡¯t going to get to her on time and he needed to get to her.


    She sounded like she was having a bit of conversation in the background, and the background wasn¡¯t a good one. Any? Any conversation that involved one party telling the other to get lost wasn¡¯t a good conversation, and that was exactly what he had heard before her phone went off suddenly. He¡¯s He tried to redial and focus on driving while it worked. She. He didn¡¯t pick up her phone, and his heart moved at such an erratic speed, he said ¡°said¡± ¡°fuck it¡± ¡°it¡± and pressed for two-ten on the scale. Off he went.


    ***


    He pulled the brakes, warming a banshee shriek from the car as he stepped out, immediately putting the car on lock without having to so much as touch the car. A man was hovering around Astra. He had caught them with his headlights, which earned a frown from the man. He had ced a hand on the wall, blocking her from escaping, and she was frantically trying to push him off of her, just so that he could escape.


    Something about that image screamed red to Nichs. He surged so fast, neither one of them caught up. He swung the man forcefully out of the way. Nichs had the upper hand, with him being six foot six and the man at a rough five foot eleven, still taller than the five foot four Astra, who looked like a child in the midst of both of them.


    The force moved the man out of the way, giving room for Astra to be held by the hand and dragged towards his chest in a defensive manner. The unknown man looked so pissed off.  Astra buried her face in the chest of Nichs. Then The unknown man walked menacingly towards Nichs, but Nichs was pumped up and ready. He was ready to defend Astra, no matter the cost. No matter what happened here today, he was ready to protect this petite woman with everything he owned and everything he was made out of.

 Thirteen

    ¡°You want to go at me, big boy!¡± Huh! You want to go? ¡°Pretty boy?¡± The unknown man kept shoving his face at Nichs while Nichs remained calm and let the man rant as much as he liked. The only reason why he wasn¡¯t shoving a hand down his throat was because of Astra. She was the only thing stopping him from going into killer mode on this guy.


    He had the audacity to touch Astra. No shame right here, out in public. He so badly wanted to beat him up, but as he tried to guide Astra away from the man, so they would walk away, the man burst outughing maniacally. That got Nichs to turn right back at him, disgust written on every corner of his face and anger etched deep in his eyes.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Pretty boy, walk the fuck away,¡± he shouted at Nichs. Nichs balled his fists, his knuckles turning so white, there wasn¡¯t any blood left to go towards his brain. His heart beat twice as fast, his anger pumped twice as fast, and so did his movements.


    The unknown man was sprawled out, face up, with teeth knocked out of his mouth and blood sttered on the sidewalk. Nichs had blood dripping down his knuckles, forming a g of its own ord while Astra whimpered from the sight that befell her. It was a miracle she even knew what was happening before her because she started to whimper and son and bury herself deeper into the chest of the very man who had promised her forever years ago and who had embarrassed her by allowing a young girl to walk around the house, the same house he had promised never to share with another woman. Who knew what else he lied about?


    ¡°Are you OK?¡± Nichs asked Astra as her burrowing didn¡¯t stop. She began to shiver and shake so viciously that Nichs had not only a change of heart but a heart attack. What was wrong with her? He picked her up in his hands. Her weight was close to nothing as she folded into his embrace like she belonged there in the first ce. He liked how she felt in his arms. He liked the softness that matched his roughness. She gradually began to close her eyes. She closed her eyes, wanting to drift off to sleep.


    ***


    She awoke to the sound of shuffling. Her eyes were slouching, but her brain was already asleep. She could see the frown growing on Nichs¡¯s face. One swipe of her eyes and she realized that they were right in front of her house. She wanted to feel relieved, but she knew that anything that had to do withbor or walking was not going to be possible because she was so out of it.


    ¡°Where the hell is it?¡± Nichs had been crouched under his seats for thirty minutes looking for anything resembling a key or a chain to a key; he had checked her bag, her purse, and came up empty except for a few coins here and there and, of course, the row of condoms she had passed away in a little side zip. He didn¡¯t know what to say or what to do.


    It was obvious that the key to her house was nowhere in the car; she must have dropped it in the club. That, again, was another risky thing, but he was not about to go back to the club, looking all deste and tired, crunching under the bar seats to see if maybe he would find a key. He wasn¡¯t going to do that. He had just a speed of thirty minutes and an actual journey of forty-five minutes to get here in time, just enough time to rescue her.


    He wanted to scream at her! Yank her or something like ¡°Why the fuck would you endanger yourself like that?¡± He silently breathed to himself after looking at the interior of the car for the zillionth time and confirming that that key was nowhere here. He got into the car, fed up and tired beyond control, and threw onest final look at her as she slumped on the chair, sleeping peacefully.


    At least she didn¡¯t throw up, he muttered to himself, and as though on point, she woke up suddenly and retched on the floor with her eyes half closed. Nichs refused to look at her anymore till they were well on the road to his house. The car had suffered worse, he kept telling himself. He slowed down his speed a bit, acknowledging that even though the police would not be so alert as it was nearly two in the morning, he needed to divert any attention that was going to seek him out away from himself for a bit.


    He needed to protect Astra so that she didn¡¯t wake up bing the hot gossip on E! News or worse, making it to the papers. He would hate to have to see her fight for normalcy. It would be disastrous. He slowed down at a considerable speed, having the journey of a nominal forty-five minutes turn into aplete hour and ten minutes on top. It was three-ten when his gate read his biometrics and let him in. His guards rallied around his vehicle till it came to a stop at the front of the house.


    He got out of the vehicle, appreciating the fresh air that waded into his nose at just the right moment. He looked at James, almost feeling sorry for what he was about to witness.


    James, you may want to get a mask and also fetch me silk Versace nighties for women. Take the other car and get me the clothes first, then clean every spot of the car. Not a single smell shoulde out of anywhere. Is that understood? ¡± Nichs asked James dead in the eyes. James made a ziplock expression, meaning his lips were sealed and air locked.


    Nichs moved toward the passenger side of the car and unbuckled the seat belt he had clipped on for her. He took her by the waist and the legs, chopped her up a bit, and she was cradled in his arms, vomit dried on her lips and on the side of her face. Partially dried vomit smeared on Nichs¡¯s white shirt, already sttered with blood drops from the unknown man.


    He didn¡¯t mind any of it. He had protected her the way he wanted to. He hade for her and not even vomit could change that. He smiled at her as she snuggled further into his arms, even though she was in the same process of smearing more of the vomit on him.


    ***


    Headaches don¡¯t even begin to describe what it was that she was feeling; they didn¡¯t describe half of it. She was having her head beaten like a drum repeatedly, and her ears rang as well. Whoever didn¡¯t let the curtains down did her a solid. She gradually got used to her environment, and suddenly she had a strange sense of dejavu. It felt like she had been here before; it almost looked like she was in Nichs¡¯s house¡­


    Her ex¡¯s house She didn¡¯t want to believe what she was seeing, so she tried to stand up, and she gasped. ¡°Whose clothes are these?¡± She screamed to herself, checking every corner of herself and noticing that every part of her was cleaned and changed. She had been washed and dressed. Panic began to set in; she didn¡¯t know who he was, and she had no idea where she was. Her eyes darted left and right, and she caught something on top of the dresser close to the bed. It was a note and a rose.


    ¡± What the hell!¡± She said to herself as she stretched her arm out and snatched the note off the dresser, allowing the soft buds of the rose to hit the floor, giving a very soft thud.


    She opened the note, noticing that it smelled like lcs, her favorite flower. There was only one person who was close to her enough and who was recent enough to know that sort of information. She opened the note and read it out loud, even though her head was banging like a party was going on in there.


    The note read, ¡± My darling Astra, I hope you had a good night¡¯s rest. There¡¯s some water to calm your head. You shouldn¡¯t get up too quickly, and you shouldn¡¯t move too quickly either. You had quite a night. I have business to attend to, but I may be back as soon as possible. Try not to miss me too much. N. M¡± She wanted to breathe new life into the note, but she was stumped. How in the hell had hee to take her away? Herst memory was of her in the club, dancing so much, dancing the hurt away. She was dancing like she was up on a stage, and she was in total control of her life. She behaved that way, so how the hell did she end up here, in a room she barely recognized and in a new¡­


    Was that Versace? She asked no one in particr. It didn¡¯t matter what she wore. Even if she was impressed by the choice of clothing, she was puzzled but not too puzzled that she opted to lie down and wait for her ¡°savior¡± toe and sit by the bed and answer her questions. No ma¡¯am, she was getting the fuck out of here and to her own ce fast while the evil bastard wasn¡¯t here to ruin her already ruined morning.


    She stood up so fast she had forgotten what doctor Nichs had prescribed and she had to learn the hard way. Her face kissed the bed, which was lucky for her as she would have easily fallen t on her face on the ground and wouldn¡¯t have been able to locate herself for the next twenty minutes, as she was right now. When she finally came to, she got up slowly this time and walked to get the ss of water he had mentioned, and like a cat, she tried to look for any evidence of her clothes nearby.


    Fearing the worst, she abandoned her mission and while she didn¡¯t know how long she had been out, she didn¡¯t know if he was back, she was certain of one thing and one thing only. She was getting the fuck out of this ce. She wasn¡¯t going to wait for him to show up. She left her room, quietly closing the door behind her, and careful swipes of her eye movements told her that her purse was not anywhere close, which brought her to the entrance. She may have had a chance that he may have kept her things there with the mindset that she was going to leave, which she was in fact already doing. set and cemented, to be honest.


    She crept towards the spiral staircase that flowed and made no noises as she walked down the stairs, even though her head ached so badly. She was right, though; her things were kept just where she thought they would be.


    at the entrance in case she needed to leave. It was funny how she realized that there was nobody present in the house. Thest time she had been here, there had been a butler who had answered the door, but now, there was not a single soul down here at all, and while in times past that might have worried her, it didn¡¯t. She was beyond relieved at the departure of the staff; at least no one would see her walk of shame.


    She picked up her purse and found it a bit heavy. She opened it and was surprised to see a few new wads of notes. She was super sure she didn¡¯t bring that much money to the club, but she wasn¡¯t sure, so she called an Uber and it arrived just in time. She took onest look at the building that held her heart in pieces and closed the door. She couldn¡¯t bear it. It was better to be gone than to be here when he came.

 Fourteen

    Astra couldn¡¯t believe herself as badly as she wanted to. She couldn¡¯t. She dropped her bag on the coffee-coloured table and ordered an Americano espresso and a croissant with it. As the waitress took her leave after scribbling her order down, she began to wonder what really happened during the weekends. She knew she waspletely out of it when she came to. The beautiful Versace still hung on her wall, adorned with all the sexiness that came with Versace, and her purse still had wads of new notes. What was even funnier was that Nichs didn¡¯t call her or anything. If for nothing else, she would have said he had grown somewhat more mature. I felt more like a man and less like a baby. He didn¡¯t call , didn¡¯t check up on her, didn¡¯t bother her.


    Or maybe you disgusted him so much that he didn¡¯t see the need to ¡® Her mind was ying death tricks on her, ying on her insecurities and the broken pieces of that night. Her coffee came right on time; she sipped it while it was hot as hell, and it soothed her nerves as she sipped it down ferociously, nearly forgetting she had the croissant on her table. The whole point of leaving her without an exnation or a call was thrilling, but now her mind couldn¡¯t stop picking up bits and pieces, pulling at her subconsciousness so much that she thought she would develop headaches after she finished up here. She badly wanted to dial up Stephanie and give her the scoop about what happenedst weekend. She would freak out terribly, but it was better to talk to someone than have to listen to the minute version of herself in her head, tell her or tell her dark things that she badly didn¡¯t even want to hear or listen to.


    She dialed up Stephanie. Immediately, she was done eating and paying for her meal. The thing about this cafe was that it had a patio right out front. You only came in to eat but stayed outside if you felt you needed the vitamins from the sun. Not a lot of people like the sun. She was realizing that despite today¡¯s being a viciously beautiful day, the sun warmed her skin up so much that it sent beautiful thrills down her spine. She sat on one of the open seats, her bag tossed towards the table gently, and picked up her phone to call her number one friend.


    She picked up the first ring.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Girlfriend, what¡¯s happening?¡± She sounded so cheerful and free of stress, her voice made Astra so jealous; she could have cried if she wasn¡¯t out in the open, already looking boogie and ssy.


    Stephanieughed as Astra responded cheerfully as well.


    ¡°You know the fucking vibe! Anyway, you call me, what¡¯s going on? You don¡¯t ever call me. ¡± ¡°Are you good?¡± It was the switch in her tone, from so friendly to so caring in a minute. That was something she liked about Stephanie; it was so easy to know what she was feeling from her voice alone, and right now she was an angel.


    I wanted to talk to you. I¡¯ve been a mess since, and I needed someone to yap to. Is it OK if we have breakfast together? I¡¯m already here though¡­ Astra would have put her fingers in her mouth for the anxiety that came with the pause from the other end.


    My hunny bunny came home yesterday, but I can promise you an early lunch. Can we do that? I¡¯m so sorry I can¡¯te for breakfast, but lunch would be on me. Can you hold on for me? Just a bit? ¡± Stephanie pleaded from the other end of the line. Astra was a bit disappointed, but she couldn¡¯t say no. She needed him and not the other way around. As they say, beggars do not have a choice. She didn¡¯t.


    Yeah, of course it¡¯s good. I can wait; it¡¯s not that far. How about Lois¡¯ spot? ¡± Astra asked God that somehow she wasn¡¯t going to get disappointed again. She¡¯d hate that.


    ¡°Definitely good. I was even going to tell you that I craved their pot of potatoes so badly that I dreamt about it yesterday. ¡± How Stephanie managed to get Astra tough out loud was a miracle.


    ¡± Noooo, I¡¯m a serious homie! I fucking dreamt of their pot. I was seated so happily. You know how I sat happily? Stephanie unbuttoned her trousers if she was about to sit happily. It was a bizarre thing to do, especially when she was about to really eat some good food. She always did that, and in a quick motion too, so no one would notice her buttons undone or her fly a bit below normal. No one ever noticed except Astra, and whenever she did, she made this funny crazed expression that meant either ¡°here? Come-on¡± or ¡°are you serious?¡± or simply ¡°what the fuck?¡±It always ended with just the stares, nothing else. It¡¯s not like she had anything else to say.


    I can¡¯t believe you even dreamt about that. Has anybody ever told you that you are in love with food? ¡± Stephanie finished with Astra. Astra screamed into the phone amidstughter from both ends. ¡°Yeah yeah, but hey! I¡¯ll meet you there. I may even be there before you are already sitting happily waiting for my pot. 12pm? ¡°Yes?¡± She joked and asked at the same time. Astra nodded and caught herself. There was no way that Stephanie could have seen her movements, so she chuckled into the phone a bit, ¡°Yeah by 12 and you better be here before then, homie,¡± she said into the phone. Stephanie would have winked at her at this moment, but instead she blew air kisses at her and bid her goodbye, which Astra replied to, and they both hung up. Astra still sat on the patio, recognizing that the time was eight-thirty. She looked at her fingernails and then it urred to her.


    She knew it was a stupid idea, but it felt so right, so she jumped out of her chair with a screech from how hard she shifted the chair backwards, grabbed her bag from the table, and unlocked her parked Range Rover with its automatic key. She knew it was a bad idea, but ¡°fuck it,¡± she said.


    ***


    She was nearly made to change her mind about what it was that she intended to do, but she didn¡¯t. She was going to find out what exactly happened during the club and the aftermath and maybe apologize for whatever she might have done, because seeing herself in a nightgown only spoke of one thing: she threw up and badly too. When she was about to leave, she didn¡¯t see a single piece of evidence of her previous clothes or her shoes anywhere in sight. She just assumed she must have thrown up badly. She cringed at the thoughts just as the view of Nichs¡¯s castle came into sight in full view. She was granted ess from the gate without even saying her name or anything, which was seriously odd. Nichs was really adamant about security. The man had guards stationed everywhere and yet his front gate was wide open. Not literally, but wide open. It called for some serious raised eyebrows. She passed through the now wide gates, driving the short distance it took to get to the entrance of the castle. It urred to her that there was an addition to the number of cars that was supposed to be present in his garage. She peered through her windshield and noticed how familiar the new car was, like she had seen it before or she knew the owner of the car. She didn¡¯t want to bother her head about it at all, so she put it to bed and came out of the car, locking it with her automatic key. The guards were in ce as usual at their normal spots, with James on patrol duty. He nced at her as a way of greeting. She understood and nodded at him curtly. She walked to the steps of the door, stretching her hands to reach for the doorbell. The door twisted and out came a very familiar stranger. There was some shouting going on inside immediately after he opened the door. She caught her breath in her throat. ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ***


    Thompson wasn¡¯t expecting to see the audacious Astra walking up the steps with her fingers stretched toward the doorbell. ¡°What was she even doing here?¡± he thought to himself, stretching a thin smile as he walked past her to his red-cherry Ferrari. He wasn¡¯t about to find out why she was here in the first ce; he was out of here in a zing second, not looking back and swinging his Gi staff as he walked, making a ¡®thump, thump, thump¡¯ noise as he walked.


    ***


    Astra was almost afraid to ask what the heck was going on; the guards still stood erect and nonchnt. They held a serious expression on their faces. It was impossible for her to ask anything because it was not their job to know or to tell, and plus she was a stranger¡­ of some sort.


    She opened the doors and walked towards where she heard a familiar voice shout ¡°Fuck!¡±. She wondered what must have probably crawled into his ass and died. She didn¡¯t want to know. She wanted to apologise and get the fuck out of here. She didn¡¯t want to know. She didn¡¯t want to care and, well, she didn¡¯t want any answers to whatever questions she had in mind. She started to regret why she even came here in the first ce. She knew he was in the music room, and that¡¯s where her guys led her to. Immediately she opened the door to the room, shbacks of why she left this house in the first ce rushed back to her, and the reason why she went to the club as well came rushing back to her, and in that moment she scowled so badly. The air present in this room had no freshness in it. The room stank of gin, vodka, and beer, and nothing about the mixture was nauseating at all. Nothing at all.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Astra,¡± Astra said in a tone that showed her disgust. Nichs had a bottle in his hands; his back was turned to Astra, and he was paying no mind to her.


    ¡°Nichs, what the hell happened here?¡± She asked, not like he owed her any exnation. He didn¡¯t .


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here, Astra. You should leave. Right fucking now, ¡°he boomed, back still turned. Astra was irritated at how little he regarded her, but more offended at his choice of tone.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Astra asked, a scowl forming on her face. That got Nichs to turn around, his eyes meeting hers in a deadlock.


    He sneered at her, bloodshot eyes from his drinking and fists balled up. Something about the way he was, his condition, infuriated Astra, and she didn¡¯t even know why.


    ¡°What the hell are you even doing here, huh?¡± He asked, advancing towards her, but Astra kept her ground, taking a hand and cing it on her slender waist in a way that told Nichs that what he was doing wasn¡¯t affecting her. She was daring him without uttering a word.


    ¡°Get out, Astra. Get out! ¡± Astra further frowned, ¡°You should get out of that bottle while you can.¡± You seem to make more progress with the bottle than any other thing that you have ever decided to do. ¡± ouch. That touched a nerve because Nichs threw the bottle he held against the wall.

 Fifteen

    At that moment, she saw him as a little child that needed saving. He looked like he was out in the cold, shivering and whimpering like a drenched cat. But then, he had the nerves to scream words at her?


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic!¡± She bellowed, forcing him to walk past him into the room.


    It took every ounce of his self-esteem to hold himself back from hitting her across the face. Despite his anger, his groin tightened when she walked past him, making her way to the couch that was littered with empty cans, filthy ss cups, and his dampened stockings. His expression eased just a bit, and he heaved a deep sigh, straightening his shoulder.


    Then she raised a delicate brow, her jaw clenched tightly. Nichs could swear he saw a muscle tickle in her forehead. She was a lunatic.


    ¡°Before you say anything further, I want you to know that you¡¯re not wee here.¡± ¡°He said in a low, menacing voice.


    I can be wherever I want to be. ¡°You seem to think so highly of yourself, Nicky. ¡± She returned with the same tone. She eyed the space with disdain and waved a manicured finger in dismissal. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s nothing here to warrant such treatment from you¡­ you¡¯re drunk.¡± She added with a smile.


    ¡°Get out!¡± He barked, pointing his clenched fist at the closed door.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Astra snapped, her voice stiff as a board. She hade here to apologize to him for any shenanigans or something she had done for whatever reason, since she couldn¡¯t recall a thing.


    Silence stretched, but the air was swelling with spite. The atmosphere was tense. Astra wanted to rummage in her purse for her oil perfume, and maybe dabble a few drops on the floor and the curtains. Anything to wade off the toxic scent that was permeating the enclosed space, making her want to puke.


    It¡¯s unimaginable how someone like you could be so daft¡­ You are filthy¡­ your breath stinks! ¡± Astra wanted to hurl so much, her stomach churned at how disgusting the whole ce stank and how he still managed to stay here. What exactly happened those few days after she left this house? Thest time she had been here, she had found everywhere neat, knowing Nichs was a neat freak, so when she saw and smelled the pungency of the room, her heart boiled.


    Nichs threw back his head andughed. The sound grated on her nerves. Bastard! What was so funny now?


    ¡°You sound judgmental. One would think you¡¯re a saint. ¡± He snarled, ¡°Wait. Did he know that she had a thing for drinking? Something like a memory crept into her mind and sat there. She suddenly saw herself seated in his car. He was crouched down in one of the seats. It seemed like he was looking for something and somehow she knew that the ce stank of gin. Dry gin.


    ¡°You are an ingrate.¡± I shouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce! ¡± She knew it the moment the drive felt like she was traveling instead of just going from one ce to another. It felt too long, too much, and yet she had endured it.


    ¡°And I¡¯ve asked you to leave!¡± He red at her, ¡°Fucking leave¡­¡± Take your stinking attitude elsewhere! ¡± Astra looked at him with fury. He had the audacity to speak to her in the manner that he did, and yet she was the one with the attitude.


    ¡°I won¡¯t leave just because you¡¯re asking me to!¡± She fired back. It was high time he knew he didn¡¯t just get to dictate when he wanted to and where he felt like it. She was a freaking human being and not a toy he couldmand and bend at his will.


    For fucksake, his head was hurting. Nichs just wanted her gone.


    He strode towards her and forcefully grabbed her arms, yanking her towards the door. ¡°Then I¡¯ll throw you out!¡± He tried to pull open the door, but Astra tugged him back, getting between him and the door.


    ¡°Make me.¡± She gave him a daunting re and said, ¡°I¡¯d love to see your drunken ass haul me out. Right now. ¡± Not like it would have been the first time, it wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise, and she desperately wanted him to give her a reason to finally quit his job and get the hell out of town and away from him.


    Nichs tried to grab her again. This time, his hand brushed her cleavage. His breath ceased and his eyes darkened slightly.


    Astra noticed this and retaliated by giving his hand a quick spank and with a mocking re. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare put those filthy hands on me again, you dimwit!¡± She yelled, but she knew she wanted him to do it again. She knew it and she knew he knew it.


    Nichs ignored her. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he tugged her warm body into his and meshed her lips with his, swallowing her protest.


    He wasn¡¯t slow. Neither did he wait for her consent. He knew she¡¯d give in¡­ He knew just how far to go to get her to trail her long dainty fingers on his arms, then slowly downward to his bicep.


    Astra shoved at his chest and tried to get him off. But his hold was stronger than she presumed. He wasn¡¯t staggering, and his stance was that of a man ready to take her hard against the door. His mouth swallows her moans and his tongue nibbles on her earlobes.


    Heated arousal swirled deep in her belly, crawling its way down to her pelvis. She moaned and tried to rub her thighs together to help ease the painful throb of her clitoris.


    Fuck! She wanted to beg him. She wanted to scream at him to stop torturing her. But the words got stuck in her throat.


    ¡°Say it,¡± he said in a whisper.


    Nichs nudged her legs apart and pushed his right leg in between, grazing her center with his knee cap. Hell, he wanted to tear her underwear and drive hard and fast into her slit. He could feel the moistened pussy. Slippery and ready.


    He closed his eyes and waited for her to say the words. Astra was a stubborn woman, but for once, he wanted her to beg him. He wanted her to say just how much he was affecting her.


    She tasted and plundered his mouth instead, ignoring his words. She pretended she hadn¡¯t heard him.


    ¡°Astra¡­ please¡­ say it. I want to hear you say it. ¡±


    ¡°You need this as much as I do, Nick. Why wait? ¡± She said feelingly.


    She lowered her head to his neck and nibbled on the soft flesh there. gently biting it and soothing it with her tongueAstra could hear him take in a sharp breath. She smiled at his lips and tried her tongue upwards to his earlobe.


    The moment her tongue found the soft, sensitive part, she opened her mouth and nipped at it.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ yes!¡± Nichs groaned.


    She thought she had the upper hand, but unbeknownst to her, Nichs was slowly unzipping her dress, trying to pull her breast free.


    The second she jammed her warm tongue into his ear, Nichs pulled her breast free and bent his head to take one delicate nipple into his mouth. He suckled slowly at first, then with an aggressiveness that made her stutter.


    Oh god¡­ ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­ Nick! ¡±


    She whimpered and gummed her body to his, arching her back to push her chest more toward him. Her eyes rolled and she made to grab his shoulders, but he shrugged her off, directing her hot palm to his chest.


    ¡°Touch me!¡±


    ¡°You want to beg now?¡± She goaded, stifling a moan as her fingers made contact with his hardened chest. He was rock hard. Taut.


    In reply, Nichs pinched her nipples. The next breath had him kneeling between her thighs. He lifted the dress, revealing ckce underwear.


    ¡°So beautiful¡­ so fucking exquisite.¡± He inhaled her musky scent and moved his head closer to her heart.


    When his tongue massaged her pubic mons, sliding down to her outer clitoris, Astra jumped, bouncing on his face. Her pussy hole was directly over his parted lips as a result of the movement.


    Nichs hummed and kissed her there, worshiping, giving, and taking. He relished in the feel of her warm and moist center.


    Astra tasted like strawberries mixed with spices. Calm. Arousing. Intoxicating


    ¡°Please¡­ fuck¡­ please, Nick.¡± She whimpered as he continued to tease her opening with his tongue.


    ¡°Fucking finally.¡± He purred.


    When he made a plunge in his tongue, Astra¡¯s phone vibrated first and then its ring startled them. It was on the couch.


    They both sighed. But he didn¡¯t pull away.


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t have to take that.¡± She said, forcing her voice to be steady.


    Nichs hesitated, then he slowly waited for the ring to die down.


    ***


    The first ring got Astra was startled at first to pause for a minute, but they stopped just for a while until the phone stopped ringing. Astra sighed with pleasure as Nichs continued what he was doing. The damn phone rang again and the air changed its momentum. It was obvious the tension in the air was changing. Something was happening and yet the damn phone kept on ringing and ringing. Nichs groaned even more. His dick was hard as fuck and yet the only thing that pierced through the darkness wasn¡¯t the sound of the thrusts he was supposed to be making.


    No.


    It was the sound of a phone that was hidden and forgotten in Astra¡¯s bag. He was so annoyed as to who the fuck could be calling at this time, this very hour when there was supposed to be a hundred percent focus. He was supposed to be relieving his greatest fantasy right here right now. He was supposed to have her pinned against the wall, hands up like the good girl she was, his fingers doing crazy things to her clit as he fought for dominance with his tongue in her mouth. He was supposed to be pumping her pussy with fingers that turned to three, slow thrusts at first then faster without even having to prate her. He would lick her throat the way she enjoyed it, bite her ear lobes and lunch her taut nipples till they were so hard it would hurt her a  He would put her legs on his shoulders, his face crouched down to her clit and let his tongue do the right things there. He would watch her with sleepy eyes as He went back and forth, slurping her lobes into his mouth as though it was a drink, then gradually made his way towards her opening and slipped a tongue into her wet walls, greeting her walls with an even wetter surface. She would scream as she was a natural screamer and that was one thing he loved about her. She couldn¡¯t hide her emotions when it came to pleasure, she was always an open book. He let the littlest moanse to life at any spot he eventually chose to push. He would take her by the waist, knowing that she was still very hungry, and he would make her hold the piano as he fucked her shitless, changing the rhythm of his thrusts as he monitored her orgasm level. When he knew she was close to, he would change their positions to the ground. The plush carpet would hurt his buttocks, but he wouldn¡¯t mind it. He would have her ride him and fuck her with such force, in an almost animalistic way, that when she finally got to the point of no return, they would both arch their backs and moan out indescriptible things. The image he had portrayed in his head was not helping his dick go soft as he wanted to rip the bag apart and make her focus on what he wanted, but after the fourth ring, he could tell that Astra¡¯s mood was off and over. It pissed Nichs off so much he didn¡¯t know when he grabbed the bag they had thrown on the floor and picked up the damn phone. With his face taking the part of annoyance, he bellowed, ¡°Who the fuck is this!?¡±


    ***


    Who the hell are you? And where¡¯s Astra? Tell her that I need to speak to her immediately ¡± Nichs couldn¡¯t believe the crap that was falling out of this man¡¯s mouth. He knew who it was and he hated the very air that Jared breathed. He had spoken to him once and had overheard a conversation before as well, also once.


    ¡°Astra is busy, Jared. She isn¡¯t up for silly men like you. You should go and get a good job, not try to take people¡¯s wives away from them. You should do something more productive with your life than try to woo a woman who clearly does not have feelings for you and does not love you. Are you not pathetic? ¡± Astra froze in her spot. She didn¡¯t know what it was that made her stand there in silence and what the cmity that was about to befall her would happen in free will. She had to snap out of it as quickly as she could, but she was rooted to the spot, knees weak and clothes thrown askew and haphazardly about the ce.


    Jared paused before sucking in a sharp breath. ¡°Nichs? What the hell are you doing with her cell phone, you disgusting example of a husband? You abandoned the only woman who gave a shit about you, drove her outside in the rain, called her names, and left her penniless and poor. You didn¡¯t even ask how she got to be under the knife. Nothing about her interested you. You don¡¯t even care about her. You¡¯re just trying to use her to pass the time, and I know what you¡¯re doing and by God! I am going to make sure all your efforts are futile and disgustingly destroyed. You¡¯re a monster, Nichs. No matter what the papers say about you, I need you to know that you¡¯re trash, you¡¯re a bag of nothing worthy , you¡¯re a disgrace to our family, and every time you look in the mirror, I hope you see how disgusting you are, leaving the so-called love of your miserable life on the streets. You¡¯re a foolish man. You could send her alimony so that she could somehow magicallye back to you because of the money you have been directing to her bank ount. You know, that case you think you¡¯re building up against her; the kind you have had the news talk about non-stop. You and I know that that case is a phony. An absolute waste of time and energy, but that¡¯s just you, isn¡¯t you? That¡¯s what you are: a waste of space and energy. You should crawl into a hole and stay there till the world ends. Allow Astra to experience what happiness tastes like after her mouth has been soiled with the likes of you, bitter and undesirable.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Nichs couldn¡¯t believe his ears; he had not just been insulted, he was desecratedpletely. He took a breath, wanting to fire him back, but Astra took the phone from his ears. How she did it with her short height he didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t think that was even important. He was caught pants down and angrier than when she walked in at first.


    ***


    ¡°Jared¡­ Jared! ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Astra tried to talk out loud so that he could hear her, but Jared just snorted and hung up on her. She looked at her phone in anger and then gradually looked at Nichs.


    ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± Who the hell did he think he was? Really? She had the audacity to ask him such a question! He wasn¡¯t the one having a boyfriend now, was he?


    ¡°You had absolutely no right to take my calls. That was highly unprofessional and fucking rude!¡± She shoved past him, picking a few things from the ground as she went past him. At first, Nichs was stunned, and then he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Unprofessional! Unprofessional!! You dare tell me that now? As if you weren¡¯t part of the act and the fuck? ¡°Why would you even have that idiot calling you when you know you belong to someone else, and you know you don¡¯t love him!¡±That got Astra to stop dead in her tracks. She turned to him and menacingly walked back towards him. He was six feet six and she was five feet four, and yet, the height difference didn¡¯t scare her. Neither did anything he had said. She stood two inches from him and with slit eyes said, ¡°And what makes you think I belong to you? You are nothing but a bag of filth. You disgust me. ¡± Astrashed out. He had the nerve to think she belonged to him.


    Nichs had had enough of this bullshit. He wasn¡¯t going to have it anymore. He walked towards the door, dragging his dick to the side in case and only if the staff were still walking to and fro and saw his dick standing out more than the rest of him. He unlocked the door he had locked while she wasn¡¯t looking and, with silence, opened it, ¡°Get the fuck out. Right. Now. ¡± Astra couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She hade here bearing some good tidings. She wanted to apologize, but here she was about to be kicked out of a house she had been thrown out of for the damn second time. She took pity on herself, but at this moment she had never loathed Nichs the way she did right now. Luckily for her, she was already dressed, her lipstick was no longer there, and her hair was a bit mismanaged, but she looked fine. Everything about her smelled of hunger and sex starvation, but to her, to Astra, her self-dignity was more important, and with the right amount of self-confidence, she sashayed her way out of the house, flipping Nichs the middle finger as she casually walked out.


    Good riddance.

 Sixteen

    Nichs groaned in frustration as he reyed what happened when Astra came to his house again.


    Stupid, stupid. He chided himself. All traces of drunkenness had disappeared, and he could feel the beginnings of what would be a massive hangover. There were so many other ways he could have handled Jared, none of them leading to disaster, but he let his anger and jealousy get the better of him and ruined the chance he had to have a good fuck. With any luck, he wouldn¡¯t get any closer to having sex with Astra.


    Nichs let out another groan as he remembered how slick her pussy was when he touched it, how swollen her clit was. He could remember her sweet, sweet moans when he ced his mouth on her hard nipples and sucked on them. Nichs could feel his dick getting painfully hard again as he remembered how her breath had be hitched as he drew her left nipple between his teeth, all the while ying with her right. He remembered how ready and willing she had been to take his entire length and how he was seconds away from tasting her sweet nectar when the stupid phone rang.


    His anger at Jared could be justified. The horny man was definitely an angry man. He had barely been able to get hard for anyone else, not to speak of having sex since he saw Astra again. All the feelings, all the pain, and the hurt that she initially made him feel came back to him when he saw her. Hence, his inability to have sex with anyone else. Nichs was finally reliving his fantasies, his dreams for the past five years, and he was cut off by fucking Jared.


    Nichs decided from the very moment he met the fucker that he didn¡¯t like him. For him to be running around Astra in the first ce was enough for Jared to get on Nichs¡¯ bad side. It was hard to think that he was jealous of seeing a man with his wife, a wife that slept with half of the elite.


    It was all for the good, Nichs tried to convince himself. If he had slept with Astra, he would have been tangled once more in her web of lies and pretense, and this time, there wouldn¡¯t be any bonds to marriage to hold any of them back.


    Astra was a liar and a cheat, and there was no reason for him to stay with her, no reason to yearn for her touch, no reason to want to hear her opinions on his business, nothing to keep him wanting to taste dishes again. Nichs didn¡¯t need to keep thinking of what would look good on her whenever he passed a jewelry shop; he didn¡¯t need to be in her arms to sleep like a baby; he didn¡¯t need to keep loving her; he didn¡¯t need to keep waiting for the day she woulde clean and apologize.


    There were times when it urred to Nichs that the pictures had been faked, that someone other than Astra was in those pictures, syed across the arms of other men. It urred to him that he didn¡¯t trust her well enough, that the pictures were just photoshopped, but it only took him a single nce at the pictures, which were at the bottom of his drawer, and he knew that it was definitely Astra. Nichs could recognize her body anywhere. He had made love to her too many times, in too many ways, to forget how exquisite her body looked, to forget the curves of her body. Nichs remembered the creeks and crevices of her body; each dimple was unforgotten. There was no way he would mistake his wife for someone else.


    Astra was definitely the one. She was the one who broke all of his trust, who shattered his heart into pieces, and who made him feel that he had no more purpose in this life. Nichs had all but given up on love when he met her. All the women he had previously met were either after his money or after the wealth and power he could give them. He did not totally mind when a woman was after his money. Money was something that he had in abundance. He had more than enough to spare. He just had to be cautious because he couldn¡¯t fall in love with a woman who just loved him for his money. Nichs stayed close to prostitutes and hookers whom he could simply pay for their services.


    Over time, he yearned for stability, and the only real rtionship he had before Astra was with his sex, Rhiannon. Nichs could clearly say she was not after his money; she had her own in abundance. Nichs thought he had made her happy. They had a very active sex life, and for quite a while, they were a celebrity couple. Everything was perfect, or so Nichs thought, until he caught her cheating on him-with a man older than her father, for that matter.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Nichs felt that he was broken beyond repair after that. It was a very painful experience for him. The only experience worse than that was when Astra broke him in the same way. It was very hard for Nichs to love again after Rhiannon. He avoided busty blondes with figure eight shapes as they all reminded him of her. It was not something he wanted to be reminded of.


    Falling in love with Astra was surprising for him; the heart truly wanted what the heart truly wanted. Nichs went back to the kind of woman he was running away from, the type that he felt was using him for his money. It was very hard for him, but he trusted Astra, and he opened his heart to her more than he had ever done. It was fulfilling at first to be able to love someone without barriers, without what ifs.


    It was because he loved her so much that he asked her to marry him. It was very simple. Their rtionship was very sexual, and even that important question was popped in a sexual position. Nichs realized, after three months of being with Astra, that there was simply no one else. No one would make his heart beat as fast. No one would make a smile simply appear on his lips. No one would make him grin like a teenager. Nichs knew that he would never want to please anyone like he needed to please Astra; that he would never want anyone to love him, just like the way he wanted anyone to love him. He had been stupid enough not to consider the fact that no one could probably break him just like she could, just like she did.


    He was fucking her as usual. They were in Venice for one of the many vacations that they had, and were making good use of the king-sized bed. Astra¡¯s wrists were tied to the bed post with soft ties, and she was writhing on the bed, pulling her arms at the ties. She was the one that asked to be tied. She wanted to try something new, but he couldn¡¯t help but be a bit concerned.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He remembered asking, and Astra let out a muffled yes. Nichs could remember tracing his finger from the middle of her breasts down her belly button, right to her sex. He could remember feeling her body quake in anticipation. Her flesh felt like it was contracting. Nichs touched her sex, and he was met with slick smoothness. She was so dripping wet that she was almost dripping on the bed. It was so easy to slip past her clit and slide into her hole. His finger was barely in when her pussy tightened against him. It was as though she was trying to milk the juices off his finger, only his finger didn¡¯t have juices. The moans from her lips became even louder when he added another finger. She sounded a bit crazy when he began to use his thumb to flick her clit while moving his fingers inside her. His second hand went up to one of her nipples and started flicking on it continuously.


    ¡°Nichs!¡± She screamed out loud. Nichs could not help the grin that appeared on his face at her loud moan. He knew well enough that her orgasm was close.


    ¡°Just a bit more Astra,¡± he whispered to her. She began thrashing her head left and right as she finally reached the peak of sexual excitement. She was still closing her eyes when he retracted his fingers and let his already hard dick slide into her still wet pussy.


    Astra¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise, and he smiled as he began to thrust slowly, rocking her in the missionary style of old. Her moans filled the air. Only Astra made the missionary exquisite. She matched his thrusts with her own, letting out moans of pleasure. She raised her legs and wrapped them around his waist in a bid to bring them even closer.


    Nichs increased the speed of his thrusts as he could feel his own orgasming. Heid down and ced his lips on her neck as he continued to thrust. She ground her body on his, making the experience all the more thrilling.


    ¡°I am cumming,¡± Astra said as Nichs bit his teeth lightly into her neck. He released his seed, hot and spurring into her, as he copsed on top of her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She eximed, her eyes closed. He knew that she was trying to savor the pleasure, which did wonders for his ego.


    Nichs reached up and loosened the ties on her wrists. Her hands immediately went around him, bringing him even more pleasure. It was almost blinding.


    He meant it. He wanted her to be the mother of her children. He needed her to be the one that he lived the rest of his life with. There was no doubt about it.


    Nichs shifted off of her and gathered her into his arms by then. He was expecting a yes from her, but a tiny part of him was scared of disappointment. Instead, Astra mumbled sleepily and cuddled against his chest. It seemed then that he had worn her out, but life seemed to have other ideas.


    The first time he even considered that he was not sexually satisfying her was when he saw those pictures. They showed him how much of a pretender his wife was.


    Heter asked Astra to marry him again when she was fully awake. This time, she screamed yes. If Nichs had known the amount of pain he would go through, he would have never even bothered to ask.


    He asked Astra to marry him. He was a full man; he was prospering in his business; he was in love; and he was not an alcoholic. Two years after they got married, he got the shock of his life and his life was turned upside down. He could barely believe his years. His love for Astra had turned him upside down; it had made him be the type of man that he vowed he would never be. The insane part was that she was still living the life; she had surgery and became even more beautiful and endowed, while he was still struggling to survive. Nichs promised himself something. He would pay her back. Regardless of the feelings he still had for her, no one would mess with Nichs Trenton and get away scot free. He knew that she still had some attraction for him, and that was exactly what he would use against her. With new vigor, he sat on his bed and began to plot.

 Seventeen

    The nerve of the bastard to pick up the phone and act as though he owned her. Astra thought.


    She brought it all on herself though, so she deserved everything that happened and even a little more. Astra had been out of her senses, and if Jared hadn¡¯t called at that exact moment, she would have let Nichs fuck her. Worse, she would have enjoyed it.


    Astra thanked the stars for Jared¡¯s call as she drove back home. She had no idea what had driven her to go to Nichs¡¯ house in the first ce. Astra decided to me it on the fact that she was ovting, and somehow her subconscious had directed her to the only man that could satisfy her. It was simpler to me nature, which couldn¡¯tin, than it was to me oneself. Astra still loved Nichs, and the fact that he seduced her so easily was just solid proof.


    She loved him so much that her free moments were just thoughts of him. As much as he broke her heart and destroyed her pride, she still loved him. Astra figured that was what love was: yearning for someone even if they hurt you multiple times. It was through Nichs that Astra knew love destroyed pride. She used to be one of those people that said she could never let a man use her, that she would survey the situation, that she would see the red gs before it got to that point, but loving Nichs had taught her that life always had the best surprises.


    Astra was tired of loving Nichs. She loved him so much that she was tired. Even after he hurt her time and time again, she still loved him. Astra needed to stop herself from loving Nichs. Five years was more than enough time to move on. They were only together for a little more than two years anyway. Nichs brought her enough hurt tost a lifetime. It was more than what any human or woman would want to face.


    Astra drove and parked in front of her apartment. She was about to step out of the car when she saw Stephanie¡¯s call. She realized then that she had ns with Stephanie, but shepletely forgot about them.


    Astra quickly looked at the time; it was a few minutes past twelve. Astra sighed and picked up the call.


    ¡°Hey babe, I am so sorry. I will starting. ¡± Astra said, even before Stephanie could say a word.


    ¡°I am waiting. If not, I am having my potatoes alone, ¡°Steph threatened, and Astra smiled into the phone.


    ¡°You just have to wait.¡± ¡°You will never be able to guess what happened today,¡± Astra said. She knew Stephanie enough to know that her ears would be perked up for gossip.


    ¡°Oh! ¡°Starting,¡± Stephanie said impatiently, but in a yful manner.


    ¡°OK, bye,¡± Astra said as she hung up the phone. She started to drive to Lois¡¯s restaurant. Stephanie and Astra found the restaurant a few years back, after Stephanie divorced Nichs, and she had been a steady customer since then. Their potatoes and steak were to die for, and it was Steph¡¯s and Astra¡¯s personal spot. They came here to talk about serious issues, girly stuff, politics, or anything else.


    The ce had a homey feeling that kept the both of them returning, even if it was a bit far from where they both lived. Their food was phenomenal too; it was a win-win.


    The drive to the restaurant seemed longer than usual. Astra felt it was because she was finally telling someone about Nichs and the entire situation. She could not wait to get it off her chest, but the drive was too far and it took too long.


    Astra breathed a sigh of relief when the restaurant finally began toe into view. The look of the building was as normal as it came. There was nothing exceptional about it, yet cars parked in front of it and it seemed like they were in rush hour. If it was just for the looks, Lois Restaurant would have folded up, but more than the looks, they had exceptional dining. Astra spotted her friend, Stephanie, immediately as she entered the restaurant.


    Sweet smells of food trickled through her nostrils as she waved at Stephanie. Her friend was looking as sexy and over the top as usual, in a hot red number that looked like it should only be worn in a club. Her long hair was dyed beach blonde, way different from the rainbow color it was when theyst met.


    Astra would look very much different in her ck jean skirt and big white Tshrit. She always valuedfort more than being ¡°hot¡±. Astra would only put a lot of effort into dressing up when she was going to special ces. Brunch with her best friend didn¡¯t really qualify.


    ¡°Steph!¡± ¡°Astra!¡± They both shouted, bringing the attention of people around them. One would think they had not seen each other for years, rather than the actual three weeks.


    ¡°You look so good!¡± Astra said, hugging Stephanie, holding her tightly. Astra loved thefort that came with being with Stephanie. She was like a safe haven to Astra.


    ¡°You look a mess, Astra,¡± Stephanie said, as they separated and she looked at her. It was a typical Stephanie thing to say. She was very raw and didn¡¯t have a filter. It was one of the things Astra appreciated about her friend.


    ¡°Long story, babe,¡± Astra said as she sat down. Steph called the waiter, and they ordered their usual potatoes and steak.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Well, you have to start telling the damned story,¡± Steph said, and Astra rolled her eyes. Stephanie had one of the oldest friends she had. They were friends from college. Stephanie knew almost everything about Astra.


    ¡°You know, I got assigned to Nichs¡¯ case, right?¡± Astra asked, and a frown appeared on Steph¡¯s face, but her friend nodded.


    Well, that opened a can of worms. I have been to his house at least three times since then, and he keepsing to my ce to sleep. ¡°The major problem is the fact that I cannot tell him no. I still love him, ¡°Astra said. She started to cry.


    ¡°Did you guys have sex?¡± Steph asked, and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°We have been very close though. I am just so confused about everything. I still don¡¯t know why he divorced me, and now he wants to work with me by all means. Nothing just makes sense to me. I am hearing news of him cheating while we were still married. One minute, I was certain that he still loved me and that the entire divorce was a lie; that he was the main reason for what happened to me, the fire, and the fact that I had to lose a part of myself. ¡°I am not sure I would be able to forgive him after all that,¡± Astra choked out.


    ¡°Calm down, Astra, rx,¡± her friend said. She did not feel calm. She felt tears burning in her eyes. They were threatening to drop She started pinching her palms in a bid to stay calm and not cry in public. It didn¡¯t work well though. Coming to the restaurant to have the conversation was not one of their brightest ideas.


    The waiter came and dropped the food in front of them while she was trying to calm herself. The sweet smell of the potatoes she was previously wafted through her nostrils, but her appetite had disappeared. Astra looked up at Stephanie, and her friend looked like a beaten cub.


    ¡°I will be fine, Stephanie,¡± Astra said to her friend.


    ¡°You should eat your food,¡± she continued.


    ¡°I can barely tell if you are not eating Astra,¡± Steph said. Nichs has caused you so much pain in the past, and he is still causing you so much pain now. You should not let him have so much power over you. You will only end up getting even more hurt. You should try and move on. ¡± Astra thought it was easier said than done.


    ¡°You know well that I saw what a mess you were when you broke up with him. I saw you when you decided to leave the state and start afresh, to bring up a little family of your own, and then life happened. You should remember that I saw you when the fire burned your skin. I will not sit back and let Nichs Trenton hurt you time and time again. You do not deserve this pain. You are a good and pure person. You have to move on, Astra. ¡°He might have made you happy before, but all he is bringing you now is pain,¡± Stephanie said, her eyes brimming with tears, and Astra was feeling guilty for ruining their meet up, just bringing tears to the party.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can fall in love again, Steph,¡± Astra said. The feelings she had for Nichs were so strong, it was almost like he hadn¡¯t hurt her at all. Falling in love was thest thing on her mind.


    ¡°You should start by being with someone first. From there, it will be easy to let go of Nichs. And also, finish this case as fast as you can so that you can get as far as Nichs as possible. ¡± ¡°Perhaps you should say yes to Jared; you never know, you might fall in love with him,¡± Stephanie suggested.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that like using him?¡± Astra asked. Thest thing she wanted to do was to hurt somebody just because Nichs hurt her.


    ¡°Not really. Every rtionship is a gamble. You are simply making an effort to move on. You might fall in love with him. ¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this; our food is getting cold,¡± Steph said, and Astra put her spoon into the milky potatoes. She was beginning to have hope. Stephanie¡¯s n might be her only hope of moving on.


    ¡°How is your husband doing?¡± Astra asked her friend after a bite. It was in a bid to lighten the mood.


    Oh, Ray is good. ¡°I am sure it has been a long time since the both of you saw each other, since the wedding if I am not mistaken,¡± Stephanie said, and Astra nodded.


    ¡°I kind of miss him; it has been a while,¡± Astra said. Ray had been her friend in college before she introduced him to Stephanie. It was shocking to her that they hit off after a while. They only started dating after she got married to Nichs. Before that, the three of them had been very close, like three musketeers. Astra was very happy that her friend found love, though. It was a ¡°friend to lover¡± story. Ray and Astra hadn¡¯t seen each other much since their marriage, though.


    ¡°Yes, we should have dinner together soon.¡± ¡°I will check in with Ray and let you know,¡± Stephanie said, and Astra nodded, putting a piece of meat into her mouth.


    ¡°That would be very nice,¡± Astra agreed.


    ¡°So what were you saying about Jared? Maybe I would do that instead of running to Nichs every minute or two. It will also keep me busy. I am not so sure, though. ¡± ¡°Jared is nice and all, but I don¡¯t really like him in that manner,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you are still in love with Nichs. You probably won¡¯t be able to love anyone else as long as he is still in your life. So you have to try to be in a rtionship with someone else. ¡°It will be much easier to fall in love with someone else,¡± Stephanie said, and Astra nodded. Everything her friend said made sense-too much sense. Astra wasn¡¯t sure she was very sensible.


    ¡°So I should just call Jared and let him know that I want a rtionship now?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Stephanie replied. ¡°You can call him right now.¡±


    ¡°Now?¡± Astra asked, and Stephanie nodded. With shaky hands, Astra picked up her phone and dialed Jared¡¯s number.

 Eighteen

    The case against Thompson suddenly became more than just throwing his friend who betrayed him into jail. Then again, it was never just about that. It was mostly about Astra, and making her feel the same amount of pain that he felt when she cheated on him and broke his heart. It was about maybe being able to get her back again, even after everything.


    Nichs knew that he had to choose one; it either had to be revenge or love. He knew that revenge was the reasonable thing to choose. If he got her back, what if she decided to cheat on him again? What if she broke his heart again? Would he keep on forgiving her and putting himself at risk? Was he going to be able to keep up with all that?


    Nichs was not sure if he would be able to; revenge was the safest option. Retribution was the option he was going to choose. The feelings he still had for Astra were not worth it, not one bit. It was pointless to be in love with someone who did not reciprocate their feelings. It was so bad that he had to seek pleasure elsewhere.


    He was going to make her feel pain for all she made him go through. The best way he could do that was through the case. Nichs knew that Thompson was dangerous. The fucking bastard had gotten under his skin and made him lose a lot of contracts and money through fraud. The only problem was that Nichs did not have enough evidence to put the betrayer in pain. The news of Thompson¡¯s betrayal hade suddenly. A few dayster, he received an anonymous letter with incriminating pictures of Astra. It seemed then that everyone around him was a betrayer, that he had no real friends, no real family. Things had not been easy after that. It was so hard for him to pick himself up and start over again.


    Thepany that Nichs had inherited from his father suffered so many great losses when he was gone. He spent thest five years throwing himself into work, trying his very best to build hispany again from the shambles Thompson and Astra had made it. Apart from the fact that his personal life was a mess, the past five years had been productive enough. Hispany was even more sessful than it had previously been.


    It was not until he had gone through this amount of sess that he decided that it was time to take revenge on Thompson and his thieving ways. His so-called friend was living the life while he was still unable to sleep without drowning himself in alcohol. It was the best time to take revenge.


    It was only after hispany was in shambles that he hired a private investigator to check on Astra. He found out then that she was practicingw again and had had stic surgery. The idea of using Astra as a defensewyer against Thompson hade then. It was one of the best ideas he ever had. The case was rusty because he waited five years to sue. Thompson would have destroyed all evidence, if there was any at all to begin with. It was not exactly the smartest thing to do. However, there was the issue of making Astra pay. That was the major reason for the case. Nichs could always make Thompson pay in other ways.


    ¡°James!¡± A n had begun to cook in his head when he shouted from his music room, calling on his body guard.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± the man said, all but scurrying into the room. Nichs nced at his body guard. He looked like he was struggling not to cover his nose. Nichs could not hardly me him; he knew that the ce would smell like vomit. Astra too hade and was disgusted.


    ¡°Please help me call Sarah.¡± ¡°Tell her toe to the house as soon as possible,¡± Nichs said, as he tried to stand up from his sitting position on the ground. The pounding in his head increased twofold, and everything around him was blurry for a full minute.


    ¡°Also, tell the housekeeper to please get rid of this mess,¡± he managed to choke out when he was stable. He liked James for the fact that he didn¡¯t try to help him as he staggered his way out of the room. Thest thing he wanted was to feel like an invalid.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± James said as Nichs walked out of the room, ¡°I will do that right away, sir.¡±Nichs rolled his eyes at his enthusiasm.


    Nichs all but dragged himself to his room and forced himself to take a bath because there was no way he would let Sarah see him like that, so vulnerable. All the while taking his bath, he thought of how he would make Astra pay for all that she had done. He wanted her to beg him. That was exactly what he was going to get. She was on her knees begging. He could not wait.


    He took two tablets of Panadol for his headache and began to dress as he waited for Sarah toe.


    He put on casual cks and a white dress shirt. Hebed his hands through his hair. He felt much more refreshed.


    ¡°Nicky!¡± Sarah shouted, and Nichs rolled his eyes, a typical Sarah move. Leave it to her to announce herself in the most obvious manner.


    ¡°And the whole world must know that her royal majesty graced this house with her presence,¡± he replied as he walked down the stairs to meet with her.


    Sarah responded with a smug smile, her eight-month-old on her hips. The little guy gave a smile as he walked down, extending his arms at him.


    ¡°And of course, Theo wants his uncle,¡± Sarah said. Nichs immediately extracted the baby from her hands and settled him on his chest. Sarah was his cousin that he met after the divorce. She hade from Ennd, where she had been staying with her parents, and was a bit stranded in America. She traced him to her cousin about three times removed, and arrived at hispany, all but demanding a job almost two years back. Nichs was stunned by the audacity, but it was enough to let him know that she was a Trentonian through and through. He had given her a job then, but she had be even more than a friend, more than family to him over time.


    Sarah was pregnant when she came. Nichs did not know then, but her ex-boyfriend had abandoned her with the pregnancy. She hade to the States to begin a new life. It was not easy for her, though, but Nichs tried his very best to support her throughout. Sarah knew all about what Astra did to him and she was also helping with the case with Thompson. He knew that he could trust her. Even his mother liked her, and she didn¡¯t like anybody, not even Astra.


    ¡°It is clear that Theo is tired of the females in his life; he wants something new,¡± Nichs joked, bouncing the baby. The gold locks he inherited from his mother were bouncing around with him. He shed his gums with just four teeth at Nichs, and he smiled. He liked the little fellow, maybe a little too much. The boy made Nichs think again and again about having his own child. Astra and Nichs always nned on having children together, but they kept on pushing it. It was never the time. Nichs was relieved that they didn¡¯t have any children together; it would have made things even moreplicated.


    ¡°I could leave him with you to enjoy something new for the next few weeks. ¡°Wouln¡¯t you like that? Sarah asked, a coy smile ying on her lips. Nichs panicked for a few seconds. There was absolutely no way he could take care of a baby for that long. His nephew might love him at the moment, but babies were usually professionals at crying, and Nichs could not handle that much crying.


    ¡°Well, it depends on what state you would like your baby to be in when you return,¡± Nichs replied, clearly unimpressed by her threat.


    Sarah let out a loudugh. ¡°Are you just going to keep me standing all day?¡± Sarah asked, and Nichs eyed her. He enjoyed the change in the atmosphere. It was typical of her to be so yful.


    ¡°There are chairs everywhere, Sarah. You can sit down with anyone you want. You don¡¯t expect to be treated like a guest, do you? ¡± Nichs asked, and Sarah let out a dramatic sigh as she copsed on the chair.


    ¡°I guess I will have to take the below-bar treatment I get then,¡± Sarah said. This time, Nichs was the one tough. He really enjoyed having her over.


    So, what was it that was so important that you had to summon me all the way to your little pce?¡¯ Sarah asked as Nichs sat opposite her, holding her son in hisp. The little boy was already ying with the buttons on his shirt.


    ¡°Thompson came to threaten me,¡± Nichs said, remembering how Thompson all but barged into his house to ask him in no uncertain terms to let go of the case and to remove Astra from it. Nichs had been shaken after he left. That¡¯s why he drove Astra out of his house. He was concerned for her safety.


    ¡°He clearly has some loose strings lying around. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know yet that we don¡¯t have substantial evidence.¡± ¡°We have to find out what he is hiding,¡± Nichs continued, and Sarah nodded.


    ¡°You already have people following him; you¡¯d know if he did anything suspicious,¡± Sarah said, and Nichs nodded.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I know, he also threatened Astra¡¯s life,¡± he continued, and Sarah scoffed. She did not understand why he still loved her, regardless of how badly he treated her in the past.


    ¡°Why do you care?¡± Sarah asked, and Nichs ignored her.


    ¡°I want to make Astra feel the pain I have been feeling all this time. The only way I can do that is through this case¡± Nick replied instead. Sarah¡¯s eyes widened. She probably did not expect that from him.


    ¡°You can barely do anything to her using the case.¡± ¡°You should try to go into other areas of her life,¡± Sarah suggested, but Nichs shook his head in disagreement. He did not want to go that far.


    ¡°I just want to do the case. I don¡¯t want to go any further. I want her to be doing a wild goose chase with the case, and also because it will be making Thompson ufortable, he just might flop,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I highly doubt that this would be equal to the amount of pain that you felt back then,¡± Sarah said again, and he shook his head.


    ¡°Her entire career is in my hands with this job. Her losing this case, and woefully too, will put a dent in her career. With enough drama and time, we can make her career as awyer worthless. Her career is her lie at this point. I have it in my hands. ¡± Sarah seemed convinced by this, and she nodded her head.


    ¡°The only problem we might have is how to go about this. How do we make the job hell for her? ¡± Nichs asked. Sarah smiled in return, the type of smile that made him never doubt that she was truly a Trentonian.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just leave it to me.¡±

 Nineteen

    ¡°Hello, Jared,¡± Astra said into the phone as Jared picked up his phone.


    ¡°Hey Astra, how are you doing?¡± He asked. He sincerely sounded surprised. It was then that Astra realized how odd it would be. She had never called him before; he was always the one calling her. It would clearly be weird for her.


    ¡°I am good, thank you,¡± she said. For a moment, she was short of words. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. Many things crossed her mind, but her greatest fear was the fact that he may have realized that she was ying him in a way.


    ¡°Is anything the matter? Is Nichs bothering you again? ¡°I thought you left his house,¡± Jared asked, and Astra closed her eyes in frustration. She forgot that Jared called her when she was still in Nichs¡¯ house. How was she supposed to start dating him when he knew that she had been in her ex-husband¡¯s house just a few hours ago?


    ¡°Oh no. Nothing is the matter. Did you maybe want to get dinnerter in the day? ¡°It has been a while,¡± Astra asked. Her heart was beating rapidly then. Best case scenario, she was expecting a firm no. Worst case scenario, she was expecting him to shout at her and insult her for taking her for granted, not rating him at all. The reply she got was certainly not what she was expecting.


    ¡°Sure, why not? I will pick you up at seven. ¡°I promise it will be worth it,¡± he said enthusiastically. Astra was dumfounded and confused. She had no idea what to think. Did Jared really like her so much to want her even if she hadn¡¯t gotten over her ex-husband? It was thrilling to think that she was loved in such a manner.


    ¡°Thank you, I will be ready,¡± she replied. Astra could not help the good feeling that came over her. Unease was still there, though. She liked that Jared liked her, but was that really enough? She wasn¡¯t so sure.


    ¡°Alright, bye,¡± he said. She replied to him and disconnected the call, putting it back on her table. Her day was bing more and more exciting.


    ¡°So what did he say?¡± Steph asked, both her hands were over her face, and her eyes shone with interest. Her ears perched for gossip. ssic Steph,


    ¡°He said yes,¡± Astra said. She could barely believe it herself.


    ¡°Yes! I knew that he would. He likes you too much to let an opportunity like that slide. ¡°You should give him a chance; you might grow to love him, you know,¡± Steph said, and Astra nodded. Maybe that good feeling will grow and it will be something beautiful. Who knew?


    ¡°I am not so sure, Steph. I just asked him out on a date that I am not sure I want to go on, ¡°Astra said,¡± Her fears could not help but surface.


    Rx Astra, don¡¯t worry yourself about if you are in love or not. You have much more important things to think about, like what are you going to wear? What will you do with your hair? There is barely time to do anything. ¡°You should have asked him on a date tomorrow. That would have been more sensible,¡± Steph said, and Astra rolled her eyes. Her friend was clearly not taking her seriously. She probably will not start taking her seriously any time soon.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°We need to get to your ce to get you dolled up. Seven is not so far,¡± Steph said, standing up. Astra rolled her eyes at Stephanie. She was not even sure if she wanted to go on the date at all.


    ¡°This is not my first date with Steph. I have been on plenty, I will be fine, ¡°she said to her friend. Stephanie brushed her off and helped her to stand, paid their bills and left tips for the waiter. In the same breath, she all but pushed Astra to the car.


    ¡°Since we both drove here, we will both drive to your house. Don¡¯t try anything funny, step on it,¡± Steph warned before helping her into the car like some invalid and going into her own car.


    As Astra drove to her apartment, her mind was everywhere at the same time. She was wondering if she was making the right decision in agreeing to go on a date with Jared. It was not her brightest ideas but she truly did want to move on and badly too. It would be much easier to move on if she was with someone new. Stephanie was right about that, at least. Even if she did not end up with Jared at the end, she would be able to move on. With time, Jared will move on from her too. It will all work out for the good.


    By the time she got to her apartment and parked, she had already made up her mind that she was going on a date with Jared.


    ¡°Okay, so what are you going to wear?¡± Stephanie asked as they walked side by side into her apartment building. Astra ignored her friend as she greeted the receptionist and the doormen and entered an elevator.


    For God¡¯s sake, I will put on clothes. It will be as simple as that. It¡¯s not as though it is my wedding, ¡°she said nonchntly.


    ¡°Even though ¡°You have to be at your best; you have no idea how the date will go,¡± Stephanie said, suggestively wiggling her brows. Astra frowned at her friend. They were already on the elevator and heading to the sixth floor, where her apartment was. Astra only agreed to a date with Jared. She did not have any ns to have sex with him. It was not in her ns at all. Astra could barely imagine having sex with anyone other than Nichs.


    There was the fact that she almost had sex with Nichs a few hours ago. If not for Jared¡¯s call, she would have fucked Nichs and enjoyed it. Astra was not even remotely attracted to Jared. She could not even imagine kissing him, let alone having sex with him; that was not even part of the deal. It seemed too farfetched.


    If Astra was being sincere to herself, she would agree that she would eventually have to have sex with Jared. With time, she thought, she woulde to enjoy it. It all came with love.


    ¡°You will wear that ck dress. The one you wore when west went out, does wonders for your figure. ¡°You will put your hair up and maybe a bit of light makeup, nothing over the top, you don¡¯t need to show that you are overly excited for the date,¡± Steph rambled on.


    ¡°Well, I am not excited about the date if we are being honest,¡± Stephanie said. The elevator dinged then, and Steph pushed Astra into her room. Astra thought about her first date with Nichs as Stephanie fussed about.


    Astra had been very excited. It was about seven years ago. She did not have many ns for love, but she was very ttered that such an attractive and rich man actually wanted her. Astra spent the entire day getting ready. She badly wanted him to keep on being interested in her. Astra wanted to impress him. Astra remembered what she wore. It was a nude-colored pleated dress that came all the way to her knees. Her hair was up in a simple style. She wore small pearls on her ears and on her neck. She wanted to dress as formal and delicate as she could, just to show that she actually belonged with him, with the rich people.


    Their first date was at a simple restaurant, and so it seemed like she had overdressed. Later, she learnt that he only chose that restaurant in a bid to amodate her. He did not care if she was rich as the queen or poor as a pauper. He liked just how she was. Those were some of the reasons why she fell in love with him. It seemed so perfect that it would only be unnatural if she didn¡¯t fall. Everyone said that they loved her; they all supported her. It shocked everyone who knew them when the rtionship broke down. No one expected that to happen.


    They had nned their dates together by this point, so she chose ces she had never been before. They went to the opera, to music festivals, to museums, to the beach. They even yed games. If Astra were to agree with anything, she would agree that her rtionship with Nichs was nice while itsted.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you into your dress,¡± Stephanie said. Astra looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could tell that she looked beautiful. Her brown hair was styled to the side in a French braid, revealing the side of her neck. Her face had been brightened with powder; her dark circles had disappeared with concealer; a bit of blush brightened her cheeks; her eyeshes had been thickened with mascara. She looked at least five years younger than her age. Astra smiled at her reflection. She liked how she looked.


    Astra slipped into the little ck number. The dress was as simple as they got; it was a straight ck gown, had spaghetti straps, and the hem stopped just below her knee. She wore beautiful ck slipper heels with them and a silver clutch. Astra thought she looked much more mature than she did on her first date with Nichs.


    ¡°You look so pretty. ¡°Jared would be so blown away,¡± Stephanie said. A wave of deja vu hit her; those were the exact words Stephanie would say while getting ready to see Nichs.


    The doorbell rang and Stephanie squealed. Astra¡¯s heartbeat increased as her friend went to open the door. Unlike when it was Nichs she was going on a date with, the heartbeat was not one of anticipation; rather, the increased heartbeat was a result of fear. It was not exactly a very good reason for your heart to be beating for someone else.


    ¡°Jared!¡± Astra said as she went into the living room and met Jared. He was dressed in a suit and holding a bouquet of red roses, her favorite.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Jared said, hugging her and then presenting her with flowers. Astra¡¯s heart truly melted at the gesture. She pressed her nose into the roses, inhaling their sweet fragrance.


    ¡°I will put these in water for you. ¡°You can start going,¡± Stephanie said, all but shooing them out of the house.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Stephanie said enthusiastically.


    ¡°She is just a bit excited,¡± Astra told Jared as they got down to his car. He opened the door and let her in.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Jared said. ¡°I almost thought you were joking when you called this afternoon. I was prepared for any oue when I knocked on your door. I am happy you were not joking, ¡°Jared said as they got into the car, looking at her as though he was searching her soul. It was ufortable to say the least.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t exactly sure of what to say. ¡°I am happy you came too,¡± Astra replied.


    Astra started ying with her fingers as the ride went on. He had dropped a bomb too soon, and so the air was charged. When her phone rang half way through the journey, she was grateful for the distraction.


    She looked at the number and it was an unknown number. It was because of the atmosphere that she picked up the call, but what she heard on the other end kept her on her toes.


    ¡°You have what?¡± she asked.

 Twenty

    Once Nichs heard Sarah¡¯s n, he knew that it was going to work out well. Astra took her job very seriously, and so she would take this case very seriously. It would be so easy for her to fall into his trap.


    She will follow. All you have to do is point her in that direction. You will just bring the evidence to her and she will follow that route to get the criminal. ¡°The problem is that it will end in a dead end. Nothing wille out of it,¡± Sarah said, and Nichs nodded. He liked the n.


    I don¡¯t even have to be the one to point her in that direction, right? ¡°I can always hire someone to bring fake evidence to her. That will be very easy,¡± Nichs added, all the while bouncing Theo on his knee. It seemed like the little man was hungry; he was already putting the button in his mouth, ying with it.


    ¡°That is possible.¡±It will be much easier that way,¡± Sarah agreed.


    ¡°How fast can we get the evidence? This night maybe? ¡°Something to keep the wheels turning until tomorrow morning,¡± Nichs joked, and Sarahughed.


    ¡°That might just be over the top. I will see what I can do. ¡°I will let you know how it goester on,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Bring Theo here; he is probably hungry,¡± Sarah said, extending her hands to her son. Nichs ced the baby in her arms carefully.


    I should probably get you something to eat too. ¡°You must be hungry,¡± he said, and then called for the cook to start lunch.


    They all sat down together to have lunch, which was spaghetti.


    ¡°What do you want to do about Thompson? ¡°We can¡¯t have him threatening you like that,¡± Sarah said, and Nichs rolled his eyes.


    ¡°No discussing unsavory matters over food,¡± he said.


    We have to talk about it sometime. He can be dangerous, you know. He did scam you of thousands of dors, and now he is threatening you because he feels you have evidence, ¡°she all but shouted. One would think Sarah was the one being threatened instead of Nichs.


    I don¡¯t know why I feel that someone else is controlling Thompson. I mean, there is no way he could have done all these on his own. He needs help, and it¡¯s his helper we have to target. We should just follow him for now and see if he is doing anything suspicious. In a good home, we would know. I can deal with Thompson on my own after it all, ¡°Nick said. Sarah seemed convinced, and so she nodded her head.


    Nichs had been friends with Thompson for years and years, and so when the betrayal came, it hurt like a bitch. It was only after the incident that he started thinking of why Thompson would do that. Some things did not just add up, like Thompson could not have stolen that much from him on his own. For one, his standard of living had not changed, even if he stole so much from Nichs.


    Thompson also did not have any family, no wife, no children, no parents, so what exactly did he need so much money for?


    Nichs may have been his friend, but he knew that he was not nearly smart enough to pull that off.


    The more Nichs thought about the entire ordeal, the more he was convinced that someone was either backing Thompson up, or ckmailing him into fraud. Either way, the person needed to be caught as soon as possible.


    ¡°I better start going so that I can put our ns in motion,¡± Sarah said, standing up from the dining table. Theo had fallen asleep before the lunch table was set, so she went to pick him up from the nursery before she went home.


    ¡°Thank you for all you do, Sarah,¡± Nichs said as she was on her way out of the house.


    Sarah let out a small smile. It looked very sincere though.


    ¡°It is nothing, Nicky. You were there for me during my own time of need. It would be betrayal for me not to help you now. Besides, blood is thicker than water, ¡°Sarah said as she got into her car.


    Nichs smiled as Sarah left. He felt like he could trust her. She had be his closest friend and confidant over the years. Even if he never married or had any children, Theo would inherit all that he had left.


    ~~~


    ¡°You said what?¡± Astra asked the gruff voice that was talking to her.


    ¡°I have evidence in support of Nichs Trenton against Thompson Richards,¡± the voice said again.


    Astra was all but vibrating with excitement. The earlier she finished with the case, the faster she could run away from Nichs.


    There was not much evidence against Thompson; it was not really enough to create a case. Over time, they had been looking for ways to trick him into a confession, areas in which he would be weak, things like that. If there was actual evidence, there would not be any need for all of these. It would make her case much easier and, generally, her life too.


    ¡°Can I see you tomorrow?¡± ¡°Astra?¡± asked the voice. All thoughts of caution fled her. At that moment, it didn¡¯t matter if he was a scammer or not.


    ¡°What about this night, ma?¡± The person on the phone asked Astra looked at her side, and her eyes locked with Jared¡¯s. There was no way she would do that to him. He has already put in so much effort to make the day perfect; it would be terrible if she just cancelled, just like that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t make it this night. ¡°Please tomorrow, please,¡± she pleaded with the man. There was a long silence on the other end. It seemed like the man was contemting what to do.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want this, I know some other people who would definitely want it.¡± In thirty minutes, people woulde from all over for it, the man said, and Astra sighed. This was not the time for all of this.


    ¡°Please sir, just wait for four hours. I will be with you when I can,¡± Astra said. That seemed to catch Jared¡¯s attention as his eyes moved to her, and she caught his gaze. This was the best she could do. She would go after this date.


    ¡°Fine. ¡°I am just giving you four hours, nothing more than that,¡± he said, and Astra sat morefortably.


    ¡°Please send your address. I will be with you in a while,¡± she said and then hung up. They had already arrived at the restaurant. The state of mind in which Astra left the house was not the state of mind that she was presently in. Astra took long, deep breaths. She should not allow Nichs to ruin her date indirectly. She should enjoy her time there. Astra said to herself.


    ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Jared asked when he opened the door for her, and she nodded. Astra took calming breaths, trying not to think of what the man who called her was doing with his so-called information at the moment.


    ¡°I think you should rx,¡± Jared said. He. He was still smiling clueless at her, but he was definitely right;; she needed to rx.


    ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°Waiter,¡± Jared called, and then their orders were taken. Astra ordered pasta for her main dish and chocte cake for dessert.


    ¡°I can barely believe that you are sittingacross from across from me,¡± Jared said again. Astra was happy that he liked her that much, but it was a bit unnerving to be put on such a high pedestal.


    ¡°I know so much about you already. You. You can tell me what I don¡¯t know, a random story or something,¡± Jared said. Astra was still searching for calm, calm, and so it did not seem like a good idea for her;; she was not stable enough.


    ¡°You already know so much about me, me, Jared, but I don¡¯t know a lot about you. ¡°You¡±You should tell me more about yourself,¡± Astra said. It was not a lie;; she barely knew anything about Jared. He was such a good listener that that it was so easy to forget that you were telling him all of your life secrets, and you had none of his.


    Well, you are actually right. ¡°I¡±I don¡¯t talk a lot,¡± Jared said and chuckled. Astra found herself yet againparing Nichs and Jared. While Nichs emitted confidence, it seemed to evaporate from hisskin, while skin, while Jared wascking. It was amusing, however, that he refused to let go of her despite the fact that someone like Nichs was her ex-husband. It was amusing, however, that he refused to let go of her despite the fact that someone like Nichs was her ex-husband. He did have some kindkind of courage.


    ¡°I grew up in Michigan with my parents and fourfour older siblings and and sisters. Both my sisters are married with children in Michigan. My parents are both still alive and they love taking care of their grandchildren, so much so that the eight they already have areare not enough. ¡°They¡±They have started to badger me too,¡± Jared said, chuckling, chuckling. Astra could rte to that, that, at least;; her parents wanted grandchildren, but Astra was not veryfortable with the thought of having children. She hoped that with time she would heal from it all.


    I studiedw here in New York, and I decided to stay here after school. ¡°It¡±It is in my ns to open my own practice with time,¡± Jared said and calmed down. The wine had arrived, and the waiter had poured a ss for each of them. The wine had arrived, and the waiter had poured a ss for each of them.


    ¡°Tell me more. ¡°I¡±I don¡¯t know much about your hobbies,¡± she prodded.


    Before finally continuing, JaredBefore finally continuing, Jared let out a long sigh that showed that he did not like talking about himself.


    ¡°Ilike the like thew in general. I am in love with the practice. I like the idea of being able to bring justice to people. The power behind it fascinates me. ¡°I¡±I hope that with time I will not go offoff the good side of thew,¡± Jared said, said, and Astra nodded.


    It¡¯s the same with me too. I like the idea of being able to bring justice to people. The idea of helping the oppressed and all. But I can¡¯t shake the fear that, in the end, I¡¯ll be on the wrong side. Meeting so many people that are represented in court makes me makes me realize how many grey areas therethere are in life and crime. I hope that I can at least make people happy in my little way.


    ¡°Yes, I agree with you. ¡°Our¡±Our own sacrifices areare all in ensuring that people are safe and happy in society,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°What other things apartfrom the from thew do you like?¡± Astra asked. Jared took a deep breath as though it took a lot from him to talk out loud.


    ¡°I like drawing,¡± he said. Astra raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Drawing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, nodding.¡±Yes,¡± he said, nodding.¡±Little sketches here and there, nothing special,¡± he continued. Astra rolled her eyes at him. Leave it to Jared to underestimate himself.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I am pretty sure your drawings look phenomenal. ¡°You¡±You have to let me take a look at them some day, and perhaps draw me too,¡± Astra said.


    Jared smiled, a quirky smile with undertones, undertones, making meme squirm a little. It made her wonder a little. Why? Why would he be like that just because of a little sketch? He didn¡¯t draw people in the nude, nude, did he?


    Astra opened her mouth to ask him, but shook her head. Not the time. She just smiled at Jared as their date continued. It was going to be one long night

 Twenty One

    Nichs was working on some paperwork when Sarah¡¯s call came in. That was fast, Nichs thought while smiling. He immediately picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello, Nicky, good evening,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Good evening, Sarah. Any news? ¡± Nichs asked. In Sarah¡¯s reply, he could basically hear the smile in her voice.


    ¡°The trap has been set. The only issue is that we are waiting for the mouse to jump on it. The actor we paid has already called her Astra. ¡°She will be going to find him this evening,¡± Sarah said.


    The image that appeared in Nichs¡¯ vision was not very favorable to him. He realized that he did not want Astra going after a criminal that did not exist in the middle of the night.


    ¡°She is really going to go this night?¡± Nichs asked, and Sarah sighed.


    It is best that she goes as soon as possible. That is how these things are done. You should not still be worried about her. She has moved on, you know. She is currently on a date with Jared; that is the only reason why she did not go immediately when the call came to her.


    ¡°Jared?¡± Nichs asked. He hated the very breath that came out of the man. It was not because he was a terrible person. It was simply because he had a huge chance of stealing his wife away, and the bastard knew it. He even used it against him.


    ¡°What the hell is Astra doing with that piece of dirt?¡± He asked angrily.


    ¡°She is clearly moving on with him,¡± Sarah replied. His cousin was not known for her calm and emphatic self. She was extremely raw.


    ¡°We have to do something to stop that,¡± Nichs shouted into the phone. All the progress they made seemed moot if Astra was already moving on.


    You have to calm down and rx. Trying to jeopardize their rtionship is only hurting yourself. It¡¯s as simple as that. You will only end up on the losing end, not Astra or Jared. Let them be. You also need to move on too. Sarah said. ¡°Let¡¯s focus on getting her to the wild goose chase, and then maybe we can get you a new girlfriend of your own


    Nichs considered the words of his cousin. She had said reasonable things, and he hoped he could be reasonable. He was simply jealous, and that was it. Being jealous of Astra¡¯s new boyfriend would not help him move in. Trying to jeopardize each and every rtionship she entered would only hurt him in the end. Astra would be hurt, but Nichs would feel the pain more. All that for just making her suffer. It was not worth it all.


    ¡°I will leave her and her fucking boyfriend.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just hope this n works,¡± Nichs told Sarah.


    ¡°It has already worked; we just have to bid our time,¡± Sarah replied.


    Nichs disconnected the call with a frown on his face. The call was not really all he expected. He focused his energy back on his work. Thest thing he needed was to ck off. If he couldn¡¯t do anything else, he should at least expand his business.


    ~~~


    Astra dug into her pasta. It was creamy and delectable. She couldn¡¯t get enough of it. Astra tried to be very serene about it, though. She did not need to be very obvious.


    ¡°Can you show me some of your sketches? I want to see how they look, ¡°Astra asked. She was a bit curious after his reaction. Jared picked up his phone, opened it and stretched it to her.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Astra said as she looked at the sketches, one after the other. They looked phenomenal. They had a professional look to them. With just a bit of work, he could make them go far.


    ¡°There is a very beautiful Jared.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had it in you,¡± Astra said to him, and Jared smiled shyly. Astra could never have imagined that Jared would have this kind of talent.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°You should go professional,¡± Astra suggested, and Jared rolled his eyes.


    ¡°I have been talking about myself throughout today. ¡°You should tell me something I don¡¯t know about you, a story maybe,¡± Jared said.


    It was very easy for Astra to talk to him, to tell him a story. The words were very easy to say. She was oh sofortable with him at the moment.


    As you know, I have always wanted to be like my sister, Charis. ¡°I loved to be like her from the very beginning,¡± she started. It had been so long that she decided that she didn¡¯t have a sister anymore.


    ¡°Charis was very interested in pageantry as a child, and my parents loved that.¡± ¡°We were not very up to do, but they spent all their money to make sure that Charis could be in the pageantry.¡±


    My mother bought her a pink flurry dress, and it was hung in the middle of our room. I used to look at the dress for hours, touching the frills lightly. I was never allowed to wear it though. J was barely allowed to touch the dress. My mother did not want me to spoil it. I badly wanted to wear the dress so that I would look like a princess, just like Charis was,¡± Astra continued.


    The day before the pageant, I was left home alone, and all that was on my mind was the dress. I wanted to put on the dress. Unable to resist temptation, I put on the dress. It was clearly too big for me, but I felt very much like a princess. I twirled around in the dress, feeling very pretty. When I was taking off the dress, the zip got stuck. It refused to budge. I pushed and pushed until the dress tore. ¡°It was crazy,¡± Astra said, chuckling a bit.


    ¡°My mother was so mad. Her face was red. My sister was very angry with me. She med me for that and a lot more, ¡°Astra continued. She was able tough about it now, but it had been so hard for her.


    ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°That was a lot,¡± Jared said. His voice sounded low. She could hear sympathy in his voice. She wasn¡¯t sure if she liked it.


    ¡°It ended up fine in the end.¡± That is not the reason why I am no longer in touch with my parents anymore,¡± Astra said, her thoughts flying back to how her parents and sister had abandoned her just because of Nichs. She was not really surprised that they did not believe her. Astra had always been seen as a ck sheep. Her parents never really loved her. Charis was always the favorite child. Astra used to wonder if she was not the child of her parents. It was very hard for her.


    ¡°No child should ever feel like that,¡± Jared said, and Astra looked away. The conversation was getting ufortable. Astra¡¯s mind went to the number that called her. She was sofortable that she had forgotten.


    I will have to get going soon. ¡°It has been a very wonderful night,¡± Astra said without even thinking about it. The rush that she felt when the man called her returned, as she needed to meet him as soon as possible.


    Jared¡¯s expression changed, and it made her mood sour. She had been too crass.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, we can be on our way now,¡± Jared said, standing up. He was obviously hurt. Astra wanted to apologize and tell him that she wanted to stay, but he seemed annoyed and she needed to leave.


    ¡°I will make it up to you,¡± Astra said. She reasoned that Jared would always be there. The man that made the call gave her a deadline, one that she had to keep.


    Astra stood up from her chair and walked out with Jared at her side.


    The drive back to her apartment was very long and ufortable. Astra just wanted to get to her house, change her dress, and then find the man who made the call.


    ¡°I will call you,¡± she said to Jared and waved at him.


    Jared smiled at her and moved in to hug her. Astra let him hug her. It felt different, like usual and new. She was not sure she liked the new feeling.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Astra said to Jared and locked her door.


    As soon as Jared left, she rushed into her room and took off her ck dress. She put on a ck t-shirt, ck jeans, and a ck cap. She then called the number.


    ¡°Hello.¡± This is the number you called previously. ¡°You said you had information on the Nichs Michealson case,¡± Astra said as the man picked up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I replied.¡±I am at 9th Street and Webster Avenue,¡± the man replied. Astra frowned. It was very far from her ce. a minimum of thirty minutes¡¯ driveContent ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will be there soon,¡± Astra said as she walked out of her apartment and went to her car.


    She drove very fast, but there was a lot of traffic. It was frustrating, to say the least. A thirty-minute drive turned into an hour and still counting.


    Astra called the man again when she finally got close to the venue, but he did not pick up. That alone was odd. She was tired and stressed from a very long day. All she wanted to do was sleep.


    A bad feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach as she got closer to the venue.


    Astra was not surprised that she did not see anyone when she got to the venue, but she was disappointed. Overall, the ce was empty. There was an abandoned warehouse but nothing else. Astra began to get angry. Who was ying an expensive prank on her? It was not in any way funny.


    She parked her car, slid her phone into her pocket, and entered the warehouse. The ce was pitch ck, so she brought out her phone and put on the shlight.


    The light that illuminated the ce showed that the ce must have been abandoned for a while; there were cobwebs all over. The ce was filled with empty crates and what not.


    Astra was still trying to survey the whole ce when she began to hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Her ears perked up in attention; her heart jumped into her chest. She figured it was probably the person that called her, but he could be anyone else. She was walking around in an upleted building in the dead of the night. She realized then the amount of danger she was in. Her heartbeat had considerably increased as she imagined various ways things could go wrong. Well, she could not stand in fear forever. Astra let out a breath as she turned back.

 Twenty Two

    Astra shrieked as she came into contact with all the men.


    ¡°Calm down, miss,¡± the man said. It already felt like her heart had leapt to her throat, and she was shaking. Through her disoriented self, she could tell that the voice was different from the one that called her. This voice sounded old.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Astra asked. This person was different from the person who called her, and the area was too quiet for people to just be roaming around. Astra could feel her fear building up again.


    ¡°I should be the one asking you that, miss,¡± the man asked, and Astra looked at the man very well. The ce was dark, but she could see, with the aid of her phone torch, that he was dressed in some sort of uniform.


    ¡°I am the keeper of this warehouse. Is there anything you need? ¡± The man asked, and Astra became calm. Nevertheless, the small amount of hope that she harbored that the man was the one who called her disappeared.


    ¡°Someone called me. The person asked me to see him here. I guess it must have been a wrong address. ¡°¡± ¡°Astra said to the man. If the keeper knew anything about the man who called her, he could have said it then.


    The man shook his head and said, ¡°No onees here any more. They are nning on demolishing the ce and building something new. It must have been a wrong address. ¡±


    To say Astra was disappointed was an understatement. She had driven so far just for this. Astra faked a smile at the man and said, ¡°I will get going now. Thank you, sir. ¡±


    The man was kind enough to show her the way out. As Astra drove back to her house, several thoughts filled her mind. She was sure that she hadn¡¯t gotten the address wrong. The only reason why the man wouldn¡¯t be there was if he tricked her. It was either that or he was in danger; maybe Thompson had caught him.


    Astra felt it was the first option because she did not have enough information about the man. Why would he have information about the Nichs and Thompson cases? He might just be anyone that had called her to trick her. The only issue with that hypothesis was why? Why would anyone try to trick her into thinking they had evidence? It did not seem like a reasonable thing to do unless they had an ulterior motive. Astra could not think of anyone off the top of her head that would do that. The only person she could think of was Thompson. But what would he gain if he did that? Astra could not think of anything.


    Astra was still pondering as she got home. She was done taking a much needed bath by the time Stephanie called her. Astra was expecting her friend¡¯s call sooner orter. Steph could not stay for long without hearing the details of her date with Jared.


    ¡°Hey babe,¡± Stephanie said, her voice perky and excited as usual.


    ¡°Hey, Astra,¡± she said.


    ¡°We have a lot to talk about,¡± Stephanie said. ¡°What was the date? Was he icky or a gentleman? Did he ask the right questions? Did you guys kiss? ¡± Stephanie asked in session.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Astra said. She could feel her face heating up as a result of embarrassment.


    Astra did not have enough time to think about her date with Jared, as immediately she got home, she rushed to meet the so-called informant. Now that she thought about it, the date was much better than she expected. Astra had crossed her fingers all the while going to the date, but it was sessful. Jared had asked the right questions and he had given her the right answers. She got to learn a lot of things about him. It made Astra view him as more human, not just as the most persistent guy to ask her out. What she had never expected was the fact that he drew. She had been obsessed with guys that were into art at a point. Astra knew that there was a possibility that she would grow to like him, but the nagging feeling in her heart was still there. She still loved Nichs, and it seemed like there would never be space for anyone else. Astra knew that she had to try her best, but it would not be easy.


    ¡°Well, it was nice,¡± Astra said to Stephanie. She could all but see her friend¡¯s frown from the other side of the phone.


    ¡°I need details, Astra,¡± Stephanie shouted, and Astra shook her head.


    We went for dinner; we ate; we talked; we came home. It was nice. What more do you want? ¡± Astra asked teasingly.


    ¡°That sounds good. So did you kiss? ¡± Stephanie asked, lowering her voice. Once again, Astra rolled her eyes. Her friend could be such a drama queen at times.


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± Steph asked, and Astra sighed.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t want to,¡± Astra replied, as she thought about the circumstances that surrounded the end of their date. She was in a rush to meet the so-called informant, and she was sure that Jared had seen it too. Astra wondered if Jared would have tried to kiss her if the date had ended on a good note. She also wondered if she would have let him.


    Astra figured Jared would have tried to kiss her. After all, they didn¡¯t just meet, they became friends. Astra was not so sure she would have let him kiss her. The loyalty she felt for Nichs was still very much there.


    ¡°Okay then, so was the date nice enough for you to consider a second date?¡± Steph asked. Astra hesitated less this time. She would go on another date with Jared, if not for anything else, but to know if the feelings she was developing for him would lead to something.


    ¡°Sure. It is just a date, ¡°Astra said. Stephanie shrieked in reply. Astra had to remove the phone from her ear.


    ¡°Rx, Steph,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t rx, Astra, my best friend is moving on!¡± She shouted. Astra smiled. One thing that drew her to Stephanie was her infectious, bubbly personality. Steph was able to make Astra happy when she was at her lowest of lows.


    ¡°Thank you, Steph,¡± Astra said. Astra believed it since Steph said she was moving on. She was well on her way to moving on.


    ¡°So when are we having dinner?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°I have spoken to Ray. ¡°We will have dinner tomorrow evening if you are free,¡± Steph said.


    Oh, that would be very nice. I am free. I am really tired though. I will see you tomorrow, ¡°Astra said to her friend.


    ¡°Tomorrow it is, goodnight,¡± Steph said.


    ¡°Goodnight.¡±


    After the call, Astra stretched and went to lie on her bed. It had been a long, long day.


    ~~~~~~~


    Astra got to work a bitter than she used to. The stress of the previous day got to her, and so she woke upter than usual, yet she was not well rested.


    Astra rushed on a pair of clothes and zoomed to the office, only to meet a full office. The first thing that she noticed was people staring at her, but it was not exactly new. When she entered, she saw that her cubicle looked like a giant flower. There were two bouquets of roses, one red and the other yellow. Just from looking at the flowers, she could tell that they belonged to two different people, and she could tell who those two people were.


    Anger began to build towards the two annoying men in her life. Astra knew Jared was trying to be romantic when he sent flowers to her office, but she did not know what Nichs was trying to prove. Thest time she came to his house, he all but threw her out. She thought maybe he was trying to apologize. Astra did not give two fucks about his apology. She wanted to move on away from him and his toxic traits.


    She picked up the yellow roses and marched to her desk. She knew it was Nichs that sent them because that was her favorite flower when she was with Nichs. As she picked up the note, she could see N. M clearly on it. She picked up the flowers, resisting the temptation of putting them to her nose to perceive before throwing them into the bin. All her coworkers were looking at her as she looked at the second bouquet. As she expected, it was from Jared. Astra rolled her eyes but kept them in  water. Astra could hear the murmurs of her coworkers. She heard, ¡°I don¡¯t like yellow roses either,¡± clearly from behind her. Astra knew they were not talking to her, though, and she wished they could just mind their business.


    Sitting on her chair, she picked up her phone to make a few warning calls.


    ¡°Hello, Nichs,¡± she said. She could basically see all her coworkers¡¯ raised ears. Astra stood up from her chair and went into the bathroom.


    ¡°Yes, Astra,¡± Nichs replied. His voice still sounded groggy with sleep. Astra could tell that he was just waking up. She figured he drank the night before, as usual.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Nichs asked her. Astra immediately felt anger, the nerve of the bastard.


    ¡°What am I looking for?¡± I want you to stop sending flowers to my office! We don¡¯t have anything together anymore, Nichs! Stop acting like we do! ¡± Astra shouted.


    She could hear Nichs¡¯ sigh at the other end of the call.


    ¡°Is that what you really want?¡± He asked. For a moment, Astra faltered. She was not so sure that was what she wanted. A part of her wanted to go back to Nichs, live with him again, and have a new family. Another part of her wanted to damn him to hell. At that moment, the second part of her story won.


    ¡°Yes, of course, that¡¯s what I really want!¡± Astra shouted again. Her day was already shattered.


    ¡°That is not what you were saying when I was making you cum. You didn¡¯t say this when you were rolling your nipples or fingering your cunt. Instead, you were screaming my name,¡± Nichs said. Astra could feel herself getting wet; dirty talk was something that turned her on, and Nichs knew that. He used her too many times. It took all of her self-control to not start begging him to make her cum.


    ¡°You disgusting pig! I don¡¯t want anything to do with you, remember? Keep that in your thick skull and stop bothering me! ¡± She shouted and ended the call.


    Astra was shaking as she ced her hands on the sink. The power that Nichs had on her became so evident then. She needed to move on. She could not keep pining after a man that had hurt her and would continue to hurt her. It was not worth it.


    Astra sshed water on her face and dabbed at it to enable herself to calm down. Rx, Astra, rx, she said to herself. Even in her disgust, she could still feel that she was wet and sticky down there.


    It was her n to go to Jared¡¯s office and tell him not to drop flowers at her desk anymore, but she was not sure she could talk to Jared in her state. Astra went into one of the bathroom stalls and started to wash herself a bit. She was tempted to make herself cum as the memory of Nichs¡¯ words came back to her. Fortunately, she was able to resist temptation. She walked back to her cubicle with shaky legs and sank into her seat almost immediately. Astra rested her head on her desk then. She was tired. She badly needed to move on, and quickly too.

 Twenty Three

    ¡°Hey, Astra. Are you free to go out for lunch?¡± Jared asked. Astra raised up her head and looked at him. She was working on Nichs¡¯ case after she managed to gather herself. She was quite disoriented after the call. She did not even tell Jared about her feelings of him giving her flowers in the office.


    ¡°I am a bit busy,¡± Astra replied, she looked up from herputer to study him. She knew that she viewed him in a different light since after the date. Yet, her refusal was default mode. Old habits die hard.


    ¡°Oh okay. Did you get my flowers?¡± Jared asked. He looked simple as usual in his white dress shirt and ck trousers. Astra found herselfparing him with Nichs again. Nichs was much more taller and he rocked the office wear. Nichs had been born into money and so he had a lot of confidence. Jared was rather tame. He was calm and not usually arrogant. It seemed that Nichs brought out his arrogant side.


    ¡°You know what, we should have that lunch,¡± she replied. Astra figured that there was no better time to tell him what she thought about the flowers. She closed the windows open on her system and stood up.


    Jared¡¯s face lit up in a smile at her promation. Astra felt weird at the smile, but happy too. It made it more obvious that Jared really liked her. Astra tried to ignore that fact usually.


    ¡°There is this nice sandwich ce up front,¡± Jared said. Astra looked at him, it seemed he was getting morefortable with her. He wasn¡¯t one to start a conversation.


    ¡°Yeah, we should go there,¡± Astra said. She could feel the stares of her coworkers burning into her back as she walked out of the office with Jared. She knew that gossiping tongues would wag. It was that obvious. She didn¡¯t really care about what people said, but thest thing she wanted was for people to conclude that her and Jared were a couple when in fact there were not one.


    You are dating him to be a couple with him, her mind reminded her but she brushed the thought off.


    ¡°How was did you sleepst night?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°Very well, thank you,¡± Astra replied. In truth, she did sleep well, well enough for someone who was so tired because of their long ass day.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Astra asked out of courtesy. Jared smiled at her question and Astra rolled her eyes, he was smiling a but too much.


    ¡°I slept very well too. So well because I dreamt of you,¡± Jared replied, and Astra cringed internally. What the actual fuck? Too much information.


    ¡°Thank you?¡± Astra said, or asked.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± he said smiling. It was obvious he didn¡¯t hear the sarcasm in her voice or depict her expression properly.


    Before long, they reached the restaurant. Jared held the door for her as they were about to enter and Astra shed back to the time Nichs would constantly do that. He would hold the door, the chair. Overall, he would make sure that she wasfortable before he sat. Back then, it seemed like he was putting his needs above hers, it made her love him more. Time however had shown her that there were many faces to a man.


    Astra sat down as a waiter came to take their order. She ordered a sandwich and a cup of coffee. She needed it as she was working on Nichs¡¯ case and it seemed like she was at a dead end.


    ¡°Are you still working on Nichs¡¯ case? It seems like you are very stressed,¡± Jared said after the waiter left. Astra was touched.


    ¡°I am. It has been very stressful. But I feel I will be able to win the case, even without going to court. I just need concrete evidence and an angle to work on,¡± Astra told Jared. The man across her nodded his head, but a frown was settled across his eyebrows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why your ex-husband wants you on his case so badly. He already fucked up, he should let go,¡± Jared said angrily. Astra sighed. She could not even fathom what was wrong with Nichs why he was so damned indecisive. She did not know his motive for putting her on the case if not to frustrate her. Astra did know what she did wrong that made him hate her so. He wouldn¡¯t even leave her alone. On the bright side, he hadn¡¯te to her ce in a while. Astra secretly hoped that he woulde again. I really need to move on, she said to herself at that thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he wants either,¡± she said.


    ¡°You are not going back to him, are you?¡± Jared asked. He seemed desperate, but the question did not sit well with Astra.


    ¡°That is none of your business,¡± she said. Jared raised an eyebrow. He looked sad.


    ¡°I really like you Astra and I felt like we were going somewhere,¡± he said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. We are testing waters Jared, I am not promising you marriage,¡± Astra replied. Jared looked broken at her answer. It hurt Astra.


    ¡°If that is what you want,¡± he said, resigned.


    Deciding to just rip off the band aid, she said, ¡°Also, please don¡¯t send flowers to my desk anymore. I don¡¯t like it. Everyone is insinuating things that are not there.¡±


    Jared raised a brow at that, but nodded. He looked like a wounded puppy. It hurt Astra to know that she was the one who made him look like that.


    ¡°We should start going. I have some work,¡± Jared said. He sounded angry then.


    ¡°Okay, no problem,¡± Astra replied. They walked in silence back to the office and Astra sat on her chair and began to work. She worked until her bones were tired. The earlier she cracked the case, the better for her. By the time it was 4pm, she was exactly where she started, no improvement.


    She was leaving the office building when her phone dinged with a text. It was from Stephanie. The turkey is in the oven awaiting you, the text said.


    Astra remembered then that she had dinner with Ray and Steph, she had forgotten.


    She hastened her footsteps as she saw the text. She barely had the time to get ready.


    ~~~


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nichs said as he picked up the phone. It was a call from the informant at Astra¡¯s office. He was in his own office, he had spent most of his day supervising a building project. It was one of their new supermarkets. It was a baby project of his as the location was prime and profits were bound to be surplus.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Good evening Mr. Nichs,¡± the informant said. Nichs had onlye to the office that evening to go through some paper work before he went home. Nichs needed to work,  if he was working, he would not be tempted to drink.


    ¡°So, what is the update?¡± Nichs asked. He hired someone to keep an eye on Astra in her workce. It was pretty easy to find someone. People were really bber mouths.


    ¡°Well, they were two bouquets of flowers this morning, she threw away the yellow roses and kept the red,¡± the informant said. Nichs had expected that. By her call, she was pissed enough with him do throw him away if she was given the chance. Nichs wondered whose flowers she kept though.


    ¡°Do you know whose flowers she kept?¡± Nichs asked. He knew that she did not like red roses. She either kept it because she genuinely liked the guy that bought them, or she was trying to make him jealous. His money was on the second option.


    ¡°I am sure they flowers were Jared¡¯s. He came downter and they went to lunch together. They have never done that before. People in the office are saying that they were a couple now,¡± the informant said. Nichs could feel his anger boiling. The fucking bastard! There was no way Nichs would let the people excuse of a man take his wife away from him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± He asked the informant.


    ¡°I think they are a couple too. I heard they went on a datest night,¡± the informant said and Nichs nodded to himself. He needed to begin to n, they would not end up together.


    ~~


    Astra straightened her pink gown as she knocked on Steph and Ray¡¯s house. The house was a bit on the exorbitant side. It was almost as Nichs¡¯ house. They were at least eight cars parked in thepound. For as long as Astra had known Ray, he had always been obsessed with cars. She could remember when he bought his first car, they were still in high school and he had not met Steph then, but he was so ecstatic.


    The second and third car followed quickly in college, and he didn¡¯t sell the first. He was a tech bro and good at what he did, so he made it very early. Unlike Nichs, he was not born into money, rather he made the money that he had.


    ¡°Astra you look so good!¡± Ray said as he opened the door. At 5¡¯3, she was not very tall. Ray dwarfed her with his height. He was tall enough to be a basketball yer, just like Nichs. At a point, Ray even yed basketball.


    ¡°I missed you Ray,¡± Astra said as she let him draw her into a hug. Ray was like the brother she never had. Ray and Steph were the first people she met after her surgery. They were quite surprised that she changed. They helped her blend into the society again. It was not easy at all for her.


    ¡°I missed you too honey bunnie,¡± he replied, ruffling her hair with his hand. He worked overseas and was barely at home, while he could do his work from home, Ray liked to be hands-on in situations like that. He travelled for weeks and then came home for a week. It was how they ran it. Stephanie said when he came back he is usually very horny and did not care your state, he was always ready to fuck.


    Astra sighted the ring on his fourth finger, it gold was shining. At a point, she was jealous of her friends as they were on their way to a happily ever after, but sheforted herself with the fact that she had he time, and that her time woulde again.


    ¡°Come inside, dinner is ready,¡± Ray said, weing her in and helping her keep her coat. She followed Ray into his entric looking house. In his travels, he collected many things. He bought odd things like a gold elephant, expensive rugs, old paintings, anything at all. The house looked like an ancient museum.


    ¡°When did you buy this?¡± Astra asked staring at a sculpture that looked too much like a naked pregnant woman. It was made of marble and it was twisted in a way that you would not be sure what it was at first. It was like one of those paintings that looked different when ced upside down.


    ¡°I got it recently,st month or so when Steph and I were on our honeymoon,¡± Ray said, while leading her to the dining room.


    Stephanie was setting the table when she got in. Steph immediately left what she was doing and rushed to hug Astra.


    ¡°Thank you foring,¡± Steph said and Astra rolled her eyes. She sat down on the chair as Steph put finishing touches to the table.


    ¡°Steph and I have an announcement to make after dinner,¡± Ray said, looking at Stephanie. Astra raised an eyebrow. She had no idea what the announcement would be, she hoped that it would be something that would be very serious.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± Ray asked, holding his fork.


    ¡°Yes, we shall,¡± Steph replied and they all dug into the food.

 Twenty Four

    Astra dug into her meal of turkey and potatoes. It melted in her mouth and she smiled as she ate it. It was very delicious. Steph had always been a very good cook unlike Astra. Toplement the fact that she could cook next to nothing, Astra appreciated food a lot, especially good food.


    ¡°The meal is really nice, Steph,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Awwn, thank you so much,¡± Steph replied.


    ¡°You know, you could open a culinary school, you will make it big,¡± Astra suggested and Steph just smiled.  She had been telling her friend the same thing for so long. Steph was a full time house wife and while they were in college, her dream was to open a restaurant. After she started dating Ray though, she stopped talking about it entirely. It seemed as though the dream had died.


    Astra had tried to talk to her friend about it several times but to no avail. Steph¡¯s mouth was sealed about that. She said that she was morefortable cooking for her husband than the world.


    ¡°We have something to tell you, Astra,¡± Ray said at the end of the dinner. Astra was confused. They said the same thing at first at the beginning of the dinner and they were repeating it again. It seemed like it was a big deal.


    ¡°What is it? You guys should stop making me tensioned with those looks and all,¡± Astra said andughed.


    Steph and Rayughed with her which made her rxed. It was not bad news.


    ¡°Steph and I are expecting a baby,¡± Ray said and Astra screamed, stood up and went to hug her friend. She could barely believe it, her friend was going to be a mother.


    ¡°Congrattions Stephanie,¡± Astra said. Both Ray and Steph were looking at her oddly as though they expected another reaction from her. To be honest, she knew where they wereing from, but there was no way she would sully her friend¡¯s happiness because of her own sadness.


    ¡°We were so scared to tell you,¡± Stephanie said and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about all that. I am living in the present,¡± Astra said. Although she felt a pang in her chest for her loss, she did not want to think about it.


    ¡°So have you guys started thinking of baby names?¡± Astra asked. She was actually excited.


    ¡°Well, not yet. It¡¯s still early days and we don¡¯t know yet,¡± Stephanie said and shrugged.


    ¡°Oh my God, Ray you are going to be a father!¡± Astra shouted again andunched herself at her long time friend. Ray staggered a bit at her touch, and pushed her away, not too forcefully though. Astra gained her bnce and started at him, he looked ufortable and Astra shook off the feeling of suspicion.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Yes, I am so happy,¡± Ray said. He didn¡¯t look happy though. Both her friend had imed that they were worried about her reaction to the news, but they didn¡¯t seem excited about their uing baby either. It was weird.


    ¡°That¡¯s very nice,¡± Astra said. She was a bit ufortable now.


    ¡°The dinner was very nice. I will have to get going now though, I have work tomorrow,¡± Astra said before hugging Stephanie and stretching her hand to shake Ray.


    Astra¡¯s drive home was filled with confusing thoughts. Her mind travelled back to when she was in highschool with Ray. Ray was a bit weird then with his quirky sses and his odd way of thinking. He had be her friend because he was very good at math and she was shitty at the subject. She had known him even before then from middle school, he was very erratic then. He had calmed down a bit in high school.


    Astra knew that Ray started to develop feelings for her in high school but she tried her very best to ignore them. She still thought he was weird and didn¡¯t want anything to do with him apart from the math that he taught her.


    Astra wanted Sam then, the head basketball yer, and she had gotten him. Ray started behaving weirdly then, he would follow her and Sam to their day and watch from afar. He was always close to her house and clinged to her so much that people started to say that she had two boyfriends.


    After a while, even Sam became jealous. He knew at first that there was nothing between her and Ray but he started to believe otherwise. She suspected after a while that Ray had told Sam something.


    It was not long after that she caught Sam cheating on her with ra, the head cheerleader. When she confronted him about it, he just said that she had her own side boyfriend, why couldn¡¯t he have one?


    Astra chalked it up to him being unfaithful and clearly not trusting her. She broke up with him and he became a couple with ra.


    Astra became closer to Ray after that. She did not have a choice in the matter though, he stuck to her like a leech and never let go. He choose the same college as she did.


    Astra was not too bothered as she figured the college was a big ce, much more bigger than the high school they both attended. Ray¡¯s course was also very much different from hers. Ray had proven her wrong though. It was as though he was readingw rather thanputer science. Astra was frustrated and had back to back arguments with him. He didn¡¯t seem to see what was wrong with what he was doing. He was making it though. He was getting money from opening websites and developing programs for people even without going to ss.


    He bought extravagant gifts for her. Astra rejected every single one of them but he was not to be discouraged.


    At a point, Astra started giving the gifts to her roommate at the time, Stephanie. Stephanie was on the high about Ray even without seeing him. She was from a poor family just like Astra, but she badly wanted to level up back then. Her family was also abusive. She didn¡¯t want to go back to her parents house after graduation. She was studying culinary, but she did not have enough resources to open her own restaurant after graduation. The next best thing to her was marriage.


    Astra warned her friend about Ray¡¯s tendencies over and over again, but it didn¡¯t work out. Stephanie was hell bent on snagging the uing millionaire.


    Ray had all but ignored her when they first met. It had taken almost throughout college, but Stephanie had aplished her goal. As Steph kept Ray distracted, Astra began to live her life. She dated T. J and Greg during that period. The PTSD from Sam still affected her as she was unable to love anyone of them.


    It was not until after college when she met Nichs that she fell in love again. By this time, Stephanie and Ray were already living together, but they were not married yet.


    Astra¡¯s rtionship with Nichs was a whirlwind. It was not very long into the rtionship that he asked her to marry him. Astra agreed because it felt right. She was finally able to love again and he loved her back. It was a dreame true for her.


    Surprisingly, Ray had been against the marriage. Astra told Stephanie who told her boyfriend. It was almost impossible for her to avoid Ray now that he was serious with Stephanie. Ray no longer followed her every move, but there were times even till now when she would have the feeling of someone watching her and she would turn back and no one would be there. Astra was sure that it was just the feeling of being watched before that was affecting her.


    Ray was so angry about her wedding to Nichs that he didn¡¯t attend. Astra   was also angry with Ray because he didn¡¯t have the right to criticize whom she was going to marry so much. He was not a saint either. She was not in talking terms with him by the time she got married and almost throughout the two years of her marriage.


    She was back to being friends with Ray after she began to have issues with Nichs. Even before Nichs finally kicked her out of the house, there were several issues arising. They were talks of his infidelity and of hers. She even suspected once that he had another family.


    Ray was the one who helped her on her feet again after Nichs had pushed her down. Ray didn¡¯t understand why she imed that she wanted to be far away from Nichs though. He even suggested moving to wherever Astra wanted to go live, but that was over the top and even Stephanie agreed.


    Astra was only in steady contact with Stephanie and Ray the first year of her leaving town. She was not in contact with them over the years. When her alimony came and she still had burns on her body over that disastrous fire, she cooked up a n.


    Astra figured no one would recognize her. Even before the fire, her body has changed over time. She nned to go back to town where she got married and lived. She nned to start new and face her fears. Securing a job was the first thing she did.


    At first, Astra did not have any contact with Stephanie and Ray, all in the spirit of starting afresh. But Stephanie had called her about a month since she came to town to tell her that she was finally getting married to Ray. Her excitement was infectious, and Astra knew then that she could not run away from her past forever.


    Astra showed her face to Stephanie and Ray and told them about the fire. They were very sympathetic and understood why she did the surgery. She barely saw Ray after that though. At first she was trying to keep her distance, but over time, she genuinely missed him.


    Their hug and his reaction made her feel like he still harboured feelings for her. Astra was not sure whether they were ill feelings or good ones. She thought they would be friends by then. At least one able to rte without issues of their past, but she thought wrong.


    Astra wondered why it took them almost ten years of dating to get married, and why they didn¡¯t even seem happy about their uing baby. Astra hoped that her friend, had not made the wrong decision by getting married to Ray.


    Astra opened the door of her car, and walked inside her apartment building. She was sure anyone would see the worry on her face as she entered into the elevator that took her to her room. While she was in her room, Astra took a long back. Stephanie¡¯s pregnancy did open some old wounds even though she tried to ignore the fact that it did.


    As Astra bathed, shethered soap on her stomach, closing her eyes as she remembered. It was just too painful. Astra could not help the tears that poured over her face as she bathed. She always liked to cry in the shower, and it the rain. The tears were washed away even before they could dry. She could even convince herself that she was not crying.


    Astra let the tears flow even more as she thoughts of the fear, the pain, the betrayal she had passed through all in the name of love. Never again.

 Twenty Five

    After Astra was done bathing that night, she dried her body and walked into her room. She put on a simple flirty gown and poured herself a ss of wine. It had been a while since she took alcohol but she could not help herself. The events of that day brought some memories, they were mostly not pleasant ones.


    Astra yed some ssical music as she sipped the rich red wine. The tangy taste rested on her tongue and she savored it. She was turning around and dancing to the music, all in a bid to get intoxicated faster. Astra didn¡¯t want to think anymore, she just wanted to be free.


    Before long, she began to feel the lightheadedness that came with alcohol. Her vision was now fuzzy. She still continued to pour and drink. She could barely stop. In the haze of the drink, she fell to her bed and slept off. It was back to base.


    When Astra woke up the next morning, she was not alone in her room. She was warm, exceptionally too. It was not the type of heat that she could generate alone. It was the type of heat that was shared.


    She was still half asleep but her mind went back to when she was still with Nichs. Her mornings always began like this.


    They slept together and they were still together in the mornings. Nichs was an early riser unlike Astra and was usually awake and doing wonders to Astra¡¯s body before she would be able to rise.


    He usually had an early morning treat for her. It was either he was using his talented to tongue to service her, or he was slowly fucking her to orgasm. After wards, they would cuddle for a while again which would make them veryte for what ever they were attending.


    It was a good and beautiful time for her. Astra would admit that she was so blissfully happy back then. They were not actively trying to get pregnant, but they didn¡¯t use birth control either. They both wanted the baby toe when he or she was ready.


    Astra slowly opened her eyes as she snuggled closer to the warmth. She was still sleepy but she could tell that it was Nichs¡¯ arm around her. He hadn¡¯te to her room in a while and so, she was almost forgetting that he came at all.


    Astra considered getting a restraining order from him once but she knew that he would find his way around it. If she would admit it, she actually enjoyed his presence. He also didn¡¯t do anything other than cuddle. He was usually gone before she woke up though. Astra knew that he was usually drunk when he came to her apartment. She wondered who let him in but she did not really care that much to find out.


    She removed his arm from her body and stood up. Her legs were wobbly and she needed to hold on the bed stand to stand up properly. The head ache that hit her was enough to make her fall back to the bed, but Astra struggled to make it to the bathroom. She wanted to pee, but nausea started toe up. She faced the toilet bowl and proceeded to puke out her intestines. Astra was trying and trying and the vomit still didn¡¯t stop. She barely registered someone holding her hair and rubbing her back.


    ¡°Let it go,¡± Nichs said, and Astra kept on vomiting. It seemed like forever before she was able to raise up her head. Nichs helped her to her feet, while still holding her head, and walked her to the sink where she washed her face and rinsed her mouth.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Astra muttered before closing the toilet seat and flushing the toilet.


    ¡°I would like to have my bath,¡± Astra said when she noticed that Nichs was still standing there.


    ¡°Oh, I should go,¡± he said. Astra looked at him then. He looked as hung over as she was. With the scattered hair and red eyes. He even seemed like he was having a banging headache, but he stood and held her hair while she vomited. It was not something she expected of him. Where had they gone wrong?


    It seemed like getting married had ruined their rtionship. Maybe they were married too quickly, to fast. Maybe they should have taken more time to get to know each other. They might have not had this issue of divorce.


    ¡°I will fix you a cup of coffee before you leave,¡± Astra said. She needed to thank him in some way.


    Nichs was already out of the bathing room by then. Astra stripped her sexy nightie and stood under the shower. The water washed out the smell of sweat, vomit and alcohol that she had In her skin. She shampooed her hair and washed her entire body. She was rememberingst night and the deration that she made, that she would not let him hurt her again. And here she was, offering him coffee in her kitchen. It was contradictory to say the least.


    Astra towel dried her body as she thought about herself. Maybe she was attracted to the pain that Nichs meted out on her. Or maybe she could not seem to forget the good times they had shared. She clearly still loved him, it was something that she could not deny.


    It seemed like no matter how much she tried to move on, she would still keep oning back to Nichs. It was crazy.


    Astra walked out of the bathroom and her room was empty. She changed into a nude gown, her work clothes and walked into the kitchen. She was expecting to see Nichs there. She even had a vision in her head. Nichs sitting and making some business calls as he did early in the mornings when they got married. It was either that or he was preparing breakfast for her.


    Astra could not help but feel disappointment when she realized that Nichs was gone. She walked into her kitchen and she saw that he had made coffee and even made her some eggs. Scrambled as she liked it. The gesture almost made her cry. Astra could see pills beside the coffee, she guessed they were for her headache. Astra sat musing as she ate her breakfast.


    She was still in a good mood when she got to the office. There were no flowers at her desk as she realized how much more lively they made her desk. For a moment, she regretted telling both Jared and Nichs to stop sending her flowers. She thought that Nichs would not take her seriously though. She almost expected to see yellow roses at her desk.


    Astra frowned as she saw paperwork on her desk. She was pretty much free when her boss said she should work on Nichs¡¯ case only, but it seemed like they wanted her to divert her interest to other things.


    Nichs case was feeling abortive. There was no solid evidence to prove that it was Thompson that did all that. It meant that Thompson covered his clues and he did it good.


    She needed to talk to Nichs about the case, but first she had to deal with the massive paperwork in front of her. Astra worked until it seemed like her hands went to sleep. She sorted, and typed and typed cases back from 2000. She was helping to organize thepany¡¯s records. It was not her job, but the work was on her table so they expected her to do it.


    Time seemed to fly as she stood up only when it was time to close. Her colleague and bought her lunch so that she didn¡¯t starve while working for thepany, and she had a few pee breaks. Other than that, she was on her chair till the end of the day.


    ¡°Arrggh!¡± She sounded as she stretched. Her back felt like it had gone through hardbor.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± One of her coworkers asked.


    ¡°Yes, thank you, I am good,¡± she replied. Astra was not still done with the job yet, but at the very least she had gone far. Astra stared at the pile of work at her desk. We go again tomorrow, she thought.


    She was picking up her things and getting ready to go when she heard Jared call her name.


    Astra figured she pushed him away after she said what happened between her and Nichs was none of his business. It seemed like he was not easily deterred though.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Hey, Jared. Good evening,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Good evening, Astra,¡± he said. He was panting a bit, it seemed like he had rushed so that he could at least see her before she left.


    Astra stared at him as he said nothing more.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± She asked. He seemed like he had something to say, but he wasn¡¯t saying anything.


    ¡°Oh, no,¡± Jared said, shaking his head. Over time, it seemed as though he became more confident talking to her, but at that moment, he looked as though he was scared of her again.


    ¡°Uhmm, I was thinking if you would be free on Saturday,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am not sure, depends on what you want to do,¡± Astra said. This did not seem to make the young man stop sweating.


    ¡°My friend is having an art exhibition.


    I think you like art, everyone likes art,¡± he said nervously. Astra¡¯s mind went back to the sketches she saw. It made sense that he would have artist friends.


    ¡°Is any of your work going to be there?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°Me? No, no, not yet. I am not a professional you see. I don¡¯t n on taking art to the professional level either. That would take a lot of time and patience. It is rather an hobby of mine,¡± Jared exined and she nodded.


    ¡°Okay. I would like to go the art exhibition with you. I guess it¡¯s a date?¡± Astra asked, even if there was a nagging feeling inside her telling her not to string Jared along, when she was not sure she wanted to be with him.


    He knew what he got himself into when he said he wanted to date me, she tried to convince herself. It didn¡¯t do much work.


    ¡°It¡¯s a date,¡± Jared said. Enthusiasm shined on his face as he broke out into her smile.


    ¡°I guess I will see you Saturday? I wille pick you up,¡± Jared said and she nodded.


    ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Astra agreed.


    ¡°Good bye then,¡± she said.


    ¡°I will walk you to your car,¡± Jared replied. Astra nodded as they both walked to the parking lot.


    ¡°Good night,¡± she said again as she got into her car.


    ¡°Good night, Astra,¡± Jared replied.


    Astra drove home while nning to soak herself in a bath tub, her waist, her back and her neck hurt, even her wrists and fingers from typing.


    All she wanted was her soft bed. She greeted the door man as she walked into her apartment building and got to her t. Astra brought out the scented candles she bought a while ago. She needed the full baby girl treatment. She then started to prepare her bath.


    She lit the scented candles and slid into the soapy bath. The warm water did wonders to her body. Astra noted that she needed to visit the spa and soon.


    Astra was still lounging in the bath when she heard her ringtone. It was a particr one that brought her dread.  Something must be wrong.


    The rxation that hade with the water all but disappeared as she almost slippeding out of the bathtub.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Astra said as she picked up the call. The news that she heard was not in any way pleasant to her ears.


    ¡°Again? I wille as soon as possible,¡± Astra said and dropped the call. She dried her body as she began to pack.

 Twenty Six

    Nichs was boiling when he picked up his phone to call Sarah. They needed to figure out who was helping Thompson and fast. Hispany was under attack again, but it was subtle. Clients were slowly selling out their shares. Nichs could feel in it in his bones that it was a warning. Whoever was behind the havoc that hispany faced five years ago was also doing it now. Nichs could not go back to losing everything, not after all he did. He couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Hello, Nicky how are you?¡± Sarah said in a chatty tone. Nichs was not in the mood for all of that.


    ¡°Come to my house immediately,¡± he said in a clipped voice. Sarah seemed to get the memo as she did not throw a line as she usually would orin. She just said okay.


    Nichs paced around the house and fumed as he waited for Sarah toe. He had a ss of whiskey in his hand. He could not help the fact that the alcohol made him sane at the moment.


    Nichs heard from his informant at Astra¡¯s office that his wife was getting even closer to Jared. That they left the office together. Hispany was going into shambles and his wife was with another man.


    The logical part of Nichs¡¯ brain told him that Astra was no longer married to him, that she didn¡¯t owe him anything, especially not loyalty, but he was pissed. He had a long week, he was willing to me anyone that could be med.


    ¡°Ms. Sarah is here, Sir,¡± James said and Nichs frowned at him.


    ¡°Let her in will you?¡± He shouted. The man who was supposed to be his bodyguard rushed away.


    Sarah walked into the house in a pant suit, alone. She had the good sense not to bring Theo with her. He was barely in the mood to talk to babies.


    ¡°Drop the alcohol Nick and calm down,¡± Sarah slowly said. She took slow but sure steps to him. She didn¡¯t waver. She could tell that she was wary of the alcohol in his hands but she trusted him. That was good enough.


    ¡°I am so fucking pissed, Sarah, so


    fucking pissed,¡± he said to her. He dropped the ss of alcohol on the table then.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright to be pissed, but just calm down and tell me what happened at least, you are making me pissed too,¡± she said, and Nichs narrowed his eyes at her. She looked at him in response and smiled.


    Nichs could feel some of his anger dissipating, Sarah had that effect on him. In some ways, such as this, she reminded him of Astra. She made him calm. Even when deals had done wrong during their short time in marriage, she always knew what to say, what to do. Hell, if she had done anything at all, it would be alright since she was Astra. He loved her that much.


    ¡°Our shareholders are selling off their shares,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°What?¡± Sarah shouted. She was even more protective of thepany than he was sometimes.


    ¡°Yes, and this smells of Thompson,¡± Nichs continued.


    ¡°Someone is helping him, like you said. He cannot do all these without us noticing him. Our men have been following him for a long time, they would have known if he met with any of the share holders. Something is very fishy about this,¡± Sarah said and he nodded. Something was certainly very fishy.


    ¡°Do you know if Thompson met with the share holders five years back before they began to sell their shares?¡± Sarah asked.


    Nichs was not very sure. He was not him self when hispany was falling into pieces then. He was still grieving his broken marriage. He knew that it made it very easy for hispany to be broken just the way it was. Nichs was very vulnerable then.


    ¡°I am not sure. But I think that they all received controversial information about me. I gathered as much over the years. The rumors died with time and I built the business over again, it seems like that is what it is happening over again,¡± Nichs said. He began to recall what happened back then. How people were saying they couldn¡¯t work with someone like him. Nichs did not really put much thought to it. He was drunk half of the time. What could he really do?


    ¡°What kind of rumors? Do you know what they said?¡± Sarah asked, and Nichs shook his head. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I remember they said they had proof,¡± he said.


    ¡°Proof?¡± Sarah asked and he nodded.


    ¡°That means there is tangible proof that someone was trying to sabotage you,¡± she said. Nichs shook his head though. He was not sure it was that easy.


    ¡°Even if we found this proof how can we know who nted them there? And even if we know, how can we prove it?¡± Sarah was quiet for quite a while and Nichs felt like a joy kill. Sarah nodded her head in resignation.


    ¡°You are right. Finding whatever evidence the person trying to sabotage you gave to those people will not solve the case. But we still need to find the evidence and clear your name. Who knows? We can catch the bad guy in the process,¡± Sarah said. Her enthusiasm was showing again.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. We should at least know.  So where are we starting from?¡± Nichs asked.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Well, we should track down your former shareholders and also the new ones that just left. The former ones will be more lenient with information though. As time had passed and all,¡± Sarah said and Nichs nodded.


    ¡°I will send you a list of the former shareholders and their addresses,¡± he said.


    ¡°Good. That will be enough for me,¡± Sarah said. Nichs felt relieved he managed to talk to Sarah and she made everything seem so easy.


    ¡°So, any other thing?¡± She asked and Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°Astra is getting closer to Jared,¡± he said. Sarah red at him in a way that told of a mother hen or an olderdy.


    ¡°This really bothers you, doesn¡¯t it?¡± She asked, and Nichs nodded.


    ¡°You can make her jealous to see if you are the only one catching feelings,¡± Sarah suggested. Nichs frowned but considered the idea, maybe it may work out.


    ¡°I will think about it. Maybe, just maybe,¡± he replied. His mind went back to when Astra came to the house and met the barely dressed blonde chick who was looking for a job. She was clearly pissed at that. But Nichs did not want to use someone like that. He clearly would not stay with a woman like that for very long. He needed something long term.


    ¡°Who to use?¡± Nichs asked, Sarah raised a brow at him.


    ¡°You can clearly hire anybody,¡± she said. That option had crossed his mind, a professional actress would be best, but it would take a while to develop the rtionship make it obvious that they were serious together.


    ¡°I will think about it and tell youter,¡± Nichs said. Sarah raised her brow in question, but shrugged when he did not give her a reply.


    ¡°I heard Astra travelled. She has not been at work since Wednesday,¡± Sarah said. It was Friday. That was odd.


    ¡°I talked to my informantst on Wednesday, she told me Jared and Astra left the building together. Had Jared been to work?¡± Nichs asked. His heart was already beating faster, he did not want anything bad to happen to her.


    ¡°They left the office together but they got into separate cars and went to their personal apartments. And yes, Jared has been to work. Are you sure your informant is doing any work?¡± Sarah asked, chuckling.


    ¡°You are paying a door man for information, you won¡¯t get any of the inside gist,¡± Nichs said. He was relieved that Astra was not with Jared, but still worried about where she may be.


    ¡°You would be surprised the number of things the door man knows,¡± Sarah replied.


    ¡°Astra did not take an excuse at work, which is unlike her, even the doorman is worried about her. Do you have any idea where she might be?¡± Sarah asked and Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°She is not with Jared at least that¡¯s something. If she is not back to work on Monday I will look for her,¡± Nichs said, reminding himself that it was not his job to take care of her. That she was not his responsibility. He needed her safe though.


    ¡°Are you sure it has nothing to do with the prank we pulled on her the other day?¡± Nichs asked Sarah. His cousin shook her head.


    ¡°No, I am pretty sure. She actually tried to trace the number but I made sure the block the sim. I am sure she has figured it was a prank, what she would be wondering now is why,¡± Sarah said. Nichs frowned because he did not want Astra in any form of difort, but nevertheless, he nodded. He needed to be strong.


    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good,¡± Nichs said. He picked up his drink again but Sarah red at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s nine am Nick, stop drinking. My son would not have an alcoholic for a uncle,¡± Sarah said and he chuckled. She could be so forceful at times.


    ¡°I hear you, Ma¡¯am,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°How is the little bugger doing?¡± Nichs asked, he was referring to his nephew, Theo. Sarah frowned at him at waved her finger.


    ¡°My son¡¯s name is Theo you big oaf, and he is very fine. You would know if you asked ages ago. You were so bothered about Astra and Thompson,¡± Sarah said. There was a lightness in her tone, but Nichs could tell that she was being serious too.


    ¡°I am sorry your Majesty,¡± he said, smiling cheekily at her.


    ¡°I am not your girlfriend Nick, go on and find one for yourself. Move on Nick, you need someone new. I am serious. You are hurting yourself with all these talks and thoughts of Astra and Thompson. You need to find yourself outside of them. You don¡¯t need them to be happy,¡± Astra said.


    Nichs took a deep breath, he knew that Sarah was right, but he could barely help himself.


    Thompson for one had been a part of his life for so long that it seemed almost impossible to let go. The betrayal hurt Nichs than he let on. And even now he was still betraying him all over again, it made him break even more.


    Friendships became extremely hard for Nichs to form after Thompson. If not for Sarah, he had no friends.


    Astra¡¯s heart break made him close his heart to love. Love was no longer an option, he could no longer open his heart to love, all he expected was heart break. Nichs in many ways was broken.


    ¡°I know Sarah, I know. But it¡¯s not that easy Sarah. It¡¯s not easy to move on. You of all people know that. I want to wake up one day and not care about what happened then but I can¡¯t. I still love Astra you see. No matter how much she has hurt me, no matter how much she keeps hurting me, I still love her, I can¡¯t just stop. It¡¯s almost like a disease,¡± Nichs said. He was shaking by the time he was done. Sarah stared at him with broken eyes. She stood up and hugged her cousin. It seemed like heart break ran in the family.

 Twenty Seven

    Astra straightened her forest green dress over her body. She hoped it was not over the top for the art exhibition. She figured people would dress fancy and drink wine because art was fancy and all. She was not sure what type of art exhibition Jared was taking her to though. The dress was something she wore to the office on important days. It was body fitting and it had a row of ck buttons that bent to the side and ended with a side slit. The dress had a round neck and a simple short hands.


    She picked up her coat and patted at the back bun she pulled her hair into. Astra knew she looked good with her red lipstick and eyeliner.


    She moved to the door as she heard the knock, she knew it was definitely Jared that was knocking.


    She was not surprised when she opened the door and saw him holding a bouquet of red roses.


    ¡°You know I prefer yellow roses,¡± she said as she collected the roses from his hands and put them into water.


    ¡°Noted,¡± Jared replied. He was wearing a sky blue shirt and ck trousers, no tie. Astra began to panic again.


    ¡°Is the exhibition going to be very formal? Should I change?¡± She asked and Jared shook his head.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. Where have you been?¡± Jared asked her. He sounded angry, Astra began to panic again. Did that mean he did not buy the lie that she told him. She had left in such a rush that she did not have time to put anything in order. She didn¡¯t even officially submit a letter of absence.


    ¡°I told you that it was a family emergency. My aunt was sick, there is no one to take care of her,¡± Astra said.


    Jared looked very very suspicious.


    ¡°Your family abandoned you when you needed them the most, why are you still taking care of them?¡± Jared asked and Astra decided to y the offensive.


    ¡°That is not your problem or your business. They are my family. I am the only one my aunt has left behind,¡± Astra said. She could feel tears gathering in her eyes for another reason than the argument.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Jared immediately said, apologizing.


    ¡°You are making very upset, asking all these questions and all. Last I checked, I was an adult,¡± Astra said and Jared nodded.


    ¡°I am sorry. I don¡¯t want to upset you. I was just worried about you. We are friends at the very least. I thought you would call me before leaving,¡± Jared said. He sounded hurt. It did not even ur to Astra to call anyone, not even Stephanie. It was an emergency.


    ¡°It was an emergency. Things were bad. When you did call, I answered didn¡¯t I? And I told you where I was,¡± Astra said and Jared nodded.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she replied this time, taking a deep breath and dabbing at her eyes.


    ¡°We should get going to the exhibition. We don¡¯t want to bete,¡± Astra said, picking up her coat and her bag. Jared looked a bit out of sorts, but he nodded.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said.


    They both walked out of her apartment together and he opened the door for her into his car. Their argument in her apartment, made the drive long and tiring. Jared probably felt bad for overreacting. Astra was beginning to feel bad for lying, but there was nothing she could do. That was how it was meant to be.


    The art exhibition was held at a museum inside town. The ce was buzzing with activity. Even without going inside, Astra could tell that it was a big deal.


    Expensive looking cars were parked around and people were moving in wearing such morous clothing. Astra had not been over dressed after all. Jared took her hand as they walked into the museum passing through the security. They both looked midpared to theirpany.


    ¡°Jared! You came,¡± an older man with balding grey hair said as they came in. It seemed like he was standing around the entrance. He was dressed in aplete suit and looked like one of the members of the elite.


    ¡°Of course Bernard, I promised,¡± Jared said and hugged him.


    ¡°And who is this beautiful youngdy?¡± The man asked in a charming voice, taking her hand and cing a kiss on her fingers.


    ¡°Astra is my friend, we work together,¡± Jared said. Astra actually expected that he would say they were dating and she wouldter correct him.


    ¡°Oh wow! That is so nice,¡± Bernard said.


    ¡°Bernard this is Astra. Astra meet Bernard my very close friend and fellow artists. Today is his day,¡± Jared said and Astra smiled. Bernard looked like old money. He looked like a shrewd business man who bought art so that he would look rich, but certainly not someone that made art. It was odd to say the least.N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Wow! Congrattions Bernard,¡± Astra said genuinely.


    Bernard smiled and took her hand.


    ¡°Naturally, I have to show you some of my work,¡± he said and maneuvered her through the crowd only stopping to greet some people and pick up a champagne ss for her and Jared. Astra found Jared¡¯s eyes from he smiled at her. It was going to be a long day.


    Bernard showed her several of his work. Some were so abstract that Astra did not know what she was looking at. Bernard painted he told her. He never married and he was simply a free spirit. Astra decided that she loved him. He was so unproblematic. The more she talked to him, the more she realized that he was a typical artist, he only didn¡¯t look and dress like one.


    She saw a painting of the sky and the sunset over a river, it almost made her cry.


    ¡°I love this one,¡± she said.


    ¡°You should have it then,¡± Bernard said. Astra shook her head. She couldn¡¯t. There was no way she could ept something like that from a total stranger.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s so expensive. I am just an uingwyer you see,¡± Astra said and chuckled.


    ¡°I meant you don¡¯t have to pay for it,¡± be rified and she shook her head again. There was no way she could ept it.


    ¡°I know, I can¡¯t. Please don¡¯t press. It¡¯s very much okay to appreciate art from afar,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Bernard said but she looked at him with pleading eyes.


    Astra was sure he would have said something more if an usher had note to him rushing, something was probably wrong.


    ¡°I will see the both of you around. I have to attend to something,¡± Bernard said and left them to their own devices.


    ¡°So how are you enjoying the exhibition?¡± Jared asked and Astra smiled.


    ¡°I am actually enjoying myself. There is so much art here, sculptures, paintings, drawings anything. It is so beautiful,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I also enjoyed meeting Bernard. He is such a vibe,¡± Astra continued truthfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. It is good that you are enjoying yourself. I am happy. I was almost afraid that you would not like it here,¡± Jared said and Astra remembered how nervous he was when he was asking her toe for the exhibition andughed.


    ¡°Do you see yourself holding one of these in the future? A lot ofwyers wille and your fellow artists,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Maybe if I start painting. Painting is more traditional than just sketching,¡± Jared said and while Astra wanted to argue she realized it was an exhibition and variety would be needed and so she nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move around and see more,¡± Jared said and led her to another section. He was showing her the art and telling her what he saw, she would tell him her own interpretation in return. It was fun.


    They were looking at what seemed like a nude woman, at least that what Astra saw and Jared was saying it was something entirely different when Astra sighted someone familiar.


    ¡°Ray!¡± She called and her friend¡¯s husband turned. He did not look surprised to see her which was odd. She was definitely surprised to see him there.


    Ray walked over to where she was standing with Jared and greeted.


    ¡°Hey, Astra. How are you doing?¡± He asked and she smiled, she was a bit confused.


    ¡°I am fine. I am good. I haven¡¯t heard from you since we had dinner. What are you doing here?¡± She asked, she could not help herself?


    ¡°Oh, I am just you know, looking around for something to buy. A friend of mine invited me,¡± Ray said. It was very usible that it was the reason why he was there, but Astra did not believe it, because of the way he said it. There were a lot of abstract paintings and sculptures in Ray¡¯s house and this looked like a ce to get them, but she just had this gut feeling that he was there because of her. It was unnerving.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± Astra said and Jared put his hand over her shoulder. Astra could see Ray raise his eyebrow. Ray had always been over protective of her like a big brother and even back in highschool didn¡¯t like her boyfriends.


    ¡°Oh, Jared. This is Ray, my childhood friend. You know Stephanie right? Ray is her husband,¡± she said. Jared had met Steph because she came over her office once in a while.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± Jared said in a tone that said it was anything but nice.


    ¡°Ray. This is my co-worker and friend, Jared. We are here together,¡± she told Ray. Ray smiled tightly and stretched forth his hand and Jared took it.


    The two men looked like they rather be eating stones that giving each other a handshake for the life of her, Astra couldn¡¯t figure out why.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Ray said.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am thank you,¡± Astra said after she nodded.


    ¡°I will leave the both of you. I haven¡¯t still seen what I want to buy yet,¡± Ray said.


    ¡°Oh okay then. Bye. Say hi to Steph for me,¡± Astra said and Ray nodded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like that guy,¡± Jared said immediately Ray left and Astra raised her eyebrows at him.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s your problem,¡± she said snarkily. Jared was being too over protective even they weren¡¯t dating. Even when she was not even sure she wanted to date him.


    ¡°I mean it Astra. He clearly has a thing for you and he is married,¡± Jared said and Astra rolled her eyes. Not that she hadn¡¯t suspected what Jared said already, but because it was none of his business.


    ¡°We are friends Jared, friends. We have been friends since high school and I introduced him to his wife. Don¡¯t you think he has had plenty opportunity to date me if he wanted to?¡± She asked and Jared just looked at her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I am even exining this to you,¡± she said and stormed out of the museum. She needed to think. The thing with Ray was getting out of hand. Even other people were noticing it. It was not just her and it showed that she was not overreacting. Astra was not sure if she should approach him or stay away. There was also the issue of Stephanie, her friend.


    Astra stood and brooded over thoughts until Jared came out of the museum not long after.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± she said and he nodded.

 Twenty Eight

    Nichs sat alone in his office hitting his pen on his text slowly, he was cooking up a n in his head, one that would involve Sarah and Theo. It would be perfect to make Astra jealous, now the thing was to convince Sarah. Nichs took a deep breath and rang Sarah.


    ¡°Hey, Nicky,¡± she said as she picked up the call.


    ¡°Hi, Sarah. Can youe up to my office?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Of course, sure. There are a few things I wanted us to discuss about the shareholders. I also found someone perfect for your jealousy scheme,¡± Sarah said. He could hear some background noises. He knew she was already getting up from her desk. She would be at his office in no time.


    Nichs suddenly didn¡¯t want her toe anymore. Convincing her to do the jealousy n would be so much harder. She already said she had someone else for him.


    Before long his secretary called him that Sarah was at his door and he reluctantly told him to let her in.


    ¡°So, I met with some of the shareholders already. I didn¡¯t get much information from them though. I even went to an art exhibition, I saw Astra there, with Jared,¡± Sarah started before she even sat down. That was not the information he wanted to hear.


    ¡°Rx,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°You can start from the beginning,¡± he continued. Sarah chuckled.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I went to meet three people from the listst week. Lady Osborne, Mr. Princeton, and Mr. Bernard. Lady Osborne simply refused to speak about you, and frankly, she was very vile. Mr. Princeton said he would never do business with you again, and that was all he managed to say. Whatever made them leave was bad. Mr. Bernard who I met at his art exhibition simply said you were a thief, so we know it had to do with fraud,¡± Sarah said and Nichs nodded. Fraud. It was at the top of his mind, one of the mostmon reasons why people leavepanies. Nobody wants to be stolen from.


    ¡°You said something about seeing Astra?¡± Nichs asked and Sarah chuckled.


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t just forget that,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Well, she has kind of been missing, so,¡± Nichs said. He had been out of his mind with worry about Astra. It was not until he heard that she went to work that morning that he became calm enough to plot the jealousy routine.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s the reason,¡± Sarah said sarcastically and Nichs shook his head at her.


    ¡°She came to the art exhibition and Jared was her date,¡± Sarah said. He heard it the first time, but the second time it made him even more angry.


    ¡°Does this mean they went on a getaway together?¡± Nichs asked. He could not even fathom the amount of jealousy he was feeling. He was too angry to even think. Nichs did not even know what Astra saw in the man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Jared was at work the days Astra wasn¡¯t. Maybe she came back on Saturday and went on a date with him, it was that simple,¡± Sarah said. Sarah¡¯s opinion seemed to quell his anger a little bit, but he was still pissed. She still went out with him at the end and he was not in the position to ask her where she had been.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Okay, then. Anything suspicious about Thompson¡¯s movements yet?¡± Nichs asked her. He was drawing out when he would ask her to help with the scheme.


    ¡°Nothing much. I have a gut feeling that he is nning to move though. He is selling some things, but he is being very discreet about it,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°Okay, we have to keep an eye on him then,¡± Nichs said.


    Before Sarah could reply to his earlier statement, he asked, ¡°How is Theo doing? Is he okay yet?¡± Theo was down with fever over the weekend and Nichs had even gone to visit them then.


    ¡°Theo is fine. If he wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t havee to work. He was all up and bubbly when I left him with his nanny,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± She asked Nichs, suspicion showing in her features. Sarah knew him too well.


    ¡°No, nothing,¡± Nichs replied. He would have to tell her sooner orter. Sarah did look like she believed him, but she went on to say, ¡°I found an actress that would be perfect for the role of your girlfriend,¡± Sarah said, bursting his bubble.


    ¡°Her name is Angelica, but you can call her anything you want. She is not very popr, but she is good and willing to do quite a lot for money. She is even willing to fake a marriage,¡± Sarah said and showed him a picture of a slim and beautiful brte on her phone. Nichs was barely listening to anything Sarah was saying because he wanted her to Angelica or whatever her name was.


    Thedy was pretty enough and he knew that she would even nail the job, but he had his reasons for wanting Sarah instead.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± Nichs said. Sarah seemed shocked at that.


    ¡°But why not? You don¡¯t have to be in love with her. She is pretty, willing to work, I am pretty sure she will tolerable, and she will sign a contract too,¡± Sarah said and he shook his head.


    ¡°This might take a while, I think I do need to like the person,¡± Nichs said, and Sarah sighed.


    ¡°Fine, we will get someone else. Or better still, we will do auditions. The best girl will win,¡± Sarah said and Nichs shook his head. Sarah was clearly willing to take this very far.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want auditions. I am sure I won¡¯t like any of them,¡± Nichs said. Sarah red at him then, he clearly wasn¡¯t being funny.


    ¡°I want you to be the actress. To act as my girlfriend instead,¡± Nichs asked. The look on anger shock and disgust on Sarah¡¯s face made him wish he had kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°You what?¡± Sarah asked, her face was red with anger. Nichs expected many things but he did not expect this. She was so angry that he hoped she would just say no and leave.


    ¡°Why would you even say that?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°We are cousins for God¡¯s sake. Don¡¯t just talk to me. You are so selfish,¡± Sarah said and walked out of his office.


    Nichs put both his hands over his head after his cousin walked out. He had done it again and fucked up. He should not have asked. Making Astra jealous was not so important. He could do without that. He could not begin to lose all those whom he loved just because of Astra.


    Nichs thought about what he was going to do with Sarah while he worked that day. He attended his meetings bored and uninterested. It urred to Nichs at the end of the day that he hade to love his cousin. He felt like he had familial responsibility to her at the beginning that was why he gave her a job at all. Later on, he realized that she was very efficient and trustworthy too. He worked with her so much, was there when she gave birth to her son, over time loved the boy as his own, and he didn¡¯t know that he cared for her too. Not in the way that he loved Astra, that was different. He loved her in the way of a little sister.

 Twenty Nine

    That evening, he drove to Sarah¡¯s home while practicing the apology he formed in his head.


    Her house was in the outskirts of the city. Nichs always wondered why she wanted to stay far. He loved the city personally. Sarah had said she had enough of cities. She needed the quiet to raise her child.


    The drive to her ce was a long one but he got there after a while.


    Nichs was already knocking on her door when it urred to him that Sarah might not be home. He should have called her before he came, but then he didn¡¯t call her because he was scared that she would tell him not toe.


    ¡°Coming,¡± Nichs heard and he became calmer. He settled the bouquet of dandelions on his arm and practiced his speech one more time.


    Sarah looked surprised to see him in front of her door. Nichs smiled and stretched forth the flowers. When she did not do anything, he said, ¡°I am really, sorry.¡±


    Sarah smiled at that, extracted the flowers from his hands, and stepped aside for him to enter into the house.


    She was looking very homey, in sweat pants and a big t-shirt. It made Nichs feel over dressed in his suit and tie. Her homey ce did not help either. Sarah¡¯s house reminded him of their grandmother¡¯s cottage. It wasforting.


    He followed her into the living room and saw Theo sitting on the rug and ying with his toys.


    ¡°I see this little bugger is up and back in business,¡± Nichs said and picked Theo up. His nephew let out a squeak and pped both his chubby hands In his face. Nichsughed and swung him around. The cute smile and noises Theo made was enough to make his day.


    ¡°Your mom is mad at me you see. I was very very very stupid, and I said some stupid things, and I am so sorry,¡± Nichs said to Theo, well to Sarah.


    ¡°Actually, I think maybe I overreacted,¡± Sarah said, walking up to him.


    ¡°There is no way it would work out. We have the same surname. Everyone in thepany knows we are cousins. I should have just told you that instead of storming off,¡± Sarah said as she sat down on the couch.


    ¡°Well, Astra doesn¡¯t know we are cousins,¡± Nichs pointed out as he sat down besides her. He did not expect that she would no longer be angry, but thank God for small mercies. He figured he would have to grovel more than that, but it seemed not.


    ¡°And Astra is the only person I want to think we are dating. It doesn¡¯t have tost long. Even if she finds out we are cousins, the purpose has been achieved,¡± Nichs pointed out and Sarah nodded. It was still shocking to him how calm she was.


    ¡°There is also the fact that she is probably seen the both of us together, so it¡¯s not something new. And then the baby,¡± Nichs said and Sarah frowned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring my son into this,¡± she said. Okay, that was a boundary.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not so necessary. We don¡¯t have to kiss or anything odd like that. We just have to be together and see her. And maybe just saw we are together, yeah,¡± Nichs said and Sarah stared at him.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°And Astra would just assume that we are dating?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, yes. Astra can actually be very dramatic and jealous too. It will work, trust me,¡± Nichs said. Sarah sighed at that.


    ¡°Nick. Do you want to get her back or do you want her to pay?¡± Sarah asked. It was a very valid question, one that he asked himself over and over again. He still didn¡¯t have an answer. He wanted both, but he had to chose one,  so what would he choose?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sarah, I don¡¯t know,¡± he told his cousin. Love seemed to do stupid things to you.


    Astra was seated in her office trying toplete even more paperwork that was given to her when she heard her phone ring.


    It was quite surprising to see that it was Nichs calling her. She had not seen or heard from him since she got back, and she was expecting he would ask her where she went. Astra could admit that she was a little disappointed when he did not call her at all.


    The case with Thompson had reached a dead end and she was working on paperwork instead of other more important cases. It was driving her crazy. She had half the mind to beg Nichs to drop Thompson¡¯s case.


    Astra hesitated to pick Nichs¡¯ call as she remembered thest time he called her and how that went.


    It seemed like it was an emergency though as he kept on calling her even if she ignoring his call.


    Astra stood up from her seat and went to the lobby to take the call. Knowing Nichs, he would probably show up at her office if she did not pick.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said.


    ¡°Is that how you treat your clients? Making them call you for minutes before you pick up?¡± Nichs asked from the phone, he sounded angry. The nerve of him. Astra could not help but roll her eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry, Sir,¡± she replied sarcastically.


    Nichs did not seem to sense the sarcasm as he said, ¡°You better be. I need you be at my house in the next thirty minutes. It¡¯s regarding the case, you should be fast.¡±


    Astra could barely believe the man. He was asking her toe to his house during work hours and he actually thought she would go. It was annoying. She had no one to me but her superiors for the insults he was dishing at her.


    ¡°Look, Nichs. This case with Thompson is going nowhere. As a friend and as a legal practitioner, I advise you to drop the case, it is the best course for everyone,¡± Astra said as gently as she could.


    ¡°I should do what? You want me to drop the case against a man that ran mypany to the ground? I was broke and miserable for years. Of course you would ask me to drop the case, you are just the same as him,¡± Nichs said, his words piercing her heart. He was the bastard, he was the one who broke her into pieces. How dare him say that she was just like Thompson? What did she do to him apart from love him?


    Astra wanted to shout at him and curse him but she reminded herself that she was still in the office.


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to drop the case, it¡¯s fine. Drag him till the ends of the earth. We can¡¯t even go to court yet. Just don¡¯t involve me in it. We have better, more experiencedwyers that will be willing to handle your case. Just leave me alone,¡± Astra begged and she could hear Nichs¡¯ sigh on the other end.


    ¡°I asked you toe to my house that we had important issues pertaining the case to discuss. I expect to see you there in thirty minutes,¡± Nichs said and disconnected the call.


    Astra frowned at the phone and cussed the wretched man and all he represented.


    She was not going. There was no way she would let him control her. It was not possible, Astra said to herself and walked back to her table to sit down.

 Thirty

    She worked for about thirty minutes, her heart beating as she was expecting another of Nichs¡¯ calls. One hour passed and she became more rxed. It was obvious that Nichs was now listening to her. She would be more affirmative as time goes on. That seemed to work on the annoying man.


    It was almost two hours after she received Nichs¡¯ call that another number called her, this time, it was her boss, Trevor Abby called her. Astra felt dread as she saw the call. Trust Nichs to go to the extreme.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir,¡± Astra said as she picked up the call.


    ¡°This is thest time I will be talking to you regarding the Thompson case. The next time you do something like this, you will simply get a resignation letter,¡± her boss said. Astra knew that he was not joking because of the firmness in his voice. Trevor Abby was not one to joke around.


    ¡°Yes Sir,¡± she replied. Astra really needed her job, especially now. If not, she would have just resigned to save herself all the stress.


    ¡°Mr. Michealson said he asked you to be in his house over an hour ago. I expect you will be there soon,¡± her boss said. Astra sighed at that. She should have just gone when Nichs asked her to.


    ¡°Of course, Sir,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Just clock out for the day. We will see you tomorrow,¡± her boss said.


    ¡°Yes Sir. Thank you, Sir,¡± Astra replied as her boss disconnected the call. Astra groaned as she inevitably started to clear out her desk. She was on her way to meet the devil.


    ¡°Are you leaving, Astra?¡± One of her colleagues asked as she stood up.


    ¡°Yeah, I will see you all tomorrow,¡± Astra said and walked out of the building.


    Astra got into her car and started to drive down the familiar road to Nichs¡¯ house. The house that she once called home. It gave her feelings of nostalgia when she went back to the house. She had once stayed in that house, cleaned the floors, cooked there. She had sex with her husband there, almost every room of the house. She nned to have her children there. When Astra was making these ns, she had no idea what life had in store for her. She did not know that the same she once lived with and loved would be her enemy. If anyone told her that was how she was going to end, she would have said it was a lie. That her and Nichs were meant forever.


    Astra got to the house in less than ten minutes.


    James greeted her with a look of surprise as she entered the house. Astra figured it was because she almost never came.


    Astra heard the giggles of a baby as she opened the door into the living room. The sight that greeted Astra gave her PTSD. Nichs was sitting down and bouncing a baby boy on his knee. The child looked like she was having the time of his life as he was giggling andughing and putting hitting his little hands on Nichs arms.


    Astra then noticed thedy who was sitting beside him, she was a slim beautiful blonde. She looked simple and practical, she was definitely the mother of the child.


    Astra¡¯s mind went back to a memory of seeing Nichs and a blonde woman go into a baby shop. It was certainly because of this. Nichs had a child with this woman. Only the thoughts brought pain to her chest. Astra¡¯s eyes began to sting as she began to think of several excuses for Nichs. He was probably not the father of the child, maybe he was just sleeping with the mother.


    But the Nichs she knew did not like children. For him to y so much with a child, he had to be close to the child. As far as Astra knew, Nichs did not have any siblings so the baby could not be his nephew.


    There was also the possibility of the baby being the child of a friend. Astra looked at the hand of thedy and saw no ring, her confusions and frustrations all but doubled.


    ¡°Oh, Astra you are here,¡± Nichs said noticing her for the first time, and stood up, taking the baby to his hip. Astra looked at the child then and she could see some resemnce between Nichs and the child. All round the child looked like his mother though. The resemnce she saw with Nichs was enough for her to jump into conclusions.


    ¡°Yes. Good afternoon. You said you had something important to show me,¡± Astra said. Trying her best to sound as professional as she could.


    ¡°I actually told you that two hours and go and I told you to get here in thirty minutes. My girlfriend just called to say that she ising over,¡± Nichs said casually. Astra looked over the blonde and she smiled and waved at her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, wow. I didn¡¯t know you were dating someone. Does she know about us?¡± Astra asked. She suddenly felt jealous and territorial. The primitive part of her said Nichs was hers and there was nothing anyone could do about it.


    ¡°Of course she does. I told Sarah about all my past mistakes,¡± Nichs said. Before Astra could respond to that, Sarah cleared her throat and took the baby from Nichs. She said something about giving them space to talk.


    ¡°Did you tell her that you have beening to my house almost every night for months?¡± Astra asked. She absolutely wanted Sarah to hear that.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± Nichs said in a t denial. Astra was surprised. The nerve of the bastard. What did he think he was?


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She shouted and hit him on the chest. She could barely control herself.


    ¡°Calm down Astra. I called you for work, not all these drama you are disying,¡± Nichs said, holding on to her hands with his.


    Astra¡¯s mind went back to thest time she was at his house. He was drunk, and even times before that, it seemed like he was always drinking. Now he was clean, there was no ounce of alcohol on him. It annoyed her that he was seemingly getting a hold of himself when she continued to break down.


    ¡°Did you tell her that you are an alcoholic?¡± Astra shouted again. Ignoring what he said about work. Nichs¡¯ eyes narrowed in anger and his hold on her wrists tightened.


    ¡°Between you and I who is the alcoholic?¡± Nichs asked, Astra¡¯s chest tightened at that. Tears blurred her eyes and she almost copsed against Nichs¡¯ chest.


    ¡°I told you I called you here for work, but you decided that you want to fight. I don¡¯t understand what you gain for being so difficult and unprofessional,¡± Nichs said as he let go of her hands.


    Astra managed to stay strong and not fall to the ground when all she wanted to do was cry. Nichs was hurting her over and over again, and there was nothing she could do about it. Just to wallow in self pity.


    Astra cleaned her tears and stood strong. ¡°I am not in the emotional state to work now. I wille when you call me again,¡± Astra said and walked out on Nichs.


    She was expecting Nichs to call her back, maybe she would have hit him some more to get more revenge on him, but he didn¡¯t. She walked steady steps to her car where she ced her head on the steering and started to cry. Once the tears started, she could barely stop then. From experience, she knew that Nichs could see her car from inside. So with teary eyes she put on the ignition and began driving to her house.

 Thirty One

    Astra¡¯s tears did not dry even as she sat in the driveway of her apartment. She had no idea what to do, or what to think. She was still pining and crying over a man that clearly moved on. The nerve of Nichs to have a child without her, when she was still suffering loss. The child open new wounds and brought up old memories. Memories that she did not want to think of.


    Astra tried to clean her tears so she coulde out of the car, but the tears kept on pouring down as she remembered the girl and her child. The painful part about it all was the fact that the girl was not like the one she saw previously, fake with excess make up and boob jobs. Astra saw somebody who was simple and still confident in their body and that was the real deal. It was something she envied.


    Astra cleaned her tears again and this time managed toe out of her. All she wanted to do was to enter her room and cry. Astra walked out of the parking lot and started into the apartment building. She was already inside the building when she spotted Thompson. Her mind went back to when he had threatened her to leave the case with Nichs alone. That was thest kind of confrontation she needed at the moment.


    Ignoring him, she walked passed and started going to her room.


    ¡°Astra, calm down,¡± Thompson said holding on to her arm. She red at him and removed her hand from his. She started going to her room.


    ¡°I have been trying to reach you for a while. I was told that you were out of town,¡± Thompson said. Astra then stopped to look at him, she was kind of curious then.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked then. On seeing the look of pity in his face, she knew she made a mistake.


    ¡°Have you been crying? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s that bastard, Nichs,¡± he said and Astra shook her head. She did not want to be having this conversation in the lobby of her apartment. She did not want to be having the conversation at all.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked again.


    ¡°I just wanted to talk to you. I want you to understand that Nichs is the bad guy here. Can we like go for a drink? I will not waste your time, thirty minutes tops,¡± Thompson said and Astra eyed him suspiciously. There was no reason for her to believe him. And frankly she was not willing to take a leap of faith. She shook her head in denial. All she wanted to do was sleep.


    ¡°I know that this may be a bad time, but there are some things you need to know about Nichs, about your marriage. I feel obligated to tell you. I am so sorry about thest time and I promise nothing of the sort will repeat itself, I just wish that you will trust me and listen to me,¡± Thompson said. Maybe Astra was vulnerable at that point. It was probably because she just saw Nichs with another woman. She had not also heard Thompson¡¯s part of the story and she wanted to hear it before making conclusions.


    ¡°Okay I will go with you, but just thirty minutes. Nothing more,¡± Astra said and a smile appeared on Thompson¡¯s face. Astra sincerely hoped that she had not made the wrong decision.


    ¡°Okay, thank you. There is this coffee ce up front. We can walk,¡± Thompson said and it chilled Astra to know Thompson knew the coffee ce close to her house. Even when she did not know it.


    Has he been following me? She wondered, but shook the thoughts off as he did not have any reason to follow her, at least that was what she thought. She was probably overthinking everything.


    They both got the coffee shop and Astra was still convincing herself that it was a coincidence. Thompson was treated as a regr and Astra could see her building from the coffee shop.


    ¡°It seems like youe here often,¡± Astra said as the waiter quickly took their order even though other people were waiting.


    Thompson looked cut off guard by her question, making him even more suspicious.


    ¡°No, not really. I have a friend who lives around this area. We have coffee here sometimes,¡± he said. Astra had a feeling she was that friend. A friend that he couldn¡¯t have coffee in their house.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°So yeah, what did you want to tell me?¡± Astra asked, changing the topic.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Just about Nichs. The man you married isn¡¯t who you think he is,¡± Thompson began and she frowned. Nichs was definitely different now. She would have never expected the man she married to throw her out.


    ¡°He was scamming people of their money using the farce of thepany. I found out and I could not bear it. I confronted him that he should stop, he got angry sent people to beat me up, almost killed me. That¡¯s when I decided that I will not let him scam people any longer. I sent all his investors messages showing evidence of his crime, that¡¯s why they began to leave one by one and thepany crumbled,¡± Thompson said. Astra looked at him, wondering if he was saying the truth. Back when she trusted Nichs wholly, she would have spat on his face, but things have changed and Nichs did not even totally love her. Why do all that for someone who has moved on? Astra was still deciding whether to believe him on or not when he continued.


    ¡°Even while you were married, he was cheating on you. The otherdy, the one with the kid, she also thought she was married to him. They even share the same surname till now. Sarah Michealson. I don¡¯t know why, but after he kicked you out, he brought her in, a few years after they had a baby. It seems like she is tired of him though, but they share a child and that¡¯s why they are still together. Because they no longer live together. He was ying too women at once, Sarah has found out but can¡¯t leave because of her son, his son,¡± Thompson said and Astra¡¯s heart constricted. The tears she had been holding back felt like they were about to flow. Astra could barely help herself. That exined everything. Nichs said she was his girlfriend, but she was actually his wife.


    Which one of them did he marry first?


    Was it her? Did it mean that her marriage was null and void? Had she been mourning over a man that did not even give her a second thought?


    Several thoughts ran across Astra¡¯s mind. The year¡¯s when everything was okay were her saving grace, she thought of those times and was previously happy, but now, it seemed like even those times were well constructed lies. Astra did not know what to believe.


    Was it what she had lived? Or what she had heard?

 Thirty Two

    Why did he drive her out of his house then? Why did he make her leave if he did not have someone else just waiting on the side lines? What about the poor girl and her son? Would she have to be in torment with that bastard for the rest of her life? Questions upon questions ran through her mind. Astra could not help it. She should not have followed him to the coffee shop. She should have just stayed home and cried.


    ¡°I have to get going,¡± Astra said, standing up from the chair. Thompson stood up with her.


    ¡°Wait, Astra,¡± Thompson said, putting his hand on her arm for the second time. Astra raised an eyebrow at him. She was not in the mood.


    ¡°I just want you to promise me that you will not be in the wrong side. I am gathering evidence. That bastard should be in jail,¡± Thompson said and Astra smiled weakly.


    ¡°I do not wait anything to do with that man ever again,¡± she said and she meant it this time.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Thompson said. He sounded sincere and Astra nodded her head. She made her way to her apartment and Thompson went to the opposite direction. Little did she know that he was going to meet the man, his aplice, set to ruin her life and that of everyone around her.


    Astra walked back to her apartment with shaky legs and copsed on her bed, the tears came like a dam that erupted. Hard and loud. Astra usually just let tears run down her eyes, but this time, she truly cried.


    The tears came with her wails until she couldn¡¯t help herself, regrets upon regrets bombarded her. She did not even know why went into marriage with Nichs in the first ce. It was too quick, too fast, everyone said. But Astra did not listen, she was in love and everyone else did not understand what being in love meant. In hindsight, she realized she was being immature, but what has happened already happened.


    Astra vowed to move on then, to live life to the fullest even though Nichs already ruined that for her. After sadness came anger. She was angry at herself for naivete and vulnerability. She was angry at her parents for pushing her in the direction of rich young man. She was angry at fate for making her fall in love. She was angry at society for calling them a good couple. Astra was angry at Nichs foring into her life only to ruin it.


    She didn¡¯t need him, she would live without him, excel without him. She would fall in love again and live happily ever after, everything would be fine. She did not need him and his self-righteous ass. She did not need anything to do with him. She would move on and be happy.


    Astra opened a ss of wine to forget the pain that was already settled in her heart. A pain that it seemed hade to stay. Sometimes she imagined Nichs had taken a chunk of her heart as it seemed like she could not do without him. She could not live without him.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Astra opened her phone and called Nichs. She wanted to talk to him, he was a fucking bastard. Her thoughts were slurring now. She was drunk on the wine.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said. Her thoughts were all over the bastard.


    ¡°You bastard! You are a fucking bastard! You are a coward and a bastard. I bet you cannot face me, because you think you have ruined me. It¡¯s a lie. I am bigger than that. I know all you did. Thompson told me. You are a bastard and a coward,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Astra. What is wrong? I am on my way,¡± the person said, Astra was not listening anymore. She just wanted to hit Nichs.


    ¡°Bastard! Fucking Bastard,¡± she slurred more as she hit her bed multiple times.


    Astra heard her door open after a while and she stood up. At least she tried to stand up and fell back down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Astra you will be okay,¡± the person said. Astra opened her eyes but everything was blurry.


    ¡°Nichs? Is that Nichs?¡± She asked as she stood up straight. She ced her hands over the male face in front of her and looked some more.


    It was Nichs.


    ¡°You are a fucking bastard, Nichs. But I love you,¡± Astra said and ced her lips on his.


    Astra¡¯s head banged and she struggled to open her eyes. The pain and difort of a hangover had almost be a norm to her, she was almost used to it. Astra tried to stand up as she had the familiar feeling of warmth around her. It was Nichs, she was sure of it. The embarrassing moments from the previous day began toe to her slowly. Astra cringed internally. She could not believe she actually invited the bastard to her house and she even told him that she loved him.


    With a strong push, she moved Nichs¡¯ hand from her body and even managed to move him off the bed. He sounded on the ground with a resounding twat.


    A very unNichs sounding ooff came from the body that was on the floor. Astra stilled, she had no idea what was happening. She was pretty sure it was Nichs she called. And it was Nichs that would definitely stay, but it was not Nichs¡¯ voice she was hearing.


    ¡°Ouch. What the hell Astra?¡± A voice that sounded too much like Jared¡¯s said. Astra just covered her face with her hands and groaned. What the hell had she gotten herself into?


    Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Astra repeated as she hit her head. She could barely register when Jared stood up and put his arm around her.


    At the foreign touch, Astra immediately shifted from his arms, and to the other side of the bed. Astra still buried her face in her hands as she heard him move further away.


    ¡°Just leave me alone,¡± she said. She could die out of embarrassment. Questions like how, why, what the fuck, flew threw her mind. Astra wondered why she called him in the first ce, she wondered what she told him. Astra closed her eyes even more as she remembered the kiss. She probably told Jared that she loved him. Or even worse, she told Jared that she loved Nichs. For fuck¡¯s sake!


    ¡°Astra calm down. It¡¯s me,¡± Jared said. I have already figured that out, genius, she replied in her head. It would have been easier to deal with Nichs. A few insults here and there, swearing that she did not love him, and he would be gone. Besides, if it was Nichs, he would be drunk too. That would have been easier to deal with.


    ¡°I knowst night must have been embarrassing for you but we have to talk about it,¡± he said. It was clear that Jared was not reading the signs that said he should leave. Astra did not want to talk about anything. She was still trying to process the fact that Jared had slept in her bed and she had cuddled with him till morning. She was still trying to process that she had kissed Jared.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Nichs did this time, but he is a bastard for putting you in this mess again, making you feel down. I don¡¯t want you to think about him too much. He doesn¡¯t deserve you, Astra. Even though you love him,¡± Jared said and Astra bent even more. She wanted to die. She had told Jared she loved Nichs. Why was her mouth so reckless? What did her mouth not have sense? The only thing she agreed with was the first part of his sentence. Nichs was a bastard for putting her into this mess. She needed to call him and cuss him out. Right after she got Jared to leave.

 Thirty Three

    ¡°I just want to be alone,¡± Astra said to Jared finally. She heard him sigh, long and hard and hoped that it was a sign that he would soon leave.


    ¡°I understand that Astra, but I am scared for you, I am scared about what you would do if I leave,¡± Jared said and Astra felt like rolling her eyes. He probably didn¡¯t know when she would invite him over again and did not want to leave.


    ¡°I would go to work,¡± Astra replied since silence was not working.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jared said. It was obvious he forgot that it was a work day.


    ¡°I would have to get going then,¡± he replied and Astra nodded her head still covered in her arms. Astra sit still as she heard him quickly pick up his things and only opened her face when she was sure he had left.


    ¡°God!¡± She said to herself as she went into the bathroom. Her mind went over the things that Thompson had told her in the coffee shop and also the things she had noticed about Thompson. She believed that there was truth in what Thompson said but she did not totally believe him. She did not believe that Nichs was a fraud. If Thompson had evidence to show that, he would have brought it forward himself, especially as Nichs was suing him.


    Astra¡¯s mind went back to the man that called her, iming he had evidence on the Thompson case. She wondered if that was a trap or a prank call. She wondered if the person had evidence but had been stopped before she was able to meet her.


    Astra went over the second part of Thompson¡¯s story as she took her shower. Thompson hinted before that Nichs was cheating on her while married, and now he was saying Nichs was also married to this woman and they had a child together. It did not sound right to her, but she nned to confront Nichs about it. She only had to get to work first.


    Astra knew that she was going to bete to work as she put on her grey dress and ck pumps.


    The drive to her office was slow because she wanted enough time to think. She was thinking about starting to apply to other ces for work. She needed peace of mind. Astra did note back to town to get double of the drama she left town because of.


    ¡°Good morning, Astra,¡± one of her coworkers greeted her. She sounded to cheery. Astra knew something had to be going on. There were no flowers at her table that morning so that was out of the question, but gossip was flowing.


    Astra ignored the side talks and focused on her work, typing away on her desk. Astra wrote down that she would drop Nichs¡¯ case, it was not healthy to keep on working with him.


    ¡°Hey, Astra, I like how you are always keeping us on our toes with office romance. I am wondering if you are still with your ex-husband or you have moved on with our very own Jared,¡± Regina, a fellowwyer said to Astra. She literally just walked into her office space to insult her. It was the most daring gossip that Astra had heard and to be frank she did not know how to react.


    ¡°I think you should learn how to mind your business, and your love life too,¡± Astra said to her coldly. The painful part was the fact that she did not know anything about the said Regina and so she had nothing to use against her. The fact that someone she did not even know was bad mouthing her made Astra angry. She did not stand up from her chair though, she just ignored the girl and continued typing on herptop.


    ¡°When you bring your love life to the office, you can¡¯tin if people talk about it,¡± Regina said and Astra lost it.


    ¡°If you put as much attention as you have in my life in your job, you would not have to sleep your way to the top,¡±   Astra said. She heard a few rumors about her but debunked them as they were rumors. She did not know that the girl was so rude.


    Gasps echoed round the office at her words.


    ¡°Hmm, pot calling kettle ck. Everyone knows you are sleeping with Trevor Abbey, Jared and even your ex husband,¡± Regina said and walked out of the office. It was obvious she wanted to have thest say at the end of it. Astra was angry, she was pissed. Not only because someone sashayed into her office, insulted her and left on her two legs, no bruises incurred, but the fact that it was a tant lie. Astra could not even remember whenst she had sex. Thest almost sexual encounter she had was with Nichs. Even if she slept with all of them, it was her own fucking business.


    Astra was livid, she was mad. She could hear gossip all around her but she ignored them and focused on her work. Typing away on herptop. She as not going to let the bitch get away with that, she was going to report her to HR and she would get suspended at least, she just needed to calm down first.


    Astra was still typing when she received a call from her boss. Astra wondered why they felt she was sleeping with Trevor Abby. He was way older than her and she was not even getting a raise or the best cases in the firm.


    Nichs¡¯ case was the only high ss case that she got. Her first case was the one she won at the beginning, but it did not change her situation much. Besides, she won the case by herself.


    ¡°Hello, Sir,¡± she said.


    ¡°Pleasee up to my office,¡± her boss replied.


    ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± she replied. Astra wondered why he was calling her to his office. Her first guess was that Regina had beat her to HR, but it had not been so long. Maybe it was Regina sleeping with Trevor Abby after all she thought as she went up to his office. Her second guess was that it was because of Jared. Maybe her boss had figured out that there was a rtionship of sorts between them. Their HR had a strong policy against employees dating. But as far as the departments did not interrte it was okay.


    ¡°Good morning, Sir,¡± Astra said she entered the office. Astra was relieved that she saw neither Regina nor Jared as she entered the office. Her boss was inside alone.


    ¡°Good morning, Astra. So Mr. Michealson called me today. He wants you in his office immediately,¡± her boss said and Astra frowned. She was pretty sure her boss did not call her there just because of that.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°I was at his house yesterday Sir,¡± she said. She could not be going to see Nichs every blessed day. She did have something she wanted to speak to him about today though.


    ¡°Yes, but he still has more to talk about,¡± her boss said and she nodded.


    ¡°Is that all Sir?¡± She asked and her boss said, ¡°Yes, Is there anything you wanted?¡± He asked. But Astra shook her head. HR would be better to state her case.


    ¡°Okay, you can go,¡± he said and Astra went out of his office. She only stopped by her desk to pick up her things before leaving the office. She made a mental note to speak to Jared and HR the next day.


    She drove directly to Nichs¡¯ office ready to release all her anger on him. In his next life, he would never mess with someone names Astra again.


    Astra was taken up to Nichs¡¯ office, no stress involved as some of them recognized her, and Nichs was already awaiting her.


    ¡°Finally, you are here,¡± Nichs said. He was standing behind his desk. Astra did not reply his words, she just walked into the room and close enough to him before she threw a punch at him.


    ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± She shouted.

 Thirty Four

    Nichs was seated in his office, expecting Astra as he worked on some of his old files. He knew it was going to be a long day yet as he figured Astra would still be angry and jealous from the stunt he pulled a day before. He considered letting her calm down first but he actually had some evidence to show to her. Sarah had interviewed all the old stake holders and one was able to give her the exact papers given to him. It showed that Nichs was scamming them of their morning, but Nichs could tell that it was fake. He just needed to know who was doing that and to prove him wrong, quickly.


    He was still working on paperwork when he received a call that Astra was ing in. At the knock on his door, he stood up to greet her. She was wearing a pretty grey dress and he was not surprised to see anger in her eyes, that was all his doing.


    Nichs did not expect the blow that Astra took to his face. He was not expecting it so he had no time the dodge and her fist collided with his jaw with a crack.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± He heard her cry out and Nichs groaned. What the hell did he do now? He cupped his jaw, all the while trying to massage it when he looked up at her.


    ¡°You are a fucking bastard! Thompson told me all about it. Leave that woman and her son alone!¡± Astra shouted. Nichs was confused. He knew she was referring to Sarah and Theo, but how did that rte with Thompson? What was she even talking about?


    ¡°What the hell? What did Thompson tell you?¡± Nichs asked, frowning at her Astra did not seem to like that question as the anger on her face seemed to increase.


    ¡°I should punch you again for having the nerve to ask such a question. You know what Thompson told me, it¡¯s what you did,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°You got married to that woman while you were still married to me. After you had her child and she found out that you were a fraud, she wanted to leave you and you are holding her down with the child. You have ruined my life already. Leave that poor woman and her child!¡± Astros shouted. Nichs started to see wave. The news and the punch was overwhelming. He did not know what to think. What the hell was the talking about? Why did Thompson tell her that? How did Thompson know that he was parading Sarah as his girlfriend? Nothing made sense anymore.


    ¡°You mean Sarah?¡± Nichs asked. Hoping that there was not another woman somewhere else that he was supposedly married to.


    ¡°Yes, I mean Sarah Michealson,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Sarah is my cousin!¡± Nichs shouted. He was frustrated about the lies.


    ¡°Why am I even standing here talking to you? You think you can lie to me like you have lied to everyone else? Just leave the poor woman alone,¡± Astra said. Nichs groaned because he put himself in that situation. He should have never tried to make her jealous.


    ¡°Sarah is my cousin. I mean it. Theo is her son, but not mine,¡± Nichs said, calmly this time. Astra frowned at him and looked at him, it was as though she was considering if she should believe him or not.


    ¡°You told me she was your girlfriend yesterday and now she is your cousin?¡± Astra asked and Nichs dragged his hand over his face. It was going to be one long exnation.


    ¡°I was trying to make you jealous,¡± he admitted. Astra raised her eyebrow at him. There was no way she was buying that.


    Nichs felt the world go ck as she turned to leave the office.


    ~~~


    Astra began to panic immediately Nichs went down. She was not sure what to do with all the information she had. He lied that Sarah was his girlfriend because he wanted to make her jealous. That did not make a whole lot of sense to her, but his fainting had changed everything. She reached to his phone and called his secretary.


    ¡°Nichs fainted, please call the health care facility in the office,¡± Astra said to the phone and the woman on the other end.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Astra was still wondering what she should do when Sarah, and another person, presumably a doctor walked into the office. The worry that Astra saw on Sarah¡¯s face made her feel that their rtionship was definitely romantic. She loved him.


    ¡°My God Nichs. What his wrong with him? What did you say?¡± Sarah asked, facing her Astra was confused because she figured she did not say anything wrong. Then again she had walked in shouting.


    ¡°I came in here to confirm something. Thompson told me that you were married to Nichs while I was also married to him,¡± Astra said and confusing set on Sarah¡¯s face. Astra did not know if it was because she was confused as to how Thompson found out or if it was because Nichs was telling the truth.


    Before Sarah could reply, the doctor said, ¡°We have to get him to the clinic. He needs some bed rest, he will be fine. The stress from the past few days is affecting him. And he also has to tone down on the alcohol,¡± The doctor said while Nichs started to slowly open his eyes.


    ¡°By God Nichs, you scared me. Stop doing that, just rx will you. We need to get you to the clinic,¡± Sarah said as he tried to talk.


    ¡°Sarah,¡± he said slowly, and Astra felt out of ce. Even if Nichs was truly cheating on her with Sarah, she was not being forced to stay with him. She actually cared for him.


    ¡°I should start going,¡± Astra said as she picked up her bag and Sarah nodded. Astra was of the opinion that Sarah did not like her, and that was a woman she was actually trying to save.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said, but Sarah calmed him down.


    Astra left them and started leaving the office. She was at the elevator when she heard her name, it was Sarah.


    ¡°Astra. For rification, I am Nichs¡¯ cousin, my son Theo is not Nichs¡¯ son. We only met after the both of you got divorced. I don¡¯t know what Thompson told you, but it was a lie, I don¡¯t know why he is lying though, what he is trying achieve. Regardless, I don¡¯t think you shoulde and see Nichs like this. The both of you are not good for each other. I will convince him to put someone else on the case, so please, let him go,¡± Sarah said. Astra was just staring at the other woman. It was clear that she loved Nichs. Astra was not sure if she was really Nichs¡¯ cousin or not, but her intentions nevertheless were pure, she wanted Nichs to be happy. Maybe that was how their story was meant to end.

 Thirty Five

    Astra walked out of the office and into her car. Maybe the best person to move on with was Jared after all. Maybe it was fate. She did say she was going to talk to him when she returned. About the embarrassing encounter and all. Maybe it was fate that she called Jared after all.


    The drive to her office was short as she thought about everything that happened. It was not until she got back to her desk that she realized that she did not tell Nichs about the fraud thing. It did not matter though, she was no longer going to be on the case. It was their problem. Astra hoped it would mean Thompson would no longere to meet her and tell her stuff like that. Things that she did not want to hear.


    Astra sat at her desk and worked till it was almost time to go home. Tongues were still wagging from her earlier encounter with Regina but Astra ignored them all.


    When it was almost time to close, she closed herptop, packed her things and went up to Jared¡¯s office. If she wanted to be with Jared, gossips and HR couldn¡¯t stop her.


    ¡°Hey, Astra. I stopped by your desk during lunch but you were out,¡± Jared said as he saw her. He was wearing a baby blue shirt and grey pants. It almost seemed like they were matching with her grey dress.


    ¡°Yes, I was out. Are you free this evening? To go for drink, just us after work,¡± Astra said. Jared raised his eyebrows at her. He was not fidgeting like thest time he asked her out, he actually looked amused. It was funny to him.


    ¡°Is there catch to this?¡± He asked and Astra shrugged.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take me up my offer and find out,¡± she said and heughed.


    ¡°We should get going then,¡± Jared replied. His bag was already packed. It was almost like he was waiting on her. They left the office together and Astra was pretty sure that tongues would wag the next morning.


    Both dressed in office wear, they went to a bar. It was not really a date, they just needed to talk.


    ¡°I am sorry about yesterday and this morning,¡± Astra said as she sipped her non-alcoholic wine. She did not need Jared to know how bad her alcohol problem was, not yet at least.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You were drunk. And it was a nice kiss,¡± Jared said and Astra gasped.


    ¡°Is this the alcohol talking?¡± She asked and Jared shrugged.


    ¡°It was definitely not how I imagined our first kiss to be, but a kiss is a kiss,¡±  Jared said and she chuckled. Astra decided not to mention the fact that she said she loved Nichs if Jared did not mention it.


    ¡°It was so embarrassing that morning. I did not even know how I called you,¡± Astra said and Jared smiled.


    ¡°I know I am not the one you meant to call,¡± Jared said and Astra sobered her.


    ¡°But I feel there was a reason you called me though,¡± he continued and she nodded. She felt so too.


    ¡°To be honest, Jared, I am confused. I am not sure what I want now. I don¡¯t want it to seem like I am using you or leading you on. I like you, but there is still something holding me back,¡± Astra said to him. She had to at least say something.


    ¡°I know it is because you are in love with Nichs, and it¡¯s okay. He doesn¡¯t deserve you, the love will fade,¡± Jared said and Astra¡¯s heart tightened at his words. He card for her so much, even if he knew that she loved another. Why couldn¡¯t she just love him?


    ¡°I am sorry Jared,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Jared replied.


    ¡°I will try my best. We can start slow, maybe with time we can move on together,¡± Astra said and Jared nodded.


    ¡°I am thinking of getting a new job, starting to drop applications,¡± Astra said. Jared¡¯s eyebrows raised as he looked at her.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°The workce is bing toxic. I don¡¯t think I can stand it for much longer,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if anywhere else will be much better, but follow your heart,¡± he replied and Astra nodded.


    They both finished their drinks and walked back to their cars together.


    Jared escorted her to her car and when he bent down to kiss her, she didn¡¯t stop him. He ced his lips on hers and she let him. The kiss did not bring fireworks in her belly or butterflies even, but Astra figured that time could do that too.


    #####CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE


    Nichs tried to calm his breath as heid in bed. The information he got that day was too much for him to handle. Everything was just so confusing. What was Thompson even up to? Who was he working with? Was he even working with anyone?


    The questions just went round and round his head. Nichs was not even sure of anything.


    ¡°Why would he tell Astra that?¡± Nichs said out loud, he was asking Sarah. They were at his house and he was supposed to be on bed rest. Sarah was there to ensure that.


    ¡°Because he wants to put you both against each other. I am not sure what he will gain from it though,¡± Sarah said and Nichs shook his head, his mind was already going in another direction. The thoughts he wasing up with were not thoughts he allowed himself to imagine.


    ¡°The real question is, is this the first time that he has tried to do this?¡± Nichs asked and Sarah frowned.


    ¡°You are not insinuating that Thompson was the one tried to break your marriage with Astra. That is too long a shot, like what are the chances, and why would he do it both times? That¡¯s the big question,¡± Sarah said and Nichs frowned. He did not know the answer to that question. Thompson liked Sarah when he introduced them. Like everyone else, he thought their marriage was rushed. Regardless, he liked her and not too much. At least that was what Nichs saw. Nichs did not feel like Thompson had any reason to sabotage his rtionship with Astra.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know to be honest,¡± Nichs said to Sarah.


    ¡°We will need to ask Astra how much more Thompson told her. And we cannot also have her believing everything Thompson said. I will have to talk to her,¡± Nichs said. Sarah¡¯s expression changed immediately. Nichs knew that Sarah did not like Astra, and he also knew that her hate for Astra stemmed from protectiveness of him. So he did not mind it too much.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will talk to her instead. It will be better to have a woman to woman talk,¡± Sarah said and Nichs raised an eyebrow. He did not argue though as he knew it would be counter productive. Nichs also knew that when he was ready to talk to Astra, he would.


    ¡°Alright, okay,¡± he said.


    ¡°Have you seen anything suspicious in Thompson¡¯s movementtely?¡± Nichs asked Sarah after. Deviating from the subject matter.


    ¡°It has been a while since I have, everything has been so choked up. I will call the guy I hired right away,¡± Sarah said and moved away from his bed to make the call. Sarah¡¯s expression darkened as she made hand gestures during the call. He could not clearly make out what she was saying, but the person she was talking to was clearly making her angry.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Nichs asked as she got back. Sarah was frowning, but also looked nervous, fidgety. Nichs wondered what the problem was or would be.


    ¡°Thompson has not been to his house since yesterday,¡± Sarah said. Nichs was not moved by that. People slept out of their house all the time. Thompson woulde home eventually. He could evene that night.


    ¡°So?¡± Nichs asked and Sarah frowned.

 Thirty Six

    ¡°Remember I told you he has been moving slowly. He probably took hisst move and left. Thest ce he was seen was Astra¡¯s house. A strange car picked him up from his house to Astra¡¯s ce and he entered an entirely different car to leave,¡± Sarah said. Now he was actually worried. The news changed from just normal to actually worrying.


    ¡°What!¡± Nichs eximed and Sarah¡¯s eyes almost jumped from the sockets.


    ¡°Rx for God¡¯s sake. It might be a false rm. We will try to get his whereabouts today,¡± Sarah said and Nichs tried to be calm. He was chained to his bed, literally, and his life was falling apart.


    ¡°Try your best to the track the owners of the cars Thompson got to Astra¡¯s house with and the ones he left with. That might be our best shot to get him,¡± Nichs said and Sarah said.


    ¡°I will get to it,¡± Sarah said and Nichs frowned. He was not so sure he liked the fact that Sarah was so involved in his life. He did not want her to be hurt, and especially not because of him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t over stress yourself Sarah, you are a mother and you are my cousin even before this job. Try not to get hurt in this mess, I will never forgive myself. Call the chief of security to help you out. I will also make some calls, pull a few strings,¡± Nichs said and Sarah nodded.


    ¡°I am doing this for you Nichs. I want you to be happy. I promise not to get hurt, I will definitely be strong and healthy for Theo and you,¡± Sarah said and Nichs smiled.


    ¡°I am going now, and I am pleading with you to rest, please. Don¡¯t over stress yourself, don¡¯t overdo anything,¡± Sarah said and pressed a kiss on his forehead before dashing out the house.


    Nichs felt very useless as heid down on his bed plotting on what to do, various situations andplications raced in his head. The information overload was too much. The only thing he was sure of was the fact someone was trying to sabotage him, and the person was relentless.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ~~


    Astra was having a very bad day, not only did it seem like nothing was working in her favor, but she still had the feeling that someone was spying on her. It was unnerving to say the least.


    There was also the fact that she was not sure what to do with all the information she amassed over the few days. And it seemed like all the information were contradicting each other. She badly needed someone to talk to, but she was still a bit cautious of Stephanie because of Ray. She had not still told Stephanie of her weird observations about Ray and it was killing her. She was not sure if she could mount all her problems on Jared but she felt it was too early. The poor man was just getting to know her.


    After their lukewarm kiss the previous day, they went to their separate apartments. He called her that morning, and they talked for an hour as it was Saturday. Astra then tried to clean her house, but she was too tired so she stopped halfway. She then tried topose applications for the firms she would like to apply to for jobs. She was very serious about wanting to leave her job. If they were not forcing her to take Nichs¡¯ case, they were badmouthing her for existing, she could no longer take it.


    Writing the applications were frustrating as she could not even find a suitable ce that was epting new intakes. Her resume was also not very extensive as she had worked in only one firm since she started practicingw.


    Astra had no idea what to do, the day was just passing by and she needed someone to talk to. It seemed like it was Godsent went her phone rang. Astra groaned when she saw it was Stephanie, but she figured she had to talk to her friend eventually.


    ¡°Hi Astra. I am so mad at you, you know. You just forgot all about me,¡± Stephanie said and Astra sighed. Her friend had the right to be mad, it had been a while since she even called her.


    ¡°I am so sorry Steph, things have just been hectictely. How are you doing? How is the baby?¡± Astra asked and she could almost hear Steph¡¯s smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, that¡¯s okay. It feels surreal you know, I don¡¯t know how to exin it. I am carrying another life,¡± Steph said and Astra smiled sadly, the feeling of nostalgia hit her again. It was another reason why she had not talked to Steph recently. Her pregnancy brought back memories for Astra.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± Astra replied.


    ¡°You would understand Astra. I want to go shopping for baby things. Are you free? Would you like toe?¡± Stephanie asked and Astra sighed. She was her friend after all.


    ¡°Of course, maybe we can have lunch after so we can talk a bit, so much has been happening,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Yes, no problem. I cane pick you up so we can go in the same car okay. Just get dressed. I will be there in thirty minutes,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s okay,¡± Astra replied.


    As Astra picked a strapless A-shaped gown, she thought about not telling Steph about Ray. She was pregnant and Astra would not want anything to jeopardize her pregnancy. But then again there was the fact that Step knew what she was going into before she went into the marriage. There was no way she did not know how her husband was. At the end of her mini debate, Astra decided to tell Stephanie if the moment arose, she was winging it.


    Astra was already done dressing when her doorbell rang. She opened the door and saw her friend looking absolutely radiant. Her cheeks were glowing and Astra could see the small bump from the straight gown Steph wore. It urred to Astra then that Steph might have been trying to hide the bump from her for a while.


    ¡°You look so radiant love,¡± Astra said, hugging her friend.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Steph said and smiled.


    ¡°It feels like forever since we have seen. Come in and have some tea,¡± Astra said, leading her friend in.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Steph said and sat on the living room chair as Astra made some tea.


    ¡°How has the thing with Jared been going?¡± Steph asked as Astra brought back the tea. Astra gave her friend a sly smile as she came back in with the tea. Trust Steph to fish for details immediately.


    ¡°It has had it¡¯s ups and downs but we are good at the moment. I pray we stay that way,¡± Astra said, sitting beside Steph.


    ¡°Oh really, so no more Nichs?¡± Steph asked and Astra had to think twice. She remembered Sarah and her words. It was best to leave things the way they were.


    ¡°No more Nichs,¡± Astra said and Steph looked at her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem so happy about that,¡± Steph said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have been in love with him for so long that it is hard to stop,¡± Astra replied.


    ¡°Okay, I can understand that. Life is meant for growth though, you will also grow past this stage,¡± Steph said and Astra could agree with that. She would grow past pining over Nichs. She would probably grow into loving Jared. All it would take was time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk anymore about depressing topics. So, how far are you along?¡± Astra asked and Stephanie sighed.


    ¡°I am already four months gone. It seems all time does is fly,¡± Steph said and ced her hand on her stomach. Astra knew then that she thought right, Steph hid the pregnancy from her for a while. Astra could not me her though.


    ¡°Four months? That means you have just five more months to go. You have to tell me all about your baby name choices,¡± Astra said, it took a lot of effort for her to be light about it.


    ¡°Oh, I was thinking Iris for a girl and William for a boy,¡± Steph said, her eyes looked wistful and she looked so happy. Astra could not help but smile. One day, almost five years ago, she was in the same condition.

 Thirty Seven

    ¡°Oh would you look at the time, we should get going,¡± Astra said. The time was almost two pm and they still had baby shopping to do. Astra knew that she would not even imagine doing this for someone else other than Stephanie. She would not put herself through self torture for anyone else.


    ¡°Oh yes, we should. We need to get going so we can at least get a few things to buy,¡± Steph said as they both stood up from the couch.


    They both walked outside her apartment and entered her car. The drive to the store was short and full of stories. Astra figured that she missed all that. It had been a while.


    ¡°Oh, wow, everything looks so pretty,¡± Steph said as they walked into the first baby store. The ce was full with clothes, toys and pastel colors, there was everything. Pregnant women of all shapes and sizes were waltzing through the halls. Astra felt sorely out of ce. Steph did not notice that though, she was still too busy taking in the entire vibe of the ce. Astra could not me her, she would have done the same.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go in,¡± Steph said and Astra nodded. They spent the next two to three hours buying almost anything to everything. From a cot, to little socks for the baby. Steph even bought shoes that would not even fit the baby until he or she was too.


    Astra noted that though the ce was flooded with women, there were still some men. Men actually came for those kind of things, at least for the first time and helped their wife choose. Stephanie did not even mention her husband the entire time.


    ¡°How is Ray? Why didn¡¯t hee with you?¡± Astra asked as they loaded the things into the trunk of Steph¡¯s car. Astra noted the immediate change in Steph¡¯s countenance and figured that something was certainly wrong.


    ¡°Ray is not in town. He travelled a while ago,¡± Steph said vaguely.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t still understand why he travels so much, he works in tech after all,¡± Astra said jokingly but Steph did notugh.


    ¡°I have not seen him since I ran into him at an art exhibition a week or so back. I was actually quite surprised to see him there. It didn¡¯t seem like his scene,¡± Astra said. The confusion and surprise that appeared on Steph¡¯s face made Astra want to keep on talking.


    ¡°What? He didn¡¯t tell you that he saw me?¡± Astra asked and Stephanie shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± Stephanie said, but did not offer any more information. Astra was confused but knew there was more to the story. She did not just know how to broach the topic with Stephanie.


    ¡°We should have some dinner together before you go home Stephanie. I have somethings I would like to talk about,¡± Astra said and Stephanie needed.


    ¡°Maybe we can have chicken?¡± Stephanie asked, and Astra raised her eyebrows. Stephanie was not usually a fan of fried chicken.


    ¡°I have been craving chicken a lot since I got pregnant. I eat it at every chance these days,¡± Stephanie replied. Astra smiled at Stephanie. She craved a lot of pig ribs while she was pregnant herself. It was a bitter sweet memory.


    ¡°Chicken it is,¡± Astra replied.


    They both drove down to a chicken restaurant and ordered a bucket of chicken. The ce was filled with teenagers and did not look like the norm for two women in their thirties. They both looked out of ce in there, but they could both careless.


    ¡°Remember when we used to do this but with pizza back in college?¡± Steph asked and Astra smiled. After an exam, they would buy like three pizzas, soda drinks and any other junk food they could get their hands on just to celebrate. It was fun times for them.


    ¡°Yeah, I do. They were good times. I kind of miss them. Growing old does take away those kind of joys,¡± Astra said and Stephanie nodded.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    They both ate while exchanging stories of their childhood all the while recalling things they did back in college. Astra even forgot all the things she wanted to tell Stephanie.


    After their meal, they both rxed on the chair.


    ¡°That was very good,¡± Steph said and Astra agreed.


    ¡°So a lot has been happeningtely. You don¡¯t even want to know how much drama I have faced in thest few days,¡± Astra blurted out. It was so hard to hold it in. Steph as usual looked piqued at the mention of gist. She clearly wanted to hear about it.


    ¡°Okay Thompson came to see me the other day, he told me things that I am not sure I believe. He talked about Nichs being a fraud and how he was married to someone else all the while married to me. He also said that he had also divorced the otherdy, but they still had some rtionship together since they had a child together,¡± Astra started and Steph¡¯s expression changed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Her friend said at loud.


    ¡°That¡¯s not even half of it. Earlier that day, I went to Nichs¡¯ house and he introduced me to his girlfriend, he was holding a little boy then. So when Thompson came, he even called the girl¡¯s name and the name of the baby. I was shocked and for a moment I believed it. I was so hurt to think that Nichs went on to have a child, and without me. It was too painful toprehend. I decided to approach him, and then something happened the girl came and told me that she was Nichs¡¯ cousin and the child was hers with her ex boyfriend. It exined why there was a slight resemnce between the child and Nichs in the first ce. Nichs said he only pretended to date Sarah, the girl that is, so that I would be jealous. I don¡¯t know who to believe though. The information seems so much. And why would either of them need to lie?¡± Astra said. She sat deeper on her chair. It felt relieving to be able to finally say it out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. It seems like there is more to this than we know. I would have never expected Nichs to do what he did five years ago. It makes me want to expect anything from him now,¡± Steph said.


    ¡°But even if he actually married her, why would he tell me that they are cousins? He has nothing to lose. It¡¯s not like I can beat him for lying or something odd like that,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Why would Thompson lie though? Has he ever been forceful or maybe angered to you? You don¡¯t really have anything to do with him, it¡¯s Nichs he has a score to settle with,¡± Stephanie said and Astra nodded. She was right.

 Thirty Eight

    ¡°He might be trying to use me to get back at Nichs though,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Why would that even be an option? I think Nichs still has feelings for you and Thompson knows that. It also exins why he would want to make you jealous. I don¡¯t appreciate the feelings though, a lot of time and pain has passed and you don¡¯t really need him anymore, you need to move on. Jared is a better option, sincerely,¡± Stephanie said. Astra was not sure what to do with that information. The knowledge that Nichs might still be in love with her was chilling and to be  honest she was not sure how to react to that. But Stephanie¡¯s advice of moving on was probably the best, Sarah had said the same thing too. They might have loved each other before and circumstances may have urred, but it did not mean they should still continue to love each other.


    Astra had ns of knowing what actually caused the issue. She did not know how she would confront Nichs and ask him but she knew that she would eventually. She wanted to know why even if she had no ns of fixing it.


    ¡°I forgot to tell you about the Jared thing. The night I found out all these stuff, I got drunk and called Jared. I actually thought I called Nichs. Jared appeared at my doorter and I was so drunk I thought it was Nichs, and that¡¯s how we had our first kiss. I literally said, I love you Nichs. It was as embarrassing as hell,¡± Astra said, covering her face with her hands again.


    ¡°The heck girl? That¡¯s mad,¡± Stephanie said, all the while chuckling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this man did not run 180 degrees away from you,¡± Stephanie continued and Astra frowned at her friend.


    ¡°Not funny. He slept over and wanted to talk about it the next morning. I all but pursued him out of my house,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°And you still ended up together? Please marry this man,¡± Stephanie said and Astraughed. If only it was that easy. She still loved Nichs while Jared clearly loved her, even more than Nichs did.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°We talked over drinks the next day and he told me that he was willing to wait. I feel like I am stringing him on because he is so sincere and I don¡¯t know what to do. I feel like I am the bad person in the mix,¡± Astra said. The more she talked to Jared. The more involved she got in with him, the more guilty she felt. She did not know how to handle the guilt. Astra still felt like she was using him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Astra. He knows you are not in love with him, but is still willing to go into a rtionship with you. If you were using him you would tell him that you loved him when you didn¡¯t,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°But still,¡± Astra argued but kept quiet after that. Stephanie was probably right, there was no use beating herself up for something she could not control. Jared had his own mind and he made his own choices.


    ¡°The best you can do Astra is if you findter that it¡¯s not working out, just end it. Try and make it work out now, but if it¡¯s not working out, don¡¯t hesitate to end it,¡± Stephanie said and Astra nodded that seemed like the best course of action.


    ¡°Okay I will do that,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°There was something that was bothering me that I wanted to talk to you about. Something about Ray,¡± Astra said and Stephanie sat straighter. Astra could tell that her friend was tense.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Steph replied.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be offended and try to keep an open mind,¡± Astra said to Stephanie. Steph looked even more bothered, but she nodded her head.


    ¡°Do you remember when you and Ray met, he was kind of into me, and was following me everywhere for a while?¡± Astra asked. Stephanie looked a bit angry at that but she nodded her head.


    ¡°I remember, you did not want a romantic rtionship with him then,¡± her friend said, and Astra figured she was already stepping on her foot.


    ¡°Neither do I now,¡± Astra rified.


    ¡°These days, it feels like someone is watching me, just like back then. When I saw Ray at the art exhibition, I could not wonder why he was there, he did not seem surprised to see me though, he was just looking ufortable and rushed to leave. He also seems to have a huge issue with physical contact with me,¡± Astra said. She did not want to mention the fact that Stephanie did not look happy in the marriage.


    ¡°I think your husband is still stalking me,¡± Astra said finally, looking at her friend and waiting for her response.


    ¡°What are you insinuating?¡± Stephanie asked. She had no expression on her face, and Astra could not tell what was on her mind. It was unnerving to say the least. She was not sure if her friend was angry or not.


    ¡°You know what I am talking about Stephanie,¡± Astra said and Stephanie¡¯s expression feel. It seemed like she was carrying a heavy load that she was finally able to let go off.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do Astra,¡± Steph said, tears gathering in her eyes. Astra saw the change in her friend¡¯s countenance and deduced that the conversation was not one to be had in public.


    ¡°We should start getting back to my ce. We can talk there,¡± Astra said to her friend. Stephanie cleaned her eyes and nodded her head.


    Astra drove them back to her ce. They were still on their way when Steph said, ¡°Ray said he travelled two weeks ago. I have not seen him in two weeks.¡±


    Astra was shocked, she did not know what to say. She just kept on driving.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where he goes, he just says he is working and leaves. Just like that. I don¡¯t think he even loves me. He does not love me or this baby, I am sure of that. He even asked to me to have an abortion. He was so angry when I refused,¡± Stephanie said. They were in front of her house by this time. Astra was confused. She knew that it was bad, but she did not know it was this bad. Ray was terrible to her friend. Astra did not know why she did not leave.


    ¡°Calm down Stephanie. It is not good for the baby. Just be rx and be calm,¡± Astra said, cing her hand on Stephanie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs. You can tell me all about it there,¡± Astra said and Stephanie sighed. Astra¡¯s life was turning out to be a roller coaster of drama. It was from one to another.


    Both Stephanie and Astra made it up to her room in one piece.


    ¡°I am sorry Stephanie, for all you had to go through,¡± Astra said and Steph shook her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Astra. You warned me about him but I refused to listen. I wantedfort. He is obsessed with you Astra, there is no way to sugar coat it. There is no simple way to say it. I have known this from the beginning but I kept quiet. I stayed with him when I knew that he did not love him. We did not have sex for a very long time. I had to seduce him you see, and when I got pregnant he was furious. He wanted me to abort the baby, I wouldn¡¯t. I told him I had miscarried until the pregnancy had gone far. I wanted to be out of the blues,¡± Stephanie said. It was as though she was a flowing dam. The words wouldn¡¯t stoping, and they wouldn¡¯t stop shocking her either.

 Thirty Nine

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy right? We are married and it feels like we are strangers I almost even hate him. I don¡¯t know why he asked me to marry him. I don¡¯t know the grand n he had cooked up in his head when he said those words and I don¡¯t know what in the world possessed me to say yes. It must have been love, but love is very stupid and I want to stop loving him but that seems like it us not an option,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Stephanie. He is not good for you, please leave. You can¡¯t kill yourself over a man, he doesn¡¯t deserve you, not one bit,¡± Astra said. She did not even need to hear more. Ray was not deserving of Stephanie. She had wasted enough years on the man, she did not need to spend more.


    ¡°What about the baby? I can¡¯t leave now. You know Ray, I woulde out of the divorce with nothing. It¡¯s like he wanted me to be totally dependent on him so that I couldn¡¯t leave. I have nothing of my own, Astra. How will I take care of a child on my own?¡± Stephanie asked.


    ¡°Rx Steph. You have a life of your own, you have skills you have a degree. You are a woman of your own Stephanie. Ray might have tried to manipte you into being totally dependent on him, but you have a choice now, you have a choice to change. Now that her ims not to be around you can start looking for a job,¡± Astra said. Stephanie was quiet and seemed like she was in thoughts before she shook her head.


    ¡°Who would hire a pregnant woman?¡± Stephanie asked. Her countenance was low and it seemed like she had given up all hope.


    ¡°I understand how you feel, but I will be here to help you. Promise me you will take steps to leave Stephanie. You cannot keep on being in bondage all of your life,¡± Astra said. She did not need her friend in so much pain.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Astra, I cannot go back to the way I was before. I can¡¯t go back to living from hand to mouth. I can¡¯t make my child live the life I lived as a child,¡± Stephanie said. Astra knew how Stephanie grew up. She was the third child out of seven. No one really cared about how the other fended for themselves. Their parents did not care enough, they were all hustling for survival and one day there was a fire and all her siblings had died then. Stephanie was all alone from then. She was put into a foster home and managed to get into college. It was not easy but she did it all. Stephanie badly did not want to go back to where she came from. Astra knew that Steph was severely abused and had do a lot of things for money to eat, and poverty scared her, that was probably the reason she stayed for so long.


    ¡°You have to try Steph, you can be rich andfortable on your own. You don¡¯t need Ray,¡± Astra said. Stephanie did not seem to hear her, she was lost in her own thoughts.


    ¡°I think the only reason why Ray married me and is still with me is you. He is obsessed with you Astra. Even if I leave him, he would not leave you alone. He will never leave you alone,¡±  Stephanie said and Astra felt a chill go down her spine. She did not like the thought of Ray being obsessed with her. She shed back to when he followed her everywhere back when they were in highschool. It actually seemed cute then, but a lot had changed over the years, it was certainly no longer cute.


    ¡°Do you think he has actually been following me?¡± Astra asked and Stephanie nodded.


    ¡°Sadly, yes. At the beginning, he talked about you so much that it is unnerving, I figured he was still into you and eventually he would move on. When that didn¡¯t happen, I approached him about it and he was angry. He told me that he was in love with you and that he was never going to stop loving you and that if I didn¡¯t like it, I should just leave. I was not so sure what I wanted to do. I decided to stay because I felt that time would change him and that I didn¡¯t have anyone else to go to,¡± Stephanie said. Little tears had begun to roll down her eyes by then.


    ¡°I am so sorry Steph,¡± Astra said hugging her friend. Astra was sure that something was wrong with Ray. It was not normal to be so obsessed about someone. It was not love anymore. Astra was sure of it.


    ¡°He messed so much with my self esteem. Hepared me to you at any provocation. At a point I started to hate you, I hated that he loved you for so long and he could not bring himself to love me, it wounded me each and everyday and I did not know what to do about it. I tried to distance myself from you at a point, but he was still very toxic towards me. Nothing I did was ever good. I tried so much to please him that I lost myself along the way. It was then that I knew that it was not your fault, not at all. I had just married the wrong man,¡± Steph said.


    Tears began to fall from Astra¡¯s eyes too. They had both been through so much, things that they did not deserve. If it was by being nice or good, Astra and Steph were good enough people, they both gave to others and were good citizens. They did not deserve what was happening to them, not one bit.


    ¡°Just try to rx Stephanie. It will all be good at the end. It will be good at the end,¡± Astra advised as she rubbed her friend¡¯s back.


    ¡°I need to leave him,¡± Stephanie said after a while. They were both basking in silence before then, her friend was not saying anything and Astra did not want to break the silence.


    ¡°You do,¡± Astra agreed. It urred to her then that Steph had been advising her to leave Nichs for years when she had not been able to leave Ray herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to start. I need to rent an apartment first. I have some money that I have invested over the years. I did know that a day like this would eventuallye,¡± Stephanie said with a sigh.


    ¡°Well, that is a step, you need as much money as you can get. If Ray is as obsessed as you say, you need to go far and he doesn¡¯t need to know where you are moving on,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I agree, but I am scared. Once Nichs gets fixated on something, it takes the whole world to drag his attention away. You did say you saw himst week, he might still be in town, he might just be avoiding me,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s another angle. You have to keep living in his house for the mean time. We can start searching for houses outside the state immediately and when it¡¯s time to move, we will make the appropriate ns,¡± Astra said and Steph nodded.


    ¡°I like that n very much. I don¡¯t know when he will be back though. He cane at any time and that can be dangerous,¡± Steph said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We will think of something before then Stephanie. I am just so happy you decided to confide in me and that you are taking steps to leave the bastard,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I think I needed someone to talk to. I have been living in this bubble of just Ray and I for so long that it¡¯s hard to separate what we share from real love. I also think a child changed that for me. The fact that he wanted me to kill the child even while we were married. I cannot live with such a man, he is driving me crazy. I need to leave,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°We need to make a toast, to leaving toxic men, we don¡¯t need them in our lives,¡± Astra said, chuckling. She went into the kitchen and brought out a ss of wine.


    ¡°To leaving toxic men,¡± she said, raising a ss.


    ¡°To leaving toxic men,¡± Steph agreed. Neither of them knew that it was far more than that.

 Forty

    Nichs knew that he would have to talk to Astra about Thompson, that and the fact that what happened five years before was severely bothering him. He needed to talk to Astra. Over the week, he went through what happened back then in his head over and over again. And then hepared it to what Thompson told Astra. They were both believable, it was just that Nichs was given evidence. More and more Nichs began to doubt the evidence he was given, maybe it was a set up, maybe it was more than that. The only way he could clear his doubts was through talking to Astra.


    Nichs was feeling much more better and he did not have any urge to faint, but Sarah clung to him like a mother hen. He knew that he had scared his cousin because of how she was acting. Sarah all but moved into his house and he hadn¡¯t been able to do anything since then.


    Thompson was still nowhere to be found and that had kept them busy over the week. They had tried to trace the two cars that he wasst seen in, but to no avail, there was nothing.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Nichs hoped that he would get a tip of hint as to where Thompson was if he saw Astra. That and there was also he fact that he missed her.


    Nichs could not deny the fact that he loved Astra. It was crazy that after all they had been through together, he was still willing to bank on Thompson telling a lie which could point to Astra¡¯s innocence.


    Nichs nned on leaving the house at night after Sarah and Theo had slept. It was weird that he had to sneak out of his own house but that was what family was for.


    It would be like the other times Nichs had sneaked into Astra¡¯s house at night, minus the fact that he was usually drunk. Nichs expected to be kicked out of Astra¡¯s house each time he came in, but he was always weed. At first, Nichs had been angry about the fact. His ex wife probably weed every male. It took him a while to realize that she knew it was him, but never stopped him. She still loved him too, maybe there was hope. If only there was proof that she was not the one in those pictures, or maybe that they have been sabotaged, everything would be okay.


    ¡°Nichse down and have dinner,¡± Nichs heard Sarah shout and he could feel anticipation from the fact that the night was fasting.


    ¡°I aming,¡± Nichs replied as he walked down the stairs to the dining room. The room was alive with smells of sauces and pasta.


    ¡°This looks delicious,¡± he said to his cousin. His cook would not even go to such lengths to serve him. He was growing fatter since Sarah began to stay with him. It reminded him a bit of Astra, not the expert cooking skills, but the care. Astra cared about him. She babied him so much when he was sick that he wanted to be sick more often.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Sarah said and sat down. Theo was in his high chair with a te of mashed potatoes in front of him. He looked like he won the lottery as he was hitting the table and smiling at the food. The little guy clearly loved food.


    Nichs and Sarah ate their food silently and the housekeeper fed Theo. The mood had been annoyingly dull in the house since they have been trying to find Thompson but to no avail.


    ¡°I am going to try to visit all the ces Thompson visited a week before his disappearance maybe I can get a hint,¡± Sarah said and Nichs nodded. His mind was far as he was nning how he would leave without alerting Sarah. He was worried about his cousin though, she invested so much in him that he was worried she would not have time for herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a date or anything to go to?¡± Nichs asked and Sarah narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°I am trying to be serious Nick, behave!¡± Sarah shouted and Nichs raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I am being serious,¡± he said all the while thinking that having an argument was not the best thing to do at the moment.


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t want to be in a rtionship now and you know why. I have been through a lot in the hands of men,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°I am sure there are a few people that can redeem our gender. There are still decent men around. I want you to be able to find love again, Sarah. I want you to be able to erase the memories that bastard gave to you,¡± Nichs said to Sarah. The housekeeper was done feeding Theo by then and had carried him to have his bath and then sleep.


    ¡°I understand what you want Nick, but I am good at the moment, I don¡¯t want more than this. I am happy with my son, I don¡¯t need love to ruin that,¡± Sarah said and Nichs could not me her. Love had a way of shaking your bearings of moving you so that you don¡¯t even know what is normal anymore. Love didplicate things.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Sarah,¡± Nichs said to assure her.


    ¡°I want to go up now, I need some sleep,¡± Nichs said, faking a yawn. He was already done with his food and he needed to sleep early so that she would, and he could get out quickly and so that he coulde back quickly too, before morning.


    ¡°Okay then, goodnight,¡± Sarah replied. Nichs was already on his feet and on his way to his room. He took his bath and even undressed and got under the covers in all character.


    Nichs waited until the house was very quiet before he started to dress. He wore casual shorts and a polo shirt so that if he were caught it would not be so obvious that he was sneaking out.


    The house was silent when he came out. Nichs did not bother to check on Sarah and Theo because James had already done that for him and he confirmed that they were both sleep which was a relief.


    Nichs made it to his car in one piece and he breathed loudly when got in.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± he said.


    The drive to Astra¡¯s apartment was silent and short and he was thinking about how he would get into her room when he got there. And if she would be receptive to him.


    ¡°Good evening, Sir,¡± the door man greeted him as he entered into the building. He had a familiar look in his eye.


    ¡°I am here to see Astra,¡± Nichs said and the man nodded.


    ¡°Of course, Sir, you can go on up,¡± the man said.


    Nichs was a bit confused, but he figured he must have promised the door man something, or even given him something over the period of time that he had beening to her house.


    Nichs entered the elevator that took him to Astra¡¯s floor and counted the seconds till he got in. Astra¡¯s door was surprisingly easy to get in as it used a key that he used a pin to open. His sober mind took note that she should move to a ce with better security. Astra¡¯s house was rtively neat and there was no sign that she was awake.

 Forty One

    Nichs went to her room and saw herying on her bed wearing nothing but panties. Nichs¡¯ dick immediately rose to the glorious sight. There was only a dim light in the room, but he could see her white creamy skin, the round swells of her buttocks, her beautiful calves and legs, her hair syed over her back and the bed. Nichs moved closer and he could see the sides of her breasts that were pressed down by her body.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He muttered. Nichs was not sure what to do. He was not sure what he did when came to her when he was drunk, he could just rememberying with her. But Nichs was not sure he couldy with Astra at this point, not without doing something that he may regretter. He actually needed to talk to her, but he could not bring himself to wake her up. His penis was making a tent in his shorts and it was bing annoyingly hot in the room. Nichs was not sure what to do.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± he heard her moan and Nichs groaned, that was thest thing he wanted. He did not want to know that she moaned his name in her sleep.


    ¡°Come to bed Nichs,¡± she said again, her voice was much more clearer. Nichs looked at her and he saw that her eyes were open. Was she not asleep? Did she actually want him toe to her? Would she not regret it in the morning?


    Those were the kind of questions that would havee through his head if he was not so horny. Her invitation was not one that her could ignore.


    Nichs took off his shirt and got into bed with her. Astra all but melted into his arms, the feeling of her breasts on his chest almost drove him crazy. It had been so long.


    Nichs ced his lips on hers and she moaned into his mouth. The moan did things to his senses. He sucked on her tongue, lightly bit her lips, she did the same to him. As his mouth went to her face and her neck, her hand went down his shorts and her warm hands touched his hard dick. Nichs jerked in her hands at the touch. He bit into her neck and she moaned out loud.


    Her hands began remove his shorts and he lifted his hips to aid her as he started to twist her nipples with his fingers. Their moans filled the air. He felt her breasts, squeezed them and she shook in pleasure. He wouldter think that they were much more fuller than they were five years ago.


    He ced his mouth over her nipple and suckled her nipples with pressure, her moans filled the air and brought his satisfaction. She worked on his dick and was moving him to her pussy. Nichs realized what she was doing and ced his hand over her very wet pussy.


    ¡°Such a greedy cunt. You¡¯re lucky it has been so long already,¡± Nichs said and pped her pussy. Astra screamed out loud in pleasure. Nichs remembered that she loved it when he did that.


    He ran his middle finger over her pussy and it came out wet. ¡°Is this all for me?¡± Nichs asked, as she was grinding against the bed. He did not want the answer to the question as he remembered Jared.


    He yed with her clit, and moved two fingers into her pussy. The moan that received made him want just bury himself into her pussy. He needed to that as soon as possible.


    He used his thumb to rub her clit and scissored his fingers in her pussy.


    ¡°Nichs! I am cumming,¡± Astra screamed. Nichs could not help himself, he extracted his fingers from her pussy and quickly reced it with his dick.


    Astra was shaking now, her head, her legs, everything. ¡°Nichs!¡± She screamed again as he began to move inside her. He could not help himself.  It had been so long since he had been with a woman.


    As she raked her fingers down his back, he released his inside her warm pussy. With her screams he knew that she had cum too. Fuck! What a night.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    Astra woke up with thefortable feeling of someone holding her, and then she was blissfully sore. She froze for a moment as she realized what her being sore meant,st night was not a dream. Astra knew that a dream could not be so vivid and clear. She was with Nichs night, she was still with him this morning.


    Astra turned and saw Nichs sleeping soundly beside her, she took a deep breath as she confirmed it was not Jared. That would have been an issue. Now that Astra was sure that it was Nichs sleeping close to her, she was not sure what to do with that information. She was scared, angry, and frustrated. She just had sex with Nichs, and she willingly did it. She just fucked the man that threw her out of his house while she was pregnant with his child, the man that made her pass through so much pain and disgrace. Astra frowned as she remembered how much of an alcoholic she became over time and the fire that had damaged her skin and made her need stic surgery in the first ce. She just slept with the man that she promised herself she would have nothing with.


    Astra stood up from the bed, forcefully removing Nichs¡¯ arm from hers.


    ¡°Astra,¡± she heard Nichs say, but she ignored him and stood up to go into the bathroom. She could feel the stickiness between her thighs and she groaned again. Closing her eyes tightly in regret. What had she gotten herself into?


    Astra took her bath and hoped that Nichs would have left by the time she was done with her bath. When she finished taking her bath, she wrapped herself in a towel and came out. Astra just wanted to forget that she had sex with him at all, it seemed like the best she could do. She could just ignore him and he would go away.


    It was very disappointing toe out and see that Nichs was still seated on her bed, he was wearing shorts and his chest was bare. He looked worried and tired.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Astros asked him. She knew that she sounded rude but she was tired she was not in the mood to be nice. Nichs looked at her shocked, but he did not say anything more. He probably read the room.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Well you did more than talk,¡± Astra spat. She was angry at herself and her body for being so easy.


    ¡°I am sorry. I will wait in the living room while you dress so that we can talk,¡± Nichs said and walked out of the room. Astra stared at his back as he went out of the room. She did not remember that Nichs could be such a gentleman it was actually nice to see.


    Astra moved to put on her clothes and she felt the blissful soreness between her legs. She had not had sex since Nichs and so it felt new to her body, she felt alive in ways that she had forgotten. It had been five years after all. A sh ofst night came to her vision and Astra closed her eyes slightly grinding her thighs together, Nichs could make her feel so good, it was almost a curse.


    She put on her clothes and went into the living room. The smell of eggs and bacon greeted her. Nichs was making breakfast, it was not the first time. It had almost be a ritual. He did that a lot when they were together and she loved it about him.

 Forty Two

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Astra said as she sat down and helped herself to the food. The eggs were nice and fluffy. The coffee was just right. She smiled a bit as it was long since it had been long since she was this babied.


    ¡°I wanted to talk to you about what Thompson told you,¡± Nichs said and Astra looked at him. It seemed like there was more to it than she thought.


    ¡°I wanted to let you know myself that Sarah is my cousin and Theo is her son, not mine. I met her after we got divorced. She was pregnant and in need of a job, her parents had died and her boyfriend left her. I love her very much as we helped each other heal with time, but the love is tonic, just like a sister,¡± Nichs said and Astra raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You came to my house in the middle of the might to tell me that?¡± Astra asked and Nichs had the good grace to look shy.


    ¡°Yeah, basically. Sarah wants me to recover fully. She is very protective,¡± Nichs said. It was surprising Astra how calm and civil she was being.


    ¡°Oh okay that¡¯s nice. I wanted to tell you something else. He told me that you were scamming your shareholders and he found evidence in that respect, and he gave the evidence to your shareholders,¡± Astra said and she could see anger evident in Nichs¡¯ eyes. He was pissed.


    ¡°He said what?¡± Nichs asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he said. I am not sure what to believe. Why would he lie?¡± Astra asked Nichs


    ¡°For the life of me I can¡¯t figure that out. It makes me think that he has done this more than once. He is trying to sabotage me, but why? We didn¡¯t have any issue that I know of, but he clearly has ns to run me to the ground,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Rx,¡± Astra replied.


    ¡°And now he has disappeared into thin air, vanished just like that. No one knows where he has gone or who is protecting him. Someone has to be helping him, he has to be doing this with someone. There is no way he would survive on his own,¡± Nichs said and Astra frowned, Thompson had disappeared? Why had he run? Or was he kidnapped? So many questions to ask and no replies.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird. What the hell is happening?¡± Astra asked. She was confused as to the situation on ground.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel that someone who hates me is behind Thompson. I really have to go, thank you for this information,¡± Nichs said and put on his shirt before strolling out of her apartment building.


    As he left, Astra put on her clothes and started to get ready for work. They were just going to act as though they did not just fuck and it was fine. It would be easier that way, it was better than unnecessaryplications.


    Astra had submitted her CV to fivepanies and she had been invited for two interviews. She truly hoped that she would be able tond a job and soon.


    She drove down to her office and got in one piece. No one was talking the Thompson case anymore. Even if Nichs had not dropped the case, it was almost as though he dropped it and forgot about its existence.


    Since neither Nichs nor Jared were dropping flowers on her desk, the gossip had died down a bit. There was only the new gist that all the men had left her alone because she was emotionally abusive and had a narcissistic disorder. Astra could not wait until she was leaving.


    She sat at her desk and started working on the never ending paperwork. It was almost midday when Jared came to her desk. Her thoughts had been gued with him and Nichs all day and so when she saw him it was shocking in a way.


    It felt like she cheated on him with a Nichs and it was not fair to Jared. She could not even think about telling Stephanie that she slept with Nichs, again. Astra knew that it would be thest time as she would lock her door after today. She used to expect him, but now it had gotten out of hand, she was hurting someone¡¯s son.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Jared asked with a smile.


    ¡°I am good,¡± she replied when she was in fact still sore. Having sex seemed to have awoken and increased her drive. She was horny too.


    ¡°Want to pop out for lunch?¡± Jared asked with a smile. He looked so charming at the moment that she could not say now. He was like an acquired taste that she had learnt to like over time. She almost did not want to like him but she could not help herself.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she said and stood up from her chair, taking her bag with her.


    They both walked out of the office together. ¡°We should go into my car. I want to drive you somewhere,¡± Jared said, and Astra got into his car. They drove into town to a Chinese restaurant.


    ¡°All these for lunch?¡± Astra asked smiling, and then she caught herself. She could not be smiling and Jared, all she was doing was leading him on, which was terrible.


    ¡°Welle in will you,¡± Jared said with a smile. The interior of restaurant was beautiful with a homey Chinese vibe. The rich scents of spices filled the air. Astra was already in love.


    ¡°I loveing here to eat, their food is marvelous,¡± Jared said as they sat down. He convinced Astra that he knew the best dishes and ordered for the both of them. It took a lot of trust in him to let him.


    He did seem to know his ball though, what he ordered was delicious, the noodles, the soup, the meat, everything. Astra ate until she was full. To think that two different men had treated her to food in one day. She felt guilty again, for talking to Jared, for making the rtionshipst for so long. It was wrong of her to lead him on.


    ¡°So, how did you like it?¡± Jared asked, he has this childish smile on his face, it was infectious.


    ¡°Oh I loved it,¡± Astra said and smiled at him.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. We cane here more often,¡± Jared said, and Astra frowned a bit, he was already thinking of the future. Was she taking it too far?


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she muttered in response. She had nothing else that she would say.


    ¡°I have something to ask Astra, it¡¯s really important to me,¡± Jared said. Astra was a bit worried about how serious he sounded.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°So every year or so I usually go with my buddies for an art camp. It¡¯s just one weekend. We have a cabin, it¡¯s not so far. They coke with their girlfriends and wives and I usually go alone. I was hoping that this time, you could apany me, I would be very happy if you say yes,¡± Jared said. He had a pleading look on his face.


    ¡°So you gave me food to soften me up?¡± Astra asked, joking.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I sincerely wanted to do something with you, it had been a while,¡± Jared said and Astra agreed. It had been long truly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Will there be food?¡± Astra asked. Jared looked confused for a moment.


    ¡°At the camp I mean,¡± Astra rified.


    ¡°Well of course there will be food, I can even bring extra if you want,¡± Jared said. He was shaking a bit, Astra could tell that he was nervous.


    ¡°Well, in that case, I will go,¡± Astra said and Jared smiled. Astra just hoped that she hadn¡¯t made the wrong choice.

 Forty Three

    Astra zipped up her box for the camp. She was ready to leave. She wrapped her hair hair up in a by and straightened her white shirt over her dark jean trousers.


    ¡°Are you set?¡± Jared asked from her living room. He had gotten to her ce a little early.


    ¡°Yeah, I am good,¡± she replied. Astra decided to forget all about what happened with Nichs and move on. It did not really matter so much, and she was not exactly in her right senses when it happened, she could not also me Nichs either as she remembered inviting him to her bed. She also slept in the nude.


    ¡°Okay, then, let¡¯s get going,¡± Jared said and helped her with her box. Astra wondered the reason why Nichs wanted to make her jealous with Sarah as they got into the car. That part of the story was never really clear to her, she needed more validation in that respect.


    ¡°So tell me a bit about your friends, I don¡¯t want to be lost when I get there,¡± Astra said. She really needed to stop thinking about Nichs so much.


    ¡°Well, we are going with Ian, a very good friend of mine. He paints, but he is actually a resident doctor. Hees with his wife Patricia, they have two kids, a boy and a girl, but they usually leave them behind with Ian¡¯s parents,¡± Jared started as they got into the car. They were driving to the cabin alone. So they were having a bit of a road trip.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Then there is another of our friend, Wilson, he ising with his fiancee, Rina, I would actually like to invite you as my date to his wedding,¡± Jared said and Astraughed, even though she was starting to get scared. She might be involving herself too deeply with him when she was not totally sure that she would be with him till the very end. If she was not sure she was even in love with him. She was still in love with Nichs.


    ¡°And then there is Roger, but his wife, Jocelyn, just had a baby, and so he would not be able to make it,¡± Jared said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°So many names. I hope I will be able to keep up,¡± Astra said. Deep down, she was even more scared. Everyone else was bringing their wives or fiancee as their significant other. And Jared was bringing her. It was obvious that he looked at her in that respect, a wife to be or something like that. Astra was not sure what to do with that information.


    ¡°I am a bit nervous now,¡± Astra said out loud. Jared was easy to talk to, it was one of the things that she liked about him, she could just go and on without feeling self conscious.


    ¡°Rx, everything would be fine. I am also kind of nervous too, and their my friends,¡± Jared admitted after trying to encourage her. Astra rolled her eyes at his admission. It seemed the nerves were general.


    Astra could not help herself, sheughed. ¡°Funny that you are telling me to rx,¡± she said.


    ¡°We should talk, talking helps to calm the nerves,¡± Jared said and Astra raised an eyebrow at him. Where did he hear that? Maybe distraction did help to calm the nerves, and talking was a distraction.


    ¡°Okay. So ask me a question,¡± she said and Jared smiled.


    ¡°A little bird told me that you had to do stic surgery. That you didn¡¯t always look like this. I don¡¯t take you for the vain type and I was not sure whether to believe them or not,¡± Jared said and Astra frowned. It urred to her then that Jared did not know much about her. He knew that she was once with Nichs but he didn¡¯t know about the stic surgery.


    ¡°I was in a fire ident. I was very down and depressed about the fire ident amongst other things and I was drunk. I sincerely do not remember how the fire started. It was my neighbour who saved me and bought me to the hospital. The situation was already very bad by then. My skin was already badly damaged and I lives that way for a while until, my alimony with Nichs came. It was so much money, a friend suggested I use part of it for the surgery. I was able to get a discount of sorts,¡± Astra said and she saw pity in Jared¡¯s eyes, she realized that she did not like it, not one bit.


    ¡°I am sorry to hear that. I would have not imagined. People can be very harsh with their judgments,¡± Jared said and Astra agreed with him. People could be very judgmental without knowing the details. Astra hadn¡¯t even told him the entire story. She was not ready to tell him all the details yet.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Astra agreed.


    ¡°I am sorry if it was a sensitive topic for you. It must have been a gruesome experience,¡± Jared said. Gruesome did not begin to cover the experience. It was painful and scary, she felt like she was seeing death. The smoke was choking and almost killing her, and she hated herself for so long. She hated her body, she hated her mental health. She wanted tomit suicide for so long, it had taken her so long to normalize and love her self again.


    ¡°It was a hard time, but I have moved on and I am grateful,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. I don¡¯t even have any scars of the sort, so I can¡¯t totally say I understand. The only thing I have that is rtively close to a burn is when I fell from a tree when I was young, I broke my arm, I still have the scar from then,¡± Jared said and Astra smiled. She was quite like a boy when she was a child and fell from a lot of ces.


    ¡°My sisters were very girly girls and being a boy felt like rebellion. So it seemed like I had to do everything and then more. I was actually quite stubborn, made my parents go crazy,¡± Jared said and Astraughed. She could barely picture Jared as a stubborn child, he was so calm now as an adult.


    ¡°Wow, I did rebel a lot, but that was because I sensed that my parents preferred Charise to me. It did not help that I was actually right,¡± Astra said. Her parents had not been the best kind and it still affected her as she did not know to react to unadulterated love. It still scared her.


    ¡°You have been through a lot Astra. I want to make it better,¡± Jared said and Astra could not help her sigh. Jared did not know half of what she had been through. She was truly broken. She did not know if anyone could help her.


    ¡°I really want this to work Jared. I do,¡± Astra admitted. Her heart was just too stubborn, it was loyal to a fault. Nichs had hurt her multiple times but she still loved him, it was crazy.

 Forty Four

    ¡°I think we will be able to make this work, you just need to put your mind to it,¡± Jared said and Astra nodded. Easier said than done.


    ¡°I will try my best Jared,¡± she said. Her best did not guarantee anything. The rest of the ride was so quiet that she fell asleep on the way.


    ¡°We are here, Astra,¡± Jared said as he tapped her awake. Astra yawned as she looked around. The cabin looked very stylish, much more than she expected. It looked like a vacation house. Two other cars were already parked in front of the house. Astra figured they were Jared¡¯s friends.


    ¡°Finally,¡± she said as she yawned.


    Astra stood up and walked to the house with Jared. Astra could feel her heart beating in session. It was terrible. She was so scared. She felt they would see through her walls and know that she did not love or deserve Jared and then she would be alone at the end. Astra did not remember being so scared, except when she met Nichs¡¯ mother and she was quite a formidable woman. It was justified for her to be scared.


    ¡°Jared! And this should be Astra!¡± A small pixie like woman said as they entered into the house in a high pitched voice. Her hair was obviously dyed red and she looked like she belonged in a cartoon.


    Thedy enveloped Astra in a warm hug and Astra could not help but cringe. Thedy was giving her pure unadulterated love and she was a farce. Everything about her was fake.


    ¡°I am Tricia. Ian¡¯s wife. Jared has told us so much about you,¡± she said in a chirpy voice. Astra panicked for a moment. What had Jared told them about her? She wondered.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s nice,¡± she said. Before she could even process the entire situation, three other people came into the living room. Two very masculine looking men and a tall and very beautiful woman. She would have never imagined that someone so huge would paint. Her image of Jared¡¯s friends were lean and feminine looking men. She would have never imagined those macho looking men and one of them was a doctor.


    ¡°Good morning, Astra. I am Ian,¡± the red head amongst the two men said. He even had a Scottish ent. Astra almost melted into a puddle, he was so hot. And to think he was a doctor.


    Ian walked to her and gave her a bear hug, one equally as warm as his wife gave her.


    ¡°My name is Wilson,¡± the other man said in what sounded like a French ent, he then took her hand and kissed her fingers. He actually seemed like an artist.


    ¡°And this is my lovely wife, Rina,¡± Wilson said introducing the tall and beautiful woman.


    ¡°I can introduce myself, Will,¡± Rina said with a cheeky smile before bringing her into a hug. It was warm as Tricia¡¯s.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hurt Jared. He doesn¡¯t deserve it,¡± Rina said and Astra frowned. She felt guilt immediately.


    Astra did not know how to react to the little threat.


    ¡°Did Rina just threaten you?¡± Wilson asked. It seemed like her expression have her away and everyone burst intoughter.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind Rina, she is always so protective of Jared,¡± Wilson said and Astra calmed. She was wondering if it was a sign that she should leave Jared after all. Maybe it was.


    ¡°Rx, Astra,¡± Jared said and she nodded. She just had to rx.


    Astra could say that she enjoyed the weekend with Jared and his friends. Apart from the awkward moment when Rina had warned her not to hurt Jared, everything else was fine. They seemed to take her like a sister and that was something that was rare to Astra. Like it barely ever happened that someone would take her so closely.


    She even had some painting sses from the men and even bonded with thedies. Both Tricia and Rina were actually good artists, something that Astra did not expect.


    The weekend was full ofughter and vibes. She did not expect it to be so fun. She even grew closer to Jared. Astra was not still veryfortable with physical touch from him, but she could talk to him more, it was easy for her to tell him about Nichs and about her family.


    She learnt to make a few dishes from Tricia and Rina, and she as officially invited to Rina¡¯s wedding. It was not something that she would miss. Astra began to view herself with Jared. It was so easy to imagine herself as his girlfriend and they would go on dates, talk have fun. She even took a stretch and started imagining him as her


    fiancee, as her husband. It was all so easy. She could bring herself to love him eventually and they would have children together.


    Astra was all but day dreaming as she sat on her desk at her office. It was Monday but she had absolutely nothing to do, it seemed like thepany knew that she would soon be gone and so they were preparing themselves for the oue. Astra had not heard from Nichs since that night and she did not have any ns of contacting him. She heardter that Thompson was missing and a missing personint wasid. It got her thinking that he just disappeared after telling her all of that. It was scary. Astra felt that he was kidnapped, but by who?


    She was still pondering on her thoughts when her phone rang. It was Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, babe. How are you?¡± Astra asked as she picked up the phone Ray was not still back and Steph¡¯s ns to leave him where going as nned. She had already gotten a ce that she would stay. She was just looking for an opportunity to travel so that she would move.


    ¡°Ray is back Astra. I am scared. It doesn¡¯t seem like he suspects anything, and I don¡¯t know what to do, should I approach him, should I tell him that I am tired of the marriage, should I leave? I don¡¯t know Astra, I am scared,¡± Stephanie said. Her voice was shaky and Astra could hear the fear in her voice.


    ¡°Rx Stephanie. Everything will be fine. Act as though everything is normal. That would be best. And when he is leaving next,  you can leave then. That would be the best course of action. It would be a while before he would suspect that you are gone. Just try and act like everything is normal, for yourself and for your baby,¡± Astra said. She figured it was better that your husband should throw you out than for you to literally run from him, and that was what Steph was facing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can pretend anymore. I just want to leave,¡± Stephanie said, and Astra shook her head. From what she heard from Stephanie. It would not be sensible to just say that she wanted to leave. Ray would take it the wrong way and something will happen to her.

 Forty Five

    ¡°You have been with him for so long Stephanie. Just a few weeks and I am sure he would be gone again. He never stays long. Do this for your baby Steph,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will try Astra, just pray for me,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I will Steph, I will,¡± Astra said. The thought of suing Ray to court came to her, but being in the system made her know that was not how it worked, and it was not so easy. She endured for so long, she was also so dependent on him. Stephanie maye out with nothing at the end.


    After Astra ended the call, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. It hurt her that her friend was going through so much. It did not help that it was that time of the year again, her emotions were all disorganized. Astra walked into the bathroom as she could feel tears threaten to fall. She looked in the mirror and she could see red eyes that had seen much more than her time. All Astra wanted was to be happy, but she was so broken that it was almost impossible.


    Astra touched her stomach and remembered once when it was swollen with child, she was still heartbroken about Nichs then and for a while she hated the pregnancy, she did not want to birth the child. She would have opted for an abortion if it were not toote. It took a while for her to ept fate and that the child was part of her too, little did she know that even after eptance, her child would be taken from her, and twice too. Life was too painful.


    She washed her face with water and walked back to her desk only to see Jared standing in front of  her cubicle with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Jared asked her and she shook her head. He looked at her with patience and understanding eyes.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Should I get you lunch?¡± He asked instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together then,¡± Astra replied. The office was choking her.


    ¡°Do you want to get Chinese food again?¡± Jared asked as they walked out of thepany and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°Can I drive? I want to go somewhere,¡± Astra said. It did not matter to her that it would be far and that they might not be able toe back to work, she was not exactly in the right frame of mine.


    ¡°Okay sure,¡± Jared said. He seemed the read the room.


    ¡°I was pregnant when Nichs and I got divorced,¡± Astra said as they started moving.


    ¡°What?¡± Jared asked. He was clearly shocked.


    ¡°He threw you out of his house knowing that you were pregnant? He is such a bastard!¡± Jared eximed and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know I was pregnant. I don¡¯t know if it would have changed anything, but he didn¡¯t know,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jared said. She knew the next question he wanted to ask was, what happened to the baby? But she also knew that it would be awkward and he wouldn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°Aileen would have turned four, three months ago,¡± Astra said and Jared sighed. There were not so far anymore. She could feel tears dropping from her eyes. Losing a child was not what would wish for her enemies. She had almost gone crazy then.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°I somehow managed to carry full term even though I was severely depressed. Holding her in my arms seemed to alleviate my depression. I was finally happy again, thinks were looking better. I was thinking of opening a book store so I could take care of her and still work, everything was going to n, until it all turned in disarray,¡± Astra said. She parked in front of the cemetery where Aileenid. She needed to see her baby.


    ¡°I am sorry Astra,¡± Jared said again, and Astra cleaned her tears beforeing out of the car, and walking into the cemetery with Jared.


    Aileen Tiana Michealson. In as much as she hated Nichs then, she still had to admit that she was his daughter.


    ¡°Oh Aileen,¡± she said as she knelt at her daughter¡¯s grave, the tears flowed hot and fast, she could not help herself, and to think that she had to pass through this pain again.


    ¡°I am so sorry I was not enough Aileen, mommy is so sorry,¡± Astra said as she cried on the tombstone. Her heart broke as she felt the pain of her daughter being taken away from her again. It was as though she was feeling her daughter¡¯s cold body again. Astra did not like the feeling.


    Astra felt Jarede close and wrap her in his arms, the feeling was warm, and though he was not the man she wanted beside her, she loved him in another way.


    ¡°She was already three months old you see, she was already trying to sit up, and her grip was getting strong, she would hold on to my finger and not want to let go, she would open her mouth in a toothless smile, she would tap on whatever surface she could bet her hands on, it was so fascination to me, the gift of being a mother and just like that It was taken away from me,¡± Astra said as she cried in Jared¡¯s arms. It had been four years since she died. The pain did not seem to lessen. Astra could only hope that it would not hurt this much when it was ten years since she died.


    ¡°I am so sorry Astra, I don¡¯t know what to say, fate has not been nice to you,¡± Jared said and Astra agreed. Fate  had not been nice to her. All her life was from one problem to the other. Astra wanted rest, she need her happily ever after, that was what she truly wanted.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Astra said. She did not want something like this to happen to Stephanie. Especially not because of Ray, she did not want her friend to feel this amount of pain. She had been through a lot too.


    ¡°I just want to be happy at the end. I am sure that is not so much to ask,¡± Astra said, tears flowing down her eyes.


    ¡°I will make you happy Astra, I will try my best to make sure that you are happy,¡± Jared said.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I will try my best to make sure that you don¡¯t cry anymore, that you don¡¯t feel this much pain,¡± he continued.


    Astra was sure that he would keep his end of his promise. She trusted him that much, but would she let him love her? That was not a question Astra was sure she could answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home Jared,¡± she said instead. She needed some rethinking to do.

 Forty six

    Astra could say that she enjoyed the weekend with Jared and his friends. Apart from the awkward moment when Rina had warned her not to hurt Jared, everything else was fine. They seemed to take her like a sister and that was something that was rare to Astra. Like it barely ever happened that someone would take her so closely.


    She even had some painting sses from the men and even bonded with thedies. Both Tricia and Rina were actually good artists, something that Astra did not expect.


    The weekend was full ofughter and vibes. She did not expect it to be so fun. She even grew closer to Jared. Astra was not still veryfortable with physical touch from him, but she could talk to him more, it was easy for her to tell him about Nichs and about her family.


    She learnt to make a few dishes from Tricia and Rina, and she as officially invited to Rina¡¯s wedding. It was not something that she would miss. Astra began to view herself with Jared. It was so easy to imagine herself as his girlfriend and they would go on dates, talk have fun. She even took a stretch and started imagining him as her


    fiancee, as her husband. It was all so easy. She could bring herself to love him eventually and they would have children together.


    Astra was all but day dreaming as she sat on her desk at her office. It was Monday but she had absolutely nothing to do, it seemed like thepany knew that she would soon be gone and so they were preparing themselves for the oue. Astra had not heard from Nichs since that night and she did not have any ns of contacting him. She heardter that Thompson was missing and a missing personint wasid. It got her thinking that he just disappeared after telling her all of that. It was scary. Astra felt that he was kidnapped, but by who?


    She was still pondering on her thoughts when her phone rang. It was Stephanie.


    ¡°Hey, babe. How are you?¡± Astra asked as she picked up the phone Ray was not still back and Steph¡¯s ns to leave him where going as nned. She had already gotten a ce that she would stay. She was just looking for an opportunity to travel so that she would move.


    ¡°Ray is back Astra. I am scared. It doesn¡¯t seem like he suspects anything, and I don¡¯t know what to do, should I approach him, should I tell him that I am tired of the marriage, should I leave? I don¡¯t know Astra, I am scared,¡± Stephanie said. Her voice was shaky and Astra could hear the fear in her voice.


    ¡°Rx Stephanie. Everything will be fine. Act as though everything is normal. That would be best. And when he is leaving next,  you can leave then. That would be the best course of action. It would be a while before he would suspect that you are gone. Just try and act like everything is normal, for yourself and for your baby,¡± Astra said. She figured it was better that your husband should throw you out than for you to literally run from him, and that was what Steph was facing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can pretend anymore. I just want to leave,¡± Stephanie said, and Astra shook her head. From what she heard from Stephanie. It would not be sensible to just say that she wanted to leave. Ray would take it the wrong way and something will happen to her.


    ¡°You have been with him for so long Stephanie. Just a few weeks and I am sure he would be gone again. He never stays long. Do this for your baby Steph,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will try Astra, just pray for me,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I will Steph, I will,¡± Astra said. The thought of suing Ray to court came to her, but being in the system made her know that was not how it worked, and it was not so easy. She endured for so long, she was also so dependent on him. Stephanie maye out with nothing at the end.


    After Astra ended the call, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. It hurt her that her friend was going through so much. It did not help that it was that time of the year again, her emotions were all disorganized. Astra walked into the bathroom as she could feel tears threaten to fall. She looked in the mirror and she could see red eyes that had seen much more than her time. All Astra wanted was to be happy, but she was so broken that it was almost impossible.


    Astra touched her stomach and remembered once when it was swollen with child, she was still heartbroken about Nichs then and for a while she hated the pregnancy, she did not want to birth the child. She would have opted for an abortion if it were not toote. It took a while for her to ept fate and that the child was part of her too, little did she know that even after eptance, her child would be taken from her, and twice too. Life was too painful.


    She washed her face with water and walked back to her desk only to see Jared standing in front of  her cubicle with a concerned look on his face.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Jared asked her and she shook her head. He looked at her with patience and understanding eyes.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Should I get you lunch?¡± He asked instead.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together then,¡± Astra replied. The office was choking her.


    ¡°Do you want to get Chinese food again?¡± Jared asked as they walked out of thepany and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°Can I drive? I want to go somewhere,¡± Astra said. It did not matter to her that it would be far and that they might not be able toe back to work, she was not exactly in the right frame of mine.


    ¡°Okay sure,¡± Jared said. He seemed the read the room.


    ¡°I was pregnant when Nichs and I got divorced,¡± Astra said as they started moving.


    ¡°What?¡± Jared asked. He was clearly shocked.


    ¡°He threw you out of his house knowing that you were pregnant? He is such a bastard!¡± Jared eximed and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know I was pregnant. I don¡¯t know if it would have changed anything, but he didn¡¯t know,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Jared said. She knew the next question he wanted to ask was, what happened to the baby? But she also knew that it would be awkward and he wouldn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°Aileen would have turned four, three months ago,¡± Astra said and Jared sighed. There were not so far anymore. She could feel tears dropping from her eyes. Losing a child was not what would wish for her enemies. She had almost gone crazy then.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

 Forty Seven

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°I somehow managed to carry full term even though I was severely depressed. Holding her in my arms seemed to alleviate my depression. I was finally happy again, thinks were looking better. I was thinking of opening a book store so I could take care of her and still work, everything was going to n, until it all turned in disarray,¡± Astra said. She parked in front of the cemetery where Aileenid. She needed to see her baby.


    ¡°I am sorry Astra,¡± Jared said again, and Astra cleaned her tears beforeing out of the car, and walking into the cemetery with Jared.


    Aileen Tiana Michealson. In as much as she hated Nichs then, she still had to admit that she was his daughter.


    ¡°Oh Aileen,¡± she said as she knelt at her daughter¡¯s grave, the tears flowed hot and fast, she could not help herself, and to think that she had to pass through this pain again.


    ¡°I am so sorry I was not enough Aileen, mommy is so sorry,¡± Astra said as she cried on the tombstone. Her heart broke as she felt the pain of her daughter being taken away from her again. It was as though she was feeling her daughter¡¯s cold body again. Astra did not like the feeling.


    Astra felt Jarede close and wrap her in his arms, the feeling was warm, and though he was not the man she wanted beside her, she loved him in another way.


    ¡°She was already three months old you see, she was already trying to sit up, and her grip was getting strong, she would hold on to my finger and not want to let go, she would open her mouth in a toothless smile, she would tap on whatever surface she could bet her hands on, it was so fascination to me, the gift of being a mother and just like that It was taken away from me,¡± Astra said as she cried in Jared¡¯s arms. It had been four years since she died. The pain did not seem to lessen. Astra could only hope that it would not hurt this much when it was ten years since she died.


    ¡°I am so sorry Astra, I don¡¯t know what to say, fate has not been nice to you,¡± Jared said and Astra agreed. Fate  had not been nice to her. All her life was from one problem to the other. Astra wanted rest, she need her happily ever after, that was what she truly wanted.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Astra said. She did not want something like this to happen to Stephanie. Especially not because of Ray, she did not want her friend to feel this amount of pain. She had been through a lot too.


    ¡°I just want to be happy at the end. I am sure that is not so much to ask,¡± Astra said, tears flowing down her eyes.


    ¡°I will make you happy Astra, I will try my best to make sure that you are happy,¡± Jared said.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°I will try my best to make sure that you don¡¯t cry anymore, that you don¡¯t feel this much pain,¡± he continued.


    Astra was sure that he would keep his end of his promise. She trusted him that much, but would she let him love her? That was not a question Astra was sure she could answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home Jared,¡± she said instead. She needed some rethinking to do.


    Astra fidgeted as she struggled to sit still. Jared was taking a sketch of her. She actually went through his sketchbook while she was at his house for the weekend and saw an unfinished portrait of herself, she was quite astonished as it was beautiful, she then volunteered to sit for a sketch on their next date, little did she know that it was going to be this stressful.


    ¡°Rx Astra, you are allowed to move,¡± Jared said, he had obviously noticed her difort. Astra smiled at his concern. He was just that kind of man. It was something that she was growing to love about him, his concern for others.


    Astra was officially Jared¡¯s girlfriend, they had grown close after she told him about the death of her daughter. Astra knew that she only told him because she was beginning to trust him more, for her it was a sign of moving on, it was the type that she needed.


    Jared asked her out over dinner at her ce. She offered to cook for him for being there for her for so long. She had talked to Stephanie about it previously, and her friend agreed it was time to start dating. Astra was not stillfortable with body contact from Jared, but she figured it was something that could be ovee with time, she shared a few kisses with him but she did not get the butterflies in her stomach like she expected and wanted. It was quite frustrating that she could not bring herself to be attracted to him, but she felt she was falling in love with him. Astra was not just sure if it was the right kind of love. The type people that are dating were supposed to have. She was not sure she loved him enough.


    There was still a lot that she was not telling him and that alone was eating her up. Like the fact that she had sex with Nichs recently. Astra was relieved that Nichs had left her alone. She had not heard from him since their night together and even though she imed to be happy about that, she was actually worried about him.


    ¡°You are so lost in thoughts Astra. What is the problem?¡± Jared asked, for a moment she forgot that Jared was watching her.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I am just a bit nervous about my interview on Monday,¡± she said. It was not entirely a lie. She was applying for a job as awyer at an advertisement firm. It was the best job out of the three interviews she was going to attend.


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right. I will definitely miss you at work when you leave. It won¡¯t be the same without you,¡± Jared said and Astra smiled. They were both in the park, seated on a nkedid on the grass, they were having a little pic. Astra and Jared were getting more creative with their date ideas each time. They had gone to a musical concert, bowling, tried several restaurants. It was so nice, she did not have such an extensive dating experience with Nichs. It had just been meeting, having lots of sex and then getting married. She was grateful for the experience with Jared.

 Forty Eight

    ¡°Maybe with time if you consider that the firm is not the best ce for you, you can also leave,¡± Astra said. Jared was still working on the sketch.


    ¡°I am not so sure about that. The firm might not be the best working ce on the, but the working force is a ghetto these days, getting a job is harder than it seems. I don¡¯t have the strength to start from somewhere new to build my career,¡± Jared said. He had dropped his pencil then, he was done sketching. Astra shrugged at Jared¡¯s exnation. She did not totally understand his need to stay, he deserved more and he deserved better, but Astra knew he would still stay, he was not much of a risk taker. Astra was not exactly sure she liked that about him, she was not perfect either, so she was not in the position to be choosy.


    ¡°I am done,¡± Jared said, stretching his sketch pad to her. Astra took the pad from his hand, when their finger brushed, she looked up and saw him smiling, she smiled at him in return.


    Astra looked at the sketch and saw a replica of herself. She was wearing a cheeky smile in the sketch, the type that children wore when they wanted to do something sneaky. Astra smiled at the replica, wondering what was on his mind when he drew her with that smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful, I am going to frame it,¡± Astra sais, holding the sketch to her chest.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Jared asked whileughing.


    ¡°Of course I am, I will put it in my living room and everyone would wonder how much I paid to get my sketch from a world renowned artist like yourself,¡± Astra said again and Jared¡¯sughter increased this time.


    ¡°I am serious Jared. It is oh so beautiful,¡± Astra said, she was gushing.


    Astra was still admiring her picture when her phone rang. Astra picked up the call immediately she saw that it was Stephanie calling.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Hello, Steph. Is anything wrong?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore Astra, I can¡¯t stay here anymore, it is as though he knows that I want to leave and he is trying to punish me for even thinking that I can leave. All he does these days is stay at home and pretend that he is the perfect loving husband. If not for the fact that I know him so well and I know how good of an actor he is, I would have actually believed that he had changed, he is such a good actor you see,¡± Stephanie all but cried. Astra could feel her heart breaking for her friend, and she was pregnant on top of it all. Astra could imagine that Ray suspected something, he was a very smart man, he could not be yed and certainly not for so long. Regardless of the fact that Ray might have found out, Stephanie needed to leave.


    ¡°Just rx Steph, I will think of something. You will get out of there in no time, I will not let you remain there, you know that I love you so much,¡± Astra said. She could see Jared¡¯s confused expression as she talked to Stephanie. She figured that she would have to tell him about Ray eventually.


    ¡°Thank you, Astra, please think fast. I cannot bear this for much longer,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°I will Steph, I promise,¡± Astra said before she disconnected the call.


    ¡°Is Stephanie okay?¡± Jared asked after the call. He sounded worried. Astra berated herself for not taking an excuse to take the call elsewhere. Jared would not usually ask any questions as he respected her privacy but she figured that this one was out of limits.


    ¡°She is leaving Ray,¡± Astra said. Jared raised his eyebrows. Astra knew how it must sound to anyone, they had not even been married up to a year, and they were together for about seven years before then. It would seem that marriage had destroyed their rtionship. People wouldn¡¯t understand that there was no rtionship in the first ce.


    ¡°What? Is he being abusive?¡± Jared asked and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°Not physically,¡± she replied, Jared frowned as he clearly read between the lines.


    ¡°Does she need awyer?¡± Jared asked and Astra shook her head for the second time.


    ¡°She is running away,¡± Astra said and Jared¡¯s frown seemed to deepen.


    ¡°There is something you need to tell me,¡± Jared said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°I think Ray is obsessed with me,¡± Astra started and proceeded to tell him everything about her and Ray, from when they had met and how he followed her around, to high school and how he assisted in ruining her first rtionship, to throughout college to following her to thetter and how she had set him up with Stephanie so that he would leave her alone, to recently when she suspected that he was still following her, when they met at the art exhibition. She told him about how weird he acted around her, the things that she noticed in his marriage with Steph, and then she finally told Jared what Stephanie told her that Ray was obsessed with her, about the fact that Ray did not love Stephanie and only got married to her to stay close to Astra, and that he was controlling every aspect of her life and she could not take it anymore, she needed to leave.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Jared said after she was done. It was obvious that he was dumfounded. It was clearly shocking to him.


    ¡°That is quite a lot to swallow. The man needs to be stopped before he does something more,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°Well, Stephanie needs to leave him first. I don¡¯t think I will be able to handle it if something happened to her or the baby. I feel very responsible for this mess, I was the one who match made them in the first ce. I actually thought they were in love at first when they were getting married, boy was I wrong,¡± Astra said and Jared sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why she was with him for so long though,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°Money, stability. Stephanie has gone through various levels of poverty. She thought money would be enough, she was wrong,¡± Astra said. Jared shook his head at that, but did not say anything more. The air seemed tense for a while before Jared piped up again.


    ¡°You said Ray tried to dissuade your former boyfriends from being with you?¡± Jared asked and Astra frowned. She did not like where the questioning was going.


    ¡°Yes, but that was like in college, nothing of the sort has happened recently,¡± Astra replied.


    ¡°But you did say he was following you recently,¡± Jared said and Astra frowned and nodded.


    ¡°Where is this going?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Well, I have been receiving threats for a while now, sometimes it¡¯s a note, or maybe t tires little things. Nothing pointed in your direction though, until I asked you out and I saw a note that said, Stay away from Astra, in my house. I actually figured it was Nichs. I  didn¡¯t realize that I was wrong,¡± Jared said, and Astra felt a chill run down her spine. He could even be looking at her now.


    A thought went through her head as she wad processing the whole thing, if he was doing this to Jared, did it mean that he had done something to Nichs too?

 Forty Nine

    Astra sat on her bed thinking. What Jared told her was chilling and she was not sure how to take it. She started to feel bad, terrible for dragging him into her mess, she began to feel worried because there was a possibility that Ray might do something to hurt Jared and there was nothing she could do about that.


    After began to think about going through the legal route. Stephanie was still in danger and Astra had not figured out a way to bring her out of the dungeon, and now she was finding out that Ray might have done more, much more than she thought. The legal route seemed like a dead end though, as there was no evidence to show that it was actually Ray that did all of that. In the eyes of thew, all these were spections without base. It was sad.


    Astra was still thinking about Ray and was wondering if he was a part of the little issues Astra and Nichs had faced at the beginning of their marriage. They were both very much in love at the beginning, but they still had a lot of issues. Problems of infidelity were almost alwaysing in and they both brushed them off because they trusted each other, so it was easy for them in a way. Nichs even mentioned threats and a bit of damage to hispany, but Nichs was a rich man and so he had plenty of enemies, as with one that has money, so no one actually suspected Ray. Astra felt that since he was with Stephanie that he had given up on her, she thought wrong.


    The fact that she was suspecting him for the odd things that urred at the beginning of her marriage made her wonder if he also had a hand in what happened at the end. Astra could not even wrap her head around it, nothing made sense. Why would Ray go so far as to break them? What would he achieve? Where did all that put Thompson? Astra was not sure of the answers to her question.


    She was still trying to think about the entire thing when she received a call from Stephanie which she immediately picked up.


    ¡°Hello Steph, how are you?¡± Astra asked as she picked up, she was worried about her friend.


    ¡°I am good Astra, how are you?¡± Stephanie said. She was sounding happy, too happy for someone who called her a few hours ago to tell her that she could no longer stay with her husband, something was wrong.


    ¡°I am fine Stephanie,¡± Astra said. She could not say anything more. She was afraid that Ray would be behind Stephanie and that¡¯s why she would be unable to say anything.


    ¡°Astra I have thought about leaving Ray, I don¡¯t think I want to do it anymore. It is not right by him and I still love, I want a family with him. I am willing to try again. I am sorry for the false rm I may have raised, I am sorry for burdening you. I guess since I hadn¡¯t seen him for long I was scared I guess. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want anything to do with us again, after everything that is,¡± Stephanie said. Astra tried her very best to be calm as she listened to her friend. Her best didn¡¯t seem to be enough though. She was annoyed, angry, pissed. It seemed like Ray had brain washed her friend. He hade back to brainwash her. Astra knew that she had to be careful with Stephanie.


    ¡°Just calm down Stephanie, you can always rethink it, we are not in a rush or anything,¡± Astra said. She was half expecting to hear Ray¡¯s voice next. He might be close to Stephanie and was threatening her.


    ¡°I am sure Astra. I want to be with Ray, it¡¯s for better for worse,¡± Stephanie said. Astra sighed. It was really no use trying to argue with her. She still loved Ray, even if he was so terrible to her. Astra knew that there was no way to change her mind.


    ¡°I will have to get going. I want to start making lunch for Ray,¡± Stephanie said.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Okay, then. We will keep in touch,¡± Astra said. She was not totally sure she believed Stephanie and what she said. It seemed fake to her. So different from the girl that had called her just yesterday.


    ¡°Alright, then bye,¡± Stephanie said as she disconnected the call. Astra just sat on her bed, wondering how she could get her friend out of the mess she was in, without dragging herself into it too.


    ~~~~


    ¡°This is so frustrating. How can someone just disappear off the face of the earth for an entire month and there is no trace of him?¡± Sarah asked out loud. She was pacing back and forth the living room of Nichs¡¯ house. Nichs was also frustrated. It seemed like nothing was going in his favor in the case. Everywhere they seemed to reach a dead end. Nichs was convinced more than ever that Thompson had an aplice.


    ¡°The fact that no one is even looking for him is even more annoying,¡± Sarah continued. No one was really worried about Thompson¡¯s whereabouts. Apparently, he made trips all the time and he notified everyone that was close to him before he basically disappeared into thin air. Everyone they talked to said he was very vague about where he was going to, but it was obvious that they didn¡¯t care enough to ask or even look for him. It was actually very sad.


    ¡°We badly need to talk to Thompson. We need to find him before whoever is working with him ruins mypany again,¡± Nichs said even though he knew that it was more than that, he wanted revenge too. Revenge on whoever had destroyed all he worked for into nothing.


    ¡°It seems like he has backed off though, whoever it is that is trying to ruin you. Everything seemed to have calmed down. No new stakeholder has left, no rumors about you in the press, business is good. Just keep doing what you are doing and you are fine,¡± Sarah said and Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°You of all people know that it¡¯s not that simple. I don¡¯t even know what I am doing right. For all we may know, he might just be lying low. Or something happened to him. Nothing bad has happened since Thompson disappeared. When I think about these things, I wonder if he truly has an aplice, if it was just Thompson all these while. But it doesn¡¯t just add up. There is the why for one. Why would Thompson go this far to hurt me? It doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Nichs said. The stress of the past month was getting to him.


    ¡°Just rx Nichs. I have a feeling everything will be clear soon. He can¡¯ty low forever. When he does resurface, we will be here to catch him,¡± Sarah said and Nichs sighed. She was doing too much for him, he did not like it.


    ¡°Theo¡¯s birthday ising up, soon, less than a month now, you should focus more on that. Don¡¯t let my problems stop you from being the best mother than you can be, I don¡¯t like the fact that you are sacrificing so much time for me,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Theo will be fine, and so will I, this phase will notst forever and before you know it, everything will be back to normal,¡± Sarah said, and smiled. Her smile was so infectious that he couldn¡¯t help but smile too.

 Fifty

    ¡°Theo is walking very well now, it is so cute, he wants to start running already, he is scattering the whole house and though it¡¯s frustrating, I just love to watch my child grow,¡± Sarah said and Nichs smiled.


    ¡°It has been long since you brought him here. I miss my nephew, you have to bring him next time you areing,¡± Nichs said and Sarah nodded. It seemed like she was about to say more when her phone rang.


    ¡°It¡¯s our guy from the police. Maybe there is some news,¡± Sarah said before picking the call. Nichs could feel his heart beating faster than usual as she talked on the phone.


    ¡°You found the owner of the car?¡± Sarah asked with a smile. Nichs smiled and gave her thumbs up as she continued talking.


    ¡°Raymond Emerson? Okay okay, thank you Sir. We will keep in touch. Thank you so much,¡± Sarah said as she disconnected the call.


    ¡°I just figured it would be something huge, but it¡¯s someone we don¡¯t even know. Who the hell is Raymond Emerson?¡± Sarah asked and Nichs closed his eyes. He was in denial. Maybe it was a coincidence, but it could not just be.


    ¡°Raymond Emerson is one of Astra¡¯s closest friends from childhood. The policeman said he owned both of the cars?¡± Nichs said and Sarah frowned. It was obvious that the wheels in her head were turning too, she was trying toe to a conclusion.


    ¡°Yes, he owns both cars,¡± Sarah replied.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Well he was always a freak for cars,¡± Nichs reasoned. He was still trying to wrap his head around all the information he was getting.


    ¡°I just knew this would all boil down to Astra,¡± Sarah said. Nichs was barely listening anymore, several scenarios were flying in his head, before he got married to Astra, while they were still in marriage and even what to lead to their divorce. It didn¡¯t make any sense, or maybe it all made sense, Nichs was not just sure he wanted to ept the sense it made.


    ¡°I am going to call Astra,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Why? Do you know if she in the league with him? You said he was one of her closest friends, you might be endangering yourself,¡± Sarah said. He knew that she was just worried about him, but he did not have the time to calm her nerves.


    ¡°I will exinter,¡± Nichs said and picked up the phone to call Astra. Sarah was frowning and tapping her leg on the ground as the phone rang. It was obvious she was against the call. He called thrice and she did not pick up the phone.


    Nichs figured it was because of the fact that he hadn¡¯t talked to her since they had sex. Nichs dropped the phone on the sofa, and had already given up on calling her when his phone rang, it was Astra.


    ¡°I need your help,¡± she said as she picked up the call.


    ¡°What is the matter? Whatever it is, we should meet, I have a lot to discuss with you,¡± Nichs said to Astra. Astra was a bit far from her phone when he called at first and that was why she did not pick. When she saw his missed calls, she figured it was a sign. She had to meet him and tell him about Stephanie too, maybe he will be able to help her.


    ¡°Okay, I wille to your ce right away,¡± Astra said. There was no need to be coy, it was a matter of urgency.


    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Nichs said. He sounded confused by her reply but he did not say anything to show his confusion.


    ¡°I am at home. I will wait for you,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I am on my way,¡± Astra said before disconnecting the call. Astra fidgeted as she picked up her car keys and her purse, leaving her apartment. A lot of things were bothering her, first, there was the problem of Ray threatening Jared and the fact that it could end up ruining her rtionship with him. There was also the problem of Stephanie iming that she didn¡¯t want a divorce anymore, Astra was almost sure that Ray had a hand in that.


    Astra drove to Nichs¡¯ house with a high speed and shaky hands. Thankfully, she got there in one piece and no injuries were procured.


    Astra knocked on the door, and Nichs¡¯ butler ushered her into the house. She had a feeling of de ja vu as she entered the house seeing Sarah seating close to Nichs. Astra could not help but wonder if there was something more than the simple cousin rtionship between them.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said and she could feel memories from the night they had sexing back to her. She hadn¡¯t seen Nichs since the night they had sex and so she almost forgot the effect he had on her. The fact that remorse filled his eyes did not help. He seemed like he was regretting a lot of things.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± she said in reply. She did not have other words.


    ¡°Sarah please can you give us some privacy?¡± Nichs asked Sarah and Sarah looked absolutely shocked, appalled even. Astra was relieved though, she did not want to talk to Nichs while Sarah was just there listening in on their conversation.


    ¡°I will be upstairs,¡± Sarah said after looking at Nichs for a long, it was almost as if she was waiting for him to change his mind.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nichs said to her. Sarah still hesitated though before she finally walked up stairs. Astra let out a breath she did not know she was holding before she copsed on the sofa.


    ¡°Everything is just wrong,¡± Astra said, cing her hands over her head. She was frustrated as it was.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem Astra?¡± Nichs asked her, he was seated beside her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Stephanie. She wants to leave Ray, we talked about it, we agreed even. She has bought a house and she wants to start life afresh with her baby, and suddenly Rayes back from wherever he went to and she doesn¡¯t want any of those anymore. She says she is okay with Ray now and wants to build her family but I don¡¯t believe her. I think he is ckmailing her. Or worse, he is hurting her,¡± Astra said. She was not exactly sure she wanted to tell Nichs all the details about Ray. She was not sure what to believe even, it was all spection on her side. Nichs looked shocked by her words. But not as shocked as she would have expected. She wondered why he had called her then.


    ¡°Why are they having a divorce? And why do you think he will go to such l lolengths to stop her?¡± Nichs asked and Astra frowned. She should have known that Nichs would ask for all the information he could get.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to put this,¡± she started and Nichs looked at her with curious eyes.


    ¡°Stephanie tells me that Nichs is obsessed with me, and that he never loved her and even asked her to abort their baby, and I am inclined to believe her,¡± Astra said and Nichs frowned.

 Fifty One

    ¡°You of all people should understand why I am worried Nichs. I actually felt Ray changed over the years and I had nothing to worry about anymore, but hearing Stephanie tell me that all he talks about is me, is making me feel unsafe all over again. He still follows me everywhere. He has even started threatening Jared,¡± Astra said and Nichs¡¯ eyes narrowed. Astra knew that he was putting two and two together.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Ray has the propensity to be dangerous, I can¡¯t just leave my friend with him, I have to do something, anything at all. Ray has nted himself in my life in such a way that I could never make him leave. It scares me that he married Stephanie just so that we would always have that rtionship. I want to think that he actually loved her, even if it is just a little, but I can not be sure. The things I am hearing are scaring me the more,¡± Astra said. Nichs stared at her.


    ¡°Well, you are about to hear even more. Did it ur to you that Ray might be the reason why mypany fell into shambles? Why our marriage disintegrated?¡± Nichs asked and Astra narrowed her eyes. The nerve that Nichs had, to try to me his shorings on Ray.


    ¡°Our marriage ended because you decided one day to throw me out of your house!¡± Astra shouted and Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°The letter that was sent to me is still in my drawer. I will bring it outter for you to see, but I want you to think about something. Remember when we got married?¡± Nichs asked and Astra nodded her head. It was a whirlwind romance, no one knew that she was getting married, she only told her parents and her friends, including Ray after she was hitched. Astra could remember that Ray was openly furious about her marriage. She had never seen him so angry before and even till now. She actually felt it was a big brother thing at first. Ray never liked Nichs even till the end of their marriage. Astra was a bit surprised that he had not done much after Nichs threw her out, but then again, Nichs was already in a huge mess.


    Their entire two years of marriage was full of temptations and tribtions. It seemed like they were going from one problem to the other. They were in love so it was not so hard to conquer the problems. Once in a while, someone would im to be pregnant for Nichs and it would he resolved after a while, they not felt then that it was because Nichs was so popr. Things were going into perspective now.


    ¡°Our marriage was one problem after the other. I was also facing threats in the business sector. Eventually, someone sent fake evidence of fraud to all stakeholders and they dropped out. It was the same person that sent pictures and videos of you naked, cheating on me with several of the top politicians in the country,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°What!¡± Astra was dumbfounded. Nichs opened his phone and showed her pictures and videos. Astra was almost sure she was the one in those videos, other than the fact that she did not remember doing anything of the sort.


    ¡°They are fake. They have to be. But they look so real. God!¡± Astra said covering her face with hands, she could feel tears starting to fall, it was just about a video after all. All the pain for a probably forged video.


    ¡°The threats stopped after you left and they were traced to Thompson, even though there was no substantial evidence. I was living life and trying to get Thompson when you came back to town. I was angry that you did not seem as broken as I was, and that was why I gave you Thompson¡¯s case, that was when my problems started again. Investors started leaving thepany, it was too identical to the first time, it had to be the same person. I started investigating Thompson again, but with the idea that he was not working alone,¡± Nichs said. She could barelyprehend what he was saying but she knew he was going somewhere. It was not exactly pretty.


    ¡°For the period I have not talked to you and taken you off the case, no investor has dropped out of thepany. Everything seems to be going fine. No one is threatening me anymore. Thompson has been missing for the past month and no one knows where he is, no one even filed a missing person report, they are all sure that he is fine, but I have other ideas. The two cars that drove Thompson around the day before he got missing belong to one person, and the person tried his best to conceal that fact. The cars belonged to Ray,¡± Nichs said and Astra sighed. It was not as though her mind had not gone through the possibility, but she did not expect to be right, she did not expect it to be this bad.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Astra said, she was not sure what else to say. She could feel tearsing out of her eyes. It was all her fault. If only she had to encouraged Ray when she met him. If only she had ignored him from the beginning, things would have not been this bad. Maybe her rtionships would have run their course, but without Ray to stop them. If only she had taken his stalker tendencies more seriously. She should have reported him to the police then, it would have not been an issue now. Leaving it for so long made it to blow out of proportion. So much time had been lost as a result, so much pain had resulted.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault Astra. If anyone is to be med, then it is the bastard that thinks that he is the only one that should have you and anyone who attempts should be eliminated from the equation. Ray is a sick bastard and you don¡¯t have to beat yourself up because of him,¡± Nichs said and Astra struggled to nod her head in agreement, she knew that she had her own part to y. She could feel tears just rushing out of her eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry for all you had to go through because of me,¡± Astra said. She was still trying to wrap her head around all Nichs told her. It all made sense and although they did not have concrete evidence, she was sure he was right. But then again, the fact that she was so close to someone who willingly hurt people was chilling.


    ¡°Try and call Stephanie again. Maybe we can convince her with more evidence,¡±  Nichs said. Astra was not in the mood to talk to anyone, but she felt responsible for what was happening with Stephanie and so she called.


    The phone rang over and over again and there was no response, each time the phone rang, Astra¡¯s heartbeat seemed to cease for a while, and then when she wouldn¡¯t pick up, fear rose within Astra, coupled with dread.


    ¡°Something is wrong,¡± Astra said and Nichs nodded.


    ¡°I want to check her ce,¡± Astra said and stood up. She was still standing when Sarah ran into the living room, she was crying.


    Nichs managed to hold her and rubbed her hair.


    ¡°What is wrong Sarah?¡± He asked. Astra could tell that he truly cared about her.


    ¡°It¡¯s Theo,¡± she began, she was breathing heavily, even Astra froze.


    ¡°He has been kidnapped.¡±

 Fifty Two

    Astra was not sure what she wanted to do with information that Theo was kidnapped. The cute little boy that looked so much like Nichs had been kidnapped and because of her for that matter. It was not something that sat well with her. On top of that, Stephanie was still not picking her calls. That even made matters worse.


    ¡°Try to calm down, Sarah,¡± Nichs said as he rubbed her hair and held her close. Sarah was sobbing loudly and her entire body was shaking from the sobs. And it was all her fault. Astra had no idea what she wanted to do. She felt like crying too but that would be selfish on her part so she calmed down.


    ¡°My baby is gone. His birthday is in one week. My baby is turning one and he is nowhere to be found,¡± Sarah said still crying.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some misunderstanding, he will be back soon. Just calm down and rx you will be with your baby by his birthday,¡± Nichs said to Sarah.


    ¡°It was her ex that took him, I know this. He is probably trying to use him to get to you and Astra,¡± Sarah said. It was obvious that she was hysterical because she was a mother and her child was not with her, but Astra saw sense in what Sarah said. It was Ray, even when she had not heard from anyone she knew it was Ray. It could be only him, the situation just pointed in his direction. The timing was also almost perfect, but Astra did not want the me to be pointed in her direction.


    Nichs looked at her and she knew that he had the same thoughts as his cousin. Sarah was not alone in ming her.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°If it was Ray that took Theo, I can promise you that I will get my nephew back from the hands of that monster in safe hands. The bastard has done too much damage,¡± Nichs said. He sounded so sure that Astra believed him without hesitation. She barely had any choice.


    ¡°Stephanie is not still picking up. If Ray truly has Theo, he probably has her too. And maybe even Thompson,¡± Astra chimed up. She did not know what to say, but she did not want to be dormant and irrelevant in the discussion.


    ¡°Thompson is Ray¡¯s aplice in this mess. And from what I know Stephanie is his wife! My son is an eleven month old with a dangerous criminal. He probably misses his mommy already. You cannotpare his kidnap to people who willingly associated themselves with the bastard!¡± Sarah shouted and Astra sighed. She was not sure how to react to Sarah¡¯s outburst. She knew what the woman would be passing through and so she tried her best not to judge. It wasn¡¯t easy though.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Astra said and walked from where Nichs and Sarah stood. She figured they needed space. She could not leave though, she still needed Nichs¡¯ help and connections to help find Stephanie.


    Astra sat in the lobby when her phone rang. She looked at the number calling and it was Jared. They had not talked since he told her about the threats and she had actually been avoiding him. It seemed like anything that she put her hands into was getting bad. It seemed like she was destroying the lives of everyone she met. She contemted picking up Jared¡¯s call now. She needed him to be safe, it seemed like Ray was on a rampage and she did not need Jared to just be an example of what Ray did to people who crossed him.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Astra said as she picked up Jared¡¯s call at the second ring.


    ¡°Hey, Astra. What is wrong? I have been trying to get to you for so long, you have just been ignoring me,¡± Jared said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°I am scared of Ray, Jared. I don¡¯t want him to do anything more. I suspect that he kidnapped Stephanie and also Nichs¡¯ nephew. He is missing. Evidence is even pointing to the fact that he was behind what happened to Nichs¡¯pany and to our marriage. There is so much Jared and I don¡¯t know,¡± Astra said. She needed to talk to someone and Jared was there, so it just flowed. Jared sighed.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I am at Nichs¡¯ ce at the moment. I think I will be here for a while,¡± Astra said, looking at Sarah and Nichs who had sat down.


    ¡°Hmm, okay then, I aming over,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°What?¡± Astra asked shocked.


    ¡°No! Don¡¯te,¡± she continued. She wondered what Jared was thinking.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Jared asked and Astra felt like hitting her head on the wall.


    ¡°Nichs hates you for God¡¯s sake. Do you think he will easily allow you into his house with open arms?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°This is a serious issue Astra. No one has the time to start being picky and all. We need all the help we can get in catching Ray. He is very smart, he has kept his real self from you all for years. Do you think it will be easy to catch him now? He is now even kidnapping people,¡± Jared said and Astra sighed. He was not wrong. But she still felt like Nichs would disagree.


    ¡°Okay, then I will ask Nichs,¡± she said.


    ¡°I am on my way, Astra,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°Wait, how do you even know the ce?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°I have my ways,¡± Jared said before disconnecting the call.


    Astra sighed and looked towards Sarah and Nichs again. They looked deep in thought, it seemed like they were nning something. Astra walked up to them and smiled before she sat down. They stopped the conversation they were having as she sat down.


    ¡°Jared wants toe to your ce Nichs. I told him about Ray, he wants to help,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Jared is one of your friends, isn¡¯t he? How do you know he is not in the league with Ray? You just pointed him to our direction,¡± Sarah fumed. Astra sighed because Sarah was getting annoying.


    ¡°Jared was being threatened by Ray too. That was how I had the hint that he was still in the obsessed business. Besides, Ray already knows where this house is. It is not news to him. He has evene for dinner when Nichs and I were married. No one is suddenly going to point him in our direction. He already knows were the direction is,¡± Astra said and Sarah gasped.


    ¡°Everybody should calm down. This is not the time to be arguing,¡± Nichs said before Sarah could say anything. Thankfully.


    ¡°She is the one with the stalker boyfriend,¡± Sarah said and Nichs groaned.


    ¡°There is no need to throw mes, and even if mes are to be thrown, don¡¯t you think they should be thrown to the criminal himself? Astra is a victim in this too,¡± Nichs said and Sarah red at him, but kept quiet.


    ¡°We need to put our heads together so that we can catch the bastard and get Theo home safe and sound,¡± Nichs said and Sarah nodded. All of them had their seats back on the couch then and started nning.


    ¡°So you have informed the police about Theo¡¯s kidnap?¡± Astra asked Sarah and she teared up a bit. Sarah did not look like someone who easily cried to Astra, but it seemed like the kidnap of her child affected her a lot and Astra could understand her plight.

 Fifty Three

    ¡°I have. The nanny has written a statement. They were going on a walk when two men cornered her and with a gun led her into their van, they drove very far, took Theo from her and then pushed her out,¡± Sarah said and Astra gasped. It was much more serious than she thought. It meant that Ray had armed men in hismand. Astra was not she sure that it was Ray though. It could have been anyone.


    ¡°What made you feel it was Ray though?¡± Nichs asked, it was as though he read her mind. It seemed like they had not previously spoken about it.


    ¡°The nanny read me a note. It said, stay away from her. I did not totally understand until I saw Astra and I remembered your theory. I also heard what the both of you were talking about,¡± Sarah said and Astra sighed. It was him. There was always a note that said to stay away from her. Did the man want her alone?


    ¡°Since we have deduced that he has armed men working for him, we should also get a team of armed me, just in case of any casualties. We need to get Theo and Stephanie out of his grasp as soon as possible,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°What about the police?¡± Astra asked The entire thing we worrying her as it got more and moreplicated.


    ¡°We have already filed a police report. Since the nanny could not remember the te number of the car, they told her to wait for the call of the kidnappers. We are hoping that they will call me soon. We need to get their location so that Theo can be back home,¡± Sarah said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°I will call JW security to help us with more men that will be with us all the time. We don¡¯t know his next move. We will all go to the police station together to report the entire case. The one of Stephanie and the threats and the stalking issue,¡± Nichs said and Astra nodded. She hoped everything will go well as the situation was slowly dawning on her.


    Astra was still quiet and professing all the news when Nichs¡¯ butler came in with Jared.


    ¡°He wants to see you Sir,¡± the butler said and Nichs nodded. Astra smiled as she saw Jared and stood up to hug him. She might not feel much sexual attraction towards him, but his hugs made her feel safe. That was one thing she liked about him.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jared asked, she could see worry in his eyes as he touched her face.


    ¡°I am fine, Jared. You should sit down,¡± Astra said. Looking at the others. Sarah was frowning so hard at the both of them and Nichs looked in irritated. Nichs she could understand. They were once together and he was jealous. Sarah on the other hand, she could not get. Why did thedy hate her so much? Astra thought as she sat down. The thought she might have more than cousin like feelings for Nichs surfaced, but she was not sure. Another thought came to her then, she might be angry on behalf of Nichs. That made much more sense. Nichs thought for the past five years that she cheated on him with multiple men. Astra frowned as she thought about it. Whoever had sent that letter did them dirty. Nichs probably told her she was a cheat and that would have brought out the hate. There was also the fact that her baby daddy had left her. Maybe he had cheated? She could only specte, but her second spection made more sense.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°So what is the n to catch Ray?¡± Jared said, rubbing his two hands together. He looked different from how she knew him. He looked ready to catch Ray.


    ¡°Well, we get all our resources ready, from the police to the body guards and everything. Then we wait,¡± Nichs said and Jared nodded even though a frown marred his face.


    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t show up?¡± Jared asked.


    ¡°Well, if he doesn¡¯t show up, we draw him out,¡± Astra said.


    It had been twenty four hours since Theo was kidnapped and they also hadn¡¯t heard from Stephanie. Sarah was growing frantic and the kidnappers had not called, they were sure it was Ray now though. The CCTV cameras caught the car that Theo was in on camera and it was the same one that Thompson used, and they all knew it belonged to Ray. The police was trying to track Ray down to where he kept his victims, but all to no avail. It seemed like he was too smart for all of thembined. They could not figure out where he was after the entire day. The fact that a child was wit him made the situation much moreplicated.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to draw him out,¡± Astra said as they all had lunch together, Nichs, Sarah, Jared and her. It had been bothering her so much over the entire day. It was all her fault. It all started because Ray wanted. If she was the one that Ray wanted, he would get her.


    ¡°How do you propose we do that?¡± Sarah asked snarkily. The woman had the good grace to talk like that when she was crying for her son the next moment. Astra did not fault her though, she could go crazy if all she thought was her missing child.


    ¡°I will use myself as a  bait,¡± Astra said simply. The other three people on the table started at her with surprisecing their features.


    ¡°You are not doing that Astra. Don¡¯t even think about it. The man is dangerous,¡± Nichs said. It seemed like he was the first to find his voice.


    ¡°It is me that he wants Nichs. Can¡¯t you guys see that? If he wants money he would have called. He wants me and we can use me to get him. It would be easier that way and beneficial to everyone,¡± Astra said. She hoped that they would see sense with her.


    ¡°Just because it would be easier does not mean it would be safer. Like Nichs said, the man is dangerous. Do you have any idea what the man would do when he has you?¡± Jared asked. He sounded angry.


    ¡°You guys won¡¯t let me be with him for long. The n is to get Theo and Steph from there. If you guys can do that, you can get me out too,¡± Astra said. Even though she knew that there was a possibility that they wouldn¡¯t be able to free her. She knew that she would make a few calls before she left.


    ¡°What if we are not able to? The risk is too much Astra. We will find another way. The police is actively working to find his hideout. If you have anywhere you think he would be please let me know. It would make things easier for us,¡± Nichs said and Astra frowned. She knew that they would be hard to convince.


    ¡°Theo is still there in his arms, so is Stephanie who is pregnant. You don¡¯t know what is happening to them at the moment. We cannot waste much time,¡± Astra said. It was the best solution and she knew that they both knew it too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you agree with me Sarah? Theo cannot be there for too long,¡± Astra said, directing her attention to Sarah. She had not said anything since Astra brought up the suggestion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring Sarah into this,¡± Nichs said before Sarah could reply.

 Fifty Four

    ¡°Well, she ought to have a say in this. Her child is involved. Let¡¯s not forget that the whole reason why this started is me. I have to end this. Too many innocent people are getting involved. It is not what I want,¡± Astra said. It hurt her that even more people were being dragged into her mess. Even the little boy Theo was having such a traumatic event in his life because of her. She was a bit grateful that he was just a child and that he would not remember any of it.


    ¡°Well, this is not entirely your fault Astra. You are not the one that made him obsessed with you. My experience with these things is that the more you try to drive them away, the closer they get to you,¡± Sarah said surprising her and it seemed everyone in the room. Coming from her, it was even more than apliment.


    ¡°But then again, Astra says she wants to use herself as bait, we should let her. She is who Ray wants,¡± Sarah continued and the good feeling that Astra got from thepliment momentarily died. Both Nichs and Jared started to talk at the same time but Sarah raised up her hand.


    ¡°Hear me out,¡± she said.


    ¡°We can ry the n with the police and we have to be very careful. It will not be easy, but I think we can get everyone out safely. I have a n,¡± Sarah said and Astra calmed, albeit a little. Nichs raised an eyebrow at Sarah, and Jared said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Sarah took a deep breath and started talking. ¡°First we have to call Ray. Well, Nichs will call him. We will let him know that we have him figured out, but that you don¡¯t want anything to do with Astra anymore. You will now add the point that she cheated on you, you will make him think you don¡¯t know he forged that yet. Then you will volunteer Astra¡¯s location along with the fact that you have always been jealous of his rtionship with Astra and that you were almost sure they were ying around while the both of you were married. All this is baiting him. You will indicate that you want nothing to do with Astra anymore, something about her being too much trouble and then plead with him for Theo. It will be easy. He will want to meet you, maybe after he has gotten Astra. I think he will try to talk to Astra first, not kidnap her. Astra can bring Stephanie into the equation then. She will negotiate her leaving,¡± Sarah started and Astra¡¯s eyes widened. She wondered how she would do all that, or most importantly if it would work.


    ¡°But then even if she manages to do all that and everything managed to actually work, Astra will be stuck with Ray,¡± Jared said. It was clear that he liked her idea. He was looking at her intently.


    ¡°That¡¯s where the police and JW securitye in. She would know where he is based by then. We will follow him well enough to know his destination. And even if he moves we would have studied his movement and I can almost bet that we would know where he moved to,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°It would be much better than the state that we are now. We don¡¯t know what is happening. It is very unnerving. I think I might go crazy,¡± Sarah said and Astra knew that she shared the sentiment too.


    ¡°What if things go south?¡± Nichs asked and Astra sighed.


    ¡°This might not entirely be my fault, but I have some me in it, I have to right my wrongs. So this would be some sort of sacrifice made by me. You guys will find me eventually, and sooner rather thanter, and Ray will not hurt me. It is better than Stephanie and Theo being there,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. I will not agree to that,¡± Nichs said and both Sarah and Jared turned to him, surprise in their eyes.


    ¡°Well thank God it¡¯s my decision not yours,¡± Astra said right back and Nichs frowned.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I am sure we can figure out a way around it,¡± Jared said and Astra looked at him, she was not sure whose side he was on. Whether he was for Nichs or he was for her. Either way, she needed some sort of validation to know she was doing the right and noble thing. Nichs was not helping.


    ¡°How about you go with a GPS tracker and a camera. We will nt it in your body and we will be able to figure out your location and also get some concrete evidence,¡± Sarah suggested and Astra smiled. she liked that idea.


    ¡°I am all for it,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Are you all not thinking? Do you think the criminal mastermind would let you into his dungeon without checking you thoroughly?¡± Nichs asked and Astra¡¯s spirit came down again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be such a spoil sport,¡± Sarah mumbled to Nichs and Astra agreed.


    ¡°Well we have to do something. Of course all of our ns would have issues with them, and nothing wouldpletely work out. But we cannot leave Theo and Stephanie with that monster all their lives because something bad may or may not happen to me. What happened to taking risks?¡± Astra asked. She knew that her annoyance showed in her voice.


    ¡°Risks taken are not usually life threatening!¡± Nichs shouted again. He seemed very pissed.


    ¡°I can not listen to this anymore,¡± Nichs said and left the dining table and walked up to his room.


    Astra stood up after him with the mind of following him, but Sarah held her hand.


    ¡°He loves you, that¡¯s the problem. He would not see reason in ten years,¡± Sarah said. She sounded angry as she said the word of love. As though Astra was undeserving of his love. Astra knew that Sarah still thought that she cheated on Nichs.


    ¡°I did not cheat on him. That was another of Ray¡¯s tricks. I have seen the pictures I have no idea where they came from,¡± Astra said. She had this strong urge to defend her self against Sarah.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to exin yourself to me,¡± Sarah said and shrugged. She then focused on her meal which is probably already cold.


    ¡°I think I do need to exin myself to you. You are angry at me on behalf of Nichs and I am telling you that you don¡¯t need to be. Nichs and I are just victims in this veryplicated mess. My life seems like a soap opera at the moment. If anyone is supposed to be angry it should be me. Why didn¡¯t he tell me this all these years? It would have made things much more easier,¡± Astra said to Sarah and the younger woman sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what exactly went on between the two of you, but when I see people unsuited for each other I know it. You both may love each other, and don¡¯t try to deny it, but there are too many things that happened to you both. I suggest that you stop trying to get back together. This is real life, not a soap, love does not conquer everything. Sometimes, love is not enough,¡± Sarah said and Astra felt like a knife entered into her heart. She had not the time to consider all that had happened, but some small part of her hoped that they would be able to get back together after it all over, but then she considered all that happened, maybe it was the universe trying to push them apart? Maybe they were not right for each other like Sarah said. In that case, love would never be enough. The realization was so heartbreaking that she did not want to think about it. Astra wondered if all the hurdles they passed was simply the universe saying, no more. That would be chilling.

 Fifty Five

    ¡°He thought you were cheating on him?¡± Jared asked. Astra had even forgotten that it was not just her and Sarah at the table.


    Astra turned to him and sat down.


    ¡°It was one of Ray¡¯s tricks. He had this video and pictures. I saw them. I thought they were me. I was naked, with five men, five different locations. He also did something on fraud to make people leave Nichs¡¯pany. Ray can be very ruthless,¡± Astra said and Jared looked shocked.


    ¡°Why would he go that far? I cannot even imagine how much hurt he caused just by that. That man would hurt you Astra. He already did, and he would hurt you even more,¡± Jared said and Astra felt even more scared.


    ¡°He won¡¯t hurt me, he believes he loves me,¡± Astra said even if she wasn¡¯t convinced by her own words.


    ¡°You surely don¡¯t believe that Astra. Talk to her Sarah,¡± Jared said. Astra shrugged.


    ¡°We will be very careful, the fact that he is dangerous makes it more obvious that we cannot leave a child and a pregnant woman with him. I will not be able to bear it if something happens to either of them because of me,¡± Astra said. Jared stared at her as though he was lost for words and that he knew anything he said would be useless.


    ¡°I want to start going home. Just to freshen up and all,¡± Jared said and Astra nodded.


    ¡°I should get home too, it has been a while,¡± Astra said. She needed to make some calls before she did anything. Astra already made up her mind that she would act as a bait to catch Ray, it was the least she could do to redeem herself.


    When she thought about, she could understand a bit that she might have led him on as a child. He was intelligent and she wanted him to keep doing her assignments so that she could get better grades. Even after high school she kept him close a bit because she knew that he was really talented and so he would have a lot of money. Money was not something she had in bulk in those days. When Astra realized that things were getting out of hand, she tried to cut him off, it seemed toote then, he refused to leave. A little part of Astra told her that she was basically helpless in the situation. They never dated, he never asked her out, they never had any form of amorous rtionship. There was no way she would have deduced that things would go so far. It was scary even.


    She needed to do her part oh. She needed at least do something. She could not just sit back just because it was not her fault.


    ¡°Astra!¡± Jared shouted breaking her from her thoughts.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± she mumbled. She was thinking too much about this. Even her dreams were gued by it. The previous night, she dreamt that Ray had kidnapped her and she was stuck with him forever. It was scary.


    ¡°We should go together,¡± Jared said and Astra nodded.


    ¡°I will let Nichs know that you both have left. Try and be safe,¡± Sarah said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Jared replied Sarah with a smile. Astra looked between the two of them. She could see something there. It was nice. Astra knew that she probably would not suddenly have amorous feelings for Jared. If he could move on, they he should. That would be better for him.


    ¡°Alright, Bye,¡± Sarah said, waving her hand at the both of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯te out of your house while you are there. Just pick a few clothes and I wille and pick you up by 4pm. Is that okay?¡± Jared asked as they drove to her house. Astra knew that she was not totally safe. Thest thing that she wanted was to be kidnapped and not still able to save Theo and Stephanie. That would be a waste.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Astra said. They got to her apartment fairly quickly. Astra smiled at the doorman leading to her house knowing fully well that there was a possibility that she might never have the chance to smile at him again.


    On getting to her house, she sighed and picked up the phone. She needed to make some calls.


    When one had these kind of life changing decisions to make, the person usually called family. Astra would not know what to say to her sister and her parents. They cut her off, but knowing everything that happened with Ray and all, she wondered if that was truly the case. Maybe there was something else involved. Even if Astra did not want to call her parents and sister, she had other family she needed to talk to. She would have visited her baby¡¯s grave if she was sure it was safe. She hoped that her daughter wasfortable in heaven, that would give her joy.


    It urred to Astra that she had never told Nichs about his daughter, or even about his son. Astra shook her head at that. It was on the list of things that she would do if she came back in one piece.


    She picked up the phone and called the number she only used for emergencies.


    ¡°Hello, Yvonne, how are you?¡± Astra asked her cousin. The both of them bonded so well since Yvonne was the ck sheep of the family. She got closer to her after the divorce. Astra stayed with her for the five years. Yvonne was with her to hold her hand throughoutbor, to help her when taking care of children became tasking. Yvonne cried with Astra when she lost her daughter.


    ¡°I am good Astra. What is up?¡± Yvonne asked, going straight to the point


    They both agreed not to have any contact with each other unless it was very important, and so Yvonne would know that something was wrong.


    ¡°I want to do something, Yvonne. It is a big dangerous, I am not sure I wille back. Please take care of my baby. I have you listed as my next of kin and you would not have to worry about money. Pleasee out to Nichs if something happened to me, I will write a letter. If I am fine, I will do it myself,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°What!¡± Yvonne shouted immediately. Astra had not kept her in the loop of everything so her reaction was expected.


    ¡°What the hell do you want to do that might endanger your life? And why do you suddenly want to tell Nichs? You have kept this from him for the past five years, why now?¡± Yvonne asked.


    ¡°I cannot exin in details, but the situation has changed. Nichs deserves to know. How is my baby?¡± Astra asked, changing the topic immediately


    ¡°Oh, he is fine. The doctor says he is out of the woods now, and he is home with me. He is tired of the hospital smells, and he misses his mommy. He hasn¡¯t seen her in so long,¡± Yvonne said and Astra felt down. She wondered again if leaving the small town where her cousin resided to go back to the city, was really a good idea.


    ¡°I wille back home, after all of this, I wille back,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Promise me, Astra, promise me that you will be safe. I don¡¯t know what I would do if something happened to you,¡± Yvonne said and Astra knew that she had to reassure her.


    ¡°I will be fine, just pray for me. I wille back in one piece and I will show my baby to his daddy,¡± Astra said. She needed the reassurance too. She needed to hope that she would be fine.

 Fifty Six

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, it will be fine too, everything will be okay,¡± Yvonne said.


    ¡°I have to get going now. There are some things I need to do,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Alright then, I wish you luck. Your baby is sleeping right now, if not you would have been able to talk to him,¡± Yvonne said.


    ¡°Yeah. I will call again, I wille to see him even,¡± Astra said before she disconnected the call. She settled on her bed with a sigh. She felt drained from the call. She took a deep breath and then sighed before she started to pack a small bag.


    She already knew what she wanted to do, she would get to Nichs¡¯ house and then she would call Ray. She would fix a meeting and then she would go to see Ray, the GPS and recording intact. She had another n though, she managed to get a recorder of her own, she would hide it even more that the ones they would get her. The GPS was only to get her location, and once she gets to the spot, her location would be sure. So even if they catch her with the GPS everything would be fine.


    Astra was still nning in her head when her phone rang. She figured it was Jared calling her and started arranging her things faster, he was probably waiting for her downstairs. The phone kept ringing though and Astra immediately picked it, not ncing well at the person who called her.


    ¡°I am on my way. I just need a few minutes,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I know where you are, and I know where you are going,¡± the voice at the other end of the phone said, it was Ray. Astra¡¯s heart beat increased massively as she struggled to breathe. Ray called her, Ray that tried to destroy her life and was currently holding a one year old and a pregnant woman in hostage because of her called her. Ray was on to what they wanted to do.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± Ray asked when she did not reply. Astra could not say a word but she knew that her erratic breathing could be heard from the phone.


    ¡°You should not be scared. I will not hurt you, I would not mind hurting the baby with me though,¡± Ray said and Astra heard a scream that clearly belonged to a child. A scream came out of her own mouth before she could contain herself. Tears rushed down her eyes before she could stop them, she didn¡¯t even want to stop them.


    ¡°Are you crying? Oh you shouldn¡¯t. What you should be doing is trying to save the baby, and your friend,¡± Ray said. Astra¡¯s hand was shaking as she held the phone. She could barely stand, and so she sat on the bed. Her pulse rate had not decreased and it seemed like she was getting dizzy from the fear.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience for children you see, nor for pregnant women,¡± Ray continued.


    ¡°So, when should I be expecting you?¡± Ray asked and she heard Stephanie¡¯s scream from the background. Astra tightened her eyes in pain and more tears flowed down her eyes. It was because of her, it was all because of her. All that was happening was her fault.


    ¡°Will you let them go if Ie?¡± Astra asked, she knew that her voice was shaky and it was give Ray a chance to exploit her, but at that point, she simply didn¡¯t care.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Would I let them go?¡± Ray said slowly, with the same energy as one choosing to buy a green or a red apple.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, depends on how much of yourself you are willing to give,¡± Ray said and dread creeped down Astra¡¯s spine. What the hell had she gotten herself into?


    ¡°I am willing to do anything, as far as you promise to let them go,¡± Astra said and took a deep breath. She hoped she was not making a wrong decision. She knew that it was a but reckless to make a decision at all without telling anyone in the first ce, but it was an emergency and everyone would understand. Besides, she already made up her mind to set herself up as bait.


    ¡°Anything?¡± Ray asked from the other end of the phone. Astra took in a deep breath. She was grateful that she had called Yvonne earlier and asked of her baby.


    ¡°Yes, anything. You have to assure me that Theo and Steph will be safe though,¡± Astra said. She was hoping that her voice sounded as confident as she needed it to be. She was already scared. She did not need him to add to her fear.


    ¡°Well, in that case, you have to meet me up at the cafe in front of your house in thirty minutes. You will be one the phone the entire time, no funny business. I will let Theo and Stephanie go and I will show the video evidence. In exactly thirty minutes, I will want you to walk out of your house and meet me in the cafe, you are not allowed to call anyone during this period. You are not also allowed to leave your house, I am outside of the cafe, and I can see you. I have eyes everywhere. If you try to contact someone then our deal is off,¡± Ray said and Astra felt a chill go down her spine.


    ¡°What if someone tries to contact me?¡± Astra asked. Her voice was shaky, but she remembered that Jared was to meet her in her soon, and he might be in danger because of her.


    ¡°Jared will not be able to get to you, don¡¯t worry about your little boyfriend. Although, I would worry about your ex-husband, he keeps putting his nose where it doesn¡¯t belong. Jared is proving to be like him it seems. So, do you agree to my n?¡± Ray asked. It was dawning more and more on Astra that Ray was very dangerous and that he could do a lot to her.


    ¡°You are taking too much time, you want to say no?¡± Ray asked and Astra swallowed. She could not seem to open her mouth, she was that scared.


    ¡°So you don¡¯t care about Theo and Steph enough. That is okay, they are not your blood. What about Yvonne and your ¡®baby¡¯? Don¡¯t you care about them? I have their location in my palms and they will be gone in a flick of my finger,¡± Ray said and Astra began to shake. She did not tell anyone about her child, not even Stephanie. She did not tell them that she had twins, but just a girl that died. Ray was not supposed to know about that, but then he did and he was already using it against her. Astra could not let anything happen to her child. She did not know what she would do to herself if something bad happened to her child.


    ¡°No! You don¡¯t have any right to touch him!¡± Astra shouted. She could not help herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t? You are mine Astra, all mine. You have no right to be with anyone else. Not at all. You should be with me only me!¡± Ray shouted. He sounded unhinged. It was so bad that she wondered if he was supposed to be roaming. The man belonged in an asylum. Regardless of what she thought, it was toote. She had to do something of her child and her friends. She could not say no.


    ¡°I will do it,¡± Astra said, tears rolling down her eyes.

 Fifty Seven

    ¡°Okay, then. Let the games begin,¡± Ray said and burst intoughter. Astra sat on her bed shaking as she heard a car door open through the phone. He was probably seated in the car all the while. Ray was not talking to her but she heard him make several calls. He was talking to people, asking them to bring Stephanie and Theo from the site. Astra did not know what she should do, she just sat there and listened. It was very hard for her to sit still.


    ¡°Are you still there?¡± Ray asked after about ten minutes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Astra said. Her mind was going through various possibilities as she sat down waiting for thirty minutes.


    ¡°I am sending you video evidence of Stephanie and Theo leaving the site,¡± Ray said and Astra picked up her phone. Sure enough it was there. There was a video of a battered looking Stephanie trying to soothe a crying Theo, rubbing his arms as the child held closely to her. Astra felt like someone was stabbing at her heart when she watched the video. Her chest hurt and it seemed like it was constricted.


    The child she knew was a happy one. Because of her the child was crying and Theo was only a year old. What could Ray have done to him? Her son was four years old and fear for him began to rise. No one knew about him. His father would not be able to protect him. Her child was sick, he would not survive the torture. Tears began to rush from Astra¡¯s eyes even more as looked at the video. Yvonne alone would not be able to care for the him. Ray was dangerous.


    ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t do anything to hurt my son. Please just promise me that, if you don¡¯t promise me then I am noting,¡± Astra said and Rayughed.


    ¡°Bold of you to assume that you have a choice. The only reason why I am being nice is because I don¡¯t want any unnecessary drama. I don¡¯t give two fucks about the child though. Even though it annoys me that I am not his father. You know I always wanted you to be the mother of my first child, of all my children. Too bad that bitch Stephanie got pregnant first,¡± Ray said chuckling. His deration made her worry about Stephanie. Astra hoped she was safe with the baby. Ray was capable of doing anything to hurt her and the child.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want my child safe,¡± Astra said again.


    ¡°Of course, of course. Your child will be safe and sound. I won¡¯ty a finger on him. I promise,¡± Ray said. Astra did not trust him.


    ¡°In about five minutes, Stephanie and Theo will arrive at Nichs¡¯ house and you wille downstairs,¡± Ray said and Astra began to think about something. She needed her child to be safe. She started to write a note to Nichs as carefully as she could.


    ¡®Nichs I was pregnant when we divorced. I had twins, the girl died after three months, but the boy is alive. He his sick, but Ray knows about him. He is with my cousin Yvonne in the suburbs. This is her number. Please keep him safe.¡¯ She wrote. Astra figured that Ray¡¯s men would ran sack her house when she left and so she kept it under the leg of her table. She truly hoped they would find it.


    ¡°What are you up to? You have been quiet for too long,¡± Ray said from the other side of the phone.


    ¡°I am here. Are Stephanie and Theo home yet?¡± Astra asked. She needed proof that he had done his part of the deal.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, they are. I will send you the videos immediately,¡± Ray said and Astra opened her phone. It was Theo being united with Sarah.  The tears of joy and smile on Sarah¡¯s face made her sure that she was doing the right thing. No mother should have to suffer loss. Nichs held Stephanie as she almost copsed to the ground.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Astra asked immediately. She was scared for her friend.


    ¡°She will be fine. She knew better than to cross me or try to betray me, but she will be fine. I cannot say much for you if you try to do anything funny. I have taken a lot of bullshit from you and frankly, I am not taking anymore. You have to ept that you are mine and every other thing would go smoothly,¡± Ray said. Astra closed her eyes in a prayer as it seemed like her moment of judgment was there.


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Starting out,¡± Ray shouted and Astra stood up from her bed. Her legs were shaky because she was scarred. She was scared that she would fall down. She was scared that she would walk to the cafe and nevere back home. She was scared that she would never have the chance to fall in love again or to hold her child again. She was scared that friendships would not be the same for her because of the trauma she experienced. She was scared that she would not get to live again.


    Astra walked out of her room and out of her apartment building. Her legs were shaking and it felt like everyone was focused on her. It did not take long for her to realize that people were watching her. Ray¡¯s men were all over. They were not dressed in ck suits but Astra could tell that they were armed and ready to fire at any slight provocation. She did not want to be an example of sorts.


    Astra walked straight to the cafe and walked right in. She struggled to smile at the waiter who greeted her and walked almost mechanically to Ray. It had been so long since she saw Ray but she was not sure that was the reason he looked so darned sinister. He looked like he was about to eat her up. Astra wondered how she had been so blind to his looks for so long. How everything was suddenly bing clear to her.


    ¡°Try to smile,¡± Ray said smoothly. He did not sound the way he did while they were on phone. He actually sounded genuine. Astra was taken aback for a moment, she looked outside the window and saw Jared¡¯s car park in front of her apartment building. Astra felt like crying then. She felt like screaming. She felt like running away. She should have just stayed for a while more. Maybe, just maybe he would have saved her. He would have her light in shining armor and she would have fallen in love with him.


    ¡°I kind of like the guy. He knows what he wants and goes for it. Even if the girl doesn¡¯t see it yet. He is kind of like me,¡± Ray said and Astra eyes widened in disgust.


    ¡°He is nothing like you, nothing at all. His intentions are pure and he can never be a monster like you,¡± Astra said. Her voice was not loud and it had not attracted people to them. Her words did not seem to affect Ray though. He was not bothered. It made Astra feel like she was going crazy. Ray stood up from the chair and took her hand, leading her outside. Astra could not help but follow him. His grip was strong enough that she could not let go.


    ¡°Astra, Astra. You see everyone has good intentions at the beginning. It all the depends on the people they meet, their experiences tend to shape them. When men like me who love deeply meet women like you who string men along, multiple men at once, they tend to be violent, unhinged. You my dear, are the one to me. Give Jared time, he would do the same thing as me,¡± Ray said as he ushered her into his car. For a very long while, Astra believed him.

 Fifty Eight

    Nichs was seated in his living room, going through some documents when his bodyguard burst into the house. Because of the general unrest that day, his heartbeat seemed to stop for a moment.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± He asked his bodyguard. He knew that panic could be heard in his voice, at that moment, he really didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°There is somebody at the door,¡± the man said. Nichs did not stop the analyze the statement as he rushed outside.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± He could hear Sarah ask.


    ¡°Come outside,¡± he simply said and rushed outside with the body guard.


    ¡°There were cars before, they are gone,¡± the body guard said. He was looking confused at the almost empty balcony.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Sarah shouted and raced outside. Nichs followed her line of view and saw that Stephanie was holding Theo in her arms. She was just standing at one point. The both of them looked tattered.


    Sarah rushed to her and carried Theo in her arms. His nephew started crying immediately. Even his tears did not sound like they used to. Nichs put his attention to Steph as he heard her made a tired humph.


    Nichs rushed to her and held her in his arms, she almost fell down, she was clearly very weak. She looked malnourished and Nichs wondered what they had done to them over there.


    He held on to her and helped move into the house.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Stephanie said. It was barely audible. Her voice sounded coarse.


    ¡°Astra is fine, you are not,¡± Nichs said and looked at her very well. He then saw blood trickling down her leg.


    ¡°What the hell? Are you okay? Do you feel pain anywhere?¡± Nichs asked her but Stephanie did not say anything, she just copsed on him.


    ¡°Get me my keys, we are going to the hospital,¡± Nichs said to his bodyguard. The man immediately ran into the house. Nichs hoisted Steph into his arms and carried her to his car.


    ¡°Come on Sarah, we are all going. Theo needs to be checked out,¡± Nichs said to Sarah. The body guard had alreadye out and started the car. They all rushed inside the car.


    ¡°Oh my God! Is she bleeding? She might be losing the baby,¡± Sarah said as she saw Stephanie. She did look like life was seeping out of her veins. It was not a very favorable look, not one that Nichs liked.


    ¡°Hurry!¡± Sarah shouted at the driver. They got to the hospital fast enough and paramedics immediately came to attend to them as they screamed that it was an emergency.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Sarah shouted as they carried Stephanie from Nichs leg. There was so much blood. She had lost a lot of blood.


    ¡°You both should stay back,¡± the paramedics said as they rushed Stephanie inside the hospital. Nichs felt like he was about to go crazy.


    ¡°Is Theo okay? We need to get him checked out,¡± he managed to say.


    ¡°I will go myself, just stay this way in case there is any news about Stephanie,¡± Sarah said. Nichs wanted to go, but he figured that Sarah was right. He could not be in two ces at once.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Nichs said and watched Sarah walk into the hospital.


    Nichs was nervous. He left like he would go crazy from all the suspense. He was still standing in the reception when his phone began to ring. While he was not in the mood to talk to anybody, he brought out the phone to see who was calling, it was Jared. Nichs frowned, wondering why Jared was calling. He figured he had gotten back to the house with Astra and no one was home.


    ¡°Hello, where are you?¡± Jared asked. He sounded frantic.


    ¡°I am at the hospital. What is wrong?¡± Nichs asked He could hear Jared moving around, he was pacing.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing at the hospital? Astra is missing. I am sure it is that bastard Ray that took her. I would have stayed, I should have, it would have never happened,¡± Jared said. Nichs was not sure of what he was hearing. But he did not like it either way.


    ¡°What? Calm down Jared. Please juste to the hospital, Stephanie and Theo are here,¡± Nichs exined. He heard Jared halt in his steps and let out a breath.


    ¡°That is a relief at least. I am on my way,¡± Jared said before disconnecting the call. Nichs¡¯ mind began to travel as Jared disconnected the call.  Astra was gone. She was kidnapped. Jared was right she was with Ray. Seeing the state that Stephanie was in, the woman that Ray was with for years, Nichs did not want to imagine how Astra would be.  He needed to get her out of there and fast, but how. He did not even have evidence that he was the one who kidnapped her. What if she went willingly? Nichs was not sure what to do.


    It did not help that the paramedics had not returned to say anything, neither had Sarah. Jared was still on his way to giving him the full story of Astra¡¯s disappearance. It felt like he was waiting for a dead sentence at three different angles.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Sarah asked and Nichs looked at her. She looked tired but relieved. Theo was looking a lot cleaner, but he was still wearing his old clothes. He was resting his head on his mother¡¯s shoulder and his eyes were dropping. The poor child was tired. He was the one that dragged her into the mess, he needed to get her out as soon as possible.


    ¡°What did the doctor say about Theo?¡± He asked instead. It was a much safer topic.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, he said that he was a bit malnourished and there was little scratches on his body that he treated but he will be fine. He just needed food and rest,¡± Sarah said and Nichs was relieved. He took in a breath he did not know he was holding. He needed to get that bastard Ray, he was causing too much pain to his family and the people he loved. Nichs could not tolerate that.


    ¡°Did you hear from Astra and Jared?¡± Sarah asked and Nichs sighed. He was not sure he wanted to tell Sarah what happened, he did not want to worry her, but he was also sure that she would find out eventually.


    ¡°Jared called me, Astra is missing,¡± Nichs said, not missing a breath. Sarah frowned and held her son just a little tighter.


    ¡°What the hell? I am sure it is rted to how Stephanie and Theo are back. The bastard took her,¡± Sarah said. She sounded very angry, which was a bit weird since Sarah did not like Astra at all. It seemed that much had changed with time.


    ¡°I am waiting for Jared. He will give us all the details,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I am trying not to overthink. Anything could have happened,¡± he continued.


    ¡°You are right,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°And to think Steph was asking about her. I figured she knew something was wrong with Astra,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yes, what about Steph? Have the doctors said anything yet?¡± Sarah asked and he shook his head.


    ¡°Why not? It has been a while,¡± Sarah asked. ¡°We should talk to the nurses and ask,¡± she continued.


    ¡°We should,¡± he agreed. They went on to ask about her with a nurse.


    ¡°We rushed her here. She our friend,¡± they told the nurse.


    ¡°She is still in the woods to be honest. She lost a lot of blood and she is pregnant. I cannot be sure if she will be fine. You have to be patient,¡± the nurse said.


    ¡°We are at the reception then, we will wait,¡± Nichs said and walked with Sarah in that direction.

 Fifty Nine

    ¡°You should sit down. Theo is already asleep,¡± he told his cousin. Sarah sat down and ced Theo on her thigh.


    ¡°Jared is wasting a bit of time. It has been a while. I am hoping nothing happened to him too,¡± Sarah said and Nichs frowned. Leave it up to Sarah to think the worse.


    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Nichs said and sat right beside her.


    ¡°Nichs! Sarah!¡± Jared shouted when he got into the clinic. Nichs was already dozing off but immediately became alert when he heard Jared¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Jared, what took you so long?¡± He asked. The younger man shrugged.


    ¡°Long story, but that¡¯s not important now. How is Stephanie?¡± Jared asked


    ¡°We have not been allowed to see her, she is still with the doctors,¡± Sarah said and Jared sighed. He reached out to touch Theo¡¯s hair and feel his smooth face.


    ¡°Thank God the both of them are home though,¡± Jared said. He looked too calm for someone that was frantic over the phone.


    ¡°What about Astra? What happened to her?¡± Nichs asked. Jared took a deep breath.


    ¡°I left her at her ce to pack a few clothes and that I would be back in a bit. By the time I came back, I called her line severally and she did not pick up, at first the line was busy and then it was switched off, she was talking to someone at first,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°I went up to her room and realized that she was packing and then she stopped. Her bag was not half way filled yet. But I still saw some odd things. Someone was there after Astra and before me. Her books were scattered even her table, I wondered why she would be looking for books for an overnight trip,¡± Jared continued and Nichs nodded. It did not make much sense.


    ¡°So I called you to say she was missing, and I immediately suspected Ray. I went on to ask the doorman if he saw her. The door man told me that she got in and went out like one hourter, that it was not so long since she left that I came. And she left and came in on her own. But he noticed something weird when she was leaving, she didn¡¯t talk to anyone. Astra was usually very chirpy and happy, and she always greeted him, but she didn¡¯t when she was leaving. He also said that he watched her a bit that she went into the coffee shop. I know the ce so I went in myself, asking around a bit I discovered that Ray was there, he was on call throughout and that Astra came to meet him there and they left together,¡± Jared continued. Nichs was nodding as he listened to the story, and the wheels in his head were turning.


    ¡°This is what I think happened. Nichs called and decided to strike a deal with her. She was to exchange her freedom for that of Sarah and Theo. Astra agreed, but she probably asked for evidence, that was why she was on phone for thirty minutes, to get Stephanie and Theo to your house. He kept her on the phone for so long so that she could not call anyone else, not even us, which was very brilliant. After he told her to meet him in the cafe and she did. He probably had the ce surrounded. She could not run, and so she walked to meet him the cafe and they went together,¡± Jared said.


    ¡°It seems like you have figured everything out,¡± Sarah said. She was smiling.


    ¡°Knowing what happened is good, but we need to get Astra out of there, as soon a possible,¡± Nichs said and they all agreed.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As Astra sat in the car that drove both her and Ray, she wondered why she had not seen the signs. Well, there was also the fact that she might have seen the signs but had ignored them. At first when they were in high school, it was taken as just a crush and it was even looked upon as cute back then. It had made Astra feel a bit good that someone liked her that much. Over time, Astra saw that it was posing as a problem, but she did not take it seriously. It was when she got into college and realized that he was trying to sabotage her rtionships that she even took a little seriously, just a little though. Astra had actually thought that if he met someone else that he would leave her alone.


    Astra did not want that person to be Stephanie at first but her friend had been so hooked on Ray that Astra could have not dissuaded her if she tried, and Astra tried. She did a lot to make Stephanie leave him, but it did not work. After a while, it seemed like Ray¡¯s attention shifted from her to Steph and Stephanie loved the attention. Astra was cool with it. Hell, she was happy. Dating was still not easy for her though, because of the amount of breakups. When she met Nichs, she was ready to fall in love. It happened so hard and so fast that they could barely see the obstacles on their way. When Ray was angry that she did not tell him that she got married, Astra figured he was angry for the same reason everyone was, that they were not invited to the wedding. He was living with Stephanie and they were basically the best couple she knew. Astra did not suspect that Ray was still in love with her.


    Even when Nichs and Astra started having issues of farce infidelity and all, Astra could have never even suspected Ray. Nichs had many other enemies and it was not usually Ray¡¯s style. Her mind went to his direction once in a while but it never stayed there. When her marriage with Nichs ended, Ray did not try to make a pass at her. He was still with Stephanie even. All the doubts she had left then.


    She might have seen the signs but so many things contradicted them, and now this. Astra recalled when she came back to town and Nichs put her on the case with Thompson. She wondered then what role Thompson had to y in it all, was he just a pawn? Or did he have a major role to y with Ray?


    ¡°What are you thinking about? Are you still shocked?¡± Ray asked. He seemed so smug. He was probably feeling himself because he had pulled it off, he fooled her.


    ¡°What does Thompson have to do with anything?¡± Astra asked. Evidence pointed to Thompson as the culprit, but it was never enough to pin it on him. It also seemed like someone was protecting him. It seemed like that person was Ray.


    ¡°Oh, you are trying to put all the pieces together aren¡¯t you? Well you have a lot of pieces to put together. Thompson is just one,¡± Ray said, and Astra chilled. Did it mean he had done even more than she knew?


    ¡°I really love you, you know,¡± Ray said moving closer to her. He took her face in his hand and she tried to move away from him. Astra felt like insects were crawling over her. This was not the friend that she knew. She felt so irritated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Astra spat, and it seemed like Ray changed in the space of a second. His eyes grew angry and murderous. His grip on her jaw was extra painful and it felt like he wanted to rip her jaw from her body. Pain reverberated from her entire face and neck.

 Sixty

    ¡°You know you are a such a brat right? I had to go through all this stress because of you. I had to do so much, use so many years. I just needed you, I tried to get someone else, but I could not just be satisfied. It is your fault. I don¡¯t have any problem in hurting people around you if you are not willing. I still know where your son is. Be careful how you behave with me,¡± Ray said and Astra felt chills down her spine. He moved her face closer to his and Astra was schooling herself on how to try to be calm and then he suddenly let go of her face.


    ¡°No need to rush, I have an entire lifetime with you all to myself,¡± Ray said. The force with which he removed his hand made her shift backwards andnd on her back. Astra felt relieved that Ray left her alone for that moment, but she also knew that her relief would notst, as he was already nning on what he would doter on.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Astra was scared for her child. She badly needed someone to search her house and find the note. She did not mind sacrificing herself as she barely even had a choice, but she did not want her child to be hurt in the long run. Astra knew that Ray would not just suddenly leave her son alone. He was clearly getting obsessed with him.


    ¡°Oh yes, you asked a question,¡± Ray said. It seemed like he forgot that she was there and just recalled. Astra liked that he was talking though, he es interacting with her and she was gathering evidence. Astra was grateful that she was able to get the recording device from the house and even able to wear it without Ray suspecting anything. She just needed to gather enough information and flee. She hoped that the police and Nichs woulde for her soon.


    ¡°You asked about Thompson,¡± he continued. It was clear that he did not need validation from her to keep on talking.


    ¡°Thompson was really just the avable means I had. He had a grudge against Nichs, I knew a secret of his and so he was very easy to manipte. For the longest time, the man felt like I was helping him. Well, that was until he decided that he had developed a conscience. Oops, it was so bad that he did not remain the same way he was at the beginning,¡± Ray said, he was grinning now. It was chilling. Astra feared for Thompson. She hoped that Ray did not mean that he killed the man. She would not be able to bear the burden of a dead man on her conscience.


    Ray looked at her and began tough. It was not the kind ofughter that prompted you tough too, it was different. It was a different type ofughter, the type that brought chills down your spine. Astra knew then that something was seriously wrong with the man, he needed to be in a psychiatric hospital, and it felt like it was her fault that it got this bad.


    ¡°You know let me tell you a secret, Thompson¡¯s secret,¡± Ray said in a hushed tone. Astra was just afraid of the man that she was seeing, he was growing unhinged.


    ¡°He has a daughter, and yes, her mother is a hooker. And he is ashamed of them, he doesn¡¯t want anyone to know. And I found out, I have pictures. Just like the type I had of you,¡± Ray said. Astra did not know what to think. Ray was a maniptive bastard. He probably made Thompson believe that his daughter was such a terrible secret.


    ¡°You are a horrible human being,¡± Astra spat. She felt terrible that she was his friend for so long, someone that did not seem to have feelings.


    ¡°Just the way you made me,¡± Ray said and Astra felt like a knife went into her chest.


    ¡°I was fine before you came and ruined me. I was just fine. I did not have all these thoughts in my head, I did not think about you only, and the voices in my head were much more quiet,¡± Ray said. He sounded like a child then. A child that had been deprived of candy. He sounded like a child that was about to throw a tantrum. Maybe that was all he was. For a split moment, Astra felt sorry for him. Maybe he did not deserve all that life dished out for him. Maybe nothing was his fault. His next words though, took all the her pity away. Ray seemed to switch again, it was like he was a new person.


    ¡°Do you remember when I took those pictures? Oh of course you don¡¯t remember, you were asleep and so was Nichs,¡± Ray said. He was smiling now. Like a cat who had gotten the cream. Astra wished that the ride would just end. She was tired.


    Astra wondered what he was talking about again. She hoped it was not what she felt it was.


    ¡°You were asleep because I gave you an injection. You know I worked so hard on those pictures. It took me three months to make everything perfect. The both of you were so happy that it sickened me, I needed to do something,¡± Ray started and realization began toe to Astra, tears began to flow. What the hell had she done?


    ¡°I organized an orgy for those old buggers and they jumped at the chance. It was quite easy to get them all high, but it was harder to get you and your idiot ex husband out of your house. I had to drug you both with a very hard drug so that you would not have any memory at all of what happened. I managed to do it, it wasn¡¯t easy though. I got you into the orgy with the help of my men and naked too. I enjoyed photographing you, I have some shots myself. I even did some of your husband, I was nning to give them to you, but it seemed like only your pictures were enough to ruin the marriage. Just like that. I had to bid my time before giving him the pictures because I was not sure just how much he remembered from that night. I did not want to send pictures and be figured out then. My patience helped though, it all worked ording to n,¡± Ray said. Astra felt like she was going to throw up. She felt dirty, used, good enough as trash. She did not even know what to think. She figured that the pictures were photoshopped but to think that he actually took them. Her tears began to rush out more and more.


    ¡°I actually thought that you would immediatelye to me when your husband pushed you out, but you didn¡¯t. I was so angry, but unable to do anything, just like when you got married. I knew that I could not act so that I would not be considered as a suspect. I took out my anger on Nichs, by making sure that his investors began to leave one by one. I was happy then, finally. I also sent the pictures to your parents and family to make sure that you had no where to go. I was happy that Nichs was in pain, and for a while that you were in pain too,¡± Ray said. Astraunched at him then, she started hitting him. He was the reason why her parents had cut off ties with her, and he imed that he loved her.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster,¡± Astra said as she hit him. She was crying and he wasughing. Her hits went nowhere.


    ¡°The exact type that you made,¡± Ray replied and Astra cried even harder.

 Sixty One

    Astra had been missing for two days and Nichs was sure that he would go crazy. There had been no hints from the police.  Nichs was regretting not letting Astra be bait for Ray. It would have been much easier to track down Ray. The police had tried to track the vehicles that brought Stephanie and Theo back home but the te numbers were fake. The only thing that gave him a bit of joy was the fact that both Theo and Stephanie were well. Steph was discharged from the hospital that day, thankfully she did not lose the baby. Nichs was sure that she would be having conflicting feelings, she was carrying the child of a man that had threatened to kill her and was obsessed with her friend.


    Nichs was hoping to get some information about Ray¡¯s hideout from Stephanie. She was better than she was before and so it will be easier to talk to her. Sarah, Jared and Nichs together with Steph were seated in Nichs¡¯ living room. Jared started living in his house temporarily for safety purposes. Nichs had tightened up the security in the house. Nichs was a bit surprised that Jared so easily agreed to stay. Nichs was seeing some kind of chemistry between Jared and his cousin. He was not sure whether he should be thankful or not. It meant that Jared would not be interested in Astra anymore, but his cousin.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Do you remember anything from where you were held?¡± Sarah asked Stephanie, who looked a bit confused.


    ¡°Are you guys trying to find Ray? Please leave that job for the police. Ray can be very dangerous,¡± Stephanie said, her eyes were wide and she sounded scared. She was clearly not ready for the conversation yet. Steph also did not know that Astra was kidnapped. There had been marks on her body and she was malnourished by the time she was brought back. Her eyes seemed like they had seen more than her mouth could talk. She was too scared of Ray.


    ¡°We just want to know the details,¡± Sarah said. Nichs wanted to tell her not to push Stephanie too much.


    ¡°I already talked to the police in the hospital. Where did Astra go why is she not back till now?¡± Stephanie asked, and both Jared and Sarah looked at him. Nichs knew that it was only a matter of time before she became very inquisitive, she really wanted to know what happened to Astra.


    ¡°Astra is with Ray, Steph,¡± Nichs said carefully, and Stephanie shook her head.


    ¡°No, no, that is not right! She can¡¯t be with him. He would hurt her. I should go back instead, let him take me and bring Astra back,¡± Stephanie cried, she was hysterical. Sarah went on to hold her as she shook her head and cried.


    ¡°I am so sorry, we will bring her back, we promise¡± Nichs said. Stephanie was still crying.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs,¡± Sarah said to Steph.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t understand. Ray is crazy, he is mad. There are no simple ways to say it. He feels what je is doing is normal. He believes that he deserves Astra. He confessed to so many things when I was with him, and I wondered how he even had the time to do all that. His mental issues came with money. He had enough money to do whatever it is that he wanted. There is alter Nichs, an alter of all her pictures, he even has pictures of her naked. I cannot even begin to imagine what he would do to her when he finally gets her. You have to get her out of there,¡± Stephanie said, and everywhere was silent. Nichs was trying to imagine all that Steph said. It was crazy. Sarah started crying. Jared covered his face with his hands and Nichs could feel his chest constrict. She had been there for two days.


    ¡°We should go upstairs,¡± Sarah said again to Stephanie. Steph went with Sarah this time. They went upstairs together.


    ¡°Astra needs to leave there now,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°But how do you we know where she is?¡± Jared asked. Nichs could note up with anything. He felt so fucking helpless.


    Nichs was about to say something else when his phone rang. It was the police. Nichs hoped that they had found Astra and they were on their way to get her.


    ¡°Hello, this is Detective Morris, we found a letter while clearing out Astra¡¯s ce. We believe it belongs to you. Please can youe to the station to get it?¡± The detective asked. Nichs was disappointed but also curious as to what the letter would contain.


    ¡°Okay, I am on my way,¡± Nichs said and disconnected the call.


    ¡°I am going to the police station. They have something for me,¡± Nichs told Jared.


    ¡°Try and see if you can get information about the whereabouts of Astra,¡± Jared said and Nichs nodded. He then left and drove the police station, he had a body guard with him.


    Nichs entered into the police station and went straight to the detective. ¡°I have some news for you, but read the letter first,¡± the detective said and handed him a letter. Nichs took theter and opened it. The handwriting was clearly Astra¡¯s but the message was very shocking. You have a son, he is in trouble. Those were the major things he picked from the letter. He was trying to wrap his head around having a son and then Ray was after him too. There was a number for her cousin, Yvonne. Nichs had heard the name once or twice from her but had never met the said cousin.


    ¡°We have already called the number. The police are on their way to their address at the moment. It would be best if you stayed to meet them,¡± the detective said, but Nichs was still in shock. He did know why Astra kept it as a secret from him for so long, but then he reasoned that if she had told him when they got divorced he would not have believed her. He would have felt like she was bearing another man¡¯s child.


    Nichs sat down and was quiet for a while, but then he remembered how Stephanie was. They still needed to find Astra.


    ¡°Is there any news on Astra¡¯s whereabouts?¡¯ Nichs managed to ask. The detective looked at him with eyes that spelt something close to pity.


    ¡°We have gotten the list of properties that Ray owns, and we are trying to reduce with the description that Stephanie made and the direction the cars went to. I have my eyes on one in particr. Latest by the tomorrow we will raid the building, Astra will be safe,¡± Detective Morris said.


    ¡°Stephanie said a lot of things today, she said that Ray had a shrine for Astra. I am scared for her. I hope that he doesn¡¯t do anything to her,¡± Nichs said and Morris looked at him.


    ¡°With the way Stephanie described Ray, he has a mental disorder, but we cannot assume since he has not been examined. People like that can be very erratic. I will not lie to you. The probability that Ray has done something to your wife is very high. She has been with him for more than 24 hours, and he seems to be obsessed with her.¡± It was the exact thing that Nichs feared that Morris just said.


    ¡°There is still hope that she will be fine though. Like I said, they are erratic and so very unpredictable,¡± Morris said, and Nichs sighed.

 Sixty Two

    ¡°Oh, they are here,¡± Morris said and Nichs looked up. He could see a woman who looked a bit like Astra¡¯s sister, Charise, and a small boy, he looked around three years old, he looked exactly the way Nichs did when he was three. By his calctions, his son should be four years old, but then Nichs remembered that Astra said he was sick. He did look a bit sick and frail.


    ¡°Nichs, I am Yvonne. It is nice to meet you,¡± Yvonne said, stretching her hand for a handshake. Nichs managed to stretch his hand to Yvonne.


    ¡°I am guessing you are Astra¡¯s cousin. You look a lot like Charise,¡± Nichs said. He did not have anything better to say. He was scared even.


    ¡°Yes, people say that a lot. This is your son, Brian. He is a bit shy,¡± Yvonne said, smiling. She seemed okay with everything. It was shocking. Nichs was not sure he could do that.


    ¡°My son. Please can I hold him?¡¯ Nichs asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Yvonne said and stretched the child to him. Nichs held the child with care. Brian opened his eyes and looked at Nichs. The child was studying him.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°You look like me,¡± Brian said. His voice was stronger than how he looked, Nichs was surprised.


    ¡°Yes I do. My name is Nichs, but you can call me daddy,¡± he told the little boy. Brian¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°Really? That is so cool. Mommy tells me that I am named after my granddad. Is he Brian too?¡± Brian asked and Nichs was surprised. He had almost forgotten. Astra named their son after his father.


    ¡°Yes, he is heaven now though,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Mommy told me that too. Where is Mommy? Aunt Yvonne told me that we areing to see her,¡± Brian said. His voice still had a baby tone to it, but he sure had a lot to say.


    ¡°Your Mommy ising soon, Brian,¡± Yvonne said with augh.


    ¡°He is quite a handful,¡± Yvonne said.


    ¡°Thank you, for everything,¡± Nichs said, this woman had taken care of his son.


    ¡°Astra would have done the same for me,¡± Yvonne said with a smile.


    ¡°We need to talk to you,¡± a detective said to Yvonne and Nichs nodded. He talked more with Brian, and the little boy told him all about his school, his friends at home, and how he was really sick before and how all his hair fell off.


    ¡°But I am all better now,¡± Brian said, and Nichs felt so terrible. His child was battling cancer and all he cared about was getting revenge. It never even urred to him that Astra had a child.


    ¡°Of course, you look really good,¡± Nichs said. After a while, Yvonne came out of the interrogating room, Brian was asleep then.


    ¡°The policemen told me that Astra was kidnapped,¡± Yvonne said. She looked so ferocious that Nichs was almost scared.


    ¡°I will tell you all about it on our way home,¡± Nichs said and ushered Yvonne to his car. He held a sleeping Brian.


    ¡°Do you know Ray?¡± Nichs asked Yvonne. Yvonne nodded.


    ¡°He is obsessed with Astra and had been stalking her for a while now. He is even the reason why my marriage with Astra broke, he orchestrated it,¡± Nichs said and Yvonne raised an eyebrow. She clearly thought he was making excuses.


    ¡°I will exinter, but he is after Brian now, and that is why Astra left the note. We really need to find her as soon as possible. Ray may be mentally unstable and Astra may be in danger. The police is trying their best but I am very close to takingws into my hands,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I am so confused now, I don¡¯t even know how to process all this,¡± Yvonne said.


    ¡°Well you can think about itter. Astra said that Brian was sick. What is wrong with him?¡± Nichs asked. He already knew it was cancer, but he needed to be sure.


    ¡°Brian has leukaemia,¡± Yvonne said. Nichs only just found out that he had a son and he was already about to lose him.


    Astra felt hungry, tired and weak. Ray had driven her to his hideout that day and the emotional and physical torture had begun. Astra felt like she wanted to die. Like she had to die. She could not continue anymore. It felt like she was going crazy. Like she was bing just like Ray. She was bing unhinged and mad like him.


    She had learnt more than a few things since she got to his hideout. The first was that Ray was more obsessed than she thought, there was a room, the ce he first took her to, it was like a shrine, it was filled with her pictures from top to bottom.


    All the time that she had felt like someone was following her, Ray was actually stalking her. He had pictures of he right from high school. Astra remembered vaguely that he had a camera back then, and he was always taking a pictures of her. She liked it at a point as it made her feel pretty, but after a while, she was annoyed. That did not make him stop though, he kept on taking pictures of her and it seemed like he took pictures of her then when she was not aware.


    Even when she thought that Ray was not aware of her location, she saw pictures. They were pictures of her while on honeymoon with Nichs, then she hadn¡¯t told Ray that had gotten married. She saw pictures of when she was pregnant. Then she was pretty sure that Ray did not know her location. She ran away from everyone. She was alone, or so she thought.


    She saw a picture when she just delivered the twins, she was so happy then, finally a mother. Astra was still terribly mad at their father but she loved her children. Brian and Brianna were very close to heart. Astra saw another picture, it was Brianna died. She was so sad and it was easy to sink into depression. Her children were her only hope before then. She did not have anyone other than them. She was using up her savings before she could get another job, and then her baby girl was gone. Astra faced drinking then. She drank so much that she would be able to forget. So that she would forget all the hurt and pain she had gone through.


    Astra saw a picture of the fire. She was shocked then, for someone to have that shot, that means he was there when the fire urred. It scared her to the bone that Ray was around her during the fire. Her mind began to fly. Her baby was with her in the room, and no one knew who started the fire. She was not smoking cigarette had been found at the scene. By the time Astra woke up froma,  her baby was already with Yvonne. Yvonne fought for the right of her child, Astra had listed her as a rtive. Yvonne was the one that brought Astra back to life.


    ¡°Were you the one that started the fire?¡± Astra asked Ray then. She was angry, and she was hurt, and it was the first day she got to Ray¡¯s home.


    Rayughed at her question, it was the maniacalugh that she was growing to expect. ¡°I was so angry when you didn¡¯te to me. Even angrier when I found out you were pregnant. Your babies were so hard go get rid of. I was only able to get rid of one and it was after three months,¡± Ray said and Astra fell down in tears. Not her daughter, not her child!

 Sixty Three

    ¡°You are evil!¡± Astra shouted, tears were gushing out of her eyes.


    ¡°Evil? I am not so sure. I started the for because I wanted to hurt you, and kill the second child too. I wanted you the fell the pain I was feeling. It was not fair at all, you could be happy but I was miserable. I wanted you to go away so that I could move on. I needed you to leave,¡± Ray said and Astra shook her head. Tears rolling down her eyes. It was not fair that she had to go through this amount of pain for one man.


    ¡°Why me? Why did you fall in love with me? What did I do to deserve this torture? What happened to Poppy or Faith, or anyone in our highschool? This is not fair!¡± Astra shouted. She was on the ground. She was looking at pictures of her and her son, looking at the both of them in the hospital. She hoped that the note in her house would be found and that Nichs would find his son.


    ¡°What did you do? I don¡¯t know Astra, I don¡¯t know. What did I do? What did I do to be cursed with this obsession? I don¡¯t even want to love you anymore. Too many people love you, but I still love you, Astra and it is all your fault!¡± Ray shouted. He looked angry, angry enough to do something rash. Astra began to shift from him then. Before she knew it, Ray¡¯s boot collided with her side. Astra felt pain throughout her body. She immediately curled up. Tears rushed down her eyes again. She wondered when she was going to finally leave. If she was going to be able to leave and then she cried some more. Ray kicked and kicked at her until someone finally pushed him off, that was just the beginning of the torture she experienced in his hand.


    The next day, she met Thompson. Astra was thankful that Ray did not kill him but there was little difference between him and a dead man. He was in chains and he was unconscious. He was chained to a chair, but his hands and legs were locked. His mouth was gagged but by his position, you could tell that he was not conscious. He was alive though, Astra could tell that he was breathing. She had passed out the previous day and she woke up on the floor in an unknown room. Her clothes were still intact, even the mini recorder was still in her jacket. Astra started wondering around the unpleted building until she saw Thompson.


    ¡°That is what happens to people that cross me, and you my dear have crossed me many times,¡±  Ray said and Astra yelped. She did not expect Ray to just show up like that. She had been so happy that he was not there when she woke up, and she was hoping she could just avoid him forever.


    Astra moved away from Ray, she was trying not to let him touch her. Ray yanked on her jacket and pushed her back to his forcefully. Astra began to shake in fear. Her legs seemed to want to give way on her.


    ¡°You should not try not run Astra, you are mine now. We are going to be very good together, we will start our own family, get married, you will love me too. I have enough money, you will not have to do anything ever again in your life. Everything will be sorted. Tomorrow, my private jet will be here and we will go to Paris. We will start live all over again there. You just need to learn French Astra, it will be perfect,¡± Ray said, he was holding her close to him, too closely. Astra was disgusted by his ns. Did he really think that she would go along with him.


    ¡°You despicable bastard!¡± Astra shouted and pushed him away. He staggered and hit the wall. Astra ran then, it did not matter to her that she might get caught, neither did it matter that she was hurting herself, she ran until she was hauled by two guards. Astra fought back then. She fought like she could win, she used her legs, her hands, her teeth, her head, anything she could.  It seemed like she as not doing much as she was hauled back in and thrown on the ground.


    ¡°You think you can run? Do you think you are allowed to run from me?¡± Ray asked. Astra¡¯s entire body ached from being thrown and all. Ray bent to her level and was looking her in the eye.


    ¡°You thought wrong Astra, you are not allowed to run, you are not allowed to go anywhere, you belong here, with me,¡± Ray continued and Astra spat in his face. She felt like she got courage from nowhere it all but just appeared.


    Rayughed again. He wasughing at her, at her attempt at escape, at her show of disrespect, he wiped his face with his hand andughed even more.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Astra wanted to stand up but she didn¡¯t have the strength.


    ¡°You know you asked whose fault it was? I was trying to be nice by not letting you know, but it is yours, it is all your fault, everything that has happened and everything that will still happen is your fault. Whether or not you like it, we will be together. We were made for each other you see, soulmates,¡± Ray said. He was talking very calmly, but before she could say anything, he stood up and hauled her to her feet, he then carried her over his shoulder. Astra began to struggle then. She hit his back, kicked at him and even bit his shoulder. If the recording device was not sticking to her jacket, it would have fallen.


    ¡°Everything would have been perfect, everything would have gone just fine. You just had to fall in love with Nichs, with anyone other than me. You just could not listen, you could not follow the signs!¡± Ray shouted. He was moving and Astra started crying again. He was angry, he was very angry. He walked with her and used his leg to open the door to a room, he then dropped her on the bed.


    ¡°I am sorry, I am so sorry. I will be with you, I will fall in love with you,¡± Astra said as Ray started to remove his belt, she was moving on the bed, trying her best to get away from him. As Ray took of his trousers and shirt, Astra jumped away from the bed. Ray dived at her too, Astra managed to turn him around the room a few times.


    ¡°Stop running, Astra ept your fate. You will be happy with me,¡± Ray said and Astra kept on running. Ray finally cornered her and punched her in the face.


    ¡°That is for making me wait,¡± he said. He then threw her on the bed again and locked her hands with his powerful grip. Astra began to scream, she began to cry and she began to shout. She wanted him gone, she wanted someone toe and save her. She needed him off her, but that was not to be the case. She shouted and pleaded and cried and no one came to her rescue. That was she was began to pray that she would just die and end it all. But Astra wanted to die and take Ray with her, he did not deserve to live after all he had done to her and the people that she loved. She wanted to kill him and kill herself too. And even when it was all over, when things became normal, she would have still have nightmares when she was begging him to stop.

 Sixty Four

    ¡°Brian has leukemia,¡± Yvonne said. Nichs looked at her with shock with his eyes. He did not know what to think, what was he supposed to do? The woman that he loved was kidnapped and he did not know what she was going through in the hands of her kidnapper, and now the son that he did not know existed was sick with cancer. Nichs just stared ahead and held Brian in his arms, he could not say anything to Yvonne.


    The car drove them to his house in quiet. Nichs did not say anything anymore. The words died on his tongue, and for a while it felt like all he could do for Astra was to pray.


    ¡°Why was Brian with you? Why not Astra¡¯s parents?¡± Nichs asked. It seemed like a safe topic. Nichs figured that Astra¡¯s parents would have told him about the child. They had been so sympathetic during the divorce.


    ¡°Did you not know?¡¯ Yvonne asked. She looked shocked.


    ¡°What?¡± Nichs replied. He was curious as to what she meant.


    ¡°Astra¡¯s parents had disowned her because of the divorce. They med her for everything,¡± Yvonne said, her voice was shaking.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± Nichs eximed. Now that he thought about it, Astra¡¯s parents seemed to know about the cheating scandal even when he did not tell them. Ray. Nichs felt so much anger to the man that he felt he could kill him if he had the chance.


    ¡°What do you mean by your exmation? You knew all these would have happened. Hell, it was all your fault!¡± Yvonne shouted. She was crying now. Nichs calmed down, he tried his best to rx. It was understandable that she felt like that. He would feel the same if something happened to Sarah. It was all Ray¡¯s fault. He destroyed a family because of an obsession.


    ¡°Try and rx Yvonne. This is all a misunderstanding. Ray was behind everything that happened,¡± Nichs said and proceeded to tell her the full story, all they knew about Ray from the beginning till the end. He added all that Stephanie said. By the time he was done, they were parked in front of the house.


    ¡°Oh my God my little sister, and she is with that monster now,¡± Yvonne cried in the car, covering her eyes with her hands.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Nichs said, rubbing her back. He did not know her very well but she was family. She loved Astra and she cared for his child for so long, she was definitely his blood. Nichs waited for a while until Yvonne stopped crying.


    ¡°We should go inside,¡± he said then. Yvonne looked up at him and wiped her tears with her sleeve.


    ¡°Thank you, we cannot sit in the car forever,¡± Yvonne said with a forced smile as she got out of the car.


    Nichs carried Brian with him as he stood up. He could feel Brian moving around. His son was awake. It felt so good, yet so unusual. He had son. Nichs looked at Brian, and his son looked confused for a moment. Nichs panicked then. When Brian smiled, his heart went back to its normal pace.


    ¡°Is mommy here?¡± Brian asked immediately, and Nichs sighed. What was he going to tell his son if something happened to Astra?


    ¡°Mommy will be here soon, just be a little patient,¡± Nichs said to his son as they all went inside his house.


    ¡°Nichs! You¡¯re back. What happened?¡± Sarah said as they entered into the house. Jared also stood up, he was holding Theo.


    ¡°It is a long story,¡± Nichs said. Sarah was looking at Brian with suspect in her eyes.


    ¡°Well I am listening,¡± Sarah said, putting a hand on her waist. She did not even acknowledge Yvonne. Sarah could be so protective of him.


    ¡°Sarah meet my son, Brian, and Astra¡¯s cousin Yvonne,¡± Nichs said and he saw Sarah¡¯s jaw drop, and her eyes widen in surprise.


    ¡°Yvonne, meet my cousin Sarah, her son Theo and Astra¡¯s friend, Jared,¡± Nichs sad. He hesitated before he said the word friend since he was not sure how to describe Jared¡¯s rtionship with Astra.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Brian, this is your aunt Sarah, and your cousin Theo,¡± Nichs said pointing to them. Sarah smiled and looked at Brian, all her earlier energy had died down, she was calm then.


    ¡°Hi Brian,¡± Sarah said to his son and Brian smiled.


    ¡°Hi, you are my aunt like aunt Yvonne. Now I have two aunts,¡± Brian said smartly. He pronounced Yvonne funny, and it made him even cuter.


    ¡°That is very smart, Brian. Can I hold you?¡± Sarah asked with a smiled. Brian nodded are stretched his hands to Sarah. Sarah held him and tears began to rush from her eyes.


    ¡°You are so precious Brian, and he looks so much like you Nichs,¡± Sarah said. Jared was looking very confused about everything, and Yvonne just smiled knowingly at Sarah. Later that day when both children were asleep. Nichs, Sarah, Stephanie, Yvonne and Jared all sat down and they all shared their parts of the stories. All that Astra had told them, and the things they had deduced.


    ¡°Her name was Brianna. She was such a precious little thing. Astra had been all alone when she had the twins you see, but she listed my name as her next of kin. It was after Brianna¡¯s death that the fire urred. Astra was depressed, she was drinking, and her house caught fire, a three month old was inside, It was a miracle that Brian survived. Astra had taken most of the injuries. She was so burnt that she was disfigured. The surgery helped her to regain the confidence she had lost over time, and I saw my cousin getting better and better until one day, she said she wanted to go back, she was sure people would not recognize her so she wanted to start afresh. And even that did not go well,¡± Yvonne said, and all the women were crying.


    ¡°She took me to Brianna¡¯s grave once, and I saw Astra break. She has gone through too much. We have to do something,¡± Jared said and they all agreed.


    ¡°The police said they are searching for Ray¡¯s properties around to see the particr one that he is holding Astra in. I am thinking of hiring a private investigator to the same. It will definitely be faster,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°That will be the best. Waiting for the police will take time. We have no idea what torture Astra is going through there,¡± Jared agreed and then Nichs¡¯ found rang.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nichs said as he picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello, this is Detective Morris. We have staked out his hideout. We will be on the move as early as three am tomorrow morning,¡± Detective Morris said and Nichs quickly stood up from the chair.


    ¡°I aming with all of you,¡± Nichs said. He was already picking up his jacket.


    ¡°It is too dangerous Sir,¡± Morris said.


    ¡°I am on my way,¡± Nichs replied, and disconnected the call.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Sarah asked. Nichs was already putting on his shoes.


    ¡°They have discovered the hideout. I am going to kill that bastard!¡± Nichs said and walked out of the door. He could hear the patter of feet behind him but he did not look back or even behave as though he heard.


    ¡°Nichs!¡± They all shouted and Nichs turned back.


    ¡°Try your best to calm down Nichs. Let thew take care of him,¡± Sarah said to him, Nichs shook his head.


    ¡°Thew will say that he is out of his mind and take him to a psychiatrist hospital. Maybe one day he will be cured and he will walk the streets as though he had not destroyed multiple lives prior,¡± Nichs said.

 Sixty Five

    ¡°I understand you Nichs, but if you something rash you will only make the situation worse. All the lives will still be destroyed but yours will be worse that it is now. Do you want Brian to grow up knowing that is father is in jail? Don¡¯t want the chance to raise your child?¡± Sarah asked. Nichs felt tears in his eyes but wiped them away.


    ¡°He is sick, Sarah. I don¡¯t even know if he is going to survive or how long he has. The little time I would have had with him was taken away by het, by anger and by Ray,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Well that means you have to value the little time you have with him,¡± Sarah said, and Nichs nodded.


    ¡°Be safe, and please bring Astra home,¡± Stephanie said. She was still unwell and weak, but she badly wanted to see her friend.


    ¡°I promise I will,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Throw in a few punches to Ray,¡± Jared said, he was angry. Nichs knew that Jared¡¯s anger could not possibly be more than his.


    ¡°I will, definitely,¡± Nichs said and turned back. For a moment, it felt like he was saying goodbye, like he was speaking hisst words to the people he loved. Nichs hoped that was not the case.


    Nichs got into his car and drive the police station. He looked for Detective Morris immediately.


    ¡°I only told you to inform you, you should not be here,¡± Morris said immediately he saw him.


    ¡°You cannot tell me not to go Morris. I need to save Astra, I need to see the man that ruined my family. I cannot just sit by and watch everything just go by. You know this. I am sure you understand,¡± Nichs said and Morris nodded. In the next few minutes, Nichs was dressed in gear, and early that morning, before dawn, they drove down the road through a very bushy path. The drove for more down an hour before they came in sight of a mansion. Nichs could bet that Ray built the house in the middle of nowhere just for that particr purpose because why else would a house be built in the middle of nowhere?


    Nichs saw a few of them men go out and scout the area. He watched from inside the car when theyunched a sneak attack on the men. Ray had a lot of men, but Nichs watched them go down one by one. From his spot in the car, Nichs saw a private jet. His mind flew as he reasoned it was Ray trying to escape.


    ¡°Is that not a jet?¡± Nichs said to Morris whose eyes widened. The detective quickly called the team and made them look upwards. Scots of men began to troop to the roof of the house. Nichs felt very useless with the troop of men around, but he was happy as they brought a lot of men. They easily overpowered Ray¡¯s men.


    ¡°We have him Sir,¡± Nichs heard someone say from Morris¡¯ phone. Morris smiled.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in,¡± Morris said and borh Morris and Nichs came into the house. Nichs looked around for Astra but he did not see her.


    ¡°She had been taken to the ambnce,¡± Morris said and Nichs realized then that his need to be with Astra was greater than his need to revenge at Ray. Nichs was about to leave in the direction of the ambnce when he saw Ray. Ray did not look anything like the man he remembered. He looked absolutely out of his mind. Two men were holding him down, and he looked crazed.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Nichs said. His anger grew as he saw the man, again. Rayughed as he saw Nichs. The sound was grating on Nichs¡¯ nerves. He moved closer to him. In what seemed like the speed of light, Ray pushed the policeman, brought out a gun, and fired the bullet.


    Nichs looked at Ray as he pushed the men holding him and brought out a gun. It seemed like something was holding him as he was transfixed to the spot. He stood there as Ray dashed out the gun and shot himself in the head. Nichs moved then, he did not want the bastard to die. He did not deserve to end his life himself, he did not deserve not to be tried or even acquitted for all his crimes. Before Nichs could get to Ray, policemen pushed him away and covered the bleeding man. What happened after that was confusing. Medics came from the ambnce and they dered Ray dead. It was all over.


    Nichs went then to find Astra, he was angry at how easy Ray¡¯s death was, but at least he was gone. When Ray managed to find Astra, she was lying down and she looked like life had left her eyes. She was opening her eyes but Nichs could see that she had seen hell. Nichs wanted to raise Ray from the dead and kill him again.


    ¡°He is dead Astra,¡± Nichs told her. She smiled at him. It was a small smile. It almost look fake, but it was the best that he would get from her for a long time.


    ¡°Thank God,¡± she replied. Her voice sounded hoarse. Like she had been screaming for too long.


    ¡°Stephanie and Theo are fine,¡± Nichs continued talking to her. He needed to see some life in her eyes. She nodded and faced the other side.


    ¡°I met our son Astra. I am sorry,¡± Nichs said as she did not reply him. Astra turned to look at him, and then she nodded. There was no smile, no tears, just nothing. Nichs hated it.


    He was quiet for the rest to the ride. They finally made it to a hospital and Astra was rushed to be examined.


    ¡°She sustained a lot of injuries, a lot of bruises along her body. Because of the location of the bruises, we had cause to think that she was raped. We did an examination, and there are tears in vagina, blood and sperm,¡± the doctor said. Nichs closed his eyes and cried then. Astra had been through a lot. The bastard really needed to die again.


    ¡°It is a wonder that the baby is still fine,¡± the doctor continued.


    ¡°Baby?¡± Nichs asked. He was confused. Astra was pregnant. Nichs knew that it could not be Ray, but it could very well be Jared. That wouldplicate a lot of things. Nichs sighed and wondered why they had to go from one drama to the other in their lives. It urred to him then that the child could also be his, there was a possibility that the child was his own. He had sex with Astra, without protection.


    ¡°We have treated her wounds and she has medicine to take. Physically, she will be fine. My concern is her mental health though, patients that go through things like this usually have suicidal thoughts after, and she is still pregnant. She has the life of another in her hands. We will get her a therapist and watch her for the next two days,¡± the doctor said and left. Nichs was still shaking when the doctor left. He still wanted to raise Ray from the dead and kill him again.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Detective Morris said to him. Nichs nodded.


    ¡°What about Thompson?¡± Nichs asked. He had seen the man that was once his friend, who was used of making hispany almost die, look life less, chained to a chair.


    ¡°He is conscious now. He said he was ckmailed, and seeing the way we found him, we have reason to believe him. We might have to talk to Astra though, she is a core witness in this case,¡± Detective Morris and Nichs felt angry.

 Sixty Six

    ¡°Is there even still a case, Ray is already dead. Astra has been through a lot already, she doesn¡¯t need to start talking about that all over again, she was raped for Christ sake!¡± Nichs shouted and walked out on Detective Morris. He walked till he got to the quiet part of the hospital and he sat down and he cried. That only happened to her because he was unable to protect her, if he could protect her then she would have never been hurt.  If he had been faster, if he didn¡¯t wait for the police, then Astra would not have to go through so much pain. Ray deserved the worse part of hell, he deserved a death worse than he got. He should die again.


    After a while, Nichs wiped his tears and went back into the hospital. On getting to Astra¡¯s room, Detective Morris was there. Nichs felt angrier. He told the man not to disturb her and yet he was doing the exact thing. Nichs wanted to drag him out of her room when he heard Astra¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I wanted to see you. I have something to give you, it is a recording device it was in my dress,¡± Astra said and gave him a small device. Detective Morris looked at the device and smiled.


    ¡°This will be very helpful, thank you. How did you get it though?¡± He asked her


    ¡°I was nning to be bait for Ray, he beat me to it though, I just took the recorder just in case,¡± Astra said and then faced another side on her bed. She was obviously tired of talking.


    ¡°Astra, are you okay?¡± Nichs asked her, and she nodded.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± Brian shouted. Nichs was surprised to hear Brian¡¯s voice, he turned back to see the entire crewing in. Their son bounded to meet his mother. Nichs expected a smile from Astra, but she cried instead as she held her son. Nichs figured that tears were also good, as long as they were tears of joy. He hoped that they were tears of joy and not sorrowful tears. He could not take those.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Mommy I missed you so much and now you are not well,¡± Brian said and pouted.


    ¡°Mommy is good,¡± Astra said, the tears were still rolling down her eyes. Her eyes still looked as lifeless as the first time.


    ¡°Oh, Astra we were so worried,¡± Stephanie said,ing forward to hug her. Yvonne and Jared also went in. Nichs excused himself then. He just stood by the door watching her.


    ¡°She is different,¡± Sarah said. His cousin did not go with the crowd.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even look happy to be back,¡± Sarah continued. Nichs carried Theo from her and held him on his hip.


    ¡°She has been through a lot Sarah. She has been through too much. I just really hope that she bounces back,¡± Nichs said. The people in the room started leaving one by one and Brian was crying when he left.


    ¡°Mommy doesn¡¯t want to hold me,¡± Brian said. Nichs looked at Astra but she was facing another direction, she probably wanted to be alone.


    ¡°Come on Brian, let¡¯s go get some ice cream,¡± Nichs said to Brian and his son took his hand. They both went on to hold his father¡¯s hand as they went out of the hospital.


    ~~~~~


    Two days after Ray died and Astra was taken to the hospital, she made it obvious that she did not want visits. She only allowed a handful of people to see her and Brian was the first In that list. It was clear that Ray had did a number on Astra. She was different from before and even when Nichs had the chance to tell her what the doctor said about her being pregnant she began to cry.


    ¡°That is not possible. It has just been a few days,¡± she said. It took Nichs a while go understand what she was talking about. She thought that the child was Ray¡¯s.


    ¡°You are already two months gone,¡± Nichs rified. He looked at her in hopes that she would say something about the father of the child, but she didn¡¯t. She just sighed and looked the other way. It was her new sign of saying that she wanted to be alone.


    ¡°Is Jared the father?¡± Nichs asked her, and she turned to him and shook her head.


    ¡°I have only had sex with one man willingly in thest seven years and it was you,¡± Astra said and Nichs breathed a sigh of relief, it was his child. Nichs knew that it was a bit too early, but he was thinking about what everything meant for him and Astra. He hoped they would be a family with Brian, the fact that the baby was his made it seem smoother and easier.


    Nichs was unable to celebrate or be happy because of the way she said the words. Astra turned back again and faced the wall. She was not in the mood to talk again. Nichs was leaving her hospital room when he received a call, it was detective Morris.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Hello, Nichs. We have been able to get the information from the recording device. There are some things I will like you to know,¡± Detective Morris said. The recording device had been damaged and they had been fixing it before then, now it was finally ying.


    ¡°I am on my way,¡± Nichs said before getting into his car and driving to the police station. Nichs decided that he had been in there too many times for someone who did notmit a crime.


    ¡°We think that Astra needs some therapy. Over the course of the kidnap, Ray, as you can hear, was rationalizing his feelings to her, he was making how he was, seem like it was Astra¡¯s fault,¡± another detective told Nichs and he nodded. For the umpteenth time Nichs felt like bringing him back to life and killing him again.


    ¡°Just give Jared a bit of time and he will be like me. Because that is what people like you do, you break me like me, by teasing and making them hang on. It makes you feel powerful. Do you think I ever wanted to be like this? Unable to love someone other than you? I don¡¯t Astra, but you made me this way, it is all your fault,¡± Nichs heard Ray¡¯s voice. He was clearly a master at maniption. It was so sickening to listen to and Astra was probably still hearing his voice in her head.


    ¡°It was in the same way that had was manipting Astra that he was able to manipte Thompson to do all those things to do. He was just a pawn,¡± Detective Morris said and then scrolled to a part and yed.


    ¡°So you asked a question, Thompson, he was a pawn in all of these. I know a secret of his you see, and I managed to  convince him that I was helping him, to keep his daughter and her mother away from the world,¡± Nichs heard Ray¡¯s voice again. He knew that was another story, he did not know that Thompson had a child, but for him to want to hide her so badly, something must have been wrong.


    ¡°He also confessed to a variety of crimes. Too many to be honest, I kind of wish he was not dead, but then he would have been treated for his mental disorder and not thrown into prison. He confessed to drugging you and your wife while you were still married and then taking you both to an orgy, that was where he took the pictures that he sent to you. We recovered the numerous pictures that he took of Astra, and then he confessed to poisoning your daughter when she was a child and starting the fire that almost killed Astra. He did all these to someone he imed he loved,¡± the detective said. Nichs was not sure what to do with all the information that he had. Tears began to roll from his eyes again, it will take a long time before their family would be able to heal.

 Sixty Seven

    Astra wanted to die. It was not the first time she felt like that. When Astra thought about it, she wanted to die a lot of times in her short life. Maybe she was not meant to live then. Maybe she was born to die. She first wanted to die when she was a child. It was the issue with the dress and Charise, she felt so bad that she thought if she died no one would miss her. Her parents would not worry because they had Charise, they loved her more anyway. Astra never did anything about the need then. She wondered if she would have done something if she had the chance, maybe a drop of poison or a knife to her wrist. Both options sounded appealing to her at the moment, she would take any route, but Brian.


    There had been many thoughts throughout when she was a teenager to her adult life. Astra had been pretty depressed when Nichs dumped her, but nothing came close to when she lost Brianna. Astra was not the one that started the fire but she would have not minded the fire burning her to death, if Brian was not with her. She was a terrible mother and she managed to kill the thing that was keeping her alive.


    Astra felt like that now. She felt like she wanted to die. She was more intentional than the other times though, she would actually do something this time. She was willing to pull the trigger and plunge the knife. Astra kept on hearing Ray¡¯s voice in her head as he continuously told her that it was her fault.


    ¡°You make men like me be like this, you are the reason why I turned out this way. I did not want to be like this, it is all your fault.¡± Astra could hear the voices over and over again. The more she thought about it, the more she figured she deserved it. It had to be her fault, her parents hated her, they liked Charise instead, even in school she was dumped for other girls. Nichs, Jared and all the other men went through hell because of her. She lost her child, and the other one had cancer. She had to be doing something wrong, even her friend was hurt because of her.


    Astra knew that she could not be meless, everything that she touched just degenerated to nothing. Even Sarah that did not even like her was hurt because of her. Theo was kidnapped because of her and even her own son was almost hurt because of her. Everyone that came close to her became hurt, even Yvonne would have not been spared. Astra knew that she had to go, there was no other way to it. There was no use living if all she did was cause pain to others. There was no point to life if she just made people sad.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    It was Brian that was keeping her going, she could not bear to think about how heartbroken her son was going to be if she left. There was also the baby inside of her. Astra was not sure she wanted the child. She did not want to bring the child to life just so that the child would die at an early age, or develop some terminal illness. It was better just to to let the baby go at the moment. Astra knew that even if she managed to stay alive that she could not handle being pregnant again. Too many things were wrong, she first felt the baby was Ray¡¯s when Nichs told her about it. Then are then she was willing to remove the child from her system. She was willing to remove his trace from her. It showed her heartless she had be, and it also made her respect Stephanie, she was carrying Ray¡¯s child. After everything, she wondered if Steph regretted wanting to keep the child.


    Astra felt so vile that Ray touched her. She washed and washed and scrubbed yet she still felt so dirty. Astra could not exin why she was feeling so dirty and terrible.


    Astra strolled into her kitchen and picked a knife. She was cooking and so knew that they would first rule it out as a domestic ident rather than suicide.


    Astra closed her eyes as she pressed the knife into her skin, the pain of the knife was stinging her but she liked it. It was better than the pain inside of her. Blood had begun to seep from her skin when she heard a loud knock on her door. Astra sighed, she did not want to talk to anyone, she just wanted to go. She wanted to sleep and not wake up ever again.


    ¡°Astra!¡± Astra heard her voice it was Nichs. She sighed and  just pressed the knife into her skin, that was better, more and more blood began to flow. It seemed like Nichs deduced that something was wrong and broke the door and entered into her house. Locking eyes with him and Brian as they stepped into the house, she fainted.


    Nichs could not believe what he was saying, it was Astra and she was bleeding from her wrist she tried to kill herself. Nichs rushed towards her and put pressure using a cloth on the point that was bleeding, he then called 911.


    ¡°This is 911, what is your emergency?¡± The robotic voice asked. Nichs did not just want Astra to die. He was already seeing death for her.


    ¡°There is blood, uhmm suicide attempt, knife to the wrist,¡± Nichs managed to say. He was so scared that he was barely thinking. The fact that his son, their son, was just there looking at their mother did not help. And their baby, God.


    After all that Astra went through, she still wanted to go and with their child too. That was terrible.


    ¡°Keep pressure on the wound, we are on our way,¡± a voice said, but Nichs was barely listening, he was already praying. Astra had to be fine. He was already down because of the entire ident and what it meant for them all, he did not think he could take it if something happened to Astra. And then Brian was just managing to get out of the woods. Nichs was beginning to look on the bright side of everything then. Things were looking up, every one was already slowly moving on. What had happened had happened it just hurt so many people.


    After a few minutes, the crew got to Astra¡¯s apartment and Nichs was relieved. He carried Brian and rushed them to the hospital. Ray was dead but the man was still hurting her family. Astra refused to talk to anyone after the incident. She distanced herself from all her friends and refused to talk about anything at all. Nichs was scared then, but he thought that she needed them. She refused a therapist even though Nichs begged her multiple times. She just shrugged turned her head and refused to talk about it. Detective Morris had shown him the pictures that Ray had of her, and he realized that he had been stalking her for so long. Astra refused to leave her house again, she stayed in and ordered everything. Brian was staying with her for a while, but he got tired of sitting at home all day and said he wanted to live with his daddy.

 Sixty Eight

    Yvonne had tried to stay with her so that she would help her and all, but Astra refused, so Yvonne was staying at his ce too. Jared had also moved out, but Stephanie was still there. Ray did a number on her too, she was still very much reserved and scared of people. Stephanie had agreed to a therapist though, and she was talking to her once a week, Nichs knew that it was too early but he could already see changes in her.


    Astra refused one and she was being rushed to the hospital. Nichs prayed that nothing would happen to her. The medics were trying to stop the bleeding and Nichs was scared for her life. Brian had started crying and Nichs held the child. They at least had each other at the difficult time.


    They got to the hospital and rushed her into the emergency ward. Nichs carried Brian and followed them, but he was stopped before he could enter. Nichs felt like a man who was expecting a child and who¡¯s wife was inbor as he paced the hospital corridors. He watched doctorse and go out and then Brian feel asleep. It was after a while before someone came to talk to her.


    ¡°Good afternoon. Your wife is fine now, the wound was not deep and it did not graze enter the vein, but our problem was the fact that she did still lose blood and the fact that she was pregnant. She had a miscarriage threat. The baby is fine and so is the mother, but she has to take it easy for the first trimester and maybe till her fourth month. It is a wonder that her child survived all of these. We would rmend a therapist so that something like this will not happen again, and you should also pay attention to her in the mean time, try not to let her be alone and with sharp objects and poison,¡± the doctor said and Nichs nodded. He was relieved Astra was fine. It urred to him then that he was willing to sacrifice the child for Astra¡¯s life if he had to make a choice.


    ¡°Thank you sir. Can I see her now?¡± Nichs asked.


    ¡°Yes, you can go see her now,¡± the doctor said and left. Nichs went into the room and saw Astra lying down and just staring at the ceiling. She looked like she would rather she was dead.


    ¡°Why Astra? Why are you doing for to yourself and to me? You are hurting us Astra, all the people that love you. You are hurting your child, Astra, your children,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Stop guilt tripping me Nichs, I am hurting everyone even more as I am here, as I am still here, I am hurting myself and the people around me. You life will be so much better without me in it Nichs,¡± She said in tears. Nichs felt broken for her.


    ¡°That is a lie Astra, a big lie. Please do not let Ray control you from the grave. Do not let him destroy our family even if he is already dead. This is what he wants Astra, he wants us to be in pain. He does not want us to be together that is why he tried so hard to separate us. Do not let him win Astra,¡± Nichs said.


    Astra looked at him this time, she really looked at him. It was as though she heard his words, it was not like the other times that she would simply ignore him. Astra looked at him as though she was trying to gauge the truth in his eyes.


    ¡°I am saying the truth Astra. This is his n, he is such a maniptive bastard that he wants even in his death for things to go his own way. That is why he said those things. It is not your fault Astra, he had a mental disorder that is why he turned out that way,¡± Nichs said. It seemed like Astra heard him very well this time and he expected her to say something, but she just turned her head to the other side.


    Nichs looked at Astra, he thought that he had at least to her with his words but it looked like he didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You will have toe stay with me after you are discharged, you will also have to get a therapist. You need to get better,¡± Nichs said to Astra and her head turned to him immediately. She clearly did not like the idea.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Astra shouted and Nichs wondered if he should keep on saying things like that to Astra. It was the most emotive he had seen her since the issue with Ray. He did not know that she had the ability to be angry, she seemed like she had just been floating through life till then.


    ¡°You are not well Astra, I will not let you end your life and the life of our child. You really should not make that decision alone. Your son needs you Astra, I need you, and I understand if you may want to stay alone but this is not the situation for that. You need to stay with me until I am sure that you are okay and strong enough. If you want to stay alone after then, you are fine, ¡± Nichs said to her. Astra looked at Nichs, she could not believe the words that wereing out of his mouth. She could live with him? Astra did not want to do that all. She did not want to go back to Nichs, she did not feel that they were meant to be together. She did not also feel worthy, anything that she touched became broken. She did not also feel that she could protect her unborn child and that was why she was willing to die with the child. She would not feel much of remorse. She was doing her child and the world a favor by removing herself.


    ¡°I am not staying with you Nichs. If you mean that I must not be alone, Yvonne can simplye and live with me. It will be for the best, she cane with Brian and take care of him,¡± Astra said. That was the most words he heard from Astra since the incident, Nichs was so dazed about her talking that he nodded his head.


    ¡°Okay, this is settled then,¡± Astra said again and it was then that Nichs finally understood what Astra was saying.


    ¡°What do you mean? I did not agree to anything. I want you to stay with me,¡± Nichs said again. He was a bit lost.


    Astra just looked at him,id back down on her bed and turned the other way. Nichs would have loved it if Astra came to live with him, it would have been like old times and it will be easier for him to convince her that they should start all over again. He also thinks that her staying with Yvonne will also be a good idea. At least she would have a friend to stay with her and it would make things easy for her, maybe it was better that way. With time, he could ask her out again.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Okay, fine, you can do anything you want. I have weekends with Brian,¡± Nichs said. He did not want to argue anymore.


    ¡°I will inform Yvonne,¡± Nichs said and walked out of the room. He sighed as he left. He hated more and more that Ray was still hurting their family even if he was long dead.


    ¡°Daddy, is Mommy okay?¡± Brian asked, as he was out of the hospital room.


    ¡°Your Mommy is fine, but you wille to see her another day,¡± Nichs said. He was not sure Astra was in the right state of mind to start talking to Brian. She probably still wanted to be alone.

 Sixty Nine

    ¡°Is Mommy sick like I was? Is that why she is always in the hospital?¡± Brian asked. He had to give it to the little guy, he was quite intuitive. Was Astra sick? In a way she was, but she was the only one who could heal her self, it was the worse kind of sickness.


    ¡°Yes, Brian, your Mommy is a bit sick, but she will be well very soon,¡± Nichs told him.


    ¡°Oh, is Mommy going to have a baby?¡± Brian asked again. Nichs chuckled. He did not even want to know how the little bugger came up with that. Astra did not want to tell anyone about her pregnancy, so it was a secret, even from friends and family and some how Brian had figured it out.


    ¡°You are going to start staying with your Mommy and Aunt Yvonne soon, just like before,¡± Nichs told the boy to distract him from his question. It worked.


    ¡°And Daddy?¡± Brian asked and Nichs shook his head. It was very nice to know that his son liked him that much.


    ¡°Why not? I like staying with you Daddy,¡± Brian said and Nichs¡¯ heart almost melted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daddy wille during the weekends, it will be fine. And maybeter, Daddy, Mommy and Brian will all live together. Maybe Mommy will have a baby then,¡± Nichs said. Brian¡¯s eyes widened in wonder. He clearly liked that n.


    ¡°I will like that very much,¡± Brian said and then Nichs phone rang, it was his assistant.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir, you have a meeting in thirty minutes,¡± he said. Nichs was about to say that there was an emergency and he should cancel, but he remembered that he had a ton of work waiting for him.


    ¡°Give me some time I will be there,¡± Nichs said and disconnected the call. He then called Yvonne.


    ¡°Hi, I am at the hospital,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°What are you doing there? Is Brian alright?¡± Yvonne asked, she sounded frantic and Nichs sighed, his son was still sick.


    ¡°Brian is fine. It is Astra, please can youe?¡± He asked Yvonne.


    ¡°Of course, I will be there,¡± Yvonne said before disconnecting the call. Brian and Nichs sat together as they waited for Yvonne.


    ¡°Nichs! What is wrong with Astra?¡± Yvonne asked immediately she got into the hospital


    ¡°She tried to cut herself, I found her in time. She said you shoulde and stay with her and Brian when I suggested she should not stay alone. She seems fine now, she was not able to harm herself, I am worried for her Yvonne,¡± Nichs said and shock appeared on Yvonne¡¯s face, and then realization and pity.


    ¡°Thank God she is okay,¡± Yvonne said.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see me though and I need to get to work,¡± Nichs said to Yvonne and she nodded.


    As he was sure that Astra was fine and Yvonne was there, he went back to the office. He had been out of work for so long that went he came back it all just hit him like a pile, it was not at all pleasant or nice. He had been attending meetings back to back, but he was still giving himself time to be with Brian and visit Astra. He needed to be with his family as much as he could. Sarah and Theo were staying with him since Brian was still there. Stephanie was also staying with him so he had a full house. Jared was alwaysing by and Nichs knew that something was going on between Jared and Sarah. His house was usually full these days. It made him to realize how lonely he had been.


    Nichs was grateful that he wore a suit as he expected that he might bete in leaving Astra¡¯s house and he had not been stained with blood but it was a bit rumpled.


    ¡°Good afternoon, I am sorry for beingte,¡± Nichs said as he entered into the board meeting.


    ¡°No problem, shall we begin?¡± A board member said and they all agreed. The meeting started then. The meeting went on for almost two hours as they talked about thepany and made a lot of decision. By the time the meeting was over, Nichs was tired. His day had been umonly long.


    He was on his way home when Detective Morris called him. Nichs wondered what the man wanted, as they did not have any unfinished business.


    ¡°Good evening, Detective,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Good evening, Nichs. I wanted to let you know about something. Thompson¡¯s trial is tomorrow, I figured you would like toe,¡± Detective Morris said. Nichs had been friends with Thompson for the longest time and he felt very betrayed when he started suspecting Thompson of the fraud. Now that he knew the entire truth, he was not sure Thompson deserved the punishment he was going to receive. Thompson had been manipted to be a pawn for Ray. He was the one that spread all the letters, even the one that Nichs say. He also gave Ray a lot of information that led to Ray destroying their family, his hands were not clean at the end.


    ¡°I will be there,¡± Nichs said. He wanted to be there when justice was served, he had been manipted, but that would have not been possible if he did not have some initial hate.


    Nichs got home to see Sarah, Jared, and Stephanie having dinner. Theo was also there.


    ¡°Good evening, where is Brian and Yvonne?¡± He asked immediately. They could not be gone so soon. He had not said goodbye yet.


    ¡°Good evening to you too, we heard what happened to Astra, Yvonne is still with her at the hospital and Brian is asleep. He is in his room, he was really tired,¡± Sarah said and Nichs nodded. He was relieved. He did not like how he felt when he thought that Brian was gone. He loved his son a lot.


    ¡°Okay, I will go upstairs to freshen up,¡± Nichs said. He would look in on Brian on his way.


    ¡°Doe back down, we were discussing Theo¡¯s birthday, it is in a few days,¡± Sarah said and Nichs smiled. His nephew was already a year old. It was so fast, he remembered how frustrated Sarah had been throughout the pregnancy and how much pain she had been through at the end. She had done well for herself at the end.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I will be back, you guys should carry on without me,¡± Nichs said to the rest of them.


    He then went to upstairs and took his bath. As he was taking his bath, he thought about the events of the day, it was such an eventful day and tomorrow would also be the same. He would go and see his best friend from when they were younger go to jail. After taking his bath, he put on his clothes and went to Brian¡¯s room. Surprisingly, his son was not asleep, he was just sitting down in his cot.


    ¡°Brian,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Brian shouted in reply. He was clearly happy to hear his voice.


    ¡°Are you okay Brian?¡± Nichs asked as he carried him out of his cot and dropped him down.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°I did not see you Daddy, and Mommy was not here and Aunt Yvonne. I was scared,¡± Brian said. It did not ur to Nichs that the change in environment would be too much for his child. It made him feel so senseless for not caring. Brian had clearly pretended to be asleep because he did not know any one around.


    ¡°It is okay Brian. I am here now. Let us go downstairs to eat. You must be hungry,¡± Nichs said and Brian smiled and nodded.


    Father and son went down the stairs to have dinner and n Theo¡¯s first birthday.

 Seventy

    Nichs woke up that morning with his son by his side. Nichs had never slept with Brian before, but the boy said he was scared and he did not want to sleep alone. Nichs had no choice but to oblige.


    The previous night, they had nned Theo¡¯s party, from the cartoon theme, to the balloons and all. Sarah had also told him that she was ready to move back to her house, that was after Theo¡¯s birthday. Nichs knew that Sarah would want some privacy with Jared. Nichs also called Yvonne to make sure she was okayst night, she was, and Astra slept through the night too.


    Nichs kissed his son on his forehead, Brian looked so peaceful while he slept. He was also very peaceful when he was awake.  Brian was generally not a problematic child. Nichs almost wanted him to be more active, but he was sick and his brain was active enough.


    ¡°Brian,¡± Nichs said as he tapped the little boy. He already stood up from the bed. Brian opened his little eyes with a smile.


    ¡°Daddy,¡± Brian said. Nichs decided that he liked that word that he really love the word father.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go brush our teeth,¡± Nichs said to Brian who smiled back at him.


    Nichs and Brian brushed their teeth, took their baths and went down for breakfast. The entire family, Nichs was growing to think of them as that, was seated for breakfast.


    ¡°Come on and eat,¡± Sarah said, inviting both of them.


    ¡°Today is Thompson¡¯s trial. I will be in attendance,¡± Nichs said at the table. He was going through his te of eggs when he said it. Everyone at the table was affected by Ray and his stunt, everyone deserved to know. The table was quiet for a while, even Theo seemed to be thinking. Brian was in his own world of food as he ate his food quickly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Thompson, it seemed like he was just a pawn in Ray¡¯s game. He allowed himself to be used though, that was his only crime,¡± Stephanie said and they all nodded.


    ¡°We should all move on from this, and stronger too. Ray did a number to all of us, but he is now gone, and we are thankful for that. We need toe out of this stronger, we need to ovee this. We are better and greater than this, we should not allow Ray control us while he is in the grave. We are more than that,¡± Sarah said. It sounded oddly like a motivational speech. Nichs felt like he needed it.


    ¡°Ray did a lot of bad things before his death. He destroyed families, he destroyed marriages even. We should bend the broken bonds, he should not be the winner at the end. The bonds that have been broken can only be stronger,¡± Yvonne said and Steph rubbed on her stomach. He could imagine what kind of feeling she was having, she was bearing the child of a murder and monster, but Nichs knew that Stephanie would treat the child with love. With time, maybe Astra would do the same.


    ¡°We should shame him in death, we can only rise from this,¡± Nichs said and they all agreed.


    ¡°I will take Brian to the hospital to see Astra, and then I will find my way to the court room,¡± Nichs said before leaving.


    ¡°Are we going to see Mommy?¡± Brian asked as they were on their way to the hospital.


    ¡°Yes, Brian,¡± Nichs answered.


    ¡°Will Mommy be happy today?¡± Brian asked. His son was very intuitive that it scared Nichs. He already knew that his mother was not happy.


    ¡°She will be happy, Brian,¡± Nichs said to his son. In a few minutes, they got to the hospital.


    ¡°Good morning, Yvonne,¡± Nichs greeted her. She was half asleep on the chair outside of Astra¡¯s room.


    ¡°Oh Nichs, good morning,¡± Yvonne said with a yawn. Nichs was already feeling bad that he wanted to leave Brian with her. She had probably been awake all night.


    ¡°Can you stay for a bit? I want to rush home and take a bath,¡± Yvonne said to him. Nichs knew that there was absolutely no way he could say no. He nodded in response.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Yvonne replied to him and rushed off. Nichs then walked into Astra¡¯s room with Brian. Brian usually ran to meet his mother, but this time, he seemed to calm and too down. He did not run to meet Astra but just stood by his side.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said to her as he entered into the room. Astra just looked at him and Brian and turned back again. She did not look surprised or even happy to see him and their son. Nichs did not like that Ray was affecting them in that manner, she did not like it at all.


    ¡°Brian say hi to mommy,¡± Nichs told his son.


    ¡°Hi Mommy,¡± Brian then said to Astra. Astra was obviously not happy that Brian would not greet her except when asked to, so she did not answer him.


    ¡°I am going for Thompson¡¯s trial today. Ray managed to ruin a great portion of Thompson¡¯s life and he is going to ruin all of us from the grave if we let him. Astra this is what he wants. He worked so hard to destroy you and our family, and we finally defeated him.  He is dead Astra! You are giving him all the glory that we managed to deny him if you continue behaving like this, if you continue behaving like you don¡¯t care. If you continue listening to his words in your head, if you let him shape who you are, Astra,¡± Nichs said. He did not know why but the words just poured out of him, he was beginning to dislike Astra¡¯s behaviour after the kidnap.


    ¡°Do you know what I went through?¡± Astra screamed. She stood up from the bed and walked towards Nichs.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Do you know the tears that I shed? Do you know how many times I listened to someone say it is my fault? I am wed Nichs, I am broken, you cannot fix me. Stop trying,¡± Astra said and broke into tears. Nichs was surprised by her outburst and tried to touch me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me. Don¡¯t get close to me, I do not deserve anything, I do not deserve you, Nichs,¡± Astra said. Nichs was trying to wrap his head around what was happening. He could not believe what she was saying. It sounded so odd and out of ce.


    ¡°Astra calm down,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I am calm, I am good. Please leave, just leave, I want to be alone. I will get a therapist, I will try, I will be a good mother, I promise to try, but please help me. Help me to be all that I want and please just leave me alone,¡± Astra said. Nichs tried but could not wrap his head around her reasoning. Why did she want him to leave so bad? Why was she was pained?


    ¡°I am going,¡± Nichs said. He knew that he would probably never understand why she wanted him to leave, but he also knew that it was best to grant her her wishes.


    Nichs walked out of the room with Brian. Astra just sat down on the bed and held her head in her hands. She did not know what was wrong with her. Too many thoughts were in her head at the same time. She was pushing everyone away because she was scared that she would hurt them. It was better for them to be unhurt and not with her than hurt and with her. Shey down on her bed and cried her eyes out in pain. She wished that everything would be over soon.

 Seventy One

    Nichs came out of the room and met Yvonne at the door. She was already back. They had spent a while in the room it seemed.


    ¡°I just picked some clothes and came back,¡± Yvonne said and Nichs nodded. She looked very shocked it was as though she had heard what was going on inside the room. The look on her face said that.


    ¡°Okay, I will get going then, look after Brian for me,¡± Nichs said to Yvonne.


    ¡°Be a good boy, Brian,¡± he said to his son who smiled.


    ¡°I will. I will make sure Mommy doesn¡¯t cry again, bye daddy,¡± Brian said. He was really too smart for his age.


    ¡°Bye Brian,¡± Nichs said before leaving the hospital.


    Nichs got into his car and drove down to the court room straight. He sat in the almost empty court room, there were policemen,wyers, but very few family. Thompson¡¯s mother was there, Nichs spotted her, given what he was on trial for, he was not sure if he should go and see her.


    He then sighted a dark skinneddy dressed in a ck gown and a child with her, she looked around ten. Nichs knew that it was Thompson¡¯s daughter. She was the one that was used to ckmail Thompson. Nichs did not understand why Thompson did not want the world to know about the girl until he found out that the mother was a prostitute. Nichs knew that what Thompson did was excessive as no one cared about your life well enough to dig into your child and your mother. Thompson was blinded though and Ray manipted him.


    Nichs sat in the chair as he watched the entire court proceedings. Thompson pleaded guilty to all his crimes and it was hiswyer that brought up the issue of maniption to reduce the jail term. It reminded Nichs of while they were younger, Thompson had been quite the proud chap. He took responsibility quite easily while Nichs rejected responsibility for a while until he had to face it eventually.


    ¡°Thompson Clinton is being charged with fraud, defamation of property, uwful carrying of arms, and association with the criminal and murderer Ray Emerson who took his life while on capture. He has pleaded guilty to all these charges but imed maniption, which we have the evidence of, and so he will be sentenced to 8 years in prison,¡± the judge said at the end. The entire court room came abuzz and Nichs watched thedy and her daughter through it all.


    Thedy shed a silent tear at his sentence but the daughter cried more. It was as though she really understood it even though he doubted it. She was going to be an adult by the time Thompson would be out of prison. At least he would be out. Ray¡¯s son or daughter will never know him, but Nichs felt that was for the good. He never knew his daughter, Brianna and she was already gone.


    Nichs looked at the woman and decided out of the blue to approach her, she might need his help.


    ¡°Good afternoon, ma. I am Nichs Michealson, I was Thompson¡¯s friend,¡± Nichs said stretching his hand at thedy. She was quite stunning in fact. She took his hand and shook it.


    ¡°My name is Tiana, and I know who you are,¡± she said. She was looking at him with eyes that said he was the reason why Thompson was in prison.


    ¡°Yes, Thompson and I were once friends and I like to return favors, he did a lot for me while we were young. This is my card. If you are in need of anything, you should call me,¡± Nichs said. He was not even sure what he is was looking for when he said that. He just wanted to be a good person. Nichs figured that Thompson did not tell anyone about them and with him in prison, they might struggle. He did not want Ray to ruin anymore lives.


    ¡°Sure, thank you,¡± the woman said. She was eyeing the card, but she took it. Nichs figured she was the type of woman that was proud but had enough sense to know when to put pride aside.


    ¡°And your daughter¡¯s name is?¡± Nichs asked her. He was curious.


    ¡°Her name is Aliyah,¡± he said and the child smiled a bit at him even though her eyes were read.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir,¡± Aliyah said and Nichs smiled at her.  He felt a bit better after what he did. Ray was not able to destroy everything.


    ¡°Happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you!¡± Thebination of family and friends sang to Theo. It was obvious to Nichs that the little boy was more interested in the cake than the people. Theo who was already walking, ced his hands on the butter cream cake and ced his hand in his mouth.


    ¡°Theo!¡± Sarah shouted before carrying him away from the cake. He had managed to scatter the design on the cake. Theo did not even look repentant or scared. He looked a bit happy that he was eating cake.


    The party was in full swing as most of the family and some friends from work where there. Jared was ying father of the day and it was all cute. Stephanie seemed to be glowing, she was probably imagining her own baby¡¯s first birthday. Some of the children of Sarah¡¯s friends where there, and Brian was running around and making friends.


    Yvonne came with Brian, but Astra was absent. Yvonne told him that she would havee but she was dealing with morning sickness. Nichs was still reeling from what she had said the other day, that she did not want to be with him. He wanted to be with her when she had morning sickness and rub her back when she was throwing up. Nichs wanted to participate fully in his second child¡¯s life. He had missed the development of Brian and his sister Brianna, but he did not want that to be the case for the child Astra was carrying, but he could not control how Astra was feeling and what she wanted. She had been through a lot and the least he could do was to respect her wishes.


    ¡°Theo has grown so much,¡± his mother said and Nichs looked at her. He had never been too close to his mother, but Sarah was his mother¡¯s sister and the person that he brought Sarah to meet to verify. She wanted to see her sister¡¯s grandchild on his birthday.


    ¡°Yes, he has,¡± Nichs said. His mother did not like Astra very much, but she did not hate her either. Overall Iris Michealson was a cold woman, she did not smile much and thought that emotion was a weakness, so Nichs did not really expect that his mother would fall in love with Astra in the first ce.


    ¡°And you now have a son of your own,¡± his mother said. He introduced her to Brian during the party. To say that she was surprised was an understatement. It was the most emotion that he had seen from her in years. His mother had cried. Brian looked exactly like he did when he said was a child, and he was named after herte husband.


    ¡°Yes, I do. And another on the way,¡± Nichs said out of the blue. He had not even told Sarah about Astra¡¯s pregnancy because of the uncertainty.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What? Astra is pregnant?¡± His mother asked and then shook her head.

 Seventy Two

    ¡°And to think that you both are divorced. Well, I am thankful that the man that tried to harm my grandchild is dead already. You have to bring him and my new grandchild to see me very soon,¡± his mother said. Nichs understood though, she did not likepany at all, so very soon was probably after Astra had delivered.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I know I do not say this often, but you did well Nichs, your father would be proud,¡± his mother said. As a woman of a few words it was the greatestpliment he could get.


    ¡°Thank you mother,¡± Nichs said. They were both standing and viewing the party together.


    ¡°Aunt Iris! Nichs! You guys shoulde let¡¯s take a picture!¡± Sarah shouted and they both went to take a picture.


    ¡°Daddy,¡± Brian said moving towards him as they stood with the crowd.


    ¡°Did you have fun?¡± Nichs asked and he nodded his head.


    ¡°Can I get a party for my fifth birthday?¡± Brian asked with a smile.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Nichs said. He hoped that by then he hoped that him and Astra will be together.


    ¡°Come here little guy,¡± his mother said to Brian who looked at her with a smile. They seemed to bond well. Nichs looked at his mother oddly because it did not seem like her style at her. In the birthday picture, his mother carried Brian on her hip and Nichs smiled beside her.


    ¡°They look so cute. I have never seen Aunt Iris this free,¡± Sarah told him when the party was over. His mother seemed to want to spend as much time with Brian as possible.


    ¡°Yeah, it seemed that all I needed to make her smile was a grandchild. I really should have done this earlier,¡± Nichs said and Sarah smiled.


    ¡°Well grand parents can not resist grandchildren,¡± Sarah said.


    ¡°I remember she was quite cute with Theo too when he was a baby. Maybe she just likes children,¡± Sarah continued and Nichs nodded.


    ¡°Maybe it is because Brian looks so much like I did. She probably missed when I was a child,¡± Nichs said cheekily and Sarahughed.


    ¡°Very funny. All in all, she looks very happy and I think that is very good. For all of us,¡± Sarah said and Nichs agreed. It was good.


    Later that day, Yvonne showed Astra the picture of the birthday party and she saw Iris Michealson carrying Brian with a smile on her face, she looked so different from the stone faced woman that Astra knew. All hope was not lost then. Maybe she could be happy like Iris again.


    ~~~~


    ¡°You should meet with your parents Astra,¡± Yvonne said to Astra. Two months had passed since the incident and Astra could say that she was better. She started to see a therapist and it was easier to talk to someone that did not know her before and was not biased. It was easier to talk since it was the person¡¯s job to listen. She was much better than before as she was no longer seeing him at night and during the day too. Going back to the way she was before was no longer a wish. Astra was able to understand that Ray was dead and gone and he would note back, and no one would be hurt because of her. That was enough for her to start to love herself  again. The baby in her stomach was growing and the bump was already visible. Astra had mixed feelings about the baby, but she was going to have her and love her as she did Brian.


    She was not sure what to do with her parents though. She had a lot of emotional trauma from her childhood and they were not very open to her, they treated her a bit like she was not their child and she did not like that at all. Their abandonment was not the worst thing that happened to her that night, but it was very painful. She thought she had somewhere to go back to, but she was wrong. Astra did not both to try and contact her parents when she found out that Ray had sent them the pictures because she was sure that they would do the same thing without any provocation.


    ¡°No, thank you, Yvonne,¡± Astra said to her cousin.


    ¡°Well I have been here for too long. I need to go home, and I cannot leave you here with Brian alone, you refuse to talk to anyone. This is not good Astra,¡± Yvonne said. She sounded tired. Astra felt bad for being selfish then. She knew that Yvonne would have to go home sooner orter but Astra wanted her cousin with her.


    ¡°I will move back with you, that will be better,¡± Astra said. She needed to start new, this town was not for that. Yvonne raised an eyebrow at her.


    ¡°What about your therapist? What about Brian and the child you are carrying? Are you just going to separate your children from their father because you are scared?¡± Yvonne asked. Fear did not even cover what she felt, it felt like it was undermined. She felt much more than fear, she was terrified, much less than she was before, but she was still terrified nevertheless.


    ¡°I am not still seeing my parents,¡± Astra said. She had not made a decision of what she would do, but she was not ready to see her parents.


    ¡°Well they are here and you have to see them,¡± Yvonne said. Astra raised an eyebrow at her. That made no sense.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Astra asked. She was confused.


    ¡°What you heard, your parents are in the living room. They want to see you,¡± Yvonne said, and Astra stood up from her bed and went to peep outside her room, sure enough she heard voices. Her heart started beating faster.


    ¡°And Charise?¡± Astra asked and Yvonne nodded.


    ¡°What the tell are they doing here? They came all the way?¡± Astra asked. She could barely believe that they were at house.  It seemed so unreal.


    ¡°Well I am not going outside,¡± Astra said and crossed her hands across her chest.


    ¡°Very funny Astra. We both know that you are going to see them, you are curious,¡± Yvonne said and Astra sighed. She did want to see them, especially if they were in her house. She was curious and it had been so long since she saw them.


    ¡°Okay, but i am not promising any changes,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°No one asked you to,¡± Yvonne replied with a cheeky smile.


    ¡°So you are my grandpa?¡± Brian asked her father and Astra¡¯s heart melted. Her son was seated on her father¡¯sp and ying with his shirt.


    ¡°I am,¡± her father replied. He looked so happy.


    ¡°I have never had a grandpa before,¡± Brian said and all bothughed.


    ¡°I already have a grandma though,¡± Brian said, he was looking at her mother, and Astra¡¯s mother saw her then.


    ¡°Astra!¡± Her mother shouted with tears in her eyes and she came to hug her. Astra felt tearse out her eyes as her mother held her. It had nothing to do with her mother, it was just the baby, she tried to convince herself.


    ¡°I am so sorry Astra. I am so sorry, we were so stupid,¡± her mother said as she held her. Astra was not sure she had heard her mother say sorry before.


    ¡°You look so different. Yvonne told us all that happened. We have been looking for you for so long,¡± her mother said and Astra did not restrict her tears then, she let them fall.


    ¡°I missed you mom,¡± Astra said. Both her father and her sister came to her. Charise looked at her from a distance, Astra could see that the years had changed Charise.


    ¡°I cannot believe that you did that Astra! You disgraced us!¡± Astra remembered the words that Charise had used back then. She was so hurt by those words.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°I was pregnant,¡± Astra said. Her parents knew what she was talking about that.


    ¡°I was pregnant and did not have any where to go with barely any source of ie. I almost died mom, I almost died,¡± Astra said to them. The wound was not still sore, but she remembered very well.


    ¡°There is no excuse for what we did back then, all that we can say is sorry.  We are your family and we were supposed to stand by you, we failed,¡± her father said. Astra could feel her legs shaking. For years she wondered where she went wrong with her family, she wondered if she was really their child.  She wondered if she had been so terrible as a child for them to just abandon her.


    ¡°We are really sorry, Astra. I am personally sorry, I failed as an elder sister,¡± Charise said. Her eyes were full of regret and there was no way she would not believe her. Astra¡¯s heart bled still, she was still angry about all the things that had happened in the past, but she could not change the past, only the future.


    ¡°Please find it in your heart to forgive us Astra,¡± her mother said, and Astra cried then. Maybe it was time for new beginnings.

 Seventy Three

    ¡°Astra, I aming to town for Sarah and Jared¡¯s engagement dinner party, but I will go straight to the Nichs¡¯ house. I hope you will be there,¡± Yvonne said over the phone. Yvonne had moved back home after Astra made peace with her parents. She was hardly ever alone as either Charise or her mother or even her father were around to keep herpany and help her out. Astra was already five months along, and she had not seen Nichs in a while. He had been getting either Sarah or one of his guards to take Brian for the weekend. Astra had been avoiding him, and going for the engagement dinner in his house will only spoil her ns.


    ¡°I am not going. Why do they even have to do their engagement dinner in Nichs¡¯ house?¡± Astra asked. It made no sense. It was not like Nichs was the one getting engaged or anything. Since it was in his house, there was no way Astra could avoid it.


    ¡°It is their choice, and from what I heard, Nichs volunteered his ce, he is the one throwing them the party. It is a gift for his cousin it seems. And Astra, you cannot run away from Nichs forever. From what I am seeing, he is giving you space now, when he is ready, you won¡¯t even have the chance to refuse him. You are carrying his child Astra, sooner orter you both will have to talk,¡± Yvonne said and Astra sighed. Stephanie had told her about Sarah¡¯s and Jared¡¯s engagement party, and she had been surprised then. She did not even know they were dating before, she was very happy for the both of them though, they deserved happiness. Astra had not been fair to Jared. She did not love him, he needed someone that would love him, and someone was Sarah. Astra was d that he found her.


    Astra thought about what Yvonne said. She was only avoiding Nichs because she wanted to fall out of love. She did not want to cause him any more pain. Too many things had stopped them from being together and so she was sure that they were not even meant to be in the first ce. They had just been defying fate. Astra knew that she could not avoid him forever, but she was going to avoid him for as long as she could, but that was not for so long. She had to see him soon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Yvonne. I do not want to go back to him,¡± Astra told her cousin.


    ¡°Why not? I know that you love him, and he is the father of your children,¡± Yvonne said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°That is not enough, we are not good together Yvonne,¡± Astra said. She knew that her cousin will argue with her so she continued before she could answer.


    ¡°I will go for the party though, it will be for the best. I cannot erase Nichs from my life because we share children,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°You really need to think this through,¡± Yvonne advised. Astra had already thought about it, she discussed it with her therapist, which almost seemed like she was talking with herself. Astra liked thedy because she made her find her answers on her own. She talked about their personality differences and also about how rushed their rtionship was, how they did not get to experience many things together before they got married. How so many questions they did not get to answer before they were bound together. She talked about theck of trust and how Ray built upon that to destroy their marriage. She talked about all of these with her therapist, and she said that she still wanted to be with Nichs, regardless. But she also knew that it was not the best of others.


    Her therapist only said that her own happiness should be her priority. Astra knew that she could not be happy when Nichs was in pain or when he was going through something for her sake.


    ¡°I will be at the dinner,¡± Astra said again.


    The party was in a few hours so she had to get dressed and start going to Nichs¡¯ ce. Brian was there as he was with his father for the weekend. Astra did not think that Nichs would still want Brian over for the weekend since he would be busy with the engagement dinner and all, but his body guard had knocked on her door and Brian and run to him. Astra figured that Brian would also be at the dinner. That would be nice.


    Astra picked a green gown that red under her breasts. Those were the the that she was wearing. Astra was not as big as the time when she had the twins, but she was still big for five months. She styled her hair in an easy style and then did a bit of makeup. She was ready for the dinner.


    Astra left her house and drove down to Nichs¡¯ ce. It was a very familiar route. Apart from the fact that she had stayed in the house a little more than five years ago, she remembered how she would suddenly feel the need to see Nichs even when she still thought that he had divorced her for no good reason, she still loved him.


    Astra drove down and parked in front of his house. She could see several cars parked in front of the house. The dinner was probably going to be a big one. With any luck, she would not have tomunicate with Nichs.


    Astra came down from her car, and rang the doorbell. The opened and she was faced with Nichs. He looked a little flushed. That was luck down the drain.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said. He looked surprised to see her, his eyes went down to her stomach and they grew huge. He had not seen her since her bump began to show so it was expected that he was quite astonished by the size of her stomach.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± she said, trying to sound standoffish she did not want him to know that she had missed him, that it was only the face of his son that kept her from crying, that when she threw up she wanted him to be behind her rubbing her back, but she was so scared of what the consequences would be.


    ¡°Pleasee in,¡± Nichs said after looking at her for too long and ushered her in. He helped her with her coat and held her hand to the dining table, he then drew out her chair so that she could sit. Astra could feel so many eyes on from the moment she stepped into the house. She knew that many were surprised to see her since she had not been in contact with anyone since the issue.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Good evening, everyone,¡± Astra said with a smile. She saw Nichs¡¯ mother and gave her an awkward smile. There were never best of friends. Astra saw Stephanie and Yvonne and her smile broadened. She then saw Sarah and Jared looking at each other with pure love.


    ¡°Congrattions guys,¡± Astra said with a smile. She was truly happy for both of them, to think that she was using Jared to make Nichs jealous at a point and Nichs was using Sarah to make her jealous too and now the both of them were together and Nichs and her were still lost in love.


    Astra looked around and she saw an older couple that could only be Jared¡¯s mother and father, she also saw some unfamiliar faces, but she guessed they were Jared¡¯s sisters. The dinner was already on going and they wasughter and drink in great supply. The conversation was beautiful and everyone seemed to be so happy. It had been so long that Astra had been in a crowd that it startled her at first.


    ¡°Let us a make a toast, to Sarah and Jared, for more years together,¡± Nichs said, standing up with his ss. He was seated across her and she had been exchanging nces with him all night. They really had a lot to talk about.


    Everyone raised their sses in agreement with Nichs.

 Seventy Four

    ¡°To Sarah and Jared, for more years together,¡± everyone said and clinked their sses. Astra took her ss of water and drank it.


    The dinner was over but people were still talking together. Astra looked at the couple and saw how much in love they were in. She remembered thinking it was too fast and too early for them to get married at first. They barely just met each other and Jared did say he was in love with her not too long ago, but then she looked at them and it seemed like love was enough.


    Looking at them made Astra long for more, forpanionship, for a full family, for what she had with Nichs before. Maybe she was being too scared, and maybe it was time that she stopped being scared and just faced what was in front of her.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said. He was behind her seat. It was as though he was reading her mind.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± Astra replied, she stood up and looked at him.


    ¡°We need to talk, please let¡¯s go outside,¡± Nichs said and Astra nodded. She took his hand as they went outside his house. Some of the guests were already taking their leave and some were talking with Sarah and Jared.


    They walked around hispound. There was a garden, and enough space to have a walk at night, it was one of the things that she enjoyed about Nichs¡¯ house. She had thought it was too extravagant at first, but then with time the house had grown on her. The owner had grown on her too. She was crazily in love with Nichs at first, and for some time she thought that the love will die, but the love grew on her, she loved him more than the first day, their love seemed to increase over time.


    Astra and Nichs walked around the garden in silence. It was enough for the moment, to just walk and hold each other¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Astra. I have something to tell you,¡± Nichs said after a while. Astra dreaded those words and she hoped that they could continue to walk in silence, but she nodded, she would have to hear what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Astra I want to get back with you. I want us to be together again like we were during the beginning. I want us to grow old together with our children by our side, and even when they grow up and start their own lives, I still want them to be together,¡± Nichs said. He was not looking at her, he was looking forward and they were still working. Astra looked at his face, but he refused to face her, she could guess that he was afraid of her answer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Nichs,¡± Astra said, and Nichs looked at her then.


    ¡°You do not have to answer. You do not have to say anything at all. We can just take each day as ites, we can start from now. I am not asking you to marry me again, even if I really want you to, i am asking that we start again, that a fresh beginning is what we need, I am asking you that we should start being friends again, that we should get to know each other again, and then if you want we can get to date again, and take each step with you by my side,¡± Nichs said. His voice sounded so sincere that Astra felt her heart ache. Tears began to fall from her eyes because she was not sure how to react.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Astra,¡± Nichs told her, he then wiped the tears from her eyes.


    ¡°It is the hormones, it¡¯s the baby, that is why I am crying,¡± Astra said and Nichs nodded before hugging her.


    ¡°I am so scared Nichs, I am scared that we are not meant to be with each other, but I want to try, I want to try and be with you,¡± Astra said and Nichs hugged her tighter.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We should do this. We can start by being friends. We can forget that everything happened and pretend that we just met,¡± Nichs said and Astraughed a bit.


    ¡°We have a child together, and in four months, we would have another one. That is not a very good n,¡± Astra said with a smile.


    ¡°Says who?¡± Nichs said. He looked so cheeky. It reminded Astra of how she found him so funny when they had first met and that was one of the reasons she fell in love with him.


    ¡°Oh, good evening. I just saw you walking by and I was in awe, such a beautifuldy, I said to myself that I had to meet you. My name is Nichs, and you are,¡± Nichs said to Astra, he took her hand in his and kissed her fingers. Astra felt like butterflies were erupting in her stomach like the first day they had met. She felt like he was so handsome then, just like when they had met, a little more than seven years back.


    ¡°My name is Astra, I love your smile,¡± Astra said. She did love the way he smiled. She remembered that was one of the things that attracted her to him in the first ce.


    ¡°Thank you, Astra. I am sure nothingpares to when you widen your lips in a smile,¡± Nichs said and Astraughed. It was a loud and free one. It was an easyugh. The type that she did not know when it left her.


    ¡°Where did you get this sweet tongue from?¡± Astra said. She was still looking him in the eye. He was starting at her so intently that she could not tell what was going on in his mind, but the air was so intense. She could feel the electricity between them.


    ¡°I think I have always had it,¡± Nichs said. He was moving closer to her. Astra¡¯s heart was beating faster in anticipation she could barely wait. She wanted him to close to her. Astra moved closer and sighed when she felt Nichs¡¯ arm around her. She moved closer to him and melted in his embrace.


    ¡°This is too fast. We are moving too fast,¡± Nichs said. His hands were still around her though, he was not pushing away.


    ¡°Friends can hug,¡± Astra said, she was still in his arms, she felt safe and she did not want to leave him. She felt like she was home.


    ¡°Friends don¡¯t hug for this long,¡± Nichs said. He was removing himself from her, albeit slowly. Astra still wanted to stay with him, but she understood his fear, she had the same fear too. Maybe she would feel that she had enough, or too much and she would back off from his life too.


    ¡°We should have dinner tomorrow, as friends,¡± Nichs said, and Astra nodded.


    ¡°We should, it will be nice. I hope Stephanie will be free to baby sit,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Brian is with me at the moment, Sarah will help baby sit,¡± Nichs said. Astra did not feel that the newly engaged woman would be baby sitting, but she knew that they would figure it out eventually.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can be friends for long though,¡± Astra said, she moved closer to him again. She wanted him to hold her.


    ¡°We have to at least try,¡± Nichs said and she pouted.


    ¡°I will see you tomorrow then,¡± Astra said with a huff. She did not know why Nichs was being so high handed.


    ¡°I will see you tomorrow Astra. Dream of me, I am already missing you,¡± Nichs said and Astra smiled back at him. They both started walking out of the garden together. She could not even be angry at him when he was being so lovable. She put her hands through his and they walked back to the house together.


    ¡°Do friends do this too?¡± Nichs asked. It was clear that he was joking, but she red back him. Nichs thenughed. It was a long and fullugh. Astra¡¯s stomach tightened at theugh. She loved listening to himugh.

 Seventy Five

    ¡°Daddy! Mommy!¡± Brian shouted as he saw theming. Their son ran to them with his little legs and went on to hug them.


    ¡°I missed you Mommy,¡± Brian said. Astra felt like crying, she did not ever want her son to feel that way, but it was inevitable at the moment.


    ¡°I missed you too baby,¡± Astra said, lifting her son up.


    ¡°Will you stay here Mommy? In Daddy¡¯s house?¡± Brian asked. He had this innocent smile on his face that made her wonder if someone had put him up to saying that.


    ¡°No, Brian. Mommy is going back to her own house,¡± Nichs said to Brian who pouted.


    ¡°I want Mommy to stay here with the two of us,¡± Brian said. He looked like he was about to cry. Astra wanted to say that she would stay at home with Nichs and Brian then. They were her family.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Brian. Mommy can always stay another time. Mommy is really tired now and she would like to sleep in her own bed,¡± Nichs said. Yet again answering for her. She wanted to call him out on that, but Brian seemed to buy his words and he was smiling broadly.


    ¡°Okay Daddy, Mommy will stay another time. Bye bye Mommy,¡± Brian said to her, waving his hand at her, and Astraughed. Brian really got on well with his father. She could remember that he was actually a Mommy¡¯s boy at a point.


    ¡°You want me to go home already?¡± Astra asked him. Brian looked confused because his father already said Mommy wanted to go home.


    ¡°I want you to sleep on your bed. I am sleepy too,¡± Brian said, and then let out a yawn.


    ¡°I guess I should go on and sleep on my bed then,¡± Astra said, she was handing Brian over to Nichs. Nichs held Brian and Brian rested his head on his father¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°We should put him to sleep together,¡± Nichs said to Astra and she nodded. They both went to Brian¡¯s room in Nichs¡¯ house. It housed two cots, one for Brian and the other for Theo.


    ¡°I will get another cot soon, the nursery is big enough to house three children,¡± Nichs said as she tucked Brian in. She knew that he was referring to her unborn child. Astra did not know what she thought about moving back to Nichs¡¯ house because of the children, but she was ready to start somewhere, friendship was a good beginning.


    ¡°Read me a story Daddy,¡± Brian muttered, and Nichs smiled at his son. He looked at him with so much love that Astra was almost jealous, she loved that the father of her children adored them.


    ¡°Okay, Brian, I am going to read you one,¡± Nichs said and picked up a story book. Before Nichs got to the third page, Brian was already asleep.


    Astra and Nichs then tiptoed out of the room. The house was almost empty as all the guests were gone, including Sarah and Jared. Just the household staff and Brian were around. Sarah left a message for Nichs.


    ¡°Let me drive you home. It is alreadyte,¡± Nichs said to her.


    ¡°I drove here, Nichs. There is no need,¡± Astra told him.


    ¡°I will get one of my guards to drive my car and follow us, it is that easy,¡± Nichs told her and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°You do not have to go through all that unnecessary stress. There is no need,¡± Astra told Nichs. She did not understand why he was so adamant to drive her home.


    ¡°You are pregnant, you are a woman and it is passed then, I am driving you home,¡± Nichs said in a tone that broke no argument. Astra red at him, but put her car keys into his hands when he opened it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Nichs said and she followed him into her car.


    ¡°You do not have to be so forceful,¡± Astra said as they drove to her ce. She was referring to their argument.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Astra, I care about you and I do not want anything to happen to you,¡± Nichs said and Astra felt touched. The fact that he cared about her was no news to her but to hear him say it out loud.


    ¡°I will try to stay safe,¡± Astra replied him and he nodded.


    ¡°So I will see you tomorrow by seven. I will pick you up, please take care of your self and wear something pretty,¡± Nichs said as he dropped her at her house. He then gave her the keys to her car and watched her as she entered into her apartment.


    Astra felt excited about her date tomorrow. It was almost the way she felt when she had her first ssic dinner date with Nichs. He had told her to dress pretty just like he told her now.  She had wondered if she would be over dressed or under dressed. She wanted to look perfect for him and so she looked for a dress for hours before she finally found something that fit the bill.


    She also wanted to look beautiful for their date tomorrow. Astra did not have anything beautiful that would fit her bump, so she knew that she would have to go shopping for the dress. Astra knew that she would have to get something fabulous, a perfect first date dress to show new beginnings.


    She brought out her phone to call Stephanie. She hoped that her friend would be up for shopping. The pregnancy seemed to bring out the fashionista in Steph, she was always buying one thing or the other. Stephanie was already nning to open her culinary school and restaurant when she had her baby and when he was old enough.


    Stephanie was already eight months gone, and she looked ready to pop, but she was always more than ready to shop.


    Astra picked up her phone to call her friend to confirm if she would be free to shop.


    ¡°Hey Stephanie, how are you doing?¡± Astra said as Steph picked the call.


    ¡°Oh I am good. I did not see you after the dinner was over, but I did not see Nichs too, I figured you were fine,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Oh I was fine. I am good, Nichs and I are going on a date tomorrow. Can youe shopping with me for a dress?¡± Astra asked her friend.


    ¡°Oh, all I do these days is sit at home, of course I want toe. I am so happy for you and Nichs. I guess you are getting back together,¡± Steph said and she smiled.


    ¡°Thank you Stephanie. I do not know if we are back together just yet, but I would like to try,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will leave you to get some rest for the big date then.. Good night,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°Good night, Stephanie,¡± Astra said before disconnecting the call. Astra smiled as stared at her phone, she could not wait for the next day toe. As she was staring at her phone, she saw a text. It was from Nichs.


    I am texting you with hopes that friends do this, they text each other when they get home. How are you? Are you thinking of me? I can not wait to see you again tomorrow, I did not know how much I missed you until I saw you again today.


    Astra smiled at the text and ced her phone on her chest. She let out a little squeak and turned around with her phone. Nichs could be so sweet. The butterflies in her stomach felt like they were going on a rampage.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    Astra was still smiling when she went into the bathroom and took her bath, she was remembering every sweet thing that Nichs did. She remembered how she took her coat and helped her with the chair, how he refused to kiss her because he was scared that she would leave, how he insisted on driving her back home and how he texted her and he was so sweet.


    Astra was already on her bed that night when she remembered that she went to the party with the thought that she would not talk to Nichs, and that she would not get back with him.

 Seventy Six

    Astra woke up the next morning in a very excited mood. She felt like she was in a very good mood. She wanted the date to go very well without any hitches. She took her bath and started to get ready for the shopping spree. She was already having breakfast when Stephanie called her.


    ¡°Hello Stephanie,¡± Astra said when she picked up the call.


    ¡°Hello, Astra. Are you ready to start going shopping now?¡± Stephanie asked her and Astraughed. To think that she thought her friend would not have the strength to go shopping since she was pregnant.


    ¡°You are more eager for this dress than I am Stephanie,¡± Astra said with augh. It was a little funny how she could be.


    ¡°Whatever you say Astra, I just want to get clothes, that is all,¡± Steph said and Astraughed.


    ¡°I will be ready in an hour, ¡± Astra said to her friend before she disconnected the call.


    After the call, Astra looked at her phone and she saw a text from Nichs. It was as cheesy as the first one, but the thing was that she loved cheesy messages very much.


    I dreamt of youst night, I know it was because i was thinking about you up until the moment I slept, I cannot wait to start all over with you. Nichs text read.


    Astra felt like she could melt from all the butterflies. Their rtionship was so rushed and done with so much sex that they never really had the time to date. They met and it was a whirlwind after that, they fell in love and it felt just right to get married and so they did it, they began to know each other more while they were married and it was one of the reasons why they did notst for long.


    Astra wanted to text Nichs in reply, but he changed his mind and concluded that he wanted to talk to him on the phone instead. Astra called his line and he picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Hello beautiful,¡± Nichs said as he picked up the call, and Astra smiled. She could not help the blush that covered her cheeks.


    ¡°Hello handsome. I cannot wait to see you this evening. I just say your text. Is that what friendship implies?¡± Astra asked. She was joking and being cheeky.


    ¡°I think we both know that friendship is not for us. So I have gone up a bit, we are flirting now, that is perfect for us. Just so you know, I am going to ask you to be my girlfriend pretty soon,¡± Nichs said and Astra sighed on the chair. It felt like she was having her first rtionship all over again, it was all innocence and signs of love. She almost forgot that she was already five months pregnant.


    ¡°This soon? We are just having our first date today,¡± Astra said. She tried her best to sound appalled.


    ¡°Yes this soon. We are expecting our second child,¡± Nichs said with augh.


    ¡°I miss you,¡± Astra replied. She truly did miss him. She had missed him for the years that they had not been together, for the months that they had not touched each other, for the amount of time that it seemed like love was not even an option.


    ¡°I miss you too Astra. We are going to see each other today though, everything would be good. I cannot wait to see you Astra,¡± Nichs said again and Astra sighed.


    ¡°I better start to get ready for our big date. I am already so excited,¡± Astra said and Nichsughed.


    ¡°I will leave you to it then, give my baby a rub for me,¡± Nichs said and Astra smiled. He was really the sweetest man that graced the.


    ¡°I will. Tell Brian that Mommy loves him,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will, a alright then, have a nice day,¡±  Nichs said before he disconnected the call. Astra sighed and held the phone in her hands even after Nichs was done with the call.


    ¡°Your daddy can be very sweet though. He loves you very much,¡± Astra said while running her stomach, she was talking to her child.


    Astra went about her various chores with a smile on her face and in about thirty minutes, Stephanie called her.


    ¡°I am outside your house. We do not have any time to waste,¡± Stephanie said in the phone. Astraughed at her friend but came down to meet her.


    ¡°Alright, girl. Let us go shopping!¡± Steph shouted as Astra entered into her car.


    ¡°You really should be the one on the date,¡± Astra said and her friend¡¯s mood seemed to shift before she smiled again.


    ¡°Oh please, I have left love for you folks, enjoy the dating pool while I enjoy my break from it,¡± Steph said. Astra knew that her friend was still going through some PTSD because of Ray and how he had affected her with the money and all. It will be hard for her friend to love again. She had really loved Ray and it must have been traumatizing to see that Ray did not love the her but he had been obsessed with Astra instead. It would do things to her self esteem. Astra was a bit scared that Ray would destroy her rtionship with Stephanie, but their friendship seemed to weather the storm.


    They arrived at the shopping mall in one piece and they were ordered in and attended to on hand and foot because the people knew Stephanie and she did spend a lot on clothes.


    ¡°So we need something sexy, chic, but also still modest enough for a pregnant woman. Since the date is supposed to end in marriage, you need to try not to look too hot,¡± Stephanie said.


    ¡°You do know I am going on a date with Nichs right?¡± Astra asked but her friend ignored her.


    ¡°The perfect color for your skin right now is red. It will look good on your skin tone and it will give off the, I am too sexy to be alive vibes,¡± Stephanie said to her as they entered the store. Astraughed at her friend again. Astra was excited herself, but she did not share that level of enthusiasm with her.


    ¡°I am pretty sure I am not the sexiest woman to be alive. I do not even have the strength to look it, I am five months pregnant, Stephanie!¡± Astra told her friend.


    ¡°Regardless. I am eight months gone. Both you and Nichs need a party to celebrate your getting back together, a huge one at that. You need to look perfect for this date, it will determine how quickly I will get to throw that party. With the kind of dress I am going to get you, before this babyes, you and Nichs will be married,¡± Stephanie said and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°I think I will take a blue dress to show that I am still calm and cool. I do not want to rush our rtionship this time. We will take our time and be sure before going into anything, and nobody is getting married anytime soon,¡± Astra said to her friend.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Wasting time will not change the result,¡± Stephanie said and Astra rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Regardless, I still want to waste time. It is mine to waste,¡± Astra said. Steph looked at her as though she had gone absolutely crazy and she could not believe her.


    ¡°We should get shopping then,¡± Stephanie said and all by dragged her into the shop. The two pregnant women shopped for more than two hours because Stephanie was simply dissatisfied with anything that she wore.


    ¡°You would think that I am shopping for my wedding dress,¡± Astrained with a huff. She liked the dress that she was currently wearing, a sky blue gown that flowed from the bottom of her breasts to her knees. It made her feel like a princess, but Stephanie felt that the dress was mid and so she did not get it.


    ¡°It might as well be your wedding dress, Astra,¡± Stephanie said and Astra sat down on the dressing chair, she did not n on wearing anything else.

 Seventy Seven

    ¡°Uhh, this one looks beautiful,¡± Stephanie said. She was holding a red dress in her hands.


    ¡°I am tired Steph,¡± Astrained. She wondered how her friend had so much energy when she had a child in her, one the size of a watermelon.


    ¡°Just this one, I can feel it, this is the one,¡± Stephanie said. Astra wanted to point out that she had said that before and then changed her mind after, but she knew that there was no need arguing with Stephanie.


    She sighed and she went into the dress room and put on the dress. Astra loved the feel of the material on her skin, it was veryfortable.


    ¡°Help me with the zip,¡± Astra said to Stephanie who zipped her in. It was a perfect fit.


    ¡°Let me see it, turn around,¡± Steph said and Astra smiled and turned around. She felt like a princess in the dress. It minimized the size of her bump and at some angles, it did not look like she was pregnant. It was off shouldered and covered her chest, it was free from below her breasts and the hem was not of the same length, she loved it. But then, she needed Steph to love it too. Astra smiled at her friend and held her breath.


    ¡°It is perfect,¡± Stephanie said and Astra shouted.


    ¡°Thank God! We should go home,¡± Astra said and Stephanie chuckled.


    ¡°We do not have much time until the date, you still have to do your hair and makeup. My saloon is not so far from here,¡± Stephanie suggested and Astra red at her friend.


    After paying for the clothes, Stephanie got her self a dress and they went on to a hair saloon. If Astra was left to her own devices, she would have used her curler to style her hair,  but Stephanie just had to be over the top. Astra did her hair and then her makeup professionally, before she went back home to dress.


    ¡°You will tell me all about it tomorrow. I will call you, not too early though, a littlete so that you would have enough time to rest from the long night,¡± Steph said. She was wiggling her eyebrows. Astra red at her friend.


    ¡°Nothing of the sort is happening. We will have our date and Nichs will drive me home, simple,¡± Astra said even if she did hope that Nichs would not be as uptight as he was the previous night, a kiss or two will not hurt and they don¡¯t all have to be on her lips.


    ¡°Whatever you say. You look beautiful, Nichs will be blown away. I should get going now,¡± Stephanie said to Astra and she blushed. Her hair was falling over her back in curls and her dress looked even more beautiful with the make up and hair. She wore a pair of low heels because her legs had already started swelling and she carried a gold clutch.


    ¡°Thank you, love. I really appreciate all you do Stephanie,¡± Astra said snd then Steph smiled before she left.


    Astra sat down on her chair in her house for about ten minutes before Nichs knocked on her door. Astra was a bit frustrated from the nerves and was not in a good mood when he came.


    ¡°You arete,¡± Astra said to him as she opened the door. She was met with Nichs looking handsome in a tuxedo and holding a bouquet of yellow roses, the type that she loved. All her former annoyance seemed to disappear.


    ¡°You look magnificent Astra,¡± Nichs said and entered into her house. He was short of words at a point when he saw her, and the words that came out when he finally said something made her heart skip a beat.


    ¡°Thank you, you look handsome yourself,¡± Astra said, she was still blushing. Nichs handed her the flowers and she took them from him and smelt them.


    ¡°They smell wonderful, thank you,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will put these in some water,¡± Astra said and went into her kitchen to find a vase for the flowers. She then put them in some water.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± Astra said when she was done. She was not sure that she could stay in the house with him for much longer without trying to kiss him or doing something equally as odd.


    ¡°I have a gift for you,¡± Nichs said and then brought out a little velvet box from his pocket. Astra opened her eyes and gazed at the box as Nichs opened it.


    It was a ne. It was silver and had a tear drop of diamond as a a a a a a a a a a locket. It was simple but yet it was very beautiful.


    ¡°Oh my God Nichs, it is beautiful,¡± Astra said as she gazed at the ne.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± Nichs said to Astra and she did. She held her breath as he ced the ne over her neck. The closeness between them seemed to increase as she felt p breath at her neck. Astra could feel the electricity between the two of them. The years and the betrayal between them did not ruin their chemistry.


    ¡°I am done,¡± Nichs said and she turned around to look at him.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°You look very beautiful,¡± Nichs said as she turned around and he looked at her. His eyes looked dazed as he reached out and touched her stomach.


    ¡°I cannot wait for her to get here,¡± Nichs said again and Astra smiled.


    ¡°We should get to dinner before she gets here,¡± Astra said with augh.


    ¡°We should get going,¡± Nichs said and offered her his arm. Astra took it and they both walked out of the building together. He came with a driver so he just opened the door for her and they both entered into the car. The drive was short and they got to the restaurant in record time.


    ¡°The ce is nice,¡± Astra said. It was an upscale restaurant what she had expected, but it still pleased her that he put effort into their date.


    ¡°It is a pleasure,¡± Nichs replied and they were both taken to their seats. Astra sat down with Nichs and it urred to her that she was nervous. Anyone who saw the both of them, especially with her pregnancy would assume that they were a married couple on a night out. They would not imagine that they were divorced, friends. That they had been through so much including a mentally deranged man that wanted to separate them.


    ¡°What are we supposed to talk about? It is a first date but you know almost everything about me,¡± Astra said. It felt like they were living a farce. They had been through too much to just be sitting and having dinner.


    ¡°Well I do not know everything, I do not know what happened those five years that we were not together, and even before then. I knew you Astra, but I can not say that I knew everything about you. The same goes for me. Astra nodded as she considered what happened to them, how fast their rtionship had progressed before then. She was not sure she wanted to start talking about the five years that they were not together then, it would only put her in a bad mood. But then again, she figured that they were good parts about those five years that they went through a lot together too.


    ¡°After I left your ce, I went to meet my parents, they were furious that I was no longer with you, it seemed like the pictures had reached there before I did. Back then, I thought that they had talked to you and they heard your part of the story and simply refused to listen to mine,¡± Astra said. She thought of everything differently now that she knew the truth, but that did not make her heart stop aching, she was still hurt.

 Seventy Eight

    ¡°I decided to take the little money that I had to start over in a small town. I found out that I was pregnant a little after out, I was very depressed then and I hated my self and the baby for a while. I found a job as a secretary but quickly gotid off when they knew that I was pregnant, they did not want to have to deal with maternity leaves and the like, so I lost my job. The only thing that kept me going was my children. I had the twins in a hospital and I was alone then, it was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It was one of the most difficult times of my life. I loved my children, but my money was drying up fast and I did not have any source of ie. I was generally lonely then, I got depressed again. Brianna died in her crib one day, I don¡¯t just know what happened but she did not cry at night one night and in the morning she was not waking up. I rushed her to the hospital and theybelled it crib death, she was gone, one of my babies was gone just like that. I was not in the right frame of mind before then and so I just sinker farther in. I was lost. I turned to alcohol the moment I stopped breastfeeding and I was drunk the day the fire started. I remember thinking that I would kill myself if something happened to Brian because of me, I shielded him as much as a I could with my body and so he did not have any burn marks. They tried to take him away from me and it was Yvonne that helped me then. They thought that I started the fire, by mistake. It took a long while for them to realize that it was not me. I figured it was just an ident until Ray confessed to doing all of that, even poisoning my daughter. Things looked up for me after then. I was much more focused and I tried to get a decent job. My skin had numerous scars but I learned to wear them with pride. Most of my money went to treating Brian, I had been devastated to hear that he had leukemia. It seemed like the entire world was against me, but this time, I was willing to work against the world. I was ready to fight. I took care of Brian and lived together with Yvonne until you sent the divorce settlement money. I decided to do stic surgery for my skin then, to increase my self esteem, I nned toe back to the big city and make enough money for my son¡¯s treatment. I guess it was just fate that you were my first client,¡± Astra said. Nichs had listened to every word that she said and he was very shocked at the way the story went. He already knew most of what happened but he had not really heard it all at once. Nichs med himself for what happened to Astra and his children on some level. And then he med Ray for destroying them.


    ¡°I am sorry, I really am,¡± Nichs said snd Astra nodded.


    ¡°How have the past five years been for you?¡± Astra asked him instead. Nichs was not sure how he would reply to that. The past five years had been so filled with alcohol that he barely remembered what happened throughout.


    ¡°They have been blurry, like driving on a rainy night. At first I was so deep into alcohol that I did not realize that all of my life was disintegrating. For years I just let my country be run to the ground. I would show up once in a while, but I did not care anymore. I had enough money that I was not going to be poor, but there was no drive to have more. I wanted and needed that drive. It had taken Sarah toe into my life to help me stand up. She was going through heartbreak herself and so we were like souls. It was easy for us to bond. I loved her, I really did. She was the sister that I never had and Theo was like my own child to me. She gave me the drive for revenge on Thompson. She pushed me enough that it was easy for me to create a case and start following it. When I heard that you were back in town, it was like I was breaking down again and I was starting from scratch. I wanted to prove that I did not need you, that was why I hired you. It was that simple to me,¡± Nichs said to her. Astra sighed. She remembered seeing Nichs that day it was like her heart was being ripped out of her chest, to think that they were both going through different stages of emotional trauma, because of what Ray did. And they did not even know. Astra wanted to think thatmunication would have solved their problems, but she knew that they would have not believed each other. Theirck of trust for each other hurt them a lot.


    ¡°It was really hell for the both of us,¡± Astra said to him.


    ¡°More for you than for me,¡± Nichs said with a sad look on his face.


    ¡°I would like to visit Brianna¡¯s grave. Do you have pictures of her?¡± Nichs asked. Astra misted.


    ¡°We can go with Brian during the week if you are okay with it. I have some pictures of her in my house. Of both of them when they were children. Brian and Brianna looked quite alike, they both looked like you. I was a bit mad that none of them looked like me at first, but then I figured I needed the reminder,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°We will fix a date to see the grave. It hurts me that I never got to see her. I wille up to check the pictures when you get home. I really want to be involved with everything that concerns this child. I want to be here for her to make up for Brian and Brianna,¡± Nichs said and Astra had to wipe off a tear. She was so touched.


    She felt like things were falling in ce and to think that she had thoughts that Nichs would reject his child.


    ¡°I will inform you when I am going to my next doctor¡¯s appointment,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Of course. I can not believe that she is almost here. A whole human. It feels like I am going to be a father for the first time. It is all so fascinating,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°I hope you will still be this enthusiastic when it is time to change diapers, and when she is crying all night,¡± Astra said. Nichs shrugged then, it urred to him that he wanted the both of them to be together living in the same house by the time that their child was born. He imagined getting married to her again, they would have a big wedding unlike the one that they had previously.


    ¡°I will be ready when the timees,¡± Nichs said and Astraughed. They both are their meal and they had their dessert. They talked some more about Brian and the baby before they decided to go home.


    ¡°I should get some sleep,¡± Astra said and they both went outside. Nichs opened the door to the car for her again and his driver drove the both of them to her house.


    ¡°I wille with you to your ce to see the pictures,¡± Nichs said as they got to her house. The truth was that he did not want to leave her so soon.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Sure, let us go,¡± Astra said and the both of them went up to the apartment.


    Nichs could feel the air thicken as they got to her apartment.


    ¡°I will get the pictures,¡± Astra said as she went inside her room. She brought a picture book.


    Nichs collected the book from her hand and he felt the connection. He was about to open the book when Astra touched her lips to his. He saw the sparks.

 Seventy Nine

    Nichs was about to look at the picture when Astra¡¯s lips met with his. He felt the sparks when their lips touched. It had been so long they had been together without the aid of alcohol and external influences. It felt wonderful. Nichs helped Astra to climb him and he kissed her deeper, he slightly tugged on her bottom lip with his teeth while she snuck her tongue past his lips. It felt wonderful for a while as they had a duel of tongues of sorts. They both explored each other with their mouth and their hands. Nichs¡¯ hands went over Astra¡¯s body, her hands over his. He felt so hot and hard and all hers.


    Nichs flipped her so that she was below him and helped her out of her dress. He wanted some skin and he wanted it fast. He touched her with an urgency of a cave man and he did the same to her.


    ¡°It has been so long,¡± Nichs said as he removed her dress. She looked so white and beautiful and refreshing. Nichs had to remind himself to be careful when he saw her naked bump with beautiful stretch marks all over. She looked like a goddess. Her ckcy underwear made him wonder if she had nned to seduce him after all, it was not so hard to imagine.


    ¡°Too long,¡± Astra said as she helped him remove his clothes. She wanted him, all of him, she wanted to touch and feel him and one with him. Astra ran her hands over his chest and thumbed his t nipples and Nichs could not think straight anymore.N?velDrama.Org owns this text.


    ¡°Bed,¡± Nichs managed to say after a range of curses. A little bit ofmon sense still arose in him, he did not want to fuck her on the couch, while she was pregnant, that was a lot of lows not the type that he wanted to get down to.


    Nichs managed to get her hands off him for a moment and then scooped her up and carried her to her bed.


    Hey her as carefully as he could on his bed, but Astra was not having it, she seemed to have more energy than he did, was kneeling on the bed and kissing him again. Nichs managed to get the hook off her bra and her breasts sprung free. He had never seen her naked when she was pregnant, and one thing he could say was that her breasts looked glorious then. Her nipples were a bit darker than their normal cherry color and her ares were a bit bigger than they were before, and the mass of her breasts were considerablyrger than before. Nichs studied the beauty that was her breasts before he held them in both hands. The sweet sound that she made from her mouth told him that they were more sensitive than before.


    ¡°Fuck Nichs!¡± Astra moaned and pushed her breasts closer to him. She wanted him to touch her all over, she craved for his touch. She wanted his hands on every part of her body.


    Nichs smiled and put his lips on her left nipple and Astra felt her knees buckle and her sex quake from all the pleasure, it felt marvelous. Nichs suckled on one breasts all the while massaging the other and Astra was busy grinding on the bed desperate for some pleasure. She moved her sex over his legs and then she was holding his head tight over her breasts she did not want him to stop, she wanted his mouth to keep on being on her, she wanted him to keep on using his tongue and his teeth on her sensitive nipples. It was almost as though he was sucking on her clit as the ripples that she was feeling shook her the core. Nichs left one breast and began suckling on the other. Astra felt like she had to be going mad with pleasure. She scraped his back with her nails as his finger ventures straight to her pussy. She knew that she would find her wet as she was as horny as they came.


    Nichs plunged a finger into her and Astra began to scream, she was feeling too many things at once and it was hard to know which felt better and what was making her crazy. Astra did not care though, she was going toe and it was Nichs that was pushing the right buttons.


    ¡°Nichs!¡± Astra screamed as pressure rippled all over her. She could feel tears in her ears as she began to calm down.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Nichs said as hey beside her on the bed. astra took a breather before she noticed that Nichs was still very much hard, she was ready for pration too.


    Astra climbed over Nichs and looked at him with a smile and she gently lowered herself unto him. She felt so tight and so full and it all felt so right. She then started rocked on his dick, moving in the way that she could. Nichs smiled and then held on to her breasts as she began to bounce. Astra moved over Nichs increasing her rhythm, in and out. She bounced so fast that her breasts were hitting her chest and Nichs thought she was the most sexy woman upon the earth as she wes with him. Nichs then flipped her over and pounded in her with her same ferocity, Astra was screaming and moaning as their genitals met in what seemed like a primal war.


    Nichs stilled as he felt his orgasming. He then continued to pound into her increasing his tempo until he finally released his seed into her.


    Astra felt like she was seeing heaven as there were stars. She came from her high as she felt Nichs release his warm fluid inside her.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Nichs said to her. Astra froze for a moment, she knew that he loved it her. It was just such a vulnerable moment that she wondered if he was sure. But then again, he had given her his love and she should simply take it.


    ¡°And I love you,¡± Astra replied. She had loved him for years and she still kept on loving him even with the range of problems that were arising around her.


    They both settled with each other in the promise of love. It seemed like things were looking up for them, the future seemed promising.


    They both slept in each other¡¯s arms and then woke up for a second round. They had sex slow and sweet this time. The promise of love had changed that for him. He held on to her and came again for the second time that night, the next morning, they woke up together too.


    ¡°This is nice and cozy,¡± Nichs said and Astra smiled.


    ¡°I could get used to this,¡± Astra replied.


    ¡°I remember I was looking at my children¡¯s baby pictures when you tried to seduce mest night,¡± Nichs said to her and Astraughed.


    ¡°Yeah, we left those in the living room. Speaking of children, where is Brian?¡± Astra asked. She was worried that Brian was all alone with the staff. The thought did not really ur to her when she was seducing Nichs that night.


    ¡°Brian is actually with his grandmother. My mother loves him,¡± Nichs said and Astra nodded. Her mother did love him, she remembered the picture she had seen of Theo¡¯s birthday, with Nichs¡¯ mother holding Brian on her hips.


    ¡°So he is going to be there all day?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°Yes, that is until I go and pick him up. Do you have any ns?¡± Nichs asked and wiggled his eyebrows.


    ¡°Nothing of the sort that you are thinking about. I thought we should go and see Brianna, you have never been there. And to think that Jared was there before you,¡± Astra said to Nichs.


    ¡°Jared knew?¡± Nichs asked. He was surprised.

 Eighty

    ¡°We were actually very close friends, I did not tell him about Brian though, just Brianna,¡± Astra said to Nichs.


    ¡°Well I do want to see her. We should try and have breakfast first though,¡± Nichs said and stood up to go into the bathroom.


    ¡°Do you want to have your bath?¡± Astra asked and stood up with him. Nichs shook his head in affirmative.


    ¡°We should have one together, save water,¡± Astra said snd she walked naked into the bathroom. Nichs was pretty sure they used more water than they individually would have used.


    They both took the bath together and did so many other things. When they were done, they towelled each other and helped each other dress before going on to prepare breakfast together. Astra discovered how much she had missed that, how much she had missed doing things with him. She noticed how she thought about havingmunion with Nichs it was therapeutic being with him.


    They ate their breakfast of eggs and toast as they looked over the pictures of their children.


    ¡°This is Brian and Brianna when they were born,¡± Astra said as she pointed to the picture of the twins.


    Nichs looked at his children. They both looked so frail and pink and heavenly. They looked like angels. He wondered if his daughter would look that way too as a child.


    ¡°This was when they were a month old,¡± Astra said and pointed another picture. They both looked older there, a little less pink and frail. Nichs noted that Brianna had more hair on her head, but there were almost identical apart from that.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°And here they were three months old. This was just before Brianna¡¯s death,¡± Astra said her voice was shaky then. Nichs knew that the death was still very much hard on her that she was still trying to heal.


    ¡°I am sorry for not being there Astra,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°It is past and gone don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Astra said and then started to show him more of the pictures.


    ¡°This is Brian at nine months. He is already such a looker here,¡± Astra said with a smile. The rest of the pictures were of only Brian and Nichs was hurt that his son had to grow up without his sister, that his daughter just had to die. Astra showed him pictures of Brian up until his fourth, even pictures of him when he went through chemotherapy.


    ¡°In hisst scan, he was cancer free but the doctor told us that there is a possibility of iting back again,¡± Astra said when Nichs asked what his health status was.


    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Nichs said. He was trying to convince himself too, he could not lose two children in a life time. He did not even want to know how it felt like.


    ¡°We should go to her grave. I want to see it,¡± Nichs said and Astra nodded. They both left her house and walked to her car. It was a long and quiet drive to the cemetery. Astra and Nichs were quiet on the drive to the cemetery and they both came down from the car together.


    Brianna Charise Michealson. She had named Brianna for his father and her sister. It brought tears to his eyes.


    Nichs dropped at her grave with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°I am so sorry Brianna. I am sorry that I did not have the chance to be a father to you, that I did not love you as i should have.  That I was not able to hear you say Daddy, or see you take your first step orugh so that I could hear. I did not have the chance to drive the boys away and you did not have the chance to be my little princess. I am sorry that your life was cut short by that monster and I am sorry that you are not here right now with Mommy and Daddy and Brian. I love you Brianna, I hope you are fine wherever you are,¡± Nichs said. Tears were rushing down his face.


    Astra looked at the man that she loved and she felt his pain, she felt that for her child and she wept for them both.


    ¡°We are going to the zoo!¡± Brian shouted at breakfast when Astra told him.


    ¡°Thank you Mommy!¡± Brian said again and Astra smiled.


    ¡°So just eat up your breakfast, your daddy ising to take us there,¡± Astra told her son who looked so excited by the fact that her husband was going to take them out. Brian nodded at his mother¡¯s words.


    It was their first family outing. After visiting Brianna¡¯s grave, Nichs said that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his family, she could not me him at all. She just lost Brianna so she could feel a fraction of what he felt since he never met her and he missed the first four years of Brian¡¯s life. After their dinner date, they had a few more dates together. They had gone to an art museum and looked at art together. They both went around together and looked at art all the while discussing various things. It felt like they were getting to know each other again. She told him about her dreams and he told her about his. She told him that she would love to open aw firmter when she was more settled.


    They went to watch a movie together and held each other¡¯s hands in the theatre. It was not something they had done before. Their marriage was so full of sex that they barely had the time to get to know each other, not really. They went home and they enjoyed each other¡¯spany again.


    Nichs went with her to her OB-GYN. He looked so fascinated and mostly lost at what they were doing,  he looked at the amount of pregnant women with wonders in his eyes. The fact that she was actually pregnant with his third child and not his first was not very obvious. Astra cried when Nichs listened to the heartbeat of their child for the first time. Her ex husband and the father of her children looked so emotional, tears came out from his eyes. For a while, when felt guilty for robbing him of the gift of being a father. For not telling him about the children. The guilt did notst for long as she would remember why she had to not tell him. The reason she had to keep quiet about her pregnancy. Nichs would not have believed her even if she had tried to tell him. He would have thought she was cheating like the video said and she was pregnant for one of the men.


    Astra chilled as she thought of the men. She felt a cold chill as she remembered Ray and how he had taken the pictures. She put her hand on her stomach and she was grateful that her daughter would never meet him that she would never have to go through anything that would bring her pain in such a manner.


    In a way, Astra was grateful that they divorced then. She felt that maybe her marriage would have be stale with time. There was a possibility that they would have worked it out, but there was also one that they would not have.  Astra was grateful for the second chance to start all over. To date and maybe to do more. They had been dating for a month and Astra felt like something wasing, she wondered when he would ask her to marry him. Astra was sure she would say yes, since they were already acting like a married couple and people were asking questions and all, and mostly since she wanted to marry him. That was the major reason after all.

 Eighty One

    ¡°Daddy!¡± Brian shouted bringing her out of her thoughts. Astra had been so deep in thoughts that she did not hear the door ring. She was just sitting down and looking at Brian but not really at him. Brian bounded down out of the chair and ran to meet his father. Nichs who was looking all dapper caught Brian and lifted him up.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°How are you doing little man?¡± Nichs asked.


    ¡°I am fine. How is grandma?¡± Brian asked and Nichs chuckled the little boy had been singing his grandmother¡¯s praises since he first got back from her ce which was one month ago. Brian had gone back to spend another weekend and with his energy, he was clearly ready to spend another weekend.


    Nichs was excited to spend time with his family as a whole, he did not expect to be nervous, but he was. He wanted everything to be perfect. It urred to him that family man did not exactly suit him very well. He just wanted Astra to be happy. He felt like they were happy over the time, and it was good. He wanted to continue being happy with her.


    ¡°Astra,¡± Nichs said to his ex wife and the mother of his children with a smile. He had started to think of her as his girlfriend, but it was hard not to think of her as his wife. He remembered looking at a ring in the jewelry store and thinking it was still too early. He was willing to wait for her. He did enjoy the courting process.


    ¡°Nichs,¡± Astra replied in the same sweet voice like she always used. He put Brian down and walked to his girlfriend and kissed her on the lips. He loved how she seemed to melt in his arms. He held her tight as he explored her lips and he put his hands into her head. God he had missed her.


    ¡°Why are you sucking Mommy¡¯s face Daddy?¡± Brian said and Nichs had half the mind to ignore him. The boy had probably seen them kissing before, and he would see it multiple times, but Astra extracted her lips from him. She seemed red and shy when they separated. Nichs was justughing at her.


    ¡°Not in front of Brian,¡± Astra said with a blushing smile.


    ¡°You have a child and anothering and you are blushing for a kiss, very funny,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Daddy when do we go to the zoo?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Soon Brian,¡± he said and then looked to Astra. ¡°Is there anything you would want to do before we leave?¡± Nichs asked her. Astra smiled at how sensitive to her needs he was.


    ¡°Are you not hungry for breakfast at least before we go?¡± Astra asked him instead.


    ¡°No, I am good. I ate at home, but we can do it next time. A breakfast date,¡± Nichs said with a smile and Astra shook her head. She liked this part of him, her boyfriend could be so romantic.


    ¡°Sure we could do that when wee back,¡± Astra agreed.


    ¡°Alright, Brian let us go to the zoo,¡± Nichs said to his son who looked so excited by the prospect.


    ¡°Zoo!¡± Brian shouted and Astraughed as both her, her ex husband now boyfriend and their son went on a family outing.


    The drive was fun and entertaining as Nichs drove the car and they told Brian a lot of stories. Astra loved how he engaged their son, he not dismiss him and make him feel like he was a little boy, it was something that Astra knew would make Brian very confident and she was proud of it. She was proud of him. They talked about cartoons and about school and all.


    ¡°I am thinking of enrolling him in a school here. We are settled here after all, we are not going back, and I think that he should be with his peers. He is cancer free now and I think he is strong enough for preschool,¡± Astra told Nichs once Brian had gone go sleep in the car. The drive was quite a long one. Nichs was happy that he was a part of the decision and also d that Astra knew that she was staying for good, but he also wished that all of that was not a question.


    ¡°That would be very okay. I would like that. He barely has any friends his age, that is not very healthy,¡± Nichs said. His son was surrounded by adults and Astra did not have many friends with children since she had not moved with her child and she was just making a few friends now.


    ¡°At least he has his cousins,¡± Astra said and Nichs nodded. She was not just talking about Theo, but Charise¡¯s children too, Diana who was ten, and Trevor who was eight, none of them was Brian¡¯s age. It hurt him again that Brianna had died. Brian would have a sister his age then, this would not really be a problem.


    ¡°He will be fine Nichs, when school opens he can be enrolled. We will go together,¡± Astra said and Nichs nodded. They were at the zoo. Nichs parked at the parking lot and came down with Astra. He tapped at Brian slowly.


    ¡°We are at the zoo Brian,¡± Nichs said and his son¡¯s tired eyes opened.


    ¡°Already?¡± Brian asked with a yawn.


    ¡°You know he refused to sleep all night because he wanted toe to the zoo. That is why he is so tired now,¡± Astra said as Nichs carried him. The ce was full of people mostly with children. They checked in and Brian all but jumped down from Nichs when they began to see the animals.


    Astra saw her son¡¯s animated responses and his eyes widen in wonder as he saw the animals. She basked in his innocence and the energy that he portrayed. It reminded her again how much she loved him.


    ¡°Daddy the fish are jumping out, they are so big! Are those people touching them? Mommy can I touch the fish? Can I?¡± Brian asked as they looked at the dolphins. Brian looked like he was very scared of the dolphins and would not be able to touch them if they even let them. She smiled as she remembered the manner that he had run away from the horses then.


    ¡°It¡¯s too big,¡± he had eximed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Brian, another time, let¡¯s go look at the birds,¡± his father distracted him and Brian took the bait. His eyes opened up in wonder.


    ¡°I want to see the birds, I want to see them,¡± Brian said and they allughed. Astra had never seen her son look so excited it was quite a sight to behold, she always wanted to see him look so happy.


    ¡°Oh that bird is really really big!¡± Brian shouted as they saw the ostrich. He looked terrified but in awe.


    ¡°That is an ostrich and they cannot fly like the birds in the air,¡± Nichs told Brian and he nodded.


    ¡°That is because they are too big,¡± Brian said and Astraughed.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± she replied. They looked at other animals and they got snacks and ate at the zoo and then it was time to go home.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go, I want to stay with the dolphins,¡± Brian cried when it was time to leave. His choice of animal to stay with was a littleical.


    ¡°The dolphins? You want to stay with them in the water? Won¡¯t you get cold? Can you even swim?¡± Nichs asked him and Brian frowned and stamped his foot. All of that clearly did not matter to him, he just wanted to stay with the dolphins.


    ¡°I want to,¡± Brian said, the tears had started to flow. Astra was beginning to feel a little frustrated. She was tired since she had been on her feet for so long and now she had to deal with a whiny child.


    ¡°How will you give the ring at Aunt Sarah an Uncle Jared¡¯s wedding if you stay here? You will miss the wedding if you stay here and you will not get to go to preschool anymore,¡± Nichs said. Brian was the ring bearer at Sarah and Jared¡¯s wedding and he was very excited about his role. It was the perfect thing to use to hold him.


    ¡°I want to give the rings!¡± Brian said and Astra smiled. Her phone rang and she wondered who was calling, she picked the call and listened a smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°Stephanie has given birth, she has a girl,¡± Astra said.

 Eighty Two

    Astra felt a dull pain on her lower stomach and then felt it go a little lower. They started earlier that day but she figured they were Braxton Hicks and then her water broke, she began to panic. Nichs was out of town. He had neglected his business for almost too long and it was telling on him. The stress was getting to him. He did not want to have to have her but she all but pushed him out of her house to go make some money so that the children could feed or something like that. Astra remembered that he was unwilling to leave, but he left at the end because he had to.


    ¡°Brian please bring my phone,¡± Astra said to her son. She was trying to study the contractions, they wereing faster. She did not know who to call. Stephanie had her own baby just three months back, Yvonne was far away, Sarah and Jared were out of town with Theo. Charise, she was the only one she could call.


    ¡°Mommy are you okay?¡± Her son asked as he brought the phone to her with steady hands. Another wave of contraction wracked through her and she had to hold on to the chair tightly. The pain made her furrow her brows.


    ¡°I am fine baby. Are you ready to have a little sister?¡± Astra asked her son as she settled the wave of pain had gone down. Her son smiled. The type that only a big brother could.


    ¡°I am ready Mommy,¡± Brian shouted.


    ¡°Alright then, hand Mommy the phone and I will call Aunt Charise, you have to be a good boy now, don¡¯t be cranky, since Daddy is not around,¡± Astra told her son. He was getting very attached to his father and these days he barely listened to anyone else.


    Brian handed Astra the phone and then she called her sister. They could not have the typical sister rtionship after all that happened to them.


    ¡°Hello Astra. What is up?¡± Charise asked her Astra as she picked up the call


    ¡°I am good, I am fine, I just may be inbor. Can youe over to my ce?¡± Astra asked her sister in a calm voice, she was trying to be as calm as collected as she could be.


    ¡°What?¡± Charise shouted. Astra expected that she would be this dramatic.


    ¡°I aming over this instant, please just be calm, and don¡¯t walk, we don¡¯t want to have you giving birth to the baby in the house,¡± Charise said and Astra sighed.


    ¡°Please be quick,¡± Astra said as another wave hit her.


    ¡°I will be there,¡± Charise said before disconnecting the call and Astra sat and waited for her sister.


    ¡°I am here, I am here, let us get going,¡± Charise said immediately she got to the house. Astra already had her baby bag with her and then an overnight bag for Brian. Ready for all eventualities.


    ¡°Aunt Charise,¡± Brian shouted and her sister kissed her son.


    ¡°How far apart are the contractions now?¡± Charise asked Astra.


    ¡°5 minutes,¡± Astra replied and Charise¡¯s eyes opened in wonder.


    ¡°We need to get to the hospital fast,¡± Charise said to Astra. They both went on to leave the house and Charise drove like a maniac to the hospital.


    The doctor attended to Astra and told her that she was not fully dted yet and so they had to walk a bit. Astra saw the maternity ward full with women that all looked like they were about to pop babies. Astra closed her eyes in pain as another contraction hit her again, they wereing very fast now. She was sure it was almost time.


    The doctor then called Astra to the room and then they said she was ready to have the baby.


    ¡°Please call Nichs,¡± Astra said to her sister who looked at her as though she was mad.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t called him?¡± Charise asked. Astra did not have the chance to answer as she was helped into a wheel chair and rolled into the operating room.


    ¡°Is Mommy okay?¡± Brian asked. He held her leg. The little boy was clearly scared, it was understandable he saw his mother in varying levels of pain.


    ¡°She will be fine,¡± Charise told Brian and lifted him in her hands.


    She then called Nichs.


    ¡°Hey, Charise. What is up? Is anything the problem?¡± Nichs asked as he picked the call. Charise knew Nichs figured she would not be calling him if there was no problem at all.


    ¡°Astra, she is having the baby we are at the hospital. I know you are out of town, but you should know,¡± Charise said and she heard Nichs curse low and hard.


    ¡°I am on my way, I am not going to miss the birth of another child,¡± Nichs said before he disconnected the call. Astra was already inside the operating room, he was most probably not going to make it. Charise sighed and then called her parents and her husband. Someone was going to have to take Brian for the night.


    Nichs was out of town for business and he did not want to have to leave Astra and Brian alone and not so close fo her due date. He did not actually think she would go intobor without him there. His meeting was already over when Charise called him, and he was already on his way home, he was going to surprise Astra. He knew that it had to be important for Charise to call him it was not like they were best friends or anything of the sort. She was the sister inw that his wife did not totally like and so they were distant to each other, when Astra reconciled with her family, she became closer to Charise, but they were not still as close as sisters should be. So it was weird that Charise was calling him after all.


    ¡°Hello Charise. Is anything the problem?¡± Nichs said to her.


    ¡°Astra is having the baby, I know that you are out of town but I wanted you to know,¡± Charise said to him and Nichs was shocked. He did not expect at all that Astra would be having the baby. She was not even due yet. Nichs told his driver to step on it immediately.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    There was no way he was missing the birth of another child. The way Charise exined they were already at the hospital and so Nichs exined the hospital for the driver.


    ¡°My wife is having a baby, we need to get there as soon as possible,¡± he told his driver who nodded. He understood.


    They drove down the hospital with speed and then he asked for Astra immediately he got into the hospital. Various scenarios were going through his head. Many many things, he thought about. He knew that many women died during childbirth and that they could be very manyplications, and so he was scared for Astra, he could not help himself it anything happened to her, she had been through so much already. she did not need more.


    Nichs had picked a ring for her then, he wanted to ask her to be his wife the minute he got back home, the baby would cover all of that. It would not be easy to ask her then, everyone would be concerned with the new baby.


    Nichs came up and saw Charise and Astra¡¯s parents standing by the door, they all looked expectant and tired.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Brian shouted as he saw him and he smiled at his son.


    ¡°Nichs, you are here already? Astra is still inside, she has not had the baby yet we are worried, it is taking long,¡± Charise said to her brother inw and his son all but jumped to him.


    ¡°She will be fine,¡± Nichs said even if it sounded very much like he was trying to convince himself.


    Nichs greeted Astra¡¯s parents with a smile.

 Eighty Three

    ¡°Astra will be fine,¡± her father said and they all nodded. Nichs was not there up to three minutes when the doctor and the nurses came out of the operating room.


    ¡°Doctor,¡± they all said as they moved towards him.


    ¡°Both mother and baby are doing fine. The delivery was sessful, you have a baby girl,¡± the doctor said to them and Nichs took a deep breath of relief.


    ¡°Can we see her now?¡± Nichs asked the doctor.


    ¡°Of course, but let¡¯s not over crowd her,¡± the doctor said and then left.


    ¡°Go on and see her with Brian,¡± Charise said to her brother inw.


    Nichs walked into the room to his exwife, now girlfriend with their baby in her arms. The child was red with very little hair on her bed and resting on Astra¡¯s bare chest, her lips were on her nipple, and she was suckling, but it seemed like there was no milk yet.


    ¡°Nichs, you are here,¡± Astra said, she was surprised to see him. She did not expect to see him not so soon.


    ¡°I am here. You did good Astra,¡± Nichs said to her, she looked tired and weak, like she had run a race and she finally got to the finish line. But she looked happy though, she looked relieved and joyous as she stared at the little child at her breast. She was seated and holding the baby that had been wrapped in a nket.


    ¡°Do you want to hold her? She looks like you again, it is not really fair, everyone looks like you,¡± Astra said with a smile. Nichs looked at the child and Brian was standing at the side looking so confused. He contemted carrying the child but he had fears very valid ones but they were fears. He was scared that he would drop the child or that he would not hold on to her well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared Nichs, you will be fine,¡± Astra told him and he schooled himself and slowly extracted the baby from her hands. Nichs stared at the pink perfect child, at her eyelids that were closed, the beautiful nose, the lips and the ears. Nichs guessed she did look like him like Brian. Like Brianna. Nichs felt emotion overtake him as he held the child, the love that he felt for his blood almost shook him. It was so new and unreal and it so beautiful. Nichs felt tears stain his eyes. He loved the child.


    ¡°She looks so perfect. Did we make this whole human being? She looks like Brianna,¡± Nichs said. Astra thought that he looked very handsome right then, holding his child and almost crying, she loved the man.


    ¡°We made her Nichs and she does look like Brianna,¡± Astra agreed.


    ¡°Maybe we should name her that, Brianna,¡± Nichs said and Astra smiled. She was not so sure about that.


    ¡°Like Brian? We would be twins,¡± Brian said putting himself in the conversation. Her son¡¯s enthusiasm about the name made her consider it.


    ¡°As a middle name maybe, not a first name. Brianna, would always be Brianna,¡± Astra said and Nichs nodded. The baby started to fuss in his arms and Nichs looked scared for a moment before he gained himself and gently dropped the baby in her arms.


    ¡°We have time to think of a name,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°We have a whole list of names at home, we can decide,¡± Astra agreed with him and settled with the child.


    ¡°Can I hold the baby now?¡± Brian asked.


    ¡°Maybe not just yet,¡± Astra said with a smile. Brian seemed fearless unlike Nichs that had been so skeptical. i


    ¡°Your parents and your sister are waiting for you outside. I will tell them toe in now,¡± Nichs said and Astra nodded.


    ¡°Before the crowdes in, I want to let you know that I love you, I always have, I always will and thank you for  bringing my children into this world,¡± Nichs said to Astra and he kissed her lips.


    ¡°I love you too Nichs, I truly do. Thank you so much for helping me make the babies, they won¡¯t be here without you,¡± Astra replied and she pressed her lips to his.


    ¡°Congrattions Astra,¡± her sister said as she entered into the room. Her mother and father were not far behind. Astra smiled as her family came in. She was happy that her sister was there for her, that she was willing to be there for her. Astra was grateful that she was able to fix things with her family.


    ¡°She looks very beautiful, she looks more like Nichs though, maybe she might grow to look like you,¡± Charise said as she studied the baby.


    ¡°Would you like to hold her?¡± Astra asked looking at her sister. She was looking at the baby in awe.


    ¡°Oh of course. It has really been so long since I saw a new born baby, it never does get old,¡± Charise said and Astra stretched the baby to her carefully. Her sister extracted the child from her hands and held on the baby. She looked like she was in love.


    ¡°Maybe I will have another child after all,¡± Charise said softly.


    ¡°She does look so precious. You did very well Astra,¡± her mother said to her. Things were not so rosy after everything that happened between them. Astra¡¯s mother still kept a distance from her. Astra understood it but she did not like it all, it was not easy though to just fall into normal. It was hard to just forget everything.


    ¡°Thank you mother,¡± Astra said to her, and her mother hugged her, Astra could see tears in her eyes.


    Astra barely even noticed that Nichs had left the room so that they could have some time together.


    ¡°Another grandchild to the brood,¡± her father said with augh and Astraughed with him. Her mother looked so very moody though, Astra wondered what was wrong.


    ¡°What is the problem mother?¡± Astra asked her mother.


    ¡°I was not a very good mother Astra. I was not a good mother to you. The more I think about it I me myself for all that you had to face. I favored one child over the other, and when I knew that I was doing, when I git to understand, you were old enough to know what I was doing. It was like a habit then that I could not stop, I took out too much on my Astra, and I am really sorry. I am sorry for my shorings as a mother and I am grateful that even with my shorings you still turned out to be a very good person and a mother too,¡± her mother said, tears were going down her eyes. Astra felt pain at her mother¡¯s words. The truth was that was a little bitter, the pains of her childhood still affected her. To think that her mother still felt bad too after all these while made her know that she was still loved.


    ¡°You do not have the cry mother. You do not have to be so sorry. It is alright, everything is okay, I am fine now mother,¡± Astra said to her mother and drew her into a hug. There was something about the birth of a child that drew mother and daughter closer.


    Astra held on to her mother before she finally let go.


    ¡°You are right, the past in is the past, let us look forward to the future,¡± her mother said and wiped her eyes.


    ¡°So what are you naming thetest addition?¡± Her mother asked. Her father hade closer and was now holding her baby.


    ¡°We have not decided a first name yet, but her middle name will be Brianna, for the child that we lost,¡± Astra said. She had a sad moment as she remembered Brianna.


    ¡°That will be very nice,¡± Charise said. Her eyes were misty too.


    ¡°So when are you marrying Nichs again?¡± Her father asked, in an obvious bid to lighten the sour mood.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Astra,ughed together with her mother and Charise.


    ¡°I only just had a child father,¡± Astra replied her father.


    ¡°Well you don¡¯t have to if you do not want to. I have a feeling though, that you do want to marry him,¡± her father said and Astra nodded with a smile.


    ¡°I am waiting for him to ask,¡± Astra said and both her mother and sister donned twin smiles.


    ¡°Well if he wastes too much time you should ask him yourself. It is the twenty-first century,¡± Charise said and Astra smiled.

 Eighty Four

    ¡°I am sure he will ask me very soon, he doesn¡¯t just want to rush me,¡± Astra informed her. It felt so good to be able to just talk to them without any reservations and any shame. It was so easy to blend into conversation.


    ¡°Awwn,¡± both her mother and sister said. Astra was about to reply when she heard a knock on the door.


    Nichs opened the door after the knock and peeped in.


    ¡°Sorry to disturb this family reunion but you have more guests,¡± Nichs said and Astra wondered who else hade. Stephanie, Sarah and Jared burst into the room.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call?¡± Stephanie asked immediately she came into the room. She was holding her three month old daughter, I in her arms, the cute girl was ying with Stephanie¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be caring for your child?¡± Astra retorted to Stephanie.


    ¡°And you both, aren¡¯t you supposed to be on honeymoon or something?¡± Astra asked Sarah and Jared who shrugged.


    ¡°We have been back for a while, you know that. Congrattions Astra,¡± Sarah said as she looked at the baby. Her father had handed her over before they slowly retreated from the room.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Astra replied. Her child was sleeping on her stomach.


    ¡°Oh now I has a new ymate, we can dress them as twins as they grow older,¡± Stephanie said and Astra smiled.


    ¡°Of course we can,¡± Astra said. She did like the idea, she looked to Nichs who frankly looked appalled.


    They all gushed at the baby and Astra managed to ask a few questions.


    ¡°You look tired Astra, we will leave you to rest,¡± Sarah said and they left the room. Astra was tired. She wanted toy down.


    ¡°I hope you are not too tired for one more person. The newest grandmother is a bit excited,¡± Nichs said and Iris Michealson walked into the hospital room.


    ¡°Congrattions Astra. You must be so tired,¡± Iris said. Astra had seen a different version of the woman, much more different that the one that she knew. Iris seemed to melt where Brian was involved. Astra was sure that her daughter would even do that more.


    ¡°Thank you, Ma,¡± Astra said to her mother inw who walked closer to her to look at the baby.


    ¡°Oh she is so precious, and you should call me mother, that is if you want to,¡± Iris Michealson said. Astra was shocked. She did not know what to say or how to react.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Astra managed to choke out.


    ¡°She looks so much like Nichs. I guess he does have very strong genes. So this is how my daughter would have looked,¡± Iris said. She was still in awe of the child. She still stared at her as though she could not believe that she was real.


    ¡°Do you want to hold her?¡± Astra asked. The hard woman looked close to tears.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course, of course,¡± Iris said and Astra handed her the baby. Iris held the baby and tears came from her eyes she was smiling and staring at the beautiful child.


    ¡°Your children remind me of myte husband you see,¡± Iris exined and Astra nodded. She was feeling quite emotional herself. Nichs came close and held his mother. A child could really perform miracles.


    Hailey Brianna Michealson was a crier at six weeks she knew how to effectivelymunicate using tears and shouts. Astra thought that the twins were difficult to care for as child since there were two of them, but Hailey put them both to shame, she could win the two of thembined in a crying contest.


    Astra heard her daughter¡¯s cries from the baby monitor as she tried to fix lunch for Brian. Astra groaned a bit, and she left the half made sandwiches and went upstairs to meet her daughter. She was living in Nichs¡¯ house, she had moved in after the birth since it was sensible. His ce was much bigger giving them the space they needed. And Astra could admit that she could not handle the two children on her own, she did need some help. Nichs had a lot of domestic help that helped with the basics, but the cook and housekeeper were away for the weekend, so it was a little more stressful than usual.


    Astra got to the nursery and her pink faced princess was screaming her guts out.


    ¡°What is wrong baby? Why are you crying? Mommy is here,¡± Astra muttered to Hailey as she picked her up. Hailey quietened down as Astra rocked her. In as much as Hailey cried a lot, she knew her mother¡¯s touch and loved it.


    ¡°Is your diaper wet?¡± Astra asked the six week old and touched her diaper. It was soaked.


    ¡°Oh my love, no wonder you are cranky,¡± Astra said and she ced her on the changing table and changed her diaper.


    ¡°Mommy I am hungry,¡± Brian whined as Astra wanted to start breastfeeding her daughter. She figured she could make Brian the sandwich first. She went down stairs with Hailey and put her in the sitter with toys rolling around so that she would not cry and then she quickly made a sandwich for Brian.


    After she was done, Hailey was looking like she was on the verge of tears again and Astra carried her from the seater and settled to breastfeed her. Haileytched unto her nipple and sucked hungrily. Brian was enjoying his sandwich and orange juice. Thankfully, the cancer had not returned. It had been so touch when they had to deal with that, but her baby boy was now in school and was getting bigger and taller than usual. He was healthier and Astra also knew that the kids at school also made fun of him because of his size. Her son was growing.


    Astra was still breastfeeding when Nichs got back home.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Brian shouted as he saw Nichs and he ran to hug his legs. Nichs carried his son high. One would never guess that there were not together for the first four years of the boy¡¯s life. Her son would soon be five. Time just seemed to fly.


    ¡°How are you Brian?¡± Nichs asked and Astra smiled at him.


    ¡°I am fine Daddy, I went to school and I did all my homework. Did you bring me anything Daddy?¡± Brian asked his father.


    ¡°Actually I did,¡± Nichs said to his son.


    ¡°Really? What is it Daddy?¡± Brian asked Nichs could see the excitement


    He brought an action figure and gave it to his son.


    ¡°Wow! It is so cool,¡± Brian said as he held on the action figure.


    ¡°Thank you so much Daddy, I am going to add it to my collection,¡± Brian said with a smile and started to run down to his room.


    ¡°Be careful Brian, don¡¯t fall down,¡± Astra called out after her running son.


    ¡°He will be fine,¡± Nichs said to her and Astra smiled.


    ¡°You look so tired. I am guessing Brian and Hailey have been a handful,¡± Nichs said to Astra. He looked at her beautiful tired face and it him again that he loved her that he truly loved this woman.


    ¡°That is an understatement. I cannot wait for the cook toe back,¡± Astra said and Nichs smiled.


    He looked at his daughter and she was sleeping soundly, her lips ck against Astra¡¯s nipple.


    ¡°Hailey is asleep,¡± Nichs said and then carried her. Astra arranged her dress and then smiled tiredly.


    ¡°Marry me,¡± Nichs said. The words just came out of his mouth, he had been nning to ask her for so long and he was not able to.


    ¡°What?¡± Astra asked. She was clearly shocked.


    ¡°I have a ring, it is upstairs and I n on doing this properly, but I want you to marry me, to stay with me forever and have more of my children, and so that we can achieve our dreams together. I love you Astra, I want you to be my wife again,¡± Nichs said. He knew that he made a mess out of it but he said it anyway.


    ¡°I want to do that, I want to marry you. Yes,¡± Astra said. She had been waiting for so long that it caught her off guard. She wanted to marry him, again.

 Eighty Five

    Astra felt giddy, free, and light. She was a bit nervous too, because what bride was not nervous on her wedding day? It did not matter that she had gotten married before and to the same man at that, it also did not matter that she had two children for the said man, she was entitled to pre-wedding jitters and she was having them.


    Astra¡¯s first wedding was in Vegas, she was half drunk and so was Nichs. They were drunk on both wine and love and they enjoyed each other. Astra could not remember the exact details of her first wedding since she was wasted and all, but it did not waste much time and she was done with it, she did not have enough time to be nervous or to back out of the wedding, that was it. Unlike this time that there was an entire n, rehearsals, shopping, and too much money involved.


    ¡°Rx Astra, you are too tense. Nichs loves you and wants to marry you, everything will be alright,¡± Charise said to her as she held her hand. Astra sighed.


    ¡°I know that he loves me. You are right, I can¡¯t just help the nerves you see,¡± Astra said. The make up artistes were putting the finishing touches on her face. She looked perfect.


    ¡°You look beautiful Astra. Simply stunning, Nichs will be blown away,¡± Charise said and Astra smiled. She could not help the blush that crept up her skin.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Astra said. She then felt an heaviness in her chest, she remembered Hailey.


    ¡°You will take care of Hailey for me. I have the milk and the bag is over there, she will wake up anytime soon and you know that she loves to cry, just give her some milk and change her,¡± Astra exined. Her child was three months old already and Astra did not want to leave her for so long, Hailey naturally clung to her mother and there was the fact that Brianna¡¯s death was still haunting Astra, PTSD of sorts, she did not want to leave Hailey without any attention even for a minute.


    ¡°I will take care of her Astra. I will not let her out of my sight, your child will be fine. I promise,¡± Charise said to her. She was soothing her.


    ¡°Oh aren¡¯t you a beautiful bride?¡± Her mother said as she stepped into the dressing room. She came along with Sarah, Stephanie and Yvonne. They were all her bridesmaids and Stephanie was her maid of honor. Astra was grateful for her friends that she had friends and family at this point.


    ¡°Thank you mother,¡± Astra said, tears stained her eyes.


    ¡°Oh Astra, I want to get married again. This is all so beautiful,¡± Sarah said. She was pregnant, her stomach was slightly bulging but not too prominent. Astra was happy for her and Jared. She was grateful that Jared was able to find love at the end. Jared reminded her that Ray was not her fault. She needed that reminder.


    ¡°After everything that you all went through, finally everything has fallen into ce,¡± Yvonne said. Astra felt emotional as she remembered the roller coaster ride that they had been through, it was really something else. Astra was happy that she was able to ovee at the end, the ride was not an easy one, not at all.


    ¡°I am so grateful for that,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Come on girl, don¡¯t cry and ruin your makeup, it¡¯s your wedding day,¡± Stephanie said with a smile. Astra loved Steph¡¯s vibes. It always brought out the best in her.


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Astra said with a smile.


    ¡°Girls, girls. There is one very nervous groom waiting for his wife. I need to get her to him,¡± her father said as he entered the room. Astra¡¯s heart began to beat faster. Nichs was waiting for her on the aisle and she was going to get married.


    Astra stood up from her chair and Stephanie rushed to her side to arrange her ball gown.


    ¡°Take care of my baby, Charise,¡± Steph said to her sister as she passed her.


    ¡°You lot worry too much, both I and Hailey will be fine,¡± Charise said to them as she shooed them away from the room.


    ¡°You look very beautiful Astra. I did not think that I would have the chance to walk you down the aisle,¡± her father said and Astra sniffled. The fact that she got married in Vegas the first time changed a lot. Her father was not able to walk her down the aisle.


    ¡°Thank you father,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Shall we? Are you ready to do this?¡± Astra¡¯s father asked her. Astra was nervous but she wanted it, she wanted to get married to Nichs.


    ¡°As ready as I will ever be,¡± Astra said to her father.


    ¡°Let us do this,¡± her father said with a chuckle as he put his hand through hers and they walked together. Astra smiled as she walked with her father into the church. Her bridesmaids followed her too. They both walked into the church and Astra recalled when Nichs asked her to marry him. It was not the best proposal as she was tired and it felt like he just blurted it out, he was not even with his ring then. Astra loved him though, she loved him and she had been waiting for that proposal there was no way she could have said no.


    Nichs had taken her to dinner the next night, they left the children with then housekeeper since she was back from her vacation and they went out. It was simple and sweet. Nichs had rented the entire restaurant and even though she knew that their engagement was the reason they went out, she was still surprised when she saw, ¡°Wil You Marry Me?¡± Shaped balloons on the walls of the restaurant. She had expected something like him dropping to his knees after the dinner, or taking his hands in hers. She did not expect to be asked before food was in her stomach. Astra stumbled on her words as Nichs went on one knee.


    ¡°I am happy that I am able to make you speechless. I love you Astra, marry me and be my family,¡± Nichs said. Astra felt tears rush down her eyes then. She felt so loved and that was why she was crying.


    ¡°Yes, I will. Thank you so much Nichs,¡± she said then. She did not know that she had taken time to answer. Later, Nichs told her that she made him nervous when he was on his knees, that he felt like she could decide that she did not want to get married again and he could not force her. He told her to he was so relieved to hear her say yes.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    Astra looked at Nichs on the other end of the aisle. She knew that there were people all around her, her friends and her family, the people that loved her and cared for her, but she had eyes for only Nichs. He was tapping his left leg on the ground, and so she knew that he was nervous. It made her feel better, she was not the only one. Astra moved to Nichs and her heart seemed to seize as her father stopped in front of him and handed her to him.


    Nichs looked so emotional then, almost like when he first held her daughter. Astra looked to the crowd then and saw Charise carrying Hailey, and Charise¡¯s daughter holding I. Hailey was wide awake and staring at her parents.

 Eighty Six

    ¡°One would think Hailey was the one you were marrying,¡± Nichs joked and Astraughed lightly. Astra was beautiful, mind-blowing, and she was going to be his wife. He had been nervous when he stood on the alter and was waiting for her. He could not exin the fear that he had, the fear that Astra would suddenly not be there. He loved her, he needed her so much. Nichs was not sure he could function without her, at least not anymore. And when she finally arrived with her father, he was relieved, happy and d. She looked like an angel and he was so lucky to have her as a wife.


    ¡°Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to observe the holy matrimony of Nichs and Astra,¡± the priest said. Nichs was barely listening anymore, he just wanted to marry her and be done with it, he wanted her to have his name and to love him forever.


    ¡°Do you Astra take Nichs Michealson to be yourwfully wedding husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?¡± The priest asked Astra.


    ¡°I do,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Do you Nichs Michealson, take Astra to be yourwfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickess and in health, til death do you part?¡± The priest asked Nichs. He looked straight into Astra¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.


    ¡°Do you have a token to symbolize your love for each other?¡± The priest asked.


    ¡°Yes we do,¡± both Nichs and Astra replied and then Brian came out with his little suit holding the rings out. Nichs took the rings from him and gave him the rings. He blessed them and gave them back to exchange. Nichs smiled at his wife as he ced the ring on her finger. She smiled back at him as she ced his ring on his.


    ¡°By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride,¡± the priest said and ps of celebration rang loud in the crowd. Nichs was not listening to any of it, he held Astra and looked straight into her eyes as he kissed her lips softly. Finally, she was his wife, there was really nothing that felt better.


    For a while, Nichs forgot that they were in public and continue to suck on her lips. Astra did not help matters as she responded very well to him. It took the priest clearing his throat to bring them apart.


    The moved to the reception after the wedding. It was all very nice. Astra was able to drag her eyes away from Nichs then and so how much of friends and family had attended the wedding, she saw some of her friends from college and even from when she worked with Trevor Abbey. Jared and Sarah were seated together with their son. She could see Stephanie with some hot guy. Astra truly wanted happiness for her friend. She hoped that Stephanie would find happiness at the end.


    She saw her mother inw with her son, Brian. She could see Charise and her husband with their two kids Hailey and I were still with her. Astra even spotted Thompson¡¯s baby mama and his daughter. She could see herself bing friends with the woman, Nichs had introduced them together.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Nichs asked her. They were both seated together and viewing the crowd.


    ¡°Oh, nothing really. I am just happy that we made it this far,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°Well, I am thinking of when we will have the time to go for a honeymoon,¡± Nichs said to her and she chuckled.


    ¡°Hailey is just three months old, I cannot leave her for two weeks. We will figure something out,¡± Astra said to Nichs. They already had that conversation before then.


    ¡°We will have more kids by then,¡± Nichs grumbled and Astra shook her head.


    ¡°Says who?¡± Astra asked.


    ¡°We will see,¡± Nichs replied.


    ¡°Uhh, they are calling us for the first dance,¡± Astra said and they both stood up and went to the dance floor.


    ¡°This is very lovely,¡± Nichs said as he put his hand around her waist and they moved to Ed Sheeran¡¯s Thinking out loud. Astra agreed, it was really lovely.


    ¡°You are not to call me for anything. Anything at all, I mean it, I deserve this vacation. I have not been on one in years. My flight is leaving in a few hours and I just wanted to brief you, so please don¡¯t call me, thank you,¡± Astra said to her assistant. She had opened herw firm, after she got married, finally achieving her dreams. She hoped that thepany would not crumble since she was leaving for two weeks.


    ¡°What if it is really really important, like the building is on fire?¡± Tricia her assistant asked. Astra knew that she was just trying to rile her up. There were not just boss and employee, they had be friends over the years.


    ¡°I am not a firefighter am I? It¡¯s not like I can put off the fire I was there. So don¡¯t call me. It is just two weeks, you will be fine. I am not even taking my phone, it will just be, nature and my hot husband so please, thank you. If you need anything ask Jared, he will he willing to help,¡± Astra told Tiana and she disconnected the call before Tiana could make any moreints. Astra was trying to tighten all lose ends before she travelled and it was not as easy as it seemed.


    ¡°What has gotten you all worked up babe?¡± Nichs asked her as he he massaged her shoulders. She was seated on the chair in their room.


    ¡°You would think that I am the only one leaving apany behind. You are too, but it doesn¡¯t seem to affect you at all. Maybe we should not go? There is so much happening here, maybe next year? Six is really such a nice number,¡± Astra said to her husband.


    ¡°You said thatst year, and the year before. We have to go and you need this vacation. Besides, by next year we would have a baby that you would not want to leave behind,¡± Nichs said. Astra was not so sure herself it was early days and she had not told Nichs about it.


    ¡°What? How did you know? Do you really think so?¡± Astra asked him all at once and Nichs shrugged.


    ¡°I am sure and I know you, we can take a test when we arrive Italy,¡± Nichs said.


    ¡°Oh, that means I can not take any alcohol,¡± Astra moaned.


    ¡°You will survive. We can take non-alcoholic drinks together,¡± Nichs suggested and she smiled.


    ¡°Sure, thank you. You do know that I love you right?¡± Astra asked her husband.


    ¡°And I love you right back,¡± Nichs said. He was bending to kiss her when they heard a loud crash below their room. Nichs visibly winced.


    ¡°I am guessing Hailey and Hazel are at it again. Just try and get ready, I will see what they broke this time,¡± Nichs said. Astra thought that she might go crazy with worry.


    ¡°I aming down. How are we supposed to leave this children alone? And it is summer break, they are not going to school,¡± Astra said and she rushed down the stairs quickly.

 Eighty Seven

    Their housekeeper was already with Hazel and Hailey, they both had twin sorrowful looks on their faces. Hazel came not too long after their wedding, ten monthster, Astra had a child another girl. This time, the child looked like her. Her pregnancy was sure from the beginning and she knew that she was pregnant, she all but glided through it, Nichs was there to hold her hand through it all, and he was present for the birth. Hazel was a quiet child, Astra prayed for one since she was running apany and handling three children, two who were still babies.


    It was not easy for her, but Astra viewed Hazel as good luck, she was able to open the firm sessfully and it grew. Since she was born in a home that she felt favouritism as a child, she tried to avoid it as she trained her own children. Even though the beginning of Hailey¡¯s pregnancy had not been pretty, Hailey was the strongest child to her. She refused to give up, and also helped her love with Nichs to blossom.


    In as much as Astra tried to be equal with her two daughters, they were like cat and dog, they were always fighting. For children that were five and four respectively they seemed to have a lot of energy and they used it to fight each other. Her friends and family told her that they were just children and it happened a lot in children that were so close and that they would outgrow it. Astra sincerely hoped so. What gave her hope was the fact that they yed as hard as they fought, they were still friends after all.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± Astra asked the two guilty faces.


    ¡°Hazel wanted to get you that vase up there, as a going away present, so that maybe you will not go,¡± Hailey said, she pointed at the vase on top of the counter. Astra could not even reach it, she wondered how the two little girls thought they could.


    ¡°But it is really high, but I knew that you would like it Mommy, it has flowers, so I climbed. Hailey refused to help at first and then she did,¡± Hazel exined at and Astra¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°You were climbing the kitchen counters?¡± Astra asked her children. She knew that she was shouting but she could not help herself. How? Why? Were the questions that were on the tip of her tongue after the first now, she could not figure the children out.


    ¡°They did not get very far, I caught them and she was trying toe down and this ceramic jug broke,¡± the housekeeper exined and Astra sighed. All because they did not want her to leave. She could not even be angry at them if she tried.


    ¡°We are really sorry Mommy, don¡¯t leave us alone,¡± the children said and hugged her legs.


    ¡°We promise we will not fight anymore and we will be good girls,¡± Hailey said. Astra reasoned not leaving then, it would be so easy, but Astra knew what Nichs said was true, if they did not go now, they would never go. They had been married for five years and they had not gone for their honeymoon yet. They went on vacations as a family, once in a while, during the weekends, they would fly to some state or country to have fun. The three children, Nichs and Astra, but they barely had the time to do anything themselves.


    ¡°Mommy and Daddy wille back, we are just going for two weeks, fourteen days and we will be back, you can mark it on the calendar, and you can y with all your friends and cousins when we are gone. Aunt Yvonne is alsoing for the two weeks,¡± Astra said to the children. It seemed like they did not understand the vacation and they thought that Astra and Nichs were leaving them for good. Her poor babies.


    ¡°Can Theo and Elisee?¡± Hazel asked as she sniffled, she was referring to Saran and and Jared¡¯s children.N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content.


    ¡°Can Ie too?¡± Hailey asked. Like Steph had predicted, the two girls were best of friends.


    ¡°Of course she can, and you can go to Aunt Charise¡¯s ce for a while,¡± Astra continued and the girls shrieked. They were clearly excited about that. Charise was very popr with her children.


    ¡°You can stay with Grandma Iris for a while too,¡± Astra continued and the children jumped this time. The reason why Astra did not just dump the children at Iris¡¯ house for the two weeks was because she did not want to impose, there were three of them, and it was two whole weeks. Anyone would be frustrated. So it was best that they stayed at home and went to visit.


    ¡°You both won¡¯t even notice that I am not here,¡± Astra said to the children.


    ¡°We will notice Mommy, but you will be back,¡± Hailey said smartly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Astra said and she bent to kiss the both of them on the head.


    ¡°Where is Brian?¡± Astra asked as they cleaned up the kitchen. She was already dressed and their luggage was ready, it was almost time to leave.


    ¡°He is doing his homework,¡± Hazel said and rumpled her nose, she did not like the idea of homework. Brian was more intellectual than anything. He loved to read and to gain knowledge on anything and everything at all. He was just ten years old and he was already reading so much, he even knew things that she did not. He was really so inquisitive and it had only grown with age, his curiosity.


    ¡°Hey Brian. Do you have time for Mommy?¡± Astra asked as she peeped into the room. She was there with Nichs.


    ¡°Are you sure you are not just waiting for us to leave so that you can read up on everything in this house?¡± Nichs asked his son and he scratched the back of his neck with a smile. Her son was really so handsome even if he was a nerd. He was an handsome nerd. He looked so much like Nichs till then. Astra was reminded again of the child that she lost, Brianna. She would have been ten too. Would she have liked academics like Brian? Astra doubted it. The only person that would be close was Hailey, she was curious too like her brother.


    ¡°I did not know you were leaving so soon,¡± Brian said and Astra moved to hug him, she held her son close and Nichs smiled at the awkward look on Brian¡¯s face.


    ¡°Take good care of your sisters when we are gone, okay. we will be back before you know it,¡± Astra said.


    ¡°I will, thank you Mom. I will you both,e back very soon,¡± Brian said and Astra felt like she would cry.


    ¡°Come on now, we need to get to the airport so that we did not miss our flight,¡± Nichs said and he led Astra outside. She hugged all of her children again, and Nichs too with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°I love you Nichs,¡± Astra said as they were on their way to the airport, to enjoy two weeks of their life, and to celebrate their five years in marriage and up to thirteen years in love.


    ¡°And I love you Astra,¡± Nichs said to her.


    Astra hade quite a long way Nichs, from being dazzled by the billionaire, to loving him, getting pregnant, getting divorced and somehow finding their way back to each other. It had been a ride. A very long and turbulent one, but she would do it again, she would go through all that she had been from the beginning if it was sure that at the end, she would still be this billionaire¡¯s wife.


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