《His Drama Queen》 Chapter 1 Nicole Vargas ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money, Nicole!¡± My dad looked displeased at me as he opened his bank ount and saw how much money I had spent. ¡°For all I know, you have everything you need. Why do you need to keep on buying stuff?!¡± ¡°Papai, I don¡¯t!¡± I muttered looking down at my perfectly polished toes. ¡°It¡¯s only sixty-five thousand real.¡± ¡°Only sixty-five thousand! Are you out of your mind?! That¡¯s a lot of money!¡± he seethed angrily. ¡°Give me your credit card. You will not buy anything for the next two weeks!¡± ¡°But dad¡­,¡± I whined, tears brimming in my eyes. This can¡¯t be happening right now. Not when the big ball approaches. ¡°I need to buy a dress for the elite ball next week. And shoes. And makeup!¡± ¡°You have a whole store with shoes, clothes, and makeup in your room. You even have three walk-in closets. Choose something you already have.¡± ¡°But it will be so out of style, dad. Please let me use it for this once. I promise I will not spend that much anymore.¡± I pleaded. He shook his head. ¡°You already said that thest time. And all the other five times. You¡¯re twenty-three and graduated, how can you still be so irresponsible?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not irresponsible. I can¡¯t help that everything I see is so alluring. It basically calls me to buy it. You know it¡¯s hard for me to say no.¡± ¡°Well, you need to learn to say no to all the alluring stuff. Only buy what you need. Now, you are dismissed, I have work to do. You don¡¯t get your card back.¡± ¡°But papai¡ª,¡± I cried out. ¡°No arguments Nicole. I already made my decision. You don¡¯t know how to spend money, you don¡¯t get your credit card back.¡± he said sternly and pointed his finger at the door. ¡°Now, get out of my office, because I need to earn that sixty-five thousand real back.¡± I grunted angrily and stomped out of his office. I was so mad at him. He earns that money every fifteen minutes, I don¡¯t see what¡¯s the big deal. Next week there¡¯s going to be a big ball where all the billionaires and their families are going to be. It¡¯s a really fancy and elite ball and now I don¡¯t have anything to wear. I walked into my bedroom and angrily started to turn on my music, the volume all the way up. Look what you made me do of Taylor Swift sted in my room and probably through the whole penthouse. ¡°What is wrong with you, Nicole?¡± My mom yelled above the music as she barged into my room. ¡°Why are you throwing another tantrum?¡± I turned the volume down and huffed. ¡°Dad took away my credit card.¡± ¡°You spent so much money in three days. What did you expect?¡± She ced her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t take his side.¡± ¡°Of course I will. You graduated Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design. Do something with that degree and earn your own money.¡± I rolled my eyes and plopped down on my king-sized bed. I love Fashion and I loved the field I majored in, but I wasn¡¯t feeling to work in Brazil anymore. Everyone knows me, since my dad is the CEO of Brazil¡¯s most popr hotel and casino chains. The Vargas. They would only give me the job because I was his daughter and not because of my degree. My dad also asked me a million times why I didn¡¯t want to have my own boutique, he had his connections to make it a reality. How much I really wanted it, I didn¡¯t want to achieve my sess through my parents. I wanted to do my own thing and be sessful on my own. But If I stay longer in Brazil, I can¡¯t achieve my dreams and my dad wasn¡¯t ready to let me go yet. How much I really annoy him and scare the living hell out of him when he sees the amount of money I spent on my shopping trips, he still loved me unconditionally. ¡°I already told you mam?e, I don¡¯t want to open my business here.¡± I sighed, covering my face with my hands. ¡°You know the reason already.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s because of papai then it¡¯s a really dumb reason. He can¡¯t help that he¡¯s so well known. Brazil is also a really good ce to start your business. You¡¯re familiar with the ce.¡± Mom reasoned. ¡°It¡¯s not only papai. It¡¯s also you, you¡¯re a popr artist. Your work is disyed in all art museums.¡± I got up from my bed and faced my mom. ¡°And by the way, I want a challenge.¡± My mom shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°Dad will not allow you to go out of the country.¡± ¡°But why?¡± I just can¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t let me go. ¡°I¡¯m not a teenager anymore!¡± ¡°Good Luck exining that to him.¡± With that, my mom turned around and walked out of my room. I let out an angry growl and threw my pillows on the ground. I was so frustrated and annoyed. My parents treated me like I was a porcin doll, that needs to be protected every single minute because she¡¯s so fragile. But I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not a porcin doll nor am I twelve. I don¡¯t know at what age they will stop treating me like I¡¯m a child. Even when I go for a run, I have to take a bodyguard with me. The ce where we live is a high secured neighborhood and you can¡¯t enter it without permission. I am their only child and I knew that they wanted the best for me, but this is just too overdone. I twisted and turned on my bed thinking of ways how to convince my dad that I¡¯m a grown-up woman. While the argument of me and my dad yed in my head, I fell asleep. I don¡¯t know for how long I have slept, but when I woke up it was already dawn. I yawned and stretched out before jumping out of bed. It was already seven pm and dinner would start soon. At day time my parents were rarely home. My dad was at his office and my mom was either working on her painting in the east wing of the penthouse or she was at the museum. The maids and I were the only ones at home. Most of the time I went shopping, golfing, or swimming. But when it was dinnertime we would all be around the table. No excuses. Dinner time was family time. If my dad had a meeting during dinner time, he had to cancel that. Familyes first. I closed the curtains of my window and walked downstairs. The smell of Feijoada entered my nostrils. ¡°Mmmmh.¡± I hummed as I entered the kitchen. Feijoada was my mom¡¯s specialty. It was warm rice with a stew of beans with beef and pork. It¡¯smonly prepared in Macau, the ce where my mom grew up. My dad was already seated on the dinner table waiting for his food to be served. Even though we were elites, my dad always preferred a meal prepared by his wife. Even for lunch he brought food from home that my mom prepared. ¡°Hey papai,¡± I seated next to him on the round dining table. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about earlier.¡± He just nodded. ¡°Good, you¡¯re realizing your mistakes.¡± I smiled stiffly. ¡°So, hmm¡ª,¡± Even though I have asked him this a million times and I know what his answer is going to be, I still keep on asking him. ¡°Can I move to New York, to start my career as a fashion designer.¡± ¡°No!¡± was his firm answer. ¡°I already told you. I¡¯ll not let you out of this country. We don¡¯t have anyone in New York who can watch over you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to watch over me. I¡¯m twenty-three, not twelve.¡± My mom ced the tes with food on the table and my dad reached over to her and nted a kiss on her cheeks. ¡°It smells delicious, querida. You never fail to amaze me with your cooking.¡± My mom blushed at hispliment. I sighed and started to eat. The food was delicious as always. My mom was good at everything. Painting, cooking, decorating, fashion, and so much more. She was from everything a little bit. Probably that¡¯s why my dad fell in love with her. I, on the other hand, was the total opposite of her. The only thing I¡¯m good at is spending money and eating non-stop. ¡°Can I have my credit card back papai,¡± I asked in a small voice. Maybe he realized how important a dress for the ball is and¡ª ¡°No!¡± My dad stated. ¡°I have already told you that. Let¡¯s not argue about it anymore.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this to me?!¡± My voice raised an octave. ¡°I¡¯m not twelve, I¡¯m twenty-three for god sake!¡± ¡°Nicole!¡± My mom warned sternly.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Then act like you¡¯re twenty-three. You are throwing tantrums like a three-year-old.¡± My dad said calmly. I hated when he was acting calm. It made me even more furious. ¡°That¡¯s why you should learn to let me go!¡± I yelled out and stomped out of the room. I was so mad. They are treating me like a child and I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I needed freedom. I groaned and kicked my bedroom door shut. What should I do for them to let me go? Chapter 2 Nicole Vargas ¡°It¡¯s so itchy, get it off me!¡± I yelled out as I fastly unzipped the dress and let it fall on the floor. The rhinestones on this dress were horrible. I don¡¯t even know what it was doing in my closet. ¡°But Miss, you wore thisst year at the Benefit ball. You weren¡¯tining.¡± My assistant mumbled as she picked up the dress of the ground. ¡°And we already went through thirty-five dresses. You really need to choose, the ball starts in two hours.¡± I let out a strangled scream as I fall on the ground. This was horrible. I didn¡¯t have anything to wear for the ball and yesterday my mom told me that Ethan Gray is alsoing to the ball. I haven¡¯t seen Ethan in almost five years. After he graduated from high school in Brazil, he moved to Ennd to live with his uncle and aunt. Last year I heard that he was the youngest and most sessful CEO in the whole of Ennd. He had quite a reputation there. ¡°Miss!¡± My assistant looked down at me and shook her head. ¡°You need to hurry up!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± I turned on my stomach and tapped with my fingers on the white marble tiles. I don¡¯t want to show up in front of Ethan in thest season dress. That would be so embarrassing. ¡°May I ask why?¡± I rolled my eyes at that stupid question. Is she blind? ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to wear, can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°You have three closets with all kinds of clothes and dresses. What do you even mean?!¡± My assistant threw her hands in the air out of frustration. ¡°I told you, the blue one fits you perfectly.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so out of this season.¡± I groaned. ¡°You never wore it, it will not be bad at all. And the dress is one of a kind.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I asked, looking at my assistant. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that.¡± She nodded in confirmation. ¡°Yes, it is one of a kind. That¡¯s the only reason you wanted to buy it.¡± My eyes shifted on the beautiful long blue dress on my bed. It was a charming round neck blue tulle one of a kind dress. I stood up and touched the material. It was so soft, better than the one with the awful rhinestones. ¡°Fine.¡± I huffed, turning around to face my assistant. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± My assistant let out a breath of relief and immediately pushed me in front of my vanity table. ¡°Sit still, I¡¯ll do your hair and makeup quickly!.¡± She took a handful of my light brown colored hair and started tob it fast and hard. I bit on my lips to not yell out of pain. After All, with beautyes pain. After my hair was done, she worked on my face. I didn¡¯t like to have a lot of foundation and primer on, because my face was already smooth enough. I have my own self made face mask that does a wonderful job to keep all the e away and to keep my face fresh and clean. She sprayed the setting spray in my face and pped in her hands. ¡°Done, now go put on your dress. You¡¯re already fifteen minuteste.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called fashionablyte.¡± I stood up from the chair and walked over to my king size bed to put on my dress. It fitted me like a glove. ¡°You will be the most beautifuldy at the party!¡± My assistant hushed excitedly as she spun me around to admire the dress from all different angles and views. ¡°Now, hurry up. The limousine is waiting for you outside!¡± I grabbed my diamond clutch and stuffed my phone, keys, and hand sanitizer in it and hurriedly walked downstairs followed by my assistant. Dani, my bodyguard was waiting for me at the door. He gave me a curt nod and opened the door for me. I walked outside and stepped in the limousine. During the ride, I fixed and reapplied my makeup. I think I should buy a new setting spray, because this one is doing an awful job. I groaned inwardly as I applied my highlight for the third time. I picked up the phone next to me to call the driver. ¡°Good evening Miss Vargas, how can I help you?¡± His raspy voice asked as he opened the window so I could see the back of his head. ¡°Is there any cosmetic store open? I need to buy a new setting spray.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Miss, but no. All stores are already closed.¡± ¡°Okay, it¡¯s fine I will make this work,¡± I muttered and put the phone down. I looked back in the mirror and finished my makeup.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Suddenly the limousine stopped and when I looked outside we were already at the ce of destination. Even from outside, I could see that It was crowded with Armani suits and designer dresses. All the rich and first-ss people of brazil were here. The door at my side opened and I stepped out. Back straightened, chin high, and smile wide. I walked with confidence to the main entrance of the ballroom. When the security saw me they immediately led me in, because they recognized me as the daughter of brazil¡¯s most richest and powerful CEO. When I entered the ballroom, all pairs of eyes were at me. The admiring look on men their faces and the envious look in women their eyes. They were all looking at me as I was making my way towards my parents who were standing in the corner talking to a guy I don¡¯t recognize. His back was faced towards me, but I could tell that he was young and handsome. ¡°Hey mam?e, Papai.¡± I greeted with a smile. My mom looked up at me and smiled contently. ¡°You look stunning.¡± My mom smiled at me and took me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so d you came because I want to introduce you to someone who might help you to fulfill your dreams.¡± I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion at thest part. What does she mean? I turned around towards the stranger and my breath almost stopped. I gaped openly as I observed his sharp jaw, chin, and cheekbones. On either side of his straight nose were two zing hazel eyes. Spiked, warm brown fringed with smooth green. His dark brows were actually graceful but currently furrowed in a frown. He was a few inches taller than me and his tousled dark brown hair was glistening in the moonlight illuminating from the window. He was an eye candy. A total hottie. I didn¡¯t realize he was greeting me until my mom nudged me from the side. I instantly came back to my senses. ¡°Good evening Miss Vargas.¡± His voice was deep. He had that rich, silky tone that whenever he spoke, every head in the room would turn. I smiled kindly at him. Showing off my set of white teeth. ¡°Good evening Mr¡­¡± I rose up an eyebrow at him because he hadn¡¯t introduced himself yet. ¡°Gray,¡± he said with a small smile. ¡°Ethan Gray.¡± Chapter 3 Nicole Vargas I was still in shock. The handsome stranger was Ethan Gray. Ethan Gray was a handsome stranger. Puberty really did hit him hard. I remembered Ethan as the malnourished little boy with the prettiest hairstyle. The only reason I was infatuated by him at that time was because of his hair. But now, everything changed. He looked like a whole course meal in his expensive Armani suit and Rolex watch he had on. I wondered how rich he actually was. From sources, I could gather that he was the youngest billionaire in Ennd and that he was the CEO of one of the most fast-growingpanies. His hazel brown eyes that were shielded with the thickest and lustrous eyshes I have ever seen on a man stared at me with a mischievous glint. His lips twitched in an arrogant smirk as he saw what for effect he had on me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°So, I was thinking,¡± I looked at my dad as he spoke. ¡°Since Ethan is going to live in New York for a year, I¡¯ll put you under his supervision, which means you can go abroad to fulfill your dreams. That¡¯s what you want right?¡± My dad looked at me with a victorious smile as if he just proposed the world¡¯s best idea. In fact, it was not. It was the dumbest idea I have ever heard. I shook my head wildly. ¡°No Papai. That is far from what I want. What I want is to go to New York without being under someone¡¯s watch. And I don¡¯t think Mr. Gray will appreciate my presence. Right Mr. Gray?¡± Ethan chuckled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s Ethan for you Nicole. And for your information, I already approved this idea. Your dad brought it up the moment I told him I will stay in New York for a year.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I yelled out unbelievably. I can¡¯t believe people are making decisions for me behind my back. I am twenty-three for god sake. ¡°I am perfectly capable to make my own decisions! And I¡¯m not going to New York with you.¡± ¡°Then forget ever going to New York!¡± My dad barked angrily. He calmed down when he saw that people were throwing weird nces at us. ¡°You either go with him or not go at all. It¡¯s your choice, Nicole.¡± ¡°I have so many choices, It¡¯s you and mom that are limiting it!¡± I was so angry right now. My mom gave me a stern look but didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she muttered ¡®spoiled¡¯ and ¡®ungrateful¡¯ underneath her breath. ¡°I think your dad¡¯s idea is wonderful, Nicole.¡± Ethan butted in which earned him a deadly re from me. ¡°Stay out of this Ethan! So far I know, I haven¡¯t asked for your opinion did I?!¡± I flipped my hair to the back and turned around. ¡°I¡¯m not going to New York with Ethan, dad! Not because I don¡¯t want to, but because you can¡¯t keep making decisions for me!¡± I stormed out of the party without even waiting for his reply. I knew it was not a good idea toe to the ball, but I didn¡¯t know it would be this bad. Ethan Gray I had heard so many stories about Nicole and I didn¡¯t wanted to believe them. The Nicole I knew was nice, kind, and little. I should have realized that was years ago. When Santiago Vargas asked me if I would like to watch over his daughter I didn¡¯t hesitate to say yes. Santiago is a really great man and an amazing businessman. Everyone wanted to do business with him. When he asked me if I would take Nicole to New York and let her live with me for a year until she was able to afford her own ce, I agreed instantly. In my head, Nicole was still the innocent little girl I knew before I left brazil. When I saw the drop-dead gorgeousdy approaching Santiago, I couldn¡¯t help but think of various ways of getting her into my bed. But when she opened her mouth and greeted Santiago, my heart stopped and I was left shocked. She said Papai. She was the daughter of Santiago. Which means she was Nicole, who once was a cute little girl, but now is a sophisticated woman. She was very beautiful and I¡¯m pretty sure many men would love to have her by their sides. That¡¯s why I¡¯m wondering. Is she still single? ¡°I¡¯m sorry about my daughter.¡± Santiago apologized when Nicole stormed out of the party. She was indeed a spoiled brat. Exactly like how the gossip papers described her. Spoiled, sassy, and hard-headed. In short, a drama queen. ¡°She¡¯s a handful.¡± Santiago¡¯s wife said. She looks exactly like Nicole. Only with a little bit of grey in her hair and wrinkles in her forehead. ¡°But that¡¯s why you have two hands, darling.¡± Santiago gave her a stern look and then he shifted his attention back to me. ¡°Nicole really wanted to start her career in New York. Since forever. But you know, I still see her as my little girl and I¡¯ll not sleep well knowing she¡¯s all alone in a big city. That¡¯s why I never send her to New York. So after you¡¯ve seen her behavior, do you still want to take her with you?¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t like her behavior. She¡¯s old enough and she needs to get her act together. But that doesn¡¯t mean I will let my old man Santiago down. At his question, I nodded. ¡°Yes, I will. If she still wants toe, because of what I saw¡­ I don¡¯t think she wants to go anymore.¡± ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry.¡± Santiago¡¯s wife said smiling. ¡°We will find a way for her to go. She needs to work and learn the value of money.¡± Santiago nodded in agreement. ¡°She likes to spend money. And a lot too. It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t afford it. I just don¡¯t want her to be a spoiled brat. She¡¯s very capable of working and making her own money. And that¡¯s what I want for her. I will not be around her entire life to take care of her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will bring her to New York and introduce her to people who can help her achieve her dreams. I will leave tomorrow evening, so make sure she has everything packed by tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving so soon?¡± Santiago¡¯s wife asked disappointedly. ¡°We were thinking of having you over for dinner.¡± ¡°My apologies. But there¡¯s a lot of work waiting for me in New York.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Santiago said. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Nicole has everything packed by tomorrow. Do we need to bring her to Gray Private airport?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll pick her up.¡± ¡°Thank you very much Ethan. I know my daughter will be in good hands with you.¡± Will she though? I asked myself. She¡¯s a very gorgeous woman. I shook my head to get all the wild thoughts out. She¡¯s a drama queen. A sassy, spoiled, with a hell lot of attitude girl. Not my type. Never my type. Except for her beautiful body everything about her screams drama queen and trouble. I took a deep breath. I can do this. It¡¯s only for one year. Chapter 4 Nicole Vargas ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay with Ethan for a year. Can I at least have my own apartment?¡± I looked with pleading eyes at my parents. This is such a great opportunity, but I don¡¯t want to stay under the same roof with Ethan. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust him, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t trust myself. Seeing him after so many years made me realize how much he actually grew as a person. And not only in knowledge but also in body parts. ¡°No, you are going to stay with Ethan. He has a big mansion in New York, you will not have to see him every day. The least you can do is cook for him.¡± My mom stood at the doorway in her pink fluffy bathrobe. Her hair was tied in a messy bun and she had a green facemask on and a Starbucks in her hand. ¡°Cook?¡± I stared at them as if they grew two horns. My dad stood next to my mom, dressed in his suit, ready to go to work. He was constantly looking at his watch while arguing with me. ¡°Yes, cook.¡± He said. ¡°He is already kind enough to let you stay in his mansion for a year. Be nice and make something to eat for him once in a while. I didn¡¯t raise a spoiled little brat.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t cook. He¡¯s so rich, it¡¯s no luxury to hire a cook.¡± I can¡¯t believe Ethan didn¡¯t have a cook. What did he eat then? Takeout? ¡°He likes to prepare his food himself, so help him. Do some chores and whatnot. This is a chance for you Nicole. Don¡¯t waste it. It¡¯s only for a year, after that you can live wherever you want.¡± My mom sipped on her Starbucks and it made the annoying sound, I couldn¡¯t stand. ¡°Ughh!!¡± I growled and plopped down on my bed. ¡°Do I need to remind you that I¡¯m already an adult and that I can make my own decisions?¡± ¡°Nicole!¡± My dad was getting impatient. ¡°I know you¡¯re an adult, but you¡¯re also my only child. And god forbid if something happens to you. I¡¯ll never forgive myself. You don¡¯t know New York City, you never went there. So please, take my advice and live with Ethan so you¡¯re not alone. You will learn from him and it will benefit you somewhere in the future.¡± I let out a deep sigh. My dad was notpletely wrong. And it will be just for a year. I can do it. I can live under the same roof with Ethan Gray without crushing on him. Maybe he even has a girlfriend, that would be much easier for me to keep my distance from him. ¡°What time will he pick me up?¡± A smile crept on my mom¡¯s face. ¡°He¡¯ll be here in three hours, so you better hurry up.¡± Three hours? How the hell am I going to pack in three hours? I jumped out of bed and grabbed my suitcases from underneath my bed. I called my assistant toe and help me. It was urgent I said, since it was her day off. When my assistant came she started packing so I could take a long bath. I poured some champagne in a ss and stepped into the bathtub that was filled with roses. I grabbed a bath bomb and put it in the water. So restful and refreshing. I stayed in there for a while and after that I put on my bathrobe so I could do my makeup and hair. I straightened my hair and applied a minimum of makeup. I don¡¯t like to get all dolled up especially when I¡¯m traveling. I sprayed some setting spray on my face and walked out of the bathroom. ¡°I already packed everything that you asked me too, do you need anything else?¡± My assistant asked. I shook my head and dismissed her. I can do the rest myself. I changed into somefy traveling clothes and walked downstairs to make myself a smoothie. My mom probably went to the art gallery, because I didn¡¯t see her car in the garage. When I entered the kitchen, Carolina, our housemaid was cleaning the kitchen counter. ¡°Nicole, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re leaving today,¡± she said, turning around and hitting me with the duster in the process. ¡°Ugh! Linaa!¡± I groaned annoyed. ¡°Watch out and yes, I¡¯m moving to New York today.¡± ¡°Ahh, so it¡¯s true. You¡¯re going with Mr Gray?¡± She winked at me and I rolled my eyes. She did her ¡®stalking¡¯ I see because otherwise she wouldn¡¯t know that Ethan turned into a greek god. ¡°Yes, I actually have to live with him for an entire year. Thanks to my parents.¡± I said, sarcasm dripping from my voice. ¡°It will not be that bad, anyway I made your favorite smoothie. It¡¯s in the fridge.¡± I opened the fridge and saw a ss with my favorite strawberry-yogurt smoothie. ¡°Thanks Lina.¡± She smiled at me and continued cleaning the kitchen. I walked back upstairs with my smoothie. Ethan should arrive soon. I did somest-minute packing, clean my room up, and put all my bedding and dirty clothes in theundry room. After I was done I heard a horn outside. ¡°Nicole! Mr. Gray is here to pick you up!¡± Lina yelled from downstairs. ¡°Can you help me with my luggage?!¡± I yelled back. ¡°Tell Vincent and Martinez too!¡± Momentster Carolina, Vincent, and Martinez all helped me to bring my stuff downstairs. When I entered the living room Ethan stood there with his hands in his pockets. He wore a navy blue shirt with brown khaki pants. His hair was damp and messy, which gave him the ¡®I just woke up, but I still look hot¡¯ look. His eyes. His eyes turned big when I entered the room. And not because of me. He stared at my luggage, opened his mouth and closed it again. I don¡¯t know why he is so surprised. It was only eight suitcases and four carry-ons. I will be staying for a year, what did he expect? ¡°Those are not going to New York.¡± He said after a while, and pointed at my stuff. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°What do I have to wear?¡± ¡°Two suitcases are more than enough, not a bajillion of them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating Mr. Gray. It¡¯s only eight!¡± I replied annoyed. His lips turned into a scowl. ¡°I think that since you¡¯re going to live with me it¡¯s safe to call me Ethan. And no, we¡¯re not taking eight suitcases to New York. It¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to wear then, Ethan!¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°He¡¯s right, Nicole. That¡¯s way too much.¡± My dad¡¯s voice came from behind me. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a credit card. You don¡¯t need so much stuff.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± My mom appeared from behind my dad. ¡°There¡¯s only a limited amount of money in it.¡± ¡°What!¡± I yelled out. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It means, you can only use it in emergency situations.¡± My dad rified. ¡°But¡­ but every day is an emergency situation. What am I supposed to wear?¡± ¡°Maybe you should learn how to wash your clothes and wear it again.¡± My mom rolled her eyes and blow her fingernails. I didn¡¯t get my attitude from a stranger. I scrunched up my nose. What the hell? ¡°That¡¯s so old-fashioned!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not old fashioned, it¡¯s normal! And I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore. Take it or leave it!¡± I groaned out frustrated, I know I¡¯m not going to win this argument. ¡°UGH! FINE!¡± ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± Ethan asked. ¡°Choose the suitcase you want to bring.¡± I pointed angrily at two suitcases and one carry on and Vincent brought it to the car for me. I turned around to my parents. ¡°Uhm, okay goodbye. Thank you for this torture I guess.¡± My dad sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not torture, it¡¯s a¡ª¡± ¡°I know, I know.¡± I hugged him and then my mom. After the goodbyes I walked to the car and Ethan was already waiting for me. I stepped in and sat down next to Ethan and let out a deep sigh as the driver turned on the engine. This is going to be one hell of a year. Let¡¯s just hope I¡¯ll not fall in love with the person sitting next to me. Chapter 5 Nicole Vargas We arrivedte at night in New York. The flight was very pleasant. Ethan didn¡¯t even bother to have a conversation with me, instead, he was busy on hisptop most likely doing his work. A sleek ck car stopped in front of the private jet. Ethan opened the door for me while he was on the phone and ushered me inside. I stepped in and he closed the door behind me. The car then started to drive away and I looked confused at the driver. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Ethaning with us?¡± I asked, tapping him on his shoulders. ¡°Mr. Gray needs to attend a meeting tomorrow morning in Arizona. I thought he had informed you.¡± The driver said, looking at me through the rearview mirror. I shook my head. ¡°He didn¡¯t, where am I going now?¡± ¡°He gave me instructions to bring you to his mansion where his maid will show you around.¡± I nodded my head and leaned back in the soft leather seat. I looked outside and let out a contented sigh. New York is so beautiful at night. So many people, lights, cars, no wonder it¡¯s called the city that never sleeps. Momentster we arrived at the mansion. The guard opened the huge ck gate with the Gray name engraved on it in gold and the first thing I saw was the beautiful garden and fountain. My eyes almost fell out of my socket when I saw how big the mansion was. It was not even a mansion, it was a castle. I can¡¯t believe Ethan lives here alone. The car stopped in front of a huge ss door and I could see an olddy approaching the car. The driver opened the door for me and I stepped out. ¡°Good evening, Miss Vargas.¡± The olddy greeted and extended her hand at me. I smiled kindly at her and shook her hand. ¡°I¡¯m L and I take care of Mr. Gray¡¯s mansion. If you follow me, I¡¯ll show you your room.¡± She walked back inside the house and I followed her. When I entered the inside of the mansion the first thing I saw is the tallest ceiling ever, lovely crown molding, a table in the center, and two flights of spiral staircases going up to the second floor. There was a huge silver chandelier in the middle of the ceiling and there were colorful paintings on the wall. ¡°Does Mr. Gray live here alone?¡± I asked L. We walked up the stairs and from up here I could see part of the kitchen and living room. In the middle of the living room I saw a ck piano. ¡°Yes, his family oftene here in summer and during the holidays. They have a ranch in the backyard.¡± ¡°A ranch?¡± L nodded her head. ¡°Yes, there is a ranch in the backyard with three horses. I will show you around tomorrow or any day you¡¯re free.¡± We came into a space with huge doors on either side of the hallway. I guess that behind these doors is the bedrooms. The doors to the rooms are carved with an eight-panel design. She stopped in front of a huge door and opened it. ¡°This is your room, Miss.¡± I stepped into the room a small gasp left my mouth. The room contained a queen-sized bed, a vanity table, a white feathery carpet that felt like it was made in heaven, a t-screen tv, a firece, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom. It was a thousand times better than my room in Brazil. Now I wonder, how did Ethan be so rich? Yes, he took the business over of his uncle, but from what I heard the business wasn¡¯t really that stable. I rubbed my fingers along the silken mattress. Theforter was thick and irresistibly soft, like a billowing cloud. ¡°Miss, do you want me to bring your food to your room or are you going toe downstairs?¡± I heard L ask behind me. I turned around and saw that my stuff was already ced in my room. ¡°I¡¯lle downstairs,¡± I said. She nodded her head. ¡°Great, dinner will be ready in a half-hour.¡± With that she quietly closed the door, leaving me alone behind in my new room. I sat down on the bed and took a deep breath. I was so overwhelmed by everything. I couldn¡¯t believe Ethan had a ranch. My heart made a happy dance when L said that. Since I was a teenager, I rode and took care of horses. It was my hobby until my dad decided to sell Arrow, my chestnut Arabian horse. I was so heartbroken. I was only seventeen and I had that horse since I was twelve. I wonpetitions with her and it was so hard for me to sell her. My dad sold her to a Costa Rican man, who took interest in her when she won thest race in Rio. After that, I¡¯ve never ride another horse anymore. It took me forever to get over Arrow. I stood up from my bed and went into the bathroom. I took a quick shower, wore a white dress with flowers embroidery on it, and put my hair up in a messy bun. I applied my face mask and studied my face in the mirror. My whole face was covered in white cream and it smelled like honey and cucumbers. I waited until it dried a little bit and then made my way downstairs to get some food. I like to have my facemask as long as possible on my face because my face is very sensitive if ites to traveling and stress. If I travel, I often get dry skin or sometimes I even get pimples or wrinkles. I passed the living room and saw the piano from close up. It was so pretty and I wondered if Ethan could y the piano. It would be nice though to wake up to some Beethoven every morning. I entered the kitchen and L was standing with her back towards me, doing the dishes. ¡°Hey L.¡± I greeted and took a seat on the barstool. She turned around and let out a shriek. ¡°Goodness!¡± She yelled out, cing her hand over her chest. ¡°What is that on your face?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I forgot that I had a facemask on. ¡°It¡¯s a face mask.¡± ¡°Goodness, you scared the crap out of me.¡± She chuckled nervously. ¡°You can choose whatever you want to eat, everything is still warm.¡± I looked at the table and there was indeed a variety of food choices. There was Ravioli, Salmon, shrimp pasta,sagna, teriyaki, lime chicken, mushroom risotto, and mini meatloaves. For dessert, there were cupcakes and red velvet cake. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of food,¡± I remarked as I took a te and fill it withsagna and ravioli. ¡°Are there other peopleing?¡± L shook her head. ¡°No, Mr. Gray likes to have¡­ choices.¡± Choices? This doesn¡¯t sound like the Ethan Gray I knew from a couple of years ago. This was a whole different Ethan Gray. And although I¡¯m not here to be close with him, there¡¯s a part of me that¡¯s dying to get to know him better. ¡°Does Mr. Gray has a girlfriend?¡± I asked as I took a seat on the dinner table. ¡°That, I don¡¯t know. He never brought one home, but if you listen to gossips it is rumored that he¡¯s dating Veronika Morozov.¡± ¡°The Russian model?¡± I raised my eyebrows. He did have a good choice, Veronika Morozov is one hell of a pretty girl. ¡°Yes, she. But she¡¯s a golddigger. His family doesn¡¯t approve of her.¡± L said. ¡°She came here to New York for a Charity, so I only met her one time. She¡¯s very¡­ vain. She thinks she¡¯s better than everyone else.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± was all I could say. ¡°Well, if he loves her then uhm¡­ I don¡¯t think his family can do anything about that right. Love is love. You¡¯re basically blind until you break up.¡± L chuckled. ¡°I just think they use each other to get attention. Don¡¯t worry, you still got a chance with him.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I choked out. ¡°No, I¡¯m not into him¡­ at all.¡± ¡°Umhu.¡± L said giving me a smug smirk, but turned around and walked out of the kitchen leaving me all baffled behind.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. I don¡¯t actually like him, do I? Chapter 6 Nicole Vargas I woke up when sun rays kissed my face. I let out a yawn and stretched out. The bed felt like heaven and I had a really good sleep. I¡¯m so excited about today because I got to see the rest of the mansion, including the ranch. I quickly went to take a shower and while I was still blow-drying my hair, I heard a soft knock on my door. ¡°Come in!¡± I yelled, assuming it was L with breakfast. I was starving and couldn¡¯t wait to eat some of L¡¯s delicious food. ¡°Good morning.¡± I froze instantly when I heard the voice. I turned around and my eyes turned wide like saucers. ¡°Ethan? I thought you were in Arizona?¡± Ethan was standing in front of my doorway dressed in a ck Armani suit. His hair was neatlybed and his hazel-green eyes were scanning my room. He looked so handsome like he just stepped out of a photoshoot. ¡°I just arrived. The meeting was this morning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still morning,¡± I said rolling my eyes. He raised his eyebrows up in amusement. ¡°Are you sure about that? It¡¯s already in the afternoon, princess.¡± I put my blow dryer down and checked my phone. Damn, he was right. It was already passed twelve in the afternoon. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yes, Oh. Anyways, I just want to let you know. L is not always here. She only cooks asionally, most of the time I make my own food.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked in disbelief. I still can¡¯t believe, he didn¡¯t have a cook. ¡°She told mest night you like to have choices. She prepared so much food.¡± Ethan rolled his eyes. ¡°Her cooking is delicious, so that¡¯s why I ask her to do that. And it¡¯s part of her job, she gets paid for it. But that only happens like once or twice in a month.¡± ¡°Why not every day? You are loaded!¡± I can¡¯t believe it. He can afford everything and he still chooses to cook on his own. I don¡¯t know where he gets the time to do that. ¡°Because I am capable of cooking for myself! Now, I already had breakfast and lunch. There are eggs, bread, vegetables, etcetera in the kitchen. Just go take a look and see what you can do.¡± ¡°What?! What do you mean?¡± I asked wide-eyed. He isn¡¯t asking me to cook my own food right? ¡°Ethan, I cannot cook!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even prepare brunch?!¡± He yelled out in disbelief. ¡°Of course not!¡± I said, rolling my eyes. I never cooked. Ever. It was either Carolina or my mom. Mostly my mom. ¡°That¡¯s not my job.¡± ¡°Well, here it will be unless you want to starve to death.¡± He said. ¡°But I cannot cook!¡± I huffed annoyed. Can¡¯t he understand? ¡°Then you will learn. There¡¯s youtube and google. Use it!¡± Ethan turned around and walked out of my room. I let out an annoyed groan. This will definitely turn into a disaster. Youtube and google or not helpful if ites to me and cooking. Ibed my hair and applied moisturizer for my face and walked downstairs, to the kitchen. The kitchen was clean except for the sink. There was an empty te with bread crumbs in it, which I¡¯m guessing is from Ethan. I opened the fridge and saw eggs, juice, bacon, and vegetables. I stand in front of the fridge for a while and decided to make some scrambled eggs. I saw my mom making it a couple of times so I hope I¡¯ll not mess it up. I looked around in the kitchen. I found the frying pan and the spat in the dishwasher. I ced the frying pan on the stove and it took me a good ten minutes to figure out how to turn it on. Then I poured some oil in the pan. It made a hissing sound. Oops, I identally poured too much oil in the pan. Now it looks like I¡¯m going to make soup. I hope it¡¯s not bad. I broke the eggs and it immediately went into the pan. Suddenly the whole kitchen was filled with smoke. What the hell?! How did that happen?! I coughed and grabbed the towel to throw it over the pan to stop the smoke froming. The whole towel went up in mes. What the hell! Shit! I forgot the stove was already on. Oh god! Oh god! The fire rm started to go off and that¡¯s when I started to panic! ¡°Oh god! Help! Help!¡± I yelled out trying to get out of the kitchen, but the only thing I could see was smoke, smoke, and more smoke. What if no one hears me? I yelled louder. ¡°Help! Oh god! Help!¡± ¡°What the fuck happened here?!¡± Ethan appeared out of nowhere with a fire extinguisher and immediately extinguished the fire. He opened the windows in the kitchen so the smoke could go away. ¡°What the hell were you trying to do?¡± ¡°Cook?¡± I replied in a small voice. I was still shaking and coughing. I grabbed the dining table for support because my knees were shaking badly. ¡°Cook?! You were trying to put my kitchen on fire!¡± He said raucous and climbed on the kitchen counter to turn off the fire rm. When the kitchen was finally cleared, he looked at the pan on the stove. ¡°Were you trying to make soup in a pan?¡± ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m not that dumb! I identally poured too much oil in the pan. I wanted to make scrambled eggs.¡± ¡°Scrambled eggs?! You almost burned my kitchen down because of scrambled eggs?! You seriously need some cooking sses!¡± He snapped while cing the pan in the sink. ¡°I told you I couldn¡¯t cook!¡± I yelled out angrily. Tears were brimming in my eyes. No one ever yelled at me. ¡°Why are you so mean?!¡± ¡°Goddamit Nicole! I¡¯m not mean! You can¡¯t even make scrambled eggs? That¡¯s a fucking shame!¡± Ethan turned the water on and looked back at me annoyed, angry, and pissed. Now I felt so attacked. Who the hell does he think he is? He¡¯s only supposed to watch after me and here he is insulting me. ¡°You have no right to insult me Ethan!¡± I screamed, tears falling down my cheeks. God, I hated that I cry when I¡¯m angry. I walked out of the kitchen and hurried back to my room. I was so angry that he yelled at me for something I couldn¡¯t do. I warned him already and he still didn¡¯t listen to me. I sat on the bed and sobbed softly. I was starving, but I didn¡¯t want to go downstairs and face Ethan anymore. I was so angry with him. Maybe I could go to the ranch. I slipped on my shoes and quietly sneaked out of the mansion. I could still hear that Ethan was in the kitchen doing god knows what.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The ranch smelled so fresh, I could hear the soft snorting from the horses. I felt so at peace here. I walked into the horse barn and I could see three beautiful Arabian horses. My eyes widened as I saw the horse on the far left. ¡°Arrow.¡± How did she end up with Ethan as her owner? Chapter 7 Ethan Gray I can¡¯t believe it! I just can¡¯t believe it. Nicole cannot cook AT ALL. When she told me that she had no idea how to cook, I was positive that if she would watch some youtube videos she would be able to at least know how to do the basic stuff. Like scrambling an egg for example. But no. Instead, she almost burned the kitchen down. I was not worried about the kitchen at all, I was worried about her. What if I wouldn¡¯t be there to save her? Oh god, the thought of it only. I felt so bad for yelling at her. I was so mad because she had to be more careful if ites to cooking. I ced the freshly baked blueberry scones on a te and poured orange juice in a ss. I never prepared breakfast for anyone in my entire life except for myself and here I am doing it for Nicole. I couldn¡¯t stand her tears, I should have been more understanding. When I saw her tears something inside me snapped.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. I felt so guilty and was about to apologize, but she ran out of the kitchen before I could do so. She¡¯s not used to this life. She cannot cook even if her life depends on it. I took the tray with food to her room. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought of her not eating. Even though I¡¯m angry at her for not being careful enough, that¡¯s not an excuse to let her starve. The door to her room was ajar. I knocked twice, but when I didn¡¯t hear anything I opened it wide and there was no one inside. ¡°Nicole?!¡± I called out, looking around in the room. Maybe she¡¯s in the bathroom, but the door to the bathroom was wide open. ¡°Nicole, where are you?¡± Where the hell could she be? I walked back downstairs to see if she¡¯s in the living room, but it was also empty. ¡°Nicole!¡± I let out a deep sigh and walked to the backyard to see if she¡¯s at the pool. God forbid if something happens to her. She hasn¡¯t eaten yet, what the hell could she be possibly doing now? Isn¡¯t she starving? The pool was empty. There was no one there. I was about to walk inside when I saw that the gate of the fence that lead to the ranch was open. What the hell? No one ever goes to the ranch except for the gardener if he has to feed the horses. And that happened early this morning. I ced the tray with food on the table next to me and wore my shoes. I hurriedly walked over to the ranch. Maybe the gardener forgot to close the gate. When I came closer to the ranch I heard the soft snorting of the horses and another voice. A female one. ¡°Nicole?¡± I looked at the brown-haired Brazilian girl who was hugging Spencer, one of the Arabian horses. Her eyes were swollen and still teary. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± My uncle builds this ranch three years ago for his niece Florence, but now she¡¯s married and her husband had a ranch. The only time when she visit now is during summer and the holidays. ¡°I heard from L that there was a ranch and I really wanted to see it.¡± Nicole croaked out as she caressed Spencer on her head. ¡°I thought she was Arrow.¡± ¡°Arrow?¡± I asked confused. Who the hell is Arrow and why did she think Spencer was Arrow? ¡°Yes, I had a horse named Arrow when I was younger. My dad sold her to a Costa Rican man and she looks a lot like Arrow, but¡­¡± Nicole paused and took a handful of Spencer¡¯s mane in her hand. ¡°If you look closely this one has a blonde mane. Arrow didn¡¯t.¡± Her voice was soft, it sounded sad and heartbroken. ¡°Did Arrow meant a lot to you?¡± I asked as I walked closer to her. ¡°Her name is Spencer by the way.¡± ¡°Spencer.¡± She whispered. The horse immediately looked up to her. ¡°She¡¯s very beautiful. And to answer your question. Yes, Arrow meant a lot to me. We wonpetitions together.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s very impressive.¡± I was blown away at what she told me. I couldn¡¯t believe that she, the drama queen, won horse ridingpetitions. You would think that someone like her would be into beauty contest and all that sort of stuff. But I guess Nicole is full of surprises. ¡°Yeah, but when he sold Arrow I never did horse riding anymore. It took me very long to get over Arrow. Is Spencer yours?¡± She asked. I shook my head. ¡°Nope, It¡¯s my uncle¡¯s, but if you want you can ride her. She¡¯s very good. She won variouspetitions in Monte Carlo.¡± Her eyes lit up and she shifted her attention back to Spencer. ¡°Really? Wow¡­ Mmh, Spencer maybe we should go for a ride. What do you think?¡± Spencer whinnied and Nicole chuckled. She looked back at me. ¡°Where¡¯s the gear?¡± ¡°I will show you thatter, will youe eat first?¡± I asked, remembering that she hasn¡¯t eat yet. She lowered her eyes and turned her back at me. ¡°I cannot cook Ethan, get it into your thick skull. I will go outter to grab myself something. Don¡¯t you worry.¡± I heaved a long sigh. ¡°I¡­ I made blueberry scones for you.¡± She immediately turned around and her eyes turned wide. ¡°You did what?¡± I cleared my throat and repeated, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t clear enough, I made breakfast for you. So you better go back to the mansion and eat before it turns cold.¡± ¡°Seriously, you didn¡¯t had to do it.. I¡ª,¡± I ced my finger on her lips and she immediately stopped talking. Damn, those felt really soft. I quickly removed my finger from her lips, before any other thoughts would make its way to my mind. ¡°Go eat, Nicole. It¡¯s not healthy to skip brunch.¡± She gulped. ¡°Fine, where is it?¡± She followed me back to the mansion. I had put the tray with food on the table next to the pool. Her eyes immediately fell on the scones and juice on the tray. ¡°Wow, they look delicious.¡± ¡°And they are too.¡± She smiled up at me. A cute small smile. She looked so cute and adorable when she smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± She took a bite of the scone and let out a small moan. ¡°It¡¯s so good!¡± I chuckled and sat down next to her. I put my phone next to the tray and picked a scone and ate with her. ¡°Where did you learn how to cook?¡± She asked. ¡°My aunt back in Ennd taught me. She majored in culinary and she also makes wedding cakes.¡± I told her. ¡°Uhm, I also want to apologize for what happened earlier. I should have listened to you when you told me you couldn¡¯t cook.¡± She shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I mean it¡¯s embarrassing isn¡¯t it? But for me it¡¯s normal. I have been treated like a princess my entire life. I don¡¯t expect other people to treat me any less.¡± I rolled my eyes. Here¡¯s the Nicole, that I know. Our conversation got interrupted when my phone started ringing. Since the brightness of my phone was on a hundred percent, the name of the caller, was shing brightly for Nicole to see it. Veronika. Chapter 8 Nicole Vargas I was so stressed and frustrated. Today I was going to meet a designer and I didn¡¯t have a single piece of clothing to wear. I groaned internally and stomped out of my room. For some reason, I was very moody since yesterday. Now I know that Ethan is definitely dating Veronika Morozov. She called him yesterday and his angry mood immediately changed. From afar I could hear them talking. He sounded so happy, peaceful, and nice. A side he will never show me. I walked into the kitchen and Ethan was having breakfast. He looked up from hisptop and mumbled a good morning. I ignored it and sat down next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to wear. How am I going to meet the designer?¡± ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t have anything to wear? You brought clothes didn¡¯t you?¡± He asked, looking up from behind hisptop. ¡°Yes, I did. But I brought the wrong suitcase. The one I brought only hasst season clothes.¡± I let out a deep sigh and rested my head on my hand. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what season clothes you wear. Important part is that you need to be presentable,¡± he said focusing back on hisptop. ¡°It matters! What the hell! I can¡¯t meet a designer wearingst season clothes. That¡¯s so unfashionable.¡± I scrunched up my nose at the thought of wearingst season clothes. ¡°I rarely wearst season clothes. And by rarely I mean never!¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Ethan just ignored me and continued with his work. This is what annoys me. When people ignore me. I hate it! ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me! Do something!¡± ¡°What the hell should I do? You have so many clothes, don¡¯t throw a tantrum about clothes!¡± He closed hisptop and angrily walked out of the kitchen. ¡°If you¡¯re not finished in thirty minutes, I¡¯ll just leave you and you can forget that you¡¯ll ever be a fashion designer!¡± ¡°What!¡± I yelled out. Thirty minutes? Who does he think I am? The sh? I can never get ready in thirty minutes. He¡¯s the boyfriend of the Russian model, Veronika, he should have known. It takes at least two hours to get ready. ¡°That¡¯s not enough time! You should know since you¡¯re dating Veronika.¡± He turned around and red at me. ¡°Veronika is nothing like you!¡± he snapped. ¡°She¡¯s mature. She can cook without burning the kitchen down and there are more important things in her life than clothes. You, on the other hand, I cannot say the same!¡± I angrily stomped out of the kitchen. ¡°Why do you need to insult me like that?!¡± I was so mad. Furious. No one ever insulted me like that. I ran back upstairs to my room. I entered my room and closed the door with a loud bang. I was so mad. This is not good. It¡¯s not good for my skin. I calmed my breathing and tried to meditate to calm my soul down. I need to be calm. Stress can make you age faster. When I finally calmed down, I went through my clothes to see if there was something to wear that wasn¡¯t really out of the season yet. I decided to go for a pair of denim jeans, a white shirt, and a zer that should save the outfit. Denim never gets old, a white shirt is always a go-to. I always have a white shirt in my bag, because most of the time it can save an outfit. The zer, on the other hand, I wore it twicest year. I never wear my clothes more than two times. But this is an emergency situation. I applied a minimum of makeup and curled my hair. I slipped into a pair of five-inch stilettos, grabbed my bag and made my way downstairs. Ethan was already waiting at the door, impatiently tapping with his shoe on the white tiled floor. ¡°You¡¯re five minuteste!¡± He hissed and opened the door so I could pass. I just rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s called fashionablyte Ethan.¡± I stepped in the car and Ethan sat next to me. This time we didn¡¯t have a driver. ¡°Who¡¯s going to dri¡ª,¡± I stopped halfway because Ethan took a seat behind the steering wheel. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I drive the Bentley and the Lamborghini, I only have a driver for the Rolls Royce. That¡¯s the car I use when I need to transport my visitors,¡± he said when he saw the confused expression on my face. ¡°Oh.¡± was all I could say. Ethan turned on the engine and we drove away. ¡°You¡¯ll get a car too. I don¡¯t want you to be dependent on me.¡± ¡°Which one will I get?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Probably a Porsche. I hope you know how to drive.¡± he gave me a side nce and I just rolled my eyes. I may not know how to cook, but I know how to drive. ¡°I don¡¯t want a Porsche. I want a Jeep.¡± I said, I don¡¯t like the Porsche. I¡¯m just being honest. If he buys something for me, he better make sure I like it. ¡°It¡¯s not what you want, It¡¯s what you need,¡± Ethan replied through gritted teeth. ¡°I need a Jeep.¡± Ethan let out an annoyed groan. ¡°I¡¯m so tired of your attitude. Can¡¯t you change it a slight bit?¡± I huffed. ¡°Why should I need to change my attitude for you? You¡¯re not that important.¡± ¡°You¡¯re living in my house,¡± he stated. ¡°Oh and? You suggested it to my father. I only came because this is the only way for me to see the world.¡± I stared out the window and watch the skyscrapers pass. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get enough of New York. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Ethan said curtly as he parked the car. ¡°If you¡¯re done, give me a call.¡± I stepped out of the car and eyed the big ss building. I confidently walked inside and was greeted by a beautiful red-haired girl. ¡°Good morning, you must be Miss Vargas. Mrs. Athena is waiting for you inside.¡± She apanied me to Mrs. Athena¡¯s office and knocked twice before opening the door. ¡°Mrs Athena, Miss Vargas has arrived.¡± I entered the office and a woman with silver-gray hair and kind eyes greeted me. ¡°Wee Miss Vargas, please take a seat.¡± I took a seat in front of her desk. ¡°Thank you for having me today Mrs. Athena.¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s a pleasure,¡± she said. ¡°Mr. Gray is a very good friend of mine and he told me that you are a very great and dedicated fashion designer.¡± ¡°He did?¡± I asked surprised. I can¡¯t believe Ethan did that for me. ¡°Well yeah and seeing you here I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll be the next Versace or Tommy Hilfiger.¡± Iughed. ¡°I hope so. That¡¯s the goal.¡± ¡°Great! I love people who set high goals for themselves. It makes you work harder.¡± Mrs. Athena opened her top drawer and ced a dossier on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll help you to be well-known in New York. We will start here and if the sales here are sessful we can expand to other countries.¡± My heart makes a joyful dance. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I want Mrs. Athena.¡± She smiled kindly at me. ¡°Great! Do you have your sketches? Ideas on what you want to design?¡± I pulled out my sketchbook out of my bag and showed it to her. ¡°These are some sketches I made. I also wrote next to it what kind of color and texture I want it to be.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± She eximed. ¡°In no time you¡¯ll have your own boutique here, Miss Vargas. Your sketches are wonderful. The only things we need are seamstresses and a ce to open your new boutique.¡± My eyes widened. ¡°Is it that easy?¡± Mrs. Athena chuckled. ¡°Of course not, You¡¯ll need the money and good advertisement. But don¡¯t worry, for now, I¡¯ll arrange that. Later you can pay me back. I know you will be very sessful.¡± I was about to say something when there was a soft knock on the door. The door opened and Ethan entered the office. What the hell was he doing here? ¡°Good morning Rose,¡± He greeted Mrs. Athena and walked up to her to hug her. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing very well, Ethan.¡± She said. ¡°I must say, your girlfriend here is very talented. She will be the next Tommy Hilfiger.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I¡ªuhmm I am not his girl¡ª,¡± Ethan interrupted me and smiled warmly at me. ¡°I know, Rose. She¡¯s very talented. I¡¯m blessed to have her in my life.¡± My eyes widened. What the hell? Chapter 9 Nicole Vargas ¡°You better exin to me why I suddenly became your girlfriend. Do I need to remind you what had happened earlier this morning?¡± The moment we were alone I started firing questions at Ethan. I was so confused and lost when he opened his mouth in front of Mrs. Athena and I suddenly became his loving girlfriend. We were already five minutes in the car and he didn¡¯t even bother to answer me. Jerk. Ethan drove silently through the busy streets of New York. He ignored all my questions and res. How can someone be immune to my res. My res were deadly. ¡°Want something to eat?¡± He asked as if I hadn¡¯t just asked a question. He looked at me amusingly. ¡°Anger suits you, princess.¡± At this point I was about to burst out in anger. I hated when someone thought that I was cute when I was actually silently nning their death. Ethan from years ago was way easier to figure out, than current Ethan. But still, I love and hate him at the same time. And why is he acting like this? Or is he like this? ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell her that you are with Veronika huh? She¡¯s girlfriend material, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ethan looked at me and frowned. His expression was unreadable. ¡°Veronika? Girlfriend? Seriously, you believe in the rumors?¡± I almost wanted to bang my head on the window. This morning he was praising the Russian Model and now he¡¯s telling me they¡¯re not dating. What kind of mind games is he ying with me? ¡°Rumors? You told me!¡± I yelled, throwing my hands in the air. ¡°Damn it, Ethan! Quit being so confusing and tell me why you had to tell Mrs. Athena such a lie!¡± ¡°Those were your assumptions, princess. I never confirmed that Veronika was my girlfriend. And the reason why I told Rose you¡¯re my girlfriend? Rose is getting old and she wants to see me settle down with someone who brings the good out in me. You know the crap that old people want for you. Well, she¡¯s not exactly fond by Veronika. As you may know, Veronika doesn¡¯t really care about the people around her. She¡¯s really full of herself. Rose never bothered to hide her distaste about Veronika.¡± Ethan told me, his eyes still fixed on the road. I waited for him to continue, but he just stopped there. Great, what should I do with that information? I rummaged through my purse to find my lip gloss. When I found it I turned my attention back to Ethan. ¡°That did not answer my question, Mr. Gray,¡± I muttered, applying lip gloss on my lips. The way hisst name sound, was so sexy. Oh god, did I just say that Ethan¡¯sst name sounds sexying out of my mouth? I think I should wash my mouth with soap when I arrive home. This is not good. Why do I get thoughts like this? ¡°Rose is sick okay and I¡¯m trying to fulfill herst wish. And that¡¯s me having a girlfriend.¡± I turned my head back to Ethan. My eyes widen and my mouth wide open. ¡°You¡¯re not serious.¡± Ethan scoffed. ¡°Why would I joke about sickness, Miss Vargas?¡± The way he pronounced myst name send shivers down my spine. It just rolled so perfectly out of his mouth. What the hell am I thinking? I shook my head so I coulde back to my senses. ¡°You could hire someone to pretend to be your girlfriend. Now every time we¡¯re going to meet Mrs. Athena I need to act like I¡¯m madly in love with you.¡± And I don¡¯t want to act like your goddamn girlfriend because in the end, I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to end up hurting.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I hope you¡¯re good in acting.¡± he casually replied. ¡°And why would I hire someone to be my girlfriend? I mean you are here to fulfill that job, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s no going back now, Nicole. What do you want Rose to think of me? That I¡¯m jumping from one girl to another? Nah-ah, not happening.¡± I rolled my eyes and cursed inwardly. ¡°I graduated in Fashion Design, not Drama.¡± ¡°Your whole life is drama, Nicole.¡± Ethan chuckled, ncing over at me. I send him a re and he chuckled softly. Now that I took a better look at him. Ethan looks quite handsome, but like isn¡¯t he always. He wore his work attire, of course, his ck Armani suit. His signature smirk that¡¯s always present on his face, making all the girls bow down like peasants. Well, except for me. The only thing I want to do is wipe it off his face, like how I want to wipe off the eyebrows of all the girls who annoy the hell out of me. ¡°Ugh Shut up!¡± I leaned back in the seat and put my feet up on the dashboard. Ethan saw it but didn¡¯t say anything. Great, because even if he would I wouldn¡¯t even care. Because I¡¯m a princess, and princesses get what they want. My stomach suddenly made a loud whale sound. I looked over at Ethan, but he didn¡¯t seem to notice. Damn, I forgot that I haven¡¯t had breakfast this morning. I was hungry and didn¡¯t Ethan mention something about food earlier? I was so mad at him that I totally forgot to answer that question.¡±You have mentioned something about getting food earlier, my answer is yes.¡± It was silent for a second before Ethan burst outughing. Hisugh was so contagious that I started tough too. He shook his head and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re really something else, Nicole.¡± Momentster we arrived at Buvette, a French restaurant. I stepped out of the car and Ethan waited for me on the other side. He extended his hand to me which made me raise my eyebrows in confusion. Since when did he became so friendly? ¡°We should practice being in love, Nicole,¡± he said snapping me out of my thoughts. Oh yeah, I almost forgot that I was his ¡®girlfriend ¡®. Why did I even agree to do this? I rolled my eyes and ced my hand in his. His hand was big with callus spots here and there, while mine were small and soft. The moment our hands touched, I could feel sparks igniting in my stomach. Oh no, this is not good. My stomach tickled as he intertwined our fingers. The ticklish feeling in my stomach. I knew exactly what it means, it was the so-called butterflies in your stomach. We were just holding hands, and I already get these feelings. I don¡¯t think I can do this. But it¡¯s toote now. And I¡¯m already screwed. Oh god, help me! Chapter 10 Ethan Gray The weird feeling in my stomach started to grow the longer I stared at the sleeping beauty next to me. She leaned her head against the window, her eyelids closed, her mouth in a small pout as her chest raised slowly up and down every time she took a breath. She looked serene, peaceful, even-tempered. Nothing like the girl from this morning. God, she was throwing such a fit about clothes. And then she even mentioned Veronika. I know that she knew about Veronika because it¡¯s all over the gossips. I never thought she would believe them. Gossips are gossips. Every celebrity, influencer, or model knows that. Even though Nicole didn¡¯t fall in any of those categories, she was the only heir of the Vargas hotel chains which makes her the perfect target for gossips. Nicole seemed tired. After we had brunch at the Bruvette, she was very hungry may I add. Probably that¡¯s because she hadn¡¯t had breakfast in the morning, because of the tantrum she was throwing. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s bothered about clothes and their seasons. When she came back downstairs, I couldn¡¯t help butpliment her inwardly. She looked so ssy, stylish, fabulous, and oh god hot. Women wearing business clothes always looked so formal and uptight. Sometimes their clothes were too conservative or sometimes too revealing. None of those two were ttering. But Nicole. She wore the perfect outfit to make men fall weak to their knees. I don¡¯t know how she does that. She¡¯s also very oblivious about what¡¯s happening around her. She can¡¯t see that men are openly eye raping her. If I could, I would throw them all a punch. Disgusting little pigs! She wasn¡¯t even revealing skin and they were all lusting on her. After we had brunch I brought her to Stone Street for a walk and a nice little chat. Even though she was still mad at me that I introduced her as my girlfriend to Rose, she immediately forgave me as she saw how aesthetic Stone Street was. Just what she needed for her Instagram feed. After taking a couple of hundred pictures, we finally went back to the car. But not before grabbing a drink. There she wanted to know more why Rose didn¡¯t like Veronika. That old woman didn¡¯t like the Russian at all. Hell, I didn¡¯t even like her. We both used each other for attention, a pr stunt is what they call it. Veronika was pretty¡­ hot and vain. She could talk hours and hours about herself and never get tired. But she was the type of girl you could turn into your wife. Not only did she had the looks, but she was also a very good cook, cleaned the house, decorated everything, cleaned the kitchen, and whatnot. She was the ideal wife. My ideal wife. But something. There was something missing. Not only did I not feel anything towards her, I also don¡¯t get the weird feeling in my stomach like the one that I get when I¡¯m around Nicole. With Nicole, everything is so different. She could be dramatic as hell and throw tantrums like it¡¯s in her DNA, but she could also be sweet and understanding when necessary. She could make you feel like hell, but at the same time, it felt good. A weird feeling. A feeling that I can¡¯t describe. Or maybe I could, but I don¡¯t want too. I don¡¯t want to admit. I sighed and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She stirred a little but didn¡¯t wake up. We were already parked in front of the mansion for fifteen minutes and I was still contemting if I should carry her inside or just wake her up. I poked her softly on her upper arm, but she didn¡¯t even move. Guess there¡¯s only one way to get her in the house. Minutester I found myself carrying Nicole on the stairs to her room. She was lightweight, her hair covering half of her face as she still slept peacefully. Suddenly she moved and her eyes snapped open. Her eyes widened in confusion as she yelled out; ¡°What the hell!¡± She immediately jumped out of my arms, pping my balls in the process. Oh god ! Not my boys! I groaned in pain as I watch her freak out. ¡°Oh my goodness, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±She apologized, ¡°I was just a little confused.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse to hit me in my balls!¡± I groaned in pain as I was trying to stand up straight. She had one hell of a hard punch. This girl! ¡°I thought it was your tummy. I thought you were¡ªoh my god I don¡¯t know! I was just shocked.¡± She walked over at me and helped me stand up straight. ¡°I am so so sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I waved my hand in dismissal as I tried to catch my breath. ¡°You have very strong¡­ hands.¡± ¡°I know right!¡± She smiled proudly as she inspected her hands. Papai always told me that. He said it wille very handy when I get kidnapped or something.¡± Oh, it will indeede in handy when she will ever get in trouble.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Why did you had to carry me inside? You could have just wake me up.¡± She said, ¡°By The Way, I¡¯m really hungry.¡± ¡°You were sleeping like a corpse. I poked you so many times and you didn¡¯t even move.¡± I said, ¡°And what do you want to eat?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Whatever you make for me. I cannot cook remember.¡± Oh yes, don¡¯t want my kitchen to catch fire again. ¡°Let¡¯s go back downstairs then.¡± I walked back downstairs followed by Nicole. I entered the kitchen and immediately opened the fridge. Today L did some shopping so my fridge was stocked with all kinds of vegetables and sweets. ¡°Chicken, hamburger, french frie¡ª,¡± ¡°French fries!¡± I heard her yell from behind me. ¡°I want french fries.¡± I chuckled as I grabbed the pack with french fries. ¡°French fries it is then.¡± After I fried the french fries, onion rings, and sausage we settled down in the living room. Nicole was eating and asionally moaning at how good it tasted. She then suddenly turned towards me with ketchup smudged on her cheeks. I wiped it away with my thumb and smiled at her. ¡°Does it taste good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± She said smiling, licking her bottom lip. Oh no! Don¡¯t! I cursed inwardly as she did that. That was my weakness. I could feel my heart racing wildly in my chest. ¡°I wanted to ask if you y the piano?¡± She asked as she looked at the piano in the middle of the living room. It was ced there because every year during Christmas Florence and I used to y on it. ¡°Of course I y it, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t be there.¡± ¡°Can you y for me?¡± She asked softly, ¡°I mean you don¡¯t have to, but¡ª,¡± ¡°Yes, I mean why not?¡± I stood up from the couch and walked towards the piano. I took a seat and took a deep breath. I decided to y the easiest one I knew. River flows in you from Yiruma. I got so lost in it, I always do when I y the piano. It makes me forget everything for a while. The piano calmed me down. Always. When I was done ying, I turned around and saw Nicole looking at me intently and in total awe. A small smile yed on her lips. ¡°The piano calms you down.¡± She remarked. My eyes widened in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s true, how did you know?¡± The small smile stayed on her face. ¡°Just the way you yed it. I could feel you, you know that right? The emotions.¡± I raised my eyebrows. She could feel my emotions? She shook her head. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯m rambling. Uhm Thanks for the food, I¡¯ll go get some sleep now before more crapes out of my mouth.¡± Sheughed nervously. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°Good night,¡± I whispered, still thinking about what she said earlier. She could feel my emotions. The way she said it. Her voice. So soft. So serene. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I thought I could do this. But I can¡¯t. I just realized that I¡¯m falling for her. And I¡¯m falling hard. Chapter 11 I could just feel the connection between me and Spencer. It felt amazing. It¡¯s like a dream, feeling the horse underneath me, holding onto the scrawly but beautiful flowing mane. Tail whipping behind, clinging on. There was a sense of euphoria when traveling at high speeds, taking jumps, riding a pattern ¨C a feeling of aplishment and being in control, yet free at the same time. I jumped off Spencer and brought her back to the barn. It was almost dawn and I was starving. After I cleaned her up and put everything back in ce I closed the barn and walked back to the mansion. The delicious smell of food entered my nostrils when I walked into the kitchen. ¡°I made Chicken tikka mas, I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± Ethan handed me a te with steamy white rice and spicy chicken served with a creamy gravy-like sauce. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely popr British dish.¡± I rolled my eyes. Of course, I know that I¡¯m not dumb. ¡°I know and yes, I am starving. I skipped lunch.¡± Ethan narrowed his eyes at me. ¡°Seriously? I told you to never skip a meal. Why didn¡¯t you had lunch?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t hungry.¡± I lied. Actually I was really hungry, but there weren¡¯t any leftovers that I could have. And I didn¡¯t want to cook nor did I wanted to bother Ethan who was busy in his study room. ¡°Liar.¡± Ethan motioned at me to sit down at the dinner table. ¡°Next time if you¡¯re hungry, just call me. I can make something for you.¡± That¡¯s the thing. I don¡¯t want to bother him. I don¡¯t want to be a pain in his butt. ¡°Mmhh,¡± I moaned as I chewed softly on the chicken. It was so freaking good. Ethan was a MasterChef. His cooking skills amazed me every time. He is capable of doing so many things. Running apany, cooking, ying the piano. What can this boy not do? ¡°You are a very good cook. Geez, why didn¡¯t you be a chef or something?¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°Thank you and I like cooking as a hobby. Not like an actual job.¡± When we were finished eating I cleaned the table and Ethan did the dishes, because of course, I will not do chores like that with my acrylic nails. It will damage and I want to have them longer since I spent a crazy amount of money on it. ¡°What do you think of my nails?¡± I asked Ethan as I stood next to him, watching him wash the dishes. He took a look at it and stared for a while. ¡°Looks really inconvenient, but beautiful nheless. It¡¯s really pointy though, why? You can stab someone with those nails of yours.¡± Iughed out loud. ¡°I can scratch someone, but not stab. It¡¯s not that sharp. When I was younger I couldn¡¯t do anything If I had acrylic nails, but when I grew older I learned how to do stuff with it. And now, it¡¯s pretty easy.¡± ¡°How old were you when you had those for the first time?¡± I frowned my eyebrows and thought about it. That was a long time ago. ¡°Probably like eleven or twelve.¡± ¡°What! You were so young!¡± Ethan eximed. I just shrugged. Growing up in the Vargas Family, you are never too young to do something. I got my first phone when I was seven and at the age of fourteen, I had my own credit card and personal driver. I was and I am still a spoiled princess. I don¡¯t expect anyone to treat me any less than that. ¡°That¡¯s my life, Ethan. I have been spoiled my entire life.¡± Ethan dried his hands on the table cloth. ¡°Is that why you are so dramatic? You always throw tantrums about random stuff.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I brushed a strand of hair out of my face. ¡°I¡¯m very picky if ites to shoes, clothes, and whatnot. I¡¯m a fashion designer for god sake, I cannot walk around looking like a sack potato.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a sack potato?¡± Ethan questioned. ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± I groaned following him to the living room. ¡°The point is that I don¡¯t like to look¡­mon. I want to look instagrammy, you know. Aside from a fashion designer, I¡¯m also a social media influencer. Have you seen how many followers I have? Seven point eight million. I¡¯m even verified. What about you?¡± Ethan sat down on the couch and turned the tv on. ¡°I have a bank ount with six zeros. What can you buy with your seven-point how many million followers? Do you even get paid for it?¡± ¡°Yes, I get PR packages every time to review. Kylie cosmetics always sends me stuff. People beg me to review their brand. But I am very picky you know. I don¡¯t review brands that harm animals. I think it¡¯s disgusting.¡± ¡°It is disgusting.¡± Ethan agreed. ¡°Poor animals. So that means you don¡¯t wear fur.¡± ¡°Fake fur only. It¡¯s one of my favorite clothing items. It alwayspletes an outfit.¡± ¡°Did you always wanted to be a fashion designer?¡± Ethan asked, zapping through the channels. I shook my head. ¡°Actually no, I wanted to be awyer. I always loved that profession. It always fascinated me. But¡­ not everything that I want, I can get. And bing awyer was one of them. So that¡¯s why I became a fashion designer. What about you?¡± ¡°I always wanted to study business,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I just love the idea of running apany. I also remembered that I wanted to study the Frenchnguage. But like you said. Not everything that I want, I can get. And studying french was one of them. I sucked at French.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Iughed heartily. ¡°And there I thought you were capable of doing anything. Veronika is really lucky to have you.¡± The happy expression on Ethan¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Why do you bring her up? She¡¯s not my girlfriend. You are, remember?¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°The pretend one. I am the pretend one.¡± I corrected him. ¡°I don¡¯t care. She is not my girlfriend. I don¡¯t know why you still think that.¡± ¡°Because you said that to me,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you cannot tell Rose the truth. Is there a reason why?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ethan asked, looking at me questioningly. ¡°I mean why can¡¯t you tell Rose that you and Veronika are over?¡± ¡°Because,¡± Ethan sighed and took a deep breath. ¡°Veronika and I are very close friends.¡± ¡°Friends with benefits.¡± ¡°Close friends,¡± Ethan repeated through gritted teeth. ¡°Ah side chick.¡± Ethan red at me. ¡°You know what, do you want me to y the piano for you?¡± I smiled widely at him and that was the cue for him to stand up and walk over to the piano. Chapter 12 Nicole Vargas ¡°Shut up!¡± I yelled out as Ethan and I got into another heated argument. Tonight we were invited to a party hosted by Rose and I didn¡¯t have anything to wear. Of course, I was throwing a fit. I can¡¯t wearst season clothes to the party, what will people think about me? I¡¯m about to be the next fashion designer. Ethan thought it was not necessary for me to go out and spent some crazy amount of money on a piece of fabric. I also wanted to get my hair done and buy new shoes. I am going crazy, I have not to go out shopping in so long. This is so not me. ¡°I just want to look pretty!¡± I screamed as I closed the door in front of his face, tears running down my face. ¡°You just don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°No, I do not! You have so many dresses, makeup, and shoes. Why do you need to add more to that collection? And you¡¯re beautiful in whatever you wear.¡± I sniffed, pulling the covers of the bed over me. I didn¡¯t want to hear anything thates out of his mouth right now. My mind was foggy and I was angry and tired. Angry, because I didn¡¯t get what I want and tired, because I was so done with this life. I hate it so much. I felt like a prisoner. Ethan didn¡¯t want to assign a driver for me and he didn¡¯t want to give me the keys to the garage. When I didn¡¯t answer, I heard a long tired sigh outside my door. ¡°Open the door. You¡¯re angry, talk to me Nicole.¡± His voice was less harsh than before, but I couldn¡¯t care less now. He shouldn¡¯t have yelled at me. When I didn¡¯t respond to him, I heard footsteps and then they were gone. Guess he gave up trying to make everything right. He always does that after every argument we have. He always tries to make things right. The hell I know why. If I were him I would have shipped me back to Brazil a long time ago. There are times I wish I wasn¡¯t like this. I wish I was just like Ethan. I didn¡¯t have to worry about what people think or what brand of clothes I wear. But I am not like that, at all. Even if I try I will feel so ufortable and anxious. My eyes suddenly felt heavy and tiredness consumed my body. In no time, my eyes closed and I fell into a deep sleep. A knock¡­. A soft knock¡­ Far¡­ Far¡­ away.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Another knock. And another¡­. My eyes fluttered open and I was greeted with darkness. The balcony door of my room was open and a cold breeze made me shiver. I yawned and kicked the covers off me, to grab my phone to see what time it was. 7:00 PM Did I sleep that long? It was already in the evening. Again I heard the knock against my door. ¡°Miss Vargas, are you there?¡± I heard L ask. ¡°I¡¯m here to give you something.¡± I stood up from my bed and opened the door. L was standing there with a big box in her hand and various designer bags on the floor. I looked questionably at her. ¡°Mr. Gray told me to bring this upstairs.¡± She said as she walked into my room. ¡°He said you should be ready in an hour.¡± Now my eyebrows rose in confusion. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Am I still dreaming? ¡°I thought I was very clear. Mr. Gray told me you should be ready in an hour for Rose¡¯s party.¡± L repeated, cing the big box and designer bags on my bed. ¡°Why do you look so surprised?¡± Why? A couple of hours ago we were fighting and suddenly this. I¡¯m so confused. First, he didn¡¯t want me to go out and buy myself clothes, but now I got clothes delivered. I¡¯m so lost. ¡°Magnificent! Beautiful! Exquisite!¡± A high pitched voice startled me. A man with long blonde curly hair stood at the entrance of my bedroom, looking inplete awe at my room. His eyes found mine and it immediately lit up. ¡°Oeh! Are you my client? Gorgeous baby, gorgeous.¡± He pped excitedly in his hands and walked over to me. ¡°Marlon, hairdresser and makeup artist.¡± ¡°Nicole,¡± I answered curtly, I was still in a state of shock. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°You, of course.¡± He answeredughing. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re going to a party, not a funeral. Smile a little.¡± I tried to manage a smile. ¡°W¨CI mean who send you here?¡± ¡°Ethan, my good friend, of course.¡± And then he muttered underneath his breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know why he always gets the gorgeous girls. Lucky bastard.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Marlon looked at me. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Hurry up¡­ Chop.. Chop! There¡¯s a lot of work to do.¡± He pushed me into the bathroom and closed the door. ¡°Hurry up, darling! Time is not waiting for you!¡± He yelled out from the outside. I brushed my teeth, washed my hair, and took a quick shower. After I was done, I wore my silky bathrobe and walked back into my bedroom. Marlon was at my Vanity table looking at the makeup on there. He must have felt my presence because he turned around and said: ¡°Amazing brands of makeup you have there. Cruelty-free. I feel a friendship here.¡± Iughed and walked to my bed. I opened the big ck and red box with the bow tie and I had to suppress a squeal. Inside the box there was a beautiful dress with a moon ne. A note was attached to the ne. Sorry for earlier. E The corners of my lips lifted up into a smile. This was so sweet. Even Marlon was amazed by how simple, elegant and yet beautiful the dress was. ¡°That¡¯s a very beautiful dress, darling. But now, let¡¯s get you transformed honey.¡± He pushed me in front of the Vanity table and did my hair and makeup. I could tell that he was a very skilled hairdresser and makeup artist. He worked fast and neat. When he sprayed the setting spray in my face, he turned me around and a small gasp left my mouth. I looked at my face in the mirror from every angle possible. ¡°Oh god, Marlon you are one hell of a good makeup artist. And I don¡¯t even want to talk about the hair. It¡¯s so pretty.¡± Marlon grinned from behind me. ¡°I know darling, I know. I¡¯m very good at what I¡¯m doing. Anyways, you should dress up now. Mr. Gray expects you in five minutes downstairs.¡± Marlon handed me the dress, ne, and shoes. I went into my walk-in closet to get dressed up in front of the huge golden mirror. When I looked at my reflection, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh dreamily. The dress fitted me perfectly. It was a very simple ck dress with a unique shoulder line. The dress was also not too tight and not too big. I wondered how Ethan knew my size. I walked out of the walk-in closet and Marlon was waiting for me at the entrance of my door. He whistled at me as I made my way towards him. ¡°Damn, Mamacita if I didn¡¯t have girlfriends I would have definitely hit on you.¡± I chuckled and he ced his hand behind my back. ¡°Let¡¯s go surprise that boyfriend of yours.¡± I bit my lip. I wanted to correct him that Ethan was not my boyfriend, but I remembered that I had to be his pretend girlfriend. I know it¡¯s only for Rose, but the less people know the truth, the better. Ethan was standing in the foyer, looking like a male model. He was such a good looking, tall, sharp-featured and well-built specimen. Can someone even get any hotter than that? I totally forgot that I was mad at him earlier. At this moment, he was taking my breath away. Ethan¡¯s eyes found mine and a small smirk appeared on his face. His eyes studied me from head to toe and I could see a sparkle in his eyes. ¡°Is the princess happy now?¡± He asked teasingly as he took my hands in his and kissed me on my forehead. That totally caught me off guard. I felt goosebumps all over my body. I was so not ready for this. He should have probably felt how tense my body was because he started to rub me softly behind my back. ¡°Remember Nicole,¡± He whispered softly in my ear. ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend.¡± I took a deep breath. Don¡¯t take everything too serious I told myself. This is just an act for Rose. Next to me Marlon squealed excitedly. ¡°You two are so cute, right L?!¡± L who walked out of the kitchen looked at the both of us and smiled. ¡°They are, now you two. Hurry up, the party will start soon. You two are going to bete.¡± Ethan grinned next to me. ¡°It¡¯s called fashionablyte, L.¡± I rolled my eyes at that, but couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Those were my words. ¡°Are you ready to go, Princess?¡± Ethan asked, squeezing me softly in my hands. I looked up at him, shing him a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m so ready, darling.¡± Chapter 13 Nicole Vargas ¡°Are you ready, princess?¡± Ethan whispered in my ear as we walked up on the stairs to the grand ballroom. The whole venue looked stunning. There were high ceilings, diamond chandeliers, and beautiful paintings on the wall. The stairs were made out of marble, it was such an aesthetically pleasing sight. ¡°Let¡¯s get this show started, darling.¡± I whispered back in a seductive tone. If he wants to y this game, I¡¯m going to show him how it¡¯s done. From the inside I was smiling mischievously. Ethan smiled wickedly at me and tightened his grip on my waist. ¡°Tonight you¡¯re mine. I don¡¯t want to see you looking, dancing, touching or talking to other men. You¡¯re mine to entertain only.¡± I rolled my eyes at what he said. So damn possessive. ¡°And what if I don¡¯t obey you, Mr. Gray?¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯m going to have to punish you.¡± A sly grin appeared on my face. That sounds exciting. ¡°I hope you know that¡­ punishments turns me on.¡± I kept my voice low, only for him to hear. Out of the corners of my eye, I could see his eyes darken. His lips were now in a thin line and his grip on me tightened, almost suffocating me. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ y¡­ with¡­ fire, Nicole.¡± he hissed, before the door of the Grand Ballroom opened and hundreds of eyes were on us. ¡°Ethan, Nicole!¡± Rose walked towards us in a long blue chiffon dress. She looked like an angel in the middle of the room. ¡°You made it!¡± She hugged Ethan and then me. ¡°Ah, you two look adorable. I never thought I would see you with a¡­ a decent girl.¡± Ethan forced a smile. ¡°Rose, Veronika is not that bad. You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t want to hear her name.¡± Rose huffed and rolled her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like her, she¡¯s not good for you. I prefer Nicole. Darling, how are you? You look stunning.¡± I smiled kindly at her. ¡°Thank you, Rose. The same goes out for you. Your party looks¡­ legit. You have invited a whole bunch of people.¡± ¡°Oh these are just my friends.¡± I rose my eyebrows up in surprise. Friends? More than two hundred people are here and they are all her friends? I can¡¯t rte. ¡°When did you two started dating?¡± Rose snapped me out of my reverie. Her eyes glowed as she asked that question. ¡°And where did you meet? Gosh, I¡¯m so excited to hear about your love story.¡± She sighed dreamily. I squeezed Ethan¡¯s hand, because we haven¡¯t discuss this. Ethan cleared his throat and gave me a reassuring smile. ¡°Actually I went to Brazil to visit my parents.¡± Ethan started and rubbed my hands softly. ¡°And then I met her and she decided toe to the states with me.¡± He looked at me and shed me a bright smile. ¡°She¡¯s the sweetest.¡± ¡°Awh,¡± Rose sighed and ced her hand over her heart. ¡°You two are so cute. Anyway,e, I will introduce you two to my guests. They will be thrilled to hear that you have found a girlfriend Ethan.¡± ¡°Rose, I think it¡¯s too early to announce it.¡± Ethan chuckled nervously. ¡°Right, princess?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I said, managing to put a smile on my face. ¡°We have only been dating for a short period.¡± ¡°And?¡± Rose asked, raising up her eyebrows. ¡°I know that you two are meant to be, so it doesn¡¯t matter for how long you¡¯ve been together.¡± She then smiled warmly at me. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll introduce you two. My favorites. Ah!¡± We followed Rose to the middle of the ballroom. Ethan leaned over at me and whispered: ¡°This is not good. Geez, I didn¡¯t know this would happen.¡± ¡°Why is this not good?¡± I whispered back, my heart hammering wildly in my chest. I was so confused and nervous. ¡°Veronika. She will hear about it.¡± I wanted to p myself in the face. Of course, Veronika. ¡°Stop talking about her when I¡¯m supposed to be your pretend girlfriend. I don¡¯t want to hear about¡­ her anymore when I¡¯m with you.¡± I hissed annoyed. For some reason, Veronika¡¯s name made my stomach turn. I was supposed to be his girlfriend, but he couldn¡¯t even forget that bloody girl. I wonder what type of rtionship he had with her. ¡°Are you¡­ jealous?¡± Ethan questioned, pulling me closer to his body. I could feel his six-pack from underneath his suit. ¡°What if I am? You are so damn possessive, so I think it would make us even.¡± He chuckled lightly. ¡°You got a point, princess.¡± ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Rose voice echoed through the whole room. She didn¡¯t even need a microphone. All heads turned towards us. ¡°First of all, thank you foring. I appreciate it. And second of all. I have very surprising news for all of you¡­,¡± Rose turned her head towards us and smiled widely. ¡°Ethan Gray got himself a girlfriend! Meet Nicole Vargas.¡± The whole room apuded, here and there I heard whispers. ¡°Trust me, tomorrow the gossip tabloids will be full with our names,¡± Ethan whispered in my ear. Iughed softly. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Of course not. This news will reach Russia.¡± I took a deep breath to not burst out in anger. I wiggled myself out of his grip. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± I said curtly and immediately walked away. It should not bother me if he talks about Veronika, but it does. It angers me for some reasons. I wished he would stop talking about Veronika and just focus on me. His pretend girlfriend. I walked into the restroom and fixed my makeup. In the mirror, I could see two girls staring at me. I frowned my eyebrows at them and they immediately stopped staring at me. Just when I thought they had left one of them came next to me and tapped with her long acrylic nails on the marble sink. ¡°Ethan¡¯s girlfriend?¡± She asked in a high pitched voice. Her eyshes were so long and thick I wondered if she could see through them. ¡°Yes.¡± I answered, cing my lipstick back in my handbag. ¡°You know that he¡¯s dating Veronika Morozov right?¡± She said and batted her eyshes at me. ¡°They haven¡¯t made their breakup public yet, so that means¡­ they are still together.¡± ¡°They were never together. Get your facts straight, honey.¡± I smiled nicely at her and walked out of the restroom. Outside I bumped into Ethan. ¡°You were so long in the restroom.¡± He remarked. ¡°I was worried.¡± I waved my hand in dismissal. ¡°It¡¯s alright. No need to be worried.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat and then we can go home.¡± I stared at Ethan and burst outughing. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re not going to ask me to dance?¡± His eyes lit up and he smiled cheekily. It was so cute. ¡°Do you want to?¡± Ethan asked, taking my hand in his. ¡°Of course, darling.¡± Ethan ced his hand on the small of my back and we walked towards the dance floor. ¡°Hey girl!¡± I heard the same high pitched voice from the restroom behind me. What the hell does she want? I rolled my eyes and turned around. Ethan looked questionably at us. ¡°What do you want?¡± I sighed as I watched her walking towards me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I sounded like a bitch earlier, but trust me I¡¯m a sweetheart.¡± She smiled widely at me showing off her braces. She then looked behind me and waved. ¡°Hey Ethan!¡± ¡°Ang.¡± Ethan greeted through gritted teeth. Chapter 14 ¡°Nicole, this is Ang, my cousin who can¡¯t keep her mouth shut. Ang, this is Nicole, my girlfriend.¡± Ethan introduced us with a sigh. ¡°What happened to Veronika? Did you two break up? It¡¯s not on Clevver news.¡± Ang raised her eyebrows up. ¡°Tell me, dear cousin.¡± Ethan groaned annoyed. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like Veronika. We were never a ¡®thing¡¯ so why would it be on that stupid gossip channel?¡± Ang raised her hands up in surrender. ¡°I was just looking out for cutie here.¡± She pointed at me. ¡°I mean I didn¡¯t like Veronika, because shemented that my eyshes looked like umbres. Little bitch.¡± Ang let out a disapproving sound. Ethanughed. ¡°They actually do.¡± Ang red at Ethan. ¡°I have the urge to punch that pretty face of yours, cousin !¡± She then shifted her attention back to me. ¡°Since you¡¯re the new girlfriend of my dear shithead cousin, do you want to go shopping sometimes? I actually like you. Pretty little thing.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hit on my girlfriend, Ang!¡± Ethan said through gritted teeth and muttered under his breath, ¡°Not only do I need to keep an eye out on the men, but also on the women.¡± Iughed at that. ¡°So possessive, Mr Gray.¡± He squinted his eyes at me and said in a mischievous voice, ¡°Oh I will show you what possessive is, Miss Vargas.¡± I shook my head and looked at Ang who was watching us amusingly. ¡°Of course I want to go shopping with you. Just tell me when.¡± Ang smiled and pped in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m so excited! I¡¯lle to the mansion tomorrow. Be ready in the morning.¡± I was about to nod yes, but Ethan cleared his throat. ¡°You have a meeting with Rose tomorrow, remember?¡± Ugh yes ! How could I forget that? I mentally facepalmed myself. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot about that. I¡¯m sorry Ang, maybe another time?¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s alright.¡± She shook her head and smiled. ¡°We can have a movie night or something.¡± ¡°That sounds exciting.¡± ¡°Okay Ang, are you done with my girlfriend? I want to take her to dance.¡± Ethan said impatiently. Ang huffed a long sigh. ¡°Fine, take her. She¡¯s all yours. Bye, Nicole.¡± I said goodbye to Ang and Ethan grabbed my hand and brought me to the middle of the dancefloor. He ced one hand on my waist and the other one he held in his other hand. We slowly moved to the rhythm of the music. It¡¯ste in the evening; she¡¯s wondering what clothes to wear She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair He held me close, our body molding into one as if we were made for each other. cing my hands on his shoulder we danced silently. And then she asks me, Do I look all right? And I say, ¡°Yes, you look wonderful tonight I felt all eyes on us. We did look so real. While most pretend rtionships never work out, because of bad acting ours feels so real. Everything just flows, like it¡¯s meant to be. And it scares the crap out of me. We go to a party and everyone turns to see This beautifuldy that¡¯s walking around with me I wanted to say something, anything, but each time I opened my mouth to speak, I felt the harshness of his hands against my petite waist and sighed in content. Slowly I moved my hands up to his neck and rested my head on his chest. I wished I could stay like this forever. And then she asks me, Do you feel all right? And I say, ¡°Yes, I feel wonderful tonight¡± He pulled me impossibly close that I could hear the beating of his heart. I feel wonderful because I see The love light in your eyes He twirled me around like a doll and I let out a soft squeal. That was so unexpected. I heard Ethan chuckle. And the wonder of it all Is that you just don¡¯t realize how much I love you I stared up at Ethan, his lips in a wicked smile. I was so tempted to kiss him. I know he didn¡¯t love me back. It is always Veronika, Veronika. But I just couldn¡¯t resist anymore, to hell with Veronika. It¡¯s time to go home now and I¡¯ve got an aching head So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed I inhaled sharply. Must he be so perfect? I look up at him, his eyes holding a questioning look. For that single moment, time stops. I don¡¯t care about the people around us, in fact, I don¡¯t even notice them. It¡¯s just me and him now. And then I tell her, as I turn out the light I say, ¡°My darling, you were wonderful tonight Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonightN?velDrama.Org (C) content. And just before the song ends, I stood on my tippy toes and pressed my lips against his. It was now or never. I kissed him soft and slow, waiting for him to let me in. To respond. His lips felt so gentle so warm, my hands began to slide up his chest and encircle his neck. I didn¡¯t want this moment to end, but sadly it did. He gently pushed me away and I have never felt so rejected in my entire life. Something inside me snapped, I don¡¯t know why I was feeling like this. This is supposed to be a pretend rtionship. Why did I feel so disappointed that he didn¡¯t respond to the kiss? I should have known that he would never love me back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I muttered silently. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Nicole.¡± He said coldly and we walked off the dancefloor. When we made it outside, a cold breeze made me shiver. ¡°What was that on the dance floor?¡± Ethan stared at me with bewildered eyes. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°It was an ident,¡± I muttered, not daring to look at him. ¡°Look at me.¡± Ethan tilted my chin up. ¡°This is a pretend rtionship. Don¡¯t ever forget that.¡± ¡°It will never happen again.¡± Ethan sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to make this any moreplicated than it already is, princess.¡± How dare he! ¡°Don¡¯t ever call me princess again.¡± I hissed and stepped into the car. I sat in the far corner, far away from Ethan. ¡°What the hell, Nicole?!¡± He stepped into the car and closed the door behind him. ¡°I thought it was very clear from the beginning.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this anymore. Go get Veronika back, I don¡¯t want to do this anymore.¡± My lips quivered as I said that. ¡°I¡¯m so tired Ethan, you¡¯re so confusing. I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I said so!¡± I yelled out frustrated. ¡°And you know what? The kiss was just an ident okay. Don¡¯t break your head about it !¡± Chapter 15 Ethan Gray I couldn¡¯t sleep. It was already passed 2 AM and we arrived home two hours ago, but the awful feeling in my stomach stayed. I closed my eyes and opened them again. The kiss keeps reying in my head. Deep down inside I knew that I craved for it. Damn, I was so close to responding to her. But I couldn¡¯t. There¡¯s something holding me back. Fear maybe? The hurt on Nicole¡¯s face was evident. I had hurt her. Badly. The pain in my heart was unbearable. I couldn¡¯t see her like that. I should have not snapped at her. God, I wished I could turn back time. Kissed her back and just confessed. Confessed what exactly? That I loved her? I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m feeling. And then there¡¯s Veronika. The one I don¡¯t like, but use for attention. She does the same thing with me, so it¡¯s fair. I couldn¡¯t stay any longer in bed. Even though Nicole told me to not break my head over it, I¡¯m still doing it. I cannot rest before I mend things with her. I don¡¯t like to see Nicole mad at me. It hurts me for some reason. I walked downstairs to the kitchen to make myself something to eat. I switched on the light and let out a gasp at the figure sitting on the kitchen counter. Dressed in a very skimpyce and satin pajama, Nicole sat on the kitchen counter eating Ice-cream. Startled she turned around when the lights turned on. I groaned internally when she did that. Her clothing covered barely anything. She wore a ckce and satin pajama that did an awful job of hiding her curves. Everything was so see-through and it was hard for me to keep my eyes off her. ¡°Turn the lights off!¡± She said as she tried to cover her body. Her efforts were all in vain. The more she tried to cover her body, the more it got exposed. When I didn¡¯t do anything, she red at me. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m out of here.¡± She wanted to jump off the table, but I stopped her. ¡°Wait!¡± She looked up at me with a questioning look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I apologized. ¡°For earlier.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She mumbled as she stared at the Ice-cream container. ¡°Stop trying to make everything right. It was my fault.¡± ¡°It was my fault,¡± I said. ¡°I should not have yelled at you.¡± She waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± She snapped, her eyes holding all kinds of emotions. ¡°I told you, don¡¯t break your head over it.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°But I do!¡± I yelled out frustrated. ¡°Fuck I do, Nicole! I should have kissed you back and deal with the consequencester!¡± Nicole immediately snapped her head at me. Her eyes widened in surprise. She was definitely taken aback. ¡°Wh¨CWhat did you just say?¡± She stuttered out. ¡°I said¡ª,¡± I walked closer towards her. ¡°I said that I should have kissed you back and deal with the consequencester.¡± I stood in between her legs, staring into her eyes. All kinds of questions were probably floating in her head. I¡¯m not going to deny, in mine too. And the biggest one was ¡®What the hell am I doing?¡¯ ¡°Veronika?¡± She asked with uncertainty. I rolled my eyes at that, way to ruin the moment. ¡°To hell with Veronika.¡± She chuckled lightly, small dimples appearing in her cheeks. They were very small, one needs to pay close attention to spot it. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I was thinking earlier.¡± She confessed. She scooped a spoonful of Ice cream and brought it to my mouth. ¡°Want some.¡± I opened my mouth and I felt the Ice-cream melting inside. Vani-Strawberry. ¡°If you wake up tomorrow,¡± Nicole said quietly. ¡°Are you going to regret this?¡± I shook my head wiping ice cream off the corner of her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t regret anything. Not the kiss. Nothing. I was just confused, lost.¡± ¡°Enlighten me, Ethan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m feeling for you. I don¡¯t want to give you false hope.¡± I answered honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.¡± She closed her eyes for a split second. ¡°Why don¡¯t we figure it out then? There¡¯s no harm in that.¡± I nod my head at her answer. ¡°Exactly what I was thinking. I should give you a chance, Mrs. I cannot cook even if my life depends on it.¡± She yfully pped me on my chest andughed. Her chest rising up and down when she did that. I gritted my teeth at the sight. So tempting. ¡°Was it necessary to dress into this¡ªthis thing that does not cover anything?¡± She looked up at me, a naughty glint in her eyes. ¡°Does it turns you on?¡± She bit her bottom lip as she questioned me that. My eyes darkened at her sudden boldness. I leaned in and whispered in her ear. ¡°A lot princess, a lot.¡± I could feel the sudden goosebumps on her body. Good, at least my words have an effect on her. She caressed my cheeks. The way she did it, it felt so soft. So right. I move my head closer to hers. She sits frozen, from both fear and excitement. She leans in a little bit more, so her foreheads rest against mine. ¡°Don¡¯t regret this.¡± She says in barely more than a whisper. ¡°Never,¡± I replied my voice low and husky. Dear God, I couldn¡¯t fight against the thoughts that were going through my mind now. I should take things slowly. But her very smell was flooding my senses now. It made me hot and bothered. A shy look before I pulled her face closer and our lips met. I kissed her and the world fell away. It was slow and soft,forting in ways that words would never be. Nicole ran her fingers down my spine, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us and I could feel the beating of her heart against my chest. As we parted I saw her eyes sparkle and lips curve up into a smile and I couldn¡¯t help but smile back. I know exactly what she was thinking. The kiss was different. Very different from the first time. This time I kissed her back. She got a taste of me. ¡°If this is what kissing you feels like,¡± I said leaning in. My lips covered her¡¯s again and the world seemed to disappear around us. ¡°Then I don¡¯t ever want to stop,¡± I whispered against her skin. Chapter 16 Nicole Vargas Metallic tters from pots and pans woke me up. I blinked my eyes to get used to daylight. What time was it now? I looked around and realized I wasn¡¯t sleeping in my room, instead I wasying on the couch with a nket covering half of my body. My face turned red and it suddenly became very hot when I remembered what happenedst night. I kissed Ethan, he rejected me, we came home, and we kissed again. The only difference was, the second time he kissed me back. How can something that feels so good and so right, be wrong? I sighed as I kicked the cover off me. We kissed and cuddled until I fell asleep. Nothing sexual happened, thank goodness. Not only would it be embarrassing for me, but I also would have regretted it badly the next morning. I want to save my innocence for the person I love and want to marry. Not for someone who¡¯s not sure about me. When I walked into the kitchen, the first thing I saw was the sexy back of Ethan. He didn¡¯t wore a shirt, only gray sweatpants. I wondered if the oil didn¡¯t ssh on him since he was frying something. ¡°Good morning, princess.¡± He said in a husky voice without even turning around. ¡°Good morning.¡± I yawned. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Making breakfast of course.¡± He replied with a chuckle and then turned around. He turned off the stove and walked towards me to press a long kiss on my lips. ¡°What a sight to see every morning. I don¡¯t think I will ever get bored of it.¡± I smiled against his lips. ¡°What do we have for breakfast prince charming. I¡¯m starving.¡± Ethanughed and walked back to the stove. ¡°I made fried eggs with toast and coffee. If you want something else, just tell me.¡± ¡°That sounds delicious.¡± I licked my lips as he ced the te in front of me. It looked so good. I don¡¯t think I will ever get bored with your cooking.¡± Ethan chuckled and take a sip of his coffee. ¡°Dig in, princess. You need to meet Rose in three hours.¡± ¡°Three hours?!¡± My eyes turned wide as saucers and I was panicking. I only had three hours to get ready?! That¡¯s not enough time! I shove the te away and jumped off the barstool. ¡°Oh god! I need to get ready!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Ethan stared bewildered at me. ¡°You have three hours, not three minutes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough time!¡± I panicked. ¡°I need to take a bath of at least thirty minutes, wash my hair, try some clothes, choose an outfit¡­ Oh no, there¡¯s so much to do! I¡¯ll have breakfastter!¡± I ran upstairs and I immediately walked over to my wardrobe. Time to get some clothes out and hopefully figure an outfit out in an hour. It usually takes me more than that, but now it was an emergency situation. After what seemed an eternity I finally had an outfit. I decided to wear patterned shorts paired with nude heels to create a super long leg line and a white shirt with long sleeves. The outfit was casual with a hint of formal in it. Then I went into the bathroom to shave my legs, very careful not to cut myself. Then I put my face mask to exfoliate my face and took a long bath with my favorite bath bomb. After I was done I washed my hair and face and walked back into my bedroom to blowdry my hair, curl it and do my makeup. I was still blow-drying my hair when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw my mom¡¯s name on top of it. I turned off the blow dryer and picked up the phone. ¡°Hey mam?e.¡± I put her on loudspeaker while I was doing my makeup. ¡°Ol¨¢, minha filha, how are you?¡± My mom asked she sounded very cheerful and happy. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, how are you and papai?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing amazing. Today I sold a painting of mine to a rich man from Dubai. He paid one million dors for the painting.¡± My eyebrows raised up in surprise. Wow, people do give a lot for paintings. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible. Congrattions!¡± ¡°Thank you! How is everything there? Have you start your boutique yet?¡± ¡°I talked to Rose already, she¡¯s going to assist me through this whole process. I will meet her again today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing, sweetie. I¡¯m so d you are feeling great over there. How¡¯s Ethan doing, are you cooking for him?¡± I bit my lip. Hearing his name send shivers down my spine. ¡°Ethan is okay. Actually he is cooking, because he¡¯s not allowing me to cook after thest time when I almost burned his kitchen down.¡± I heard my mom scowl at me in the background. ¡°Silly girl, you make me look like a bad mom.¡± ¡°You never taught me how to cook, so it¡¯s not actually my fault.¡± ¡°Hey hey, It was you who was not interested.¡± My mom said sternly. ¡°Can you remember what you said? Why do I need to learn how to cook when I will have a chef.¡± I chuckled, I remembered saying thest part. ¡°I¡¯ll still have it after I opened my boutique. Then I will be a busydy and I¡¯ll not have time to cook.¡± I looked at the time on my watch. My eyes widened when I saw the time. Was it already sote? ¡°Mam?e, I need to end the call right now. I still need to get ready for my meeting with Rose.¡± ¡°Okay, goodluck. Eu amo voc¨º minha filha,¡± My mom made kissing sounds on the other side of the line. ¡°Amo voc¨º tamb¨¦m, tell dad I said hi.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± She replied. I slide my hand across the screen and the call ended. I hurriedly finished doing my hair and makeup. After that, I put on my outfit and grabbed my bag with everything I need for the meeting. I haven¡¯t realized that it was already sote. I thought only an hour passed by, but apparently it was three hours. When I came downstairs Ethan was already impatiently waiting in the garage. ¡°We are sote.¡± He grunted as he opened the car door for me to step in. He then walked over to the driver seat and started the car and raced towards our destination. ¡°Three hours and thirty minutes to get ready? Seriously Nicole.¡± Ethan impatiently honked behind a car as he gave me a side nce. ¡°I usually take longer.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked, clearly confused. ¡°No matter what you put on, you still look gorgeous.¡± ¡°I have very high standards of myself. I can¡¯t help that I¡¯m like this. I am like this since I was young.¡± ¡°A spoiled princess.¡± He mocked. I just smiled and shrugged. ¡°Yeah, if that¡¯s what you want to call me.¡± I never saw the word spoiled princess as an insult, in fact it was just the truth. I was spoiled and I am still spoiled. I am not afraid to admit it, unlike some people. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Ethan parked the car and then we walked into the huge ss building to the office of Rose. We took the elevator and when we finally reached the right floor, Rose was already waiting outside her door. ¡°You two arete.¡± Was the first thing she said. I was about to apologize, but Ethan behind me opened his mouth first.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°We would be early,¡± He said in a mocking voice and then looked at me with his hands on his hips. ¡°But someone had to take three hours to get ready.¡± Chapter 17 Nicole Vargas Halfway during the meeting, Ethan excused himself to pick up a phone call. I stayed behind with Rose discussing the ns for my clothing line. ¡°So,¡± Rose pulled out some papers and ced it in front of me. ¡°I have decided that your first fashion show will be at the end of next month. What do you think?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too early?¡± I asked. Even though I already have my sketches ready, there¡¯s still a lot more to do. ¡°It is.¡± Rose agreed. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I already have a venue, decorators, and seamstresses. The only thing we need to search for is models.¡± ¡°But do you think the clothes will be finished in a month¡¯s time? That¡¯s a very short amount of time.¡± The clothing I design are not particrly easy to sew and I don¡¯t know if the jewels and fabric can be found in New York. ¡°What about the jewels and fabric? Can it be found there?¡± Rose nodded her head. ¡°Yes, a majority of them. But there are some that need to be imported from Europe. I have a friend there who can send them in a week or two.¡± I was still very skeptical about it. I don¡¯t like to be rushed in things I love to do. But then again, Rose is longer in this field then I am. I should trust her. ¡°If you say so, Rose. I¡¯ll trust you in this.¡± Rose smiled kindly at me. ¡°You¡¯re such a sweetheart. Everything will be picture perfect! Don¡¯t worry.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Ethan came back into the room. ¡°Are you two done here?¡± He stood at the doorway impatiently tapping with his shoe on the floor. ¡°I need to be at a meeting in ten minutes.¡± I stood up from my seat and walked over to Rose to hug her. ¡°Thank you, Rose, for helping me. I will hear from you soon, I hope.¡± ¡°Of course. Probably tomorrow or so. Why don¡¯t you twoe over for dinner tomorrow? Then we can discuss this all.¡± Rose suggested. I look over at Ethan and he just shrugged. ¡°Sounds fine to me. I don¡¯t have anything nned for tomorrow¡¯s evening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then, Rose.¡± I gave her a warm smile and grabbed my bag. ¡°Bye.¡± Rose waved at me as I closed the door of her office. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry?¡± I asked Ethan as we practically ran to the car. ¡°I got a phone call from my PA. Some important people from Dubai and Japan are waiting in my office. ¡± He said. Ethan unlocked the car and after we buckled up he sped away. He looked at his watch and cursed loudly. ¡°Geez, can you drive a little slower. It¡¯s not like they made an appointment or something.¡± I said as I hold the seat firmly. ¡°Watch out¨C! Ethan!!¡± My heart was banging loudly in my chest. That was just in time. I looked at him angrily. ¡°Are you trying to kill us!¡± I yelled out. He slowed down the speed and looked over at me apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just in a fucking hurry.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean to kill us!¡± I snapped still shaking. We arrived at hispany and he parked the car. ¡°Are you going to stay here in the car?¡± He asked, grabbing his stuff from the back seat. I shook my head wildly. Of course not. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the mall across the road.¡± He threw something at me, his credit card. ¡°There, buy whatever you like. Consider that my apology for almost killing you.¡± I raised my eyebrows at that, but I didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, I stepped out of the car, nted a kiss on his cheek, and told him I would meet himter. Finally, after so many weeks I can do some shopping. I feel so alive. With a big smile on my face, I made my way towards the mall. I couldn¡¯t wait to finally walk into Gi and Louis Vuitton and do some serious shopping. The credit card that my dad gave me was only for business purposes. I couldn¡¯t use it for shopping or anything personal. But luckily Ethan gave me his and I would make good use of it. I snickered silently before I stepped into the Gi store. Ethan: Where are you? I received a text from Ethan two hourster. I sat down exhausted at Starbucks with so many designer bags around me. Me: I¡¯m at Starbucks. In the mall. After I sent the message I ordered a Caramel Mhiato. When I got my drink Ethan entered Starbucks. Immediately everyone¡¯s eyes went towards him. Of course. He looked like a damn model. His eyes widened as he saw all the designer bags. I smiled sheepishly at him. Okay maybe I spend a little too much. ¡°Jesus, Nicole!¡± He sat down across me, still in shock. ¡°You seriously have a shopping addiction.¡± ¡°I maybe went a little overboard,¡± I said in a small voice, slurping loudly on my drink. ¡°A little?¡± Ethan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°You mean too much, princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I should have to warn you but I was just too excited. I haven¡¯t shopped in weeks.¡± Ethan leaned over the table and kissed me on my forehead. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, I¡¯m starving. Homemade or take out?¡± ¡°Take out,¡± I replied. Ethan seemed tired and I didn¡¯t want him to stand behind the stove to cook for us. He grabbed the shopping bags and we walked together to the car. He put the bags in the backseat and we drove to a Thai restaurant. ¡°I hope you like Thai food.¡± I never had Thai food before, but for everything, there¡¯s a first time. We stepped out and Ethan ordered the food while I sat on a table. When he finally sat down I asked him what he ordered. ¡°Beef noodle, Chicken wings, and Pad Thai,¡± Ethan said. ¡°I love Pad Thai, I had a friend who lived in Thand for three years and he could make the most delicious Pad Thai.¡± ¡°I would like to meet that friend of yours. Maybe he can make us some Pad Thai.¡± ¡°He¡¯s now in Australia with his wife. We can go visit them sometimes.¡± ¡°In Australia?¡± I asked, raising up my eyebrows. I have never gone to Australia, but I would love to. ¡°I would love to go there someday.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go tomorrow,¡± Ethan replied casually. I pped him on his arm. ¡°We have dinner with Rose tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh yes.¡± Ethan facepalmed himself. ¡°I almost forgot. And oh, I want to tell you something. Since you¡¯re officially my girlfriend¡ª,¡± ¡°What?! When?¡± I asked half in shock, half surprise. ¡°Yesterday of course. When we kissed. You¡¯re officially my girlfriend. I don¡¯t like to share.¡± The way he said it, it sounds so good. I grinned, leaned over, and bit his bottom lip. ¡°I like the sound of that.¡± ¡°Tease!¡± He scolded when I sat back on my seat, not continuing the lip-biting that would lead to kissing and other things. ¡°Patience, darling,¡± I whispered. ¡°Anyways,¡± I said in a normal voice. ¡°What did you want to say?¡± ¡°Oh yes, we are invited to attend the yearly ball in Dubai in two weeks.¡± Chapter 18 Nicole Vargas ¡°It¡¯s crazy how we went from pretend rtionship to real rtionship so fast.¡± Iughed as I took a bite of the chicken wing. We sat in the living room couch eating our Thai food. It was a great night. The curtains of the huge windows were open so that the moonlight shone into our living room. After our order was ready we immediately drove home, because we were both starving. I haven¡¯t had breakfast this morning and for lunch, I only drank a Mhiato. The meeting had made Ethan hungry because since it was unannounced he didn¡¯t order refreshments. Surprisingly I really loved Thai food. It was so rich in seasoning. Very different than other foreign dishes I have tried. ¡°I know right.¡± Ethanughed, leaning over to wipe sauce off my face. He was so attentive and sweet. ¡°What do you think about food? Should we get it more often?¡± I let out a loud moan to show him how much I really loved it. ¡°It¡¯s so good and yes definitely. Thai is my new favorite.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my girlfriend now. A real one may I add.¡± He nudged me from the side and winked. I rolled my eyes and chuckled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why you wanted to do the pretend one. Looking back it¡¯s so childish and stupid.¡± ¡°Not for me. For me, it was to find out if I really wanted you in my life or not. What I said about Rose is only partially true. Yes, she¡¯s sick, but now she didn¡¯t care if I had a girlfriend or not.¡± I figured thatst part out. ¡°And, did you find out if you want me in your life?¡± I asked, quirking an eyebrow up at him. I was curious now. ¡°I don¡¯t really know yet.¡± He shrugged his shoulders indifferently. ¡°This is our trial. I¡¯m supposed to find out if you are really worth it sometimes along the way.¡± I felt so ufortable when he said that. It felt like I was a thing, instead of a human with feelings. If he considers this rtionship a trial, what will happen then? If he doesn¡¯t like it, what is he going to do? Unsubscribe? ¡°You know that I¡¯m also a person with feelings right. If you consider this rtionship a trial, I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to get hurt the most, because you will basically¡­ what? Unsubscribe to me?¡± My voice became lower in thest part. ¡°In a rtionship, I either give my all or nothing. There¡¯s no in-between.¡± Ethan stayed silent for a while as he stirred the leftover Pad Thai on his te. ¡°Look, Nicole you are a big risk¨C,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fucking business deal, what do you mean?¡± My voice raised an octave. We weren¡¯t even twenty-four hours in a rtionship and we are already having our first argument. But maybe, that¡¯s good. We should clear out our misunderstandings before we continue to the next step. ¡°Geez,¡­¡± I threw my hands in the air and let out a loud exasperated sigh. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were a business deal. I¡¯m saying that you are way out of my league. You are not the type of girl I use to date or would ever consider dating¡ª¡± ¡°Oh well, d to know that. I will step out of this rtionship right now. Thanks for telling me.¡± I interrupted him and ced my te loudly on the table. I felt anger rising up in me. ¡°You are not even listening to me.¡± Ethan groaned as he grabbed me by my waist and pushed me back on the couch. ¡°Ethan!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even let me finish my sentence, stubborn girl. You are not the type of girl I am used to date or would ever consider dating, but I would love to try damn it. My rtionships with other girls never worked out, so maybe that¡¯s a sign to try something new.¡± ¡°I hate the way you¡¯re talking or saying it,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°You talk like I¡¯m some sort of dish on the menu.¡± ¡°Oh, but you are a dish on the menu. To be more specific, the only dish on my menu.¡± He ced a wet kiss on my cheek. ¡°Ethan!¡± I yelled outughing. ¡°Ew, there¡¯s sauce on my cheekbone. ¡± ¡°That¡¯s your new highlighter, princess. That¡¯s where you put highlighter right?¡± I looked surprised up at him. ¡°That¡¯s so true, how¡¯d you know that?¡± ¡°Veronika used to¡ª,¡± He stopped halfway when he saw that the smile on my face dropped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, never mind.¡± ¡°No!¡± I said and shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s time I should know about her.¡± Ethan became silent. Dead silent. He just stared at his te. Now I got more curious about this whole Veronika thing. What the hell did he have with her? ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I nudged him softly at the side. ¡°What happened? It¡¯s time you actually tell me.¡± ¡°A lot happened, Nicole.¡± His voice was low, almost painful. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°And when will you actually talk about it to me?¡± I questioned. Now he looked up at me. He caressed my face and a small smile appeared on his face. ¡°Maybe someday or maybe never.¡± ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I whispered softly. ¡°What did she do to you or what did she do for you?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± A deafening silence followed after that. I wanted to know more about Veronika and he didn¡¯t want to tell me anything. She either hurt him so badly or he just can¡¯t get over her. It¡¯s either one of them. The way he still talks about her, I think it¡¯s more thetter one. And it scares me, because what if shees back?Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Hey princess,¡± Ethan waved his hand in front of my face. I was zoning out. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. You¡¯re mine and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°I just¡ª,¡± ¡°Do you want me to y the piano?¡± He asked, putting his te on the table. He stood up and stretched his hand out at me. What a good way to avoid this conversation. I sighed deeply because he knew I could not say no to that. The piano was our thing. Our way of showing that everything is all right even when it isn¡¯t. I ced my hand in his and we walked to the piano in the middle of the room. The moon shone directly on the piano and it felt so magical. Every time he yed a different tune on the piano and every time I fell deeper in love with him. I sat next to Ethan and the moment he ced his fingers on the keys, I closed my eyes and ced my head on his shoulder. This is what I want. Him, the piano, us. Chapter 19 Nicole Vargas ¡°Aren¡¯t you done yet?¡± Ethan groaned from outside of the bedroom. Should I tell him I was still in my bathrobe? Probably not. ¡°In five minutes,¡± I yelled back. ¡°You said that for the past thirty minutes.. I¡¯mi¡ª,¡± Before I could do anything he opened the door. Shit! ¡°Oh my god, you¡¯re not serious!¡± He yelled out as he stood in the door opening. ¡°You¡¯re not even dressed yet! What the hell were you doing?¡± I smiled sheepishly at him. What the hell was I supposed to say? ¡°I was in bath.¡± ¡°For three hours?! What the hell!¡± ¡°Not that long.¡± I rolled my eyes and applied lipstick on my lips. My makeup was notpletely finished yet. Not that I wore a lot. ¡°Then I straightened my hair. You see, It takes an hour and a half to straighten my hair.¡± ¡°An hour and a half?! Do you have straws as hair?¡± ¡°What? No, I have thick hair. What would you know about that? Now, can you please be still so I can finish getting ready.¡± I hate it when people around me talk when I¡¯m applying makeup. It¡¯s distracting. Ethan groaned once more and jumped on my bed. I groaned because it took me forever to make my bed look all neat and tidy. I looked over at him and that¡¯s when I realized he was wearing a suit. A freaking suit. With a tie. Talk about being extra. ¡°We¡¯re going to dinner, an informal asion.¡± I remarked as I watch him gettingfortable on my bed. He¡¯s kicking my pillows in all different directions. Boys will be boys. ¡°It¡¯s always good to be ssy. A fashionista like you should know.¡± ¡°There are specific clothes for formal and informal locations.¡± I said as I was still looking at him. Now he¡¯s kicking my fluffy nket off the bed. Oh god! ¡°Well, I like to remain ssy no matter the asion,¡± Ethan said and send a dazzling smile to my direction. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it? Do I need to change? I will do it only to please you, Princess.¡± He¡¯s too sweet. My heart is so full of him. He never fails to make me smile. He is everything I have ever wished for even though in the beginning things weren¡¯t so well between us. But hey, as the saying goes: There¡¯s a fine line between love and hate. And Opposite attracts. Ethan is definitely the opposite of me. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You look like a goddamn meal. A lot of girls would fall for you on their knees.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I want only you to fall on your knee¡­ In front of me.. Opening that pretty mouth and suck¡ª,¡± ¡°Ethan! Jesus!¡± I yelled out, covering my ears. ¡°Oh my goodness, we are about to go to dinner. You can¡¯t say stuff like that.¡± Heughed out loud. ¡°And why can¡¯t I? Does it bother you?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°Hell yeah. Especially since you¡¯re in my room and in my bed.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± He looked around and shook his head. ¡°This is not good.¡± ¡°What is not good?¡± I asked. ¡°The room.¡± The room was perfectly fine. It has everything I need, I don¡¯t have anything toin. I don¡¯t know why he thinks it¡¯s not good. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s perfectly fine to me.¡± ¡°Not to me. Everything¡¯s wrong with this room, ¡¯cause it¡¯s not my room.¡± I facepalmed myself. I should have known that he would say something like that. ¡°You didn¡¯t just say that. Oh my god!¡± Ethanughed. ¡°Nicole, princess¡­ How long will it take? I¡¯m hungry.¡± I let my bathrobe fall on the ground only to reveal my ck dress that was clinging on my skin. It was a ck strapless dress that I bought at H&M. Simple yet elegant. ¡°Holy Mama,¡± I heard Ethan say from behind me. ¡°You look incredibly stunning. Let¡¯s not go to dinner anymore. I want to have you for dinner.¡± ¡°We promised Rose that we woulde¡­ Maybe if you¡¯re a good boy you can have dessert.¡± I turned around and Ethan¡¯s eyes turned wide as saucers. ¡°Are you serious Nicole¡­ I mean princess.. Damn if you are I am going to be a good fucking boy.¡± I chuckled softly. ¡°We will see. Now let¡¯s go. We are alreadyte.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡± I ignored Ethan and he jumped out of the bed to open the door for me. I smiled at him. ¡°Thank you, what a gentleman.¡± ¡°I dress like this for a reason, princess.¡± I turned around and adjusted his tie. ¡°Very handsome.¡± Ethan kissed my forehead and smiled. ¡°You make me look a thousand times better. You¡¯re so perfect, do you know that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Iughed, secretly ttered by hispliment. ¡°I cannot do basic stuff normal women do.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not normal.¡± ¡°Are you telling me I¡¯m an alien?¡± I asked offended. Ethan shook his head and face palmed himself. ¡°I mean you¡¯re special, Nicole. Special.¡± I smiled contently and ced my hands in his. ¡°C¡¯mon let¡¯s go. The earlier we get home, the earlier you can have dessert.¡± Chapter 20 Nicole Vargas ¡°Finally, I thought you two would nevere,¡± Rose eximed as she opened the door for us. ¡°Come in, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Rose¡¯s house was huge. It looked more like a pce than a house. The floors were marble, the stair rails were ornate mahogany, carved and polished so that it shined. Portraits were painted in oils and hung in gold frames. The furniture seemed to be all handmade by master craftsmen and the air was scented with fresh flowers. Rose wore a dark red dress covered in feathers. For an old woman, she sure looks stylish and ssy. ¡°Before we have dinner I¡¯m going to y with Thomas for a bit. You and Nicole can catch up.¡± Ethan said as he walked away. ¡°Who¡¯s Thomas?¡± I asked Rose. ¡°That¡¯s my dog.¡± Sheughed. ¡°He has his own part in this house. Come, darling, let¡¯s go to the kitchen and have some wine.¡± I followed her into the kitchen and there were two maids standing at the counter. They slightly bowed their head at me. ¡°Good evening miss,¡± they both said in unison. ¡°Hi,¡± I answered curtly. They both looked young. In theirte thirties perhaps? They wore a grey uniform with Rose¡¯s name on it. I assume that is their uniform. ¡°Two sses of wine please¡­,¡± Rose said and leaned on the kitchen counter where the two girls were just standing. ¡°I hope you like Italian food. I have made Panzane and pasta carbonara. Ethan loves pasta carbonara.¡± ¡°I actually do love Italian food,¡± I admitted. ¡°Howe you can prepare them?¡± Roseughed softly. ¡°My husband, well may his soul rest in peace, he was half Italian. He taught me.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Oh,¡± I said softly. Rose is a widow. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Mmh let¡¯s see¡­ Eight years. I have been a widow for eight years.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you lonely in this huge mansion?¡± Rose chuckled lightly. ¡°Not at all. This mansion is his actually. After his death I got everything. His money, house, cars, and whatsoever. He made sure I would have afortable life.¡± ¡°Oh wow.¡± I breathed out. He¡¯s a true gentleman. ¡°And he was also twenty-five years older than me. I started off as his sugar baby.¡± Rose added casually. My mouth fell open. ¡°You what? You mean he was¡ª,¡± ¡°My sugar daddy?¡± Rose smiled, ¡°He was. He had a boring wife. I was there to spice it up for him. He loved kids, but he didn¡¯t want any for himself.¡± Rose sighed and gazed dreamily in the distance. ¡°He divorced herter and married me. Everyone said I did it out of money. They said I was a gold digger, but trust me when I say I love that man so much.¡± The two girls came back. ¡°Please, ma¡¯am. Here¡¯s your wine.¡± The girl handed me and Rose a ss of wine. ¡°You can go home now,¡± Rose said to both of them. ¡°I¡¯ll see you both tomorrow morning.¡± They nodded their heads. ¡°Good night.¡± When the girls left the kitchen Rose spoke again. ¡°They are all trained. Everyone who works here was trained by him. So how¡¯s it with you and Ethan? When is the wedding.¡± I choked on the wine. I coughed loudly. ¡°I¡¯m.. what wedding?¡± ¡°Yours and Ethan¡¯s wedding. You two are so perfect for each other. Since I don¡¯t have kids, it¡¯s kinda lonely up here sometimes. So since I got to know Ethan, my life has been a little bit more worth living. And since he got you, I cannot help to feel like a proud mom. He scored so well.¡± Iughed. ¡°Well, we take things slowly. I¡¯ve known him for quite a while, but so far things are good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. You know a rtionship will never be all sunshine and roses. There will be thunderstorms, and¡­ there will be a point where you want to give up. But keep this in mind. In a rtionship, it¡¯s not you against the person. It¡¯s both of you against the problem.¡± Rose took a sip of her wine. ¡°That¡¯s the best advice he ever gave me.¡± ¡°You loved him a lot didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked. The way how Rose talked about her dead husband, you would never think he was her sugar daddy. Her love for him is so pure. The pain in her voice is so evident. ¡°Have you had someone else after his death?¡± Rose shook her head. ¡°I wish I could. But I can¡¯t do my man dirty like that. Everything that he possessed, it all belongs to me now. The least I can do is remain loyal to him even after his death.¡± I heard footsteps outside the kitchen and Ethan entered in the mid of our conversation. He took a deep breath. ¡°Mmh, I smell pasta.¡± Rose smiled at him. ¡°I made pasta carbonara for you.¡± Rose motioned for me to sit. ¡°Let¡¯s start dinner now before the food gets cold. What do you want to drink, Ethan?¡± ¡°Water, please.¡± Rose went and grabbed water for him. After that, she sat down and took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you both are here. Now let¡¯s pray and dig in.¡± Ethan did the prayers. I never saw him as a religious guy, but I guess I was wrong. The food was delicious. It tasted better than the Italian food I asionally ate at the restaurant in Brazil. After dinner, Ethan went to take Thomas out for a walk and I helped Rose with the dishes. Rose handed me a small book. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I looked at the beautiful satin red book in my hand. ¡°Recipes of food Ethan like,¡± Rose said with a twinkle in her eyes and added teasingly, ¡°Because as you know¡­ The way to a man¡¯s heart is through his stomach.¡± Chapter 21 Nicole Vargas ¡°Wee to Dubai, Mr. and Mrs. Gray.¡± A beautifuldy in a cashmere uniform greeted us as we stepped out of the private jet. Ethan walked next to me, his hand possessively resting on my waist. I wore a long floral dress and my hair was in a messy bun since I have slept most of the time during the flight. We were in Dubai for the ball. Ethan was invited and he had to bring well his girlfriend. ¡°Hello Samira, how are you doing?¡± Ethan greeted thedy. She gave him a warm smile. ¡°I¡¯m doing well, Mr. Gray. I booked your hotel room and driver. I hope you will have a pleasant stay in Dubai. If there¡¯s anything you need, you can contact me anytime.¡± ¡°I certainly will.¡± He gave her a curt nod and she walked away. A man dressed in a back suit approached us. From my own experience, I know he¡¯s the driver. ¡°Hello Mr. and Mrs. Gray. I¡¯m Mo, your driver for the next few days.¡± His voice has a heavy Arabic ent in it. Ethan nodded his head at him and Mo walked away to grab our luggage. When he was out of earshot I red at Ethan. ¡°Why do you tell people that I am Mrs. Gray?¡± I emphasized thest part of my sentence. ¡°I¡¯m not even engaged to you.¡± ¡°Do you want me to propose to you right now?¡± Ethan asked daringly. I could see my reflection in his ck shades. His lips were curled into a smirk. That goddamn smirk. ¡°What?! Of course not. The proposal has to be special. Memorable.¡± ¡°Mmh, well give me some time then.¡± He tightened his grip on my waist and walked further. ¡°Ethan.¡± I groaned out annoyed. ¡°I just like it. You have no idea, how much I prefer Mrs. Gray instead of Miss Vargas. I want everyone to know that you¡¯re mine. You¡¯re a very attractivedy.¡± He murmured as he kissed my temples. ¡°Get used to be called Mrs. Gray. Eventually, it will happen.¡± I rolled my eyes and chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re so certain about it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He said in a matter-of-factly. ¡°If ites to you I am always certain of what I want. And I want you, princess.¡± I smiled and squeezed his hand. ¡°Ethan, as long as you haven¡¯t popped the question yet I¡¯m still a Vargas. You can¡¯t have it your way this time.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± He grunted and turned his head towards me. ¡°Will you marry me, princess?¡± It came out mocking and I hated it. I narrowed my eyes at him and pped him lightly on his chest. ¡°This is not funny.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I proposed, did I not?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± I growled and walked away from him. ¡°Did you miss the part where I said it should be special and memorable?! I can¡¯t believe you just¡ªUgh, whatever!¡± ¡°Princess, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was just kidding,¡± Ethan ran behind me and grabbed me by my waist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, princess.¡± ¡°Leave me alone, you cannot joke about certain things¡­ especially this.¡± I tried to get out of his grasp, but he just tightened his grip on me. ¡°Ethan¡ª,¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you, princess. Not unless you forgive me.¡± ¡°Yes, fine, fine¡­ Let me go now.¡± He chuckled and opened the door for me. ¡°Chivalry¡¯s not dead.¡± He winked. I rolled my eyes and stepped in. ¡°You know,¡± I said to Ethan who sat down next to me, his hand on myp. ¡°Mmh?¡± He asked as he pulled off his shades. He looked at me as he put his shades in his pocket. ¡°You told me that you were not sure about me. I mean, this was like a trial for you, right? I mean you wanted to figure out if you actually wanted me in your life, right? Have you decided yet?¡± ¡°You really had to ask me this question now?¡± He groaned as he squeezed my thigh. ¡°But if you really want to know. I think it¡¯s so obvious, I really want you in my life, okay? Don¡¯t even question that. Like, I actually really like you. Love you.¡± ¡°You¡­ you love me?¡± I asked my eyes wide and my mouth slightly hanging open from his confession. Heughed and put a hand through his hair. ¡°Yeah, I actually do. I love you, princess. I hope the feeling is mutual.¡± ¡°I only love when you¡¯re ying the piano for me,¡± I said jokingly, ¡°Oh and when you cook.¡± He narrowed his eyes at me and scooted closer to me. ¡°Oh really?¡± ¡°Ethan, you are in my personal space. You are literally pressing me against the window.¡± I tried to push him away, but instead, he came closer. ¡°Ethan!¡± He chuckled and went back to his seat. ¡°You¡¯re so cute.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± I turned my face away to hide my blush. ¡°Where are we staying?¡± ¡°The Burj Khalifa hotel, have you been there before?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, three years ago. It was my parent¡¯s wedding anniversary.¡± ¡°Your parents are so rtionship goals,¡± Ethan remarked. ¡°But so are yours.¡± ¡°I know, how lucky are we huh?¡± He chuckled. ¡°I want that, you know. So many people give up and I just¡­ I don¡¯t want that. I want a forever kind of thing.¡± ¡°Same.¡± I said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m really picky on who I¡¯m dating.¡± ¡°So what made you choose me?¡± He asked amusingly. I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°You have that kind of vibe you know. I don¡¯t know how to exin it. But something about you, it¡¯s so different than the rest.¡± He smiled mysteriously. ¡°I have the same feeling about you. Do you think that this is what they call soulmates? Like, when you meet your soulmate, the spark is there. You just feel it, but you cannot exin it?¡± ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t know. Because the first time I met you I was not really fond of you.¡± Iughed, thinking back for the first time I saw Ethan back in Brazil. ¡°Likewise, but I thought you were pretty hot tho.¡± He chuckled, ¡°But as the saying goes there¡¯s a thin line between hate and love.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hate you. Hate is a strong word.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°It¡¯s a saying.¡± He said, emphasizing thest word. ¡°Look, we¡¯re approaching the Burj Khalifa. You have five hours to get ready, please don¡¯t bete.¡± Iughed. ¡°I will not. I already prepared what I¡¯m going to wear.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said, looking out of the window. ¡°Since the night you told me that we¡¯re going to Dubai.¡± Chapter 22 Nicole Vargas A man should always wait for hisdy. That¡¯s what I have been taught. Waiting will increase their curiosity and when they finally get to see only a glimpse of you, they will be baffled. That¡¯s the kind of reaction I wanted from Ethan. I let him wait fifteen minutes in the living room, but instead¡­ ¡°Jes¨²s Nicole, I thought you said you already prepared your outfit weeks in advance,¡± Ethan said frustrated. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge my dress. He didn¡¯t even see the bun on my head that I spend an hour on. No, to him I waste. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be like any other man andpliment your woman?¡± I muttered, slightly annoyed. ¡°Am I not beautiful to you or what?¡± ¡°Of course you¡¯re beautiful, princess. You always look beautiful. It¡¯s just that sometimes you act irresponsibly.¡± ¡°What?! I¡¯m only fifteen minuteste. Usually, it¡¯s up to an hour. This is progress, Ethan.¡± I rolled my eyes as I said that. ¡°The next time can you please be on time?¡± He asked, taking my hands in his and kissing my forehead. ¡°No promises.¡± We walked outside where there was a car waiting for us. A ck rolls Royce. ¡°Where is the ball going to be held?¡± I asked Ethan as he sat down next to me. ¡°Asateer at Antis the Palm. Have you been there before?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I went there two years ago. It¡¯s a beautiful ce for such events.¡± ¡°Are there going to be people there who I know?¡± He shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe, maybe not. Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No, is there a possibility I might meet a family member of yours there?¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°There¡¯s a small chance. Why? Don¡¯t you want to meet my family?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but we should date longer than this to finally introduce each other to our families.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Anything for you, princess. Anything for you.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. Ethan was right. The Asateer was a beautiful venue with the most stunning view of Dubai¡¯s skyline. When we arrived there were probably over a hundred guests already. Ethan ced his hand in mine and together we walked inside. ¡°I want you to stay close to me. I don¡¯t like other men flirting with you, princess.¡± ¡°I will not flirt back.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Ethan chuckled and squeezed my hand softly. ¡°Just¡­ stay close to me.¡± We walked inside the venue and we were greeted by the host, Mr. Abadi. ¡°Gray, you came.¡± He said, smiling and giving Ethan a fistbump. ¡°And you brought a date¡­ who isn¡¯t Veronica?¡± He looked at me and frowned his eyebrows. ¡°Jafar,¡±Ethan smiled tightly at the Arab man. ¡°This is Nicole Vargas, my girlfriend soon-to-be fiancee.¡± Mr. Abadi, who¡¯s first name is Jafar, looked at both of us with a surprised expression on his face. He opened his mouth and closed it again. After a minute he finally said something. ¡°Hi Nicole, nice to meet you. I am just a little shocked.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± I questioned. ¡°Well, after Veronica I never¡ª,¡± ¡°Jafar,¡± Ethan said in a warning tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you have other guests to wee?¡± Ethan gave him onest warning look. He and Jafar then stared at each other, having a silent conversation, and then Jafar nodded his head and look at me, smiling. ¡°Enjoy the party.¡± He then walked away and I raised my eyebrows up at Ethan. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What was what?¡± Ethan asked, pretending he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. ¡°That¡­ What just happened. What was it all about?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± I groaned and rolled my eyes at him. ¡°You know exactly what I am talking about. The whole silent conversation? Who was it about, me or Veronica?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not make a scene here,¡± Ethan said quietly. ¡°We will talk about itter.¡± ¡°The hell we will.¡± I yanked my hand out of his and stared angrily at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about Veronica, I¡¯ll not talk to you. Simple as that.¡± Before he could say something, I walked away from him. Luckily the ball was held in a spacious venue. Ethan would not find me easily. I walked over towards the bar and ordered a cocktail. While I was sipping on my cocktail, a guy dressed in a blue suit walked over towards me. He was quite handsome with his hair in a man bun and eyes so blue you could drown in it. ¡°Good evening, mydy.¡± he greeted as he gave me a handshake. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well,¡± I answered, smiling. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°Hayden Williams, CEO of Williams Enterprises. I bet you have heard of it, Miss Vargas.¡± I looked at him in surprise. He knows m, so that means¡­ ¡°Yes, I do. Now I remember seeing you a couple of times at our house.¡± Heughed. ¡°Yeah, my dad used to do business with your father and I asionally came with my dad.¡± ¡°Makes sense. So what are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you from Australia or something?¡± ¡°New Zend.¡± He corrected me. ¡°And I came here for the ball, like you. Did youe with your parents?¡± ¡°No.¡± A voice said next to me. It was Ethan, his eyes were spitting fire. ¡°She came here with me.¡± Hayden looked shocked at Ethan and then at me. ¡°You came here with Gray?¡± I nodded my head slowly. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s my¡­ uhm¡­ boyfriend.¡± ¡°Boyfriend?¡± ¡°Yes, Williams,¡± Ethan said annoyed. ¡°She¡¯s soon about to be my fiancee.¡± ¡°Fiancee?¡± Hayden gave me a disapproving look. ¡°Since when? I went to Brazilst week and your dad told me you were single. He does not know about this, does he?¡± ¡°What the hell, Hayden?¡± I frowned my eyebrows at him. ¡°No, my parents don¡¯t know it yet. But soon I will introduce Ethan to them. What¡¯s your problem?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯m not the one with the problem, you are.¡± Heughed and then shook his head. ¡°Anyways, have a great rest of the night.¡± He walked away and Ethan cleared his throat. ¡°Wasn¡¯t I clear earlier? You were supposed to stay by my side.¡± ¡°And wasn¡¯t I clear earlier? If you don¡¯t want to talk about Veronica, I¡¯ll not talk to you.¡± Ethan sighed deeply and went with his hand through his hair in frustration. ¡°Fine, princess. I will tell you, but at home, okay?¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Ethan nodded his head. ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Good, now give me a kiss.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ethan looked at me as if I was crazy. ¡°Give me a kiss to seal the deal, Mr. Gray.¡± ¡°So damn bossy, Miss Vargas.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I love it.¡± Ethan gently leans in and kissed me warmly on my lips. He then pulled apart and smiled at me. ¡°You¡¯re so perfect, princess.¡± Chapter 23 Nicole Vargas ¡°Veronica and I knew each other for seven years before we ended things.¡± Seven years. That¡¯s a long time. Ethan¡¯s voice rang a couple of times in my head and for a moment I just stared at him agape, before telling him to continue. An hour ago we arrived home from the ball and I immediately demanded Ethan to tell me his story with Veronica. I was curious to know what kind of rtionship they had. Ethan took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Veronica and I have a lot of history together. I don¡¯t know what we were and I think that¡¯s the reason why things fucked up. It¡¯s soplicated, to begin with. There were days when we were friends, but there were also days when we were more than that. Sometimes we didn¡¯t see or talk to each other for months.¡± ¡°So, you guys were fuckbuddies for seven years?¡± ¡°No,¡± Ethan shook his head. ¡°I genuinely liked her; it was not only about fucking. We lived together like husband and wife, but then either I or she disappeared for a long time. It could be for work or any other reason. We didn¡¯t tell each other about the ns we made and we didn¡¯t feel guilty about leaving each other in the dark. It was messy,plicated, and we both didn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°You two had a very toxic rtionship,¡± I said frowning. He nodded his head. ¡°That¡¯s true. But it was also a good feeling. We enjoyed the time we spend with each other for as long as itsted. We always talked about what we wanted in the future, but we both knew that there were no us in the future.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s the reason for the breakup?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing actually. We didn¡¯t exactly break up, because we were never really in a rtionship. I never asked her to be my girlfriend. We were just jumping right in I guess.¡± I blinked a couple of times, trying to progress the information. ¡°So, you two were like friends with benefits.¡± Ethan raised his shoulders up. ¡°Yeah, maybe. If you want to call it that.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know any other way to describe what you guys had. Do you still love her?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ethan took my hand in his and kissed my knuckles. ¡°I don¡¯t love her anymore, I have you now.¡± ¡°So, is that the story about Veronica?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ethan said, ¡°The only reason people ask about her is that asionally we went to events together. She went to the ball with me three times in a row, so that¡¯s why Jafar was questioning me about her. No one knows what we had going on. To them, we were a happy couple¡± ¡°But you two were everything except happy?¡± ¡°Exactly. We were just fooling ourselves and the people around us. As I already said, it wasplicated and messy.¡± ¡°And where is she now?¡± I asked. ¡°Who? Veronica? She¡¯s somewhere in Russia. I just want to let you know that I love you. I love you so much, Nicole. What I had with Veronica is nothingpared to what I have with you. You give me everything. Love, attention, happiness, headaches, and grey hairs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give you grey hairs,¡± I said offended and pped him on the back of his head. Ethan chuckled and pulled me towards him for a deep kiss. ¡°Mmh, Ethan.¡± I moaned softly against his lips. He pulled away from me and smiled against my now swollen lips. ¡°So perfect.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. It was already two in the morning and I was getting tired and sleepy. ¡°You look tired.¡± Ethan acknowledges. I nodded my head and yawned. ¡°Shall we go to bed? It¡¯s already two in the morning.¡± ¡°Sure. Do you want to go on a dinner date tomorrow?¡± I smiled at Ethan and stood up from the couch. ¡°Yes, sounds good to me.¡± Ethan and I walked towards the king-sized bedroom that we shared together. I immediately jumped onto the bed and pulled theforter over me. ¡°Good night, Ethan.¡± ¡°Good night, Princess.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. I yawned and stretched my arms, before opening my eyes. The other side of the bed was empty. I was about to go and take a shower when the bedroom door opened and Ethan came in with breakfast. Damn, didn¡¯t he look hot? ¡°Mmh.¡± I moaned as the delicious smell of fresh-baked waffles entered my nostrils. ¡°It smells so good.¡± Ethan gave me a peck on my lips and smiled. ¡°Good morning, princess.¡± ¡°Good morning,¡± I answered back. ¡°You woke up so early today.¡± ¡°Early?¡± Heughed. ¡°It¡¯s already 11 in the morning.¡± I gasped loudly. ¡°What? Is it sote? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?¡± ¡°You look so peaceful when you sleep, so I didn¡¯t want to interrupt that.¡± ¡°Mmh, anyways are we going somewhere today?¡± I asked and then looked outside from the huge window in our room. ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day.¡± Ethan grinned and leaned in to wipe something from the corners of my mouth. ¡°I have something nned, but that can only happen when you don¡¯t take long to dress up.¡± I let out a long frustrated groan. ¡°How many times should I tell you?¡± I shoved the te with food away and jumped out of the bed to take a shower. ¡°If you n something, tell me in advance.¡± ¡°I just want to train you how to be fast, princess.¡± ¡°That will never work.¡± I let out an exasperated sigh as I opened the bathroom door. ¡°I like to take my time on myself. You cannot change that.¡± I closed the door behind me and stepped in the shower. After I took a long shower, I blow-dried my hair, did my makeup, and put on my clothes. When I walked back into the bedroom, Ethan was already impatiently waiting on the bed. Served him right. He should have told me about his ns sincest night or even betterst week. That would give me enough time to pick out an outfit and n my whole look. ¡°Finally,¡± He stood up and walked over towards me. ¡°You take forever.¡± He nted a kiss on my forehead and took a step back to admire me. ¡°But damn you look beautiful.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked as heced our fingers together and we were walking down the hallway. He gave me a mysterious smile. ¡°Somewhere you will love.¡± Chapter 24 Nicole Vargas He brought me to the mall. The biggest mall in Dubai. I could not believe it. When I asked him why, he told me that he figured that I needed clothes for tonight. Can I marry him already? The mall indeed made me happy. I was in cloud nine when we visited many shops and he did not evenin one bit. For a moment I thought he was sick or something. But no, he was just genuinely loving the idea of shopping with me. He even gave his opinion on my clothes, shoes, makeup, and I just stared at him baffled as he did that. Damn, this man was a keeper. This was a whole other side of Ethan that I got to know. So patient and sweet. I wish he could show me this side more often. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± I entered the living room in my silver satin dress and Ethan stared at me speechless, his mouth slightly hanging open. ¡°Wow, you look beautiful.¡± He kissed me softly on my lips. ¡°Even though you take forever to dress up, you never fail to amaze me.¡± I smiled, the butterflies in my stomach going wild. Ethan grabbed my hand and together we took the elevator to the lobby. Everyone in the lobby stared at us as we passed by. There were low whispers and here and there I saw a sh from a camera. ¡°Are those paparazzi¡¯s?¡± I whispered to Ethan as we were outside the hotel. Ethan ushered me into the car. ¡°Yes, hurry up before they snap more pictures of us.¡± We stepped into the car and the car immediately drove away. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked Ethan as I stared outside, looking at the beautiful buildings passing by. ¡°We¡¯re going to An first ss lounge.¡± My eyes widened in surprise and excitement. ¡°Really?¡± I asked excited. ¡°That¡¯s my favorite ce.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Ethan chuckled, his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Well, then I made a good guess.¡± ¡°They have food from all nations there and the staff is so friendly. I love it.¡± ¡°I know right and have you tried the burgers there?¡± Ethan asked. I shook my head. ¡°No, but I tried the chicken tikka mas. It was delicious.¡± ¡°Well then, today you should try the burgers and fries. You will have a taste of heaven.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so excited.¡± We arrived at An first ss lounge and we were greeted by a very friendly staff. Ethan already made reservations, so we just had to sit down and order our food. I let Ethan order as I looked around the lounge. There were not many people like thest time I came here. The lounge however became more fancy and pretty. ¡°Favourite country?¡± I looked back at Ethan, confusion written on my face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Favourite country?¡± He repeated, a little louder. ¡°Brazil of course.¡± I saidughing at his stupid and random question. ¡°I was born and raised there.¡± ¡°Mmh, yeah that¡¯s true. Do you like this ce so far?¡± ¡°I love it.¡± I smile as I look around. ¡°It¡¯s different from thest time I visit, but definitely beautiful.¡± ¡°I know right.¡± He held back a grin. ¡°Especially with you here.¡± ¡°Ethan¡­¡± Iughed, ¡°You¡¯re so corny.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Can¡¯t help it when I¡¯m with you, princess.¡± He chuckled and went with his hand through his already disheveled hair. Cute. ¡°You make me do and say the most random things.¡± I stared at Ethan shocked, but mostly surprised. I stayed silent for a while. This cannot be true. Ethan must have noticed the shocked expression on my face, because he frowned his eyebrows silently asking me what was going through my head. After what seemed an eternity I could finally utter out the question that was burning inside me. ¡°You have never been in love before?¡± Ethan cringed at the question, but answered it anyways. ¡°If this is what love feels like, then no. I have never.¡± I gasped at his answer. I was shocked. Totally and utterly shocked. ¡°It¡¯s so hard to believe when I know that so many girls would happily volunteer to be your girlfriend.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I have never had a girlfriend before.¡± He said, emphasizing the word girlfriend. ¡°It¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t feel the same way for them like I do for you. You make me feel so different and foreign. And it drives me crazy.¡± I stared at Ethan and opened my mouth and close it again immediately, because our food had arrived. The smell of the delicious looking burger and fries entered my nostrils and I moaned softly. ¡°If it smells good then it definitely taste good.¡± Ethanughed. ¡°Take a bite, princess. I promise you will get a taste of heaven.¡± After the delicious dinner we went straight home. After our shopping spree this afternoon and dinner tonight, we didn¡¯t feel like going out anymore. Plus my feet hurt badly, because I had been wearing heels all day long. The whole ¡®Ethan has never been in love¡¯ thing was somewhere in the back of my mind. The delicious food made me actually forget about it. I made a happy dance when I could finally take my heels off. I threw them in the corner of my room and let out a contented sigh. Finally my feet could breath. I quickly undressed and went through my suitcase to find something appropriate to wear when suddenly the door of my room opened. I instantly got up from the floor and turned around only to see Ethan staring at me from head to toe. ¡°Have you ever heard of knocking?¡± I red at him, but he just gave me lopsided smile. He entered my room, closing the door behind him, and made his way towards me. My heart was beating so fast, I think it might jump out of my chest. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± ¡°I forgot actually.¡± He smirked at me as he stopped right in front of me. Towering over me. He ced his hands on either side of my face and stared deep in my eyes. Sucking the soul out of my body, by just staring. ¡°Ethan¡­ I¨C,¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence, because he smashed his lips against mine. His lips felt so warm against mine and I don¡¯t think I will ever get enough of his kisses. Our lips fitted perfectly¨C as if they were meant for each other. Ethan grabbed the back of my neck, growling in the kiss as I whimpered in pleasure. He suddenly stop and broke off the kiss. ¡°Do you want this?¡± He asked, staring down at me. I know that he wasn¡¯t referring to the kiss only. He was referring to something much more. He was referring to the bigger picture. And did I want it? I just smiled at his question and started to unbutton his shirt. My head was filled of crazy thoughts. Half of them horny thoughts while the others were like, ¡°What the hell am I doing?¡± Before I could even think, he stood only in his boxers in front of me. The mischievous glint in my eyes was a cue for him to carry me to the bed. His arms wrap around my back and in one gentle pull our skin touches. He looked at me again. ¡°Are you sure sure sure?¡± I let out a deep breath and kissed him softly on his lips. ¡°I have never been more sure sure sure.¡± I said after I pulled away. He smiled at me and ced me back on the bed. ¡°Good, because I¡¯m about to fuck you to heaven and back.¡± I groaned at his choice of words. ¡°Show me what you got, Gray.¡± I smiled coyly at him as I removed my bra. Ethan eyes darkened before he grabbed my hands and put them above my head. ¡°Keep it there or I will have to use handcuffs.¡± Kinky. I love it. He ced kisses all over my body and pinched my nipples. I let out a soft whimper. His hand made its way downwards and I feel my back arch in anticipation, knowing where his fingers will soon reach. My head rocks back against the soft pillow as he does, the first moan of the night escaping my lips. Chapter 25 Nicole Vargas I woke up to the steady patter of rain upon the bedroom window. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand to check the time and my eyes instantly widened. I had only two hours to get ready for my meeting with Rose. Shit, Shit, Shit ! I put my phone back on the nightstand and turned around to look at Ethan who was sleeping peacefully next to me. His hand draped casually around my waist and his legs were tangled with mine under the sheets. It has been a week since we returned from Dubai. A week full of love making, anywhere, twenty four seven. It¡¯s like the guy doesn¡¯t get tired. But then again, I¡¯m notining either. The smile on my face hasn¡¯t left one time for the past week. I slowly tried to get out of bed without waking him up, but instead he drew me closer to him. ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I groaned softly. ¡°I need to get ready for the meeting.¡± ¡°Mmh.¡± Was his response, his eyes still close. ¡°Let me go.¡± I squeaked as he pulled me closer, burying his face in the valley of my boobs. ¡°No morning sex today.¡± His eyes immediately fluttered open. ¡°Princess¡­¡± He whispered softly as he drew circles on my bare stomach with his finger. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I will bete to the meeting.¡± I answered as I went with my hand through his messy hair. It was so soft and warm from the sleep. ¡°The meeting is important than my health?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked, scrunching my eyebrows in confusion. ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± he looked at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. ¡°ording to Queen¡¯s University, three rounds of morning sex a day will keep the doctor away.¡± I stared at him, before bursting outughing. ¡°You just made that up.¡± He shook his head and yed with the strands of my hair. ¡°I¡¯m not. We haven¡¯t been to the gym for the past few weeks, so morning sex also count as a work out and¡­. apparently it can help you look younger.¡± ¡°Did you just came up with these or are they actual facts?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but keep onughing. ¡°Bytheway we have had more sex than an average couple does in the past week, I think we made it in the Guinness book of World Records.¡± ¡°The more, the better.¡± He said in a husky voice. ¡°Come on, one round princess?¡± I let go of his hair and pushed theforter off me. ¡°Not today, Ethan. What you said earlier about morning sex, was it true?¡± Ethan chuckled as he let go of me. ¡°Of course it was true.¡± His eyes trailed to my bare legs and his lips suddenly turned into a thin line. ¡°Did I do that?¡± I know what he was referring at. The bruises on my thighs.¡±I have really sensitive skin, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± He asked softly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the bruises, not sorry forst night and all the other nights¡­ and mornings.¡± I pped him on his bare chest and a heughed loudly. ¡°Bytheway,¡± I said, as I jumped off the warm bed. ¡°I didn¡¯t spare you either.¡± He smirked at me and gave me a wink. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the scars on my body. It means I did a great job.¡± ¡°So cocky.¡± I muttered silently as I went into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for the meeting with Rose. An hour had passed by when I was finally ready. I decided to go with a pair of grey pants and a ck long sleeve bodysuit. It was a rainy day, so I didn¡¯t really bother to do my makeup. Instead I braided my hair to the side and put on my sses. Work mode on. When I walked downstairs, the delicious smell of food made my stomach grumble. I entered the kitchen and Ethan was there making breakfast, only in his boxers. ¡°What if the oil sshes on you?¡± I sat down on the kitchen ind, waiting for him to turn around and answer me. ¡°Where do you see oil, princess?¡± He chuckled amusingly and turned around with two tes in his hands. ¡°Even with four eyes you can¡¯t tell the difference between water and oil.¡± I red at him and he justughed and kissed me on my lips. ¡°I made you an omelette.¡± ¡°In a stic bag? In water?¡± He nodded his head. ¡°Yup, just dump everything in it and vo.¡± He gave me a fork and I immediately tasted it. ¡°Mmh, it¡¯s so good.¡± I closed my eyes, trying to enjoy this blissful moment. ¡°Better than morning sex?¡± he asked teasingly.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Shut up.¡± After breakfast, Ethan gave me his car keys so I could drive to the meeting. He was going to pay hispany a visit today, so he couldn¡¯t bring me. With the help of google maps I was able to drive to the AMA conference center where the meeting was being held. When I arrived there, everyone was already waiting for me. ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted all of them with a smile. They all greeted me back. Aside from Rose, I did not know who the others in the room were. Rose stood up and walked over towards me to give me a hug. ¡°Good morning, darling. How have you been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well, thank you.¡± I answered, smiling. I took a seat next to hers and ced my bag on the carpeted floor. I pulled out my notebook and pen to take notes during the meeting. ¡°Now that Miss Vargas has arrived, I think It¡¯s time to start the meeting. Mr. Joaquin, do you want to start first?¡± A male in tinum blonde hair and green eyes stood up from his seat on the other side of the table. He had hisptop in his hand and walked to the front to start his presentation. ¡°He¡¯s the event nner.¡± Rose whispered to me and I nodded my head, focusing back on Joaquin. After the meeting I stayed behind with Rose to discuss everything regarding the fashion show. ¡°The presentations were really good, I¡¯m impressed.¡± I said, as I put my notebook back in my bag. ¡°Me too. So since the fashion show is approaching really fast, we have a lot of work to do.¡± ¡°Yes we do.¡± I repeated after her. ¡°I want to have the tailors and sewers as soon as possible so I can show them on a mannequin what the dresses should look like.¡± Rose nodded her head. ¡°I will arrange that. You will most likely meet them this weekend and they will have two weeks to design the dresses.¡± ¡°Two weeks is not much.¡± I remarked. ¡°That¡¯s true, but the people I will introduce you to are professionals. So don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you said.¡± I answered smiling and looked at the time. ¡°I should go now. Can you send me the profiles of the models?¡± ¡°Will do it right away.¡± ¡°Bye, Rose.¡± ¡°Have a great rest of the day, Nicole.¡± Rose said, sending a warm smile my way. ¡°Tell Ethan I said hi.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± I drove back home, because I promised Ethan that I would be home to have lunch with him. When I entered the mansion, he was already in the kitchen. This time not in his boxers, but in his expensive business suit. He looked so goddamn hot and handsome. My insides melted at the sight of him. ¡°Afternoon, Ethan. How was work?¡± I asked as I hugged him from behind, inhaling the scent of his cologne. I loved it when a guy smell good. Such a turn on. ¡°It was good, princess. How was your meeting?¡± He asked, turning around and kissing the tip of my nose. I let out an exhausted sigh. ¡°It was hectic. The fashion show is approaching and we still have a lot to do.¡± ¡°Take it easy, princess.¡± He chuckled and motioned me to sit at the kitchen ind. ¡°I made chicken stir fry. I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Good,¡± He smirked. ¡°Eat well, because we are having afternoon sex.¡± Chapter 26 Nicole Vargas I walked into the room in my silky bathrobe waiting for Ethan toe upstairs. My hair was in a tight bun and my eyelids were heavy. I was so tired, because I had spent the entire day today in the office with Rose to discuss the materials and fabrics we needed for the Fashion Show. She ordered the materials and fabrics from Europe and they were the best I have seen so far. But still, we needed more things, but she promised me that the rest of the materials were avable in the US. She had already ordered all the materials and fabrics, but she just needed my approval. Ethan was at hispany today, but during lunch he came to visit me at Rose¡¯s. He brought Sushi and together with Rose we had lunch. Lately he was also busy at work. He often stayed upte to finalize documentations, presentations, and deals. I opened myptop and went through all the pictures and information of the models. There were over a hundredth pictures I had to go through, only to pick the best fifty. Then there will be an audition and out of the fifty only thirty will make it to the fashion show. It was a tough job since all the models seem fine. ¡°What is that on your face?¡± I hadn¡¯t realize that Ethan entered the room. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows and he looked exhausted. His hair was disheveled and his eyes screamed sleepy. ¡°It¡¯s a mask to keep my face smooth and soft.¡± I said, focusing back on myptop. It was my own home-made mask. It kept all the e and dry skin away. ¡°It looks like mud.¡± he mumbled and came closer to me to pinch my cheeks. I pped his hand away and red at him. ¡°It¡¯s so slimy. Does it really keeps your skin smooth?¡± ¡°Yeah, it also keeps it soft.¡± ¡°I want it too.¡± He said, sitting down next to me. ¡°I want smooth skin too.¡± I chuckled and closed myptop. ¡°You already have a smooth skin.¡± I caressed his cheeks softy. ¡°See? So smooth. Not one single pimple.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have pimples either.¡± ¡°I use makeup,¡± I told him. ¡°The foundation, concealer and all that stuff can ruin my face if I don¡¯t take proper care of it.¡± ¡°Oooh.¡± He smiled at me and stood up. ¡°Now I get it.¡± He walked over towards his nightstand and grabbed something. ¡°Do you want to go to dinner tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes of course.¡± I said with a bright smile. I was so happy he asked, because I really wanted to spend some time with him. I opened myptop again to look at the models. ¡°Do you want to help me pick models for my fashion show?¡± ¡°No.¡± He shook his head firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s watch a movie instead?¡± ¡°You can watch, I will pick my models.¡± I told him as I scrolled down myptop, looking at pictures of all the girls. So goddamn many. ¡°You have been so busytely.¡± Ethan remarked as he changed his clothes. He was now standing in his boxers and I had to bit my bottom lip to not drool over his sinful body. His V-line and rock hard abs always made me go ¡®wild cat¡¯ on him. He just awakens the inner devil in me. ¡°The fashion show is approaching.¡± I told him, as I stared at myptop screen. If I keep staring at him, no work will be done. ¡°We have so much to do still.¡± ¡°I believe in you. It will be a huge sess.¡± he said as he walked over towards me and wrapped his arms around me. He ced a soft kiss on my shoulder. ¡°Wash that muddy thing of your face so I can kiss you, princess.¡± Iughed but realized it was also time to actually wash it off. I had it on for more than a half hour already.¡±Then get off me.¡±I softly pushed him away. ¡°You smell nice. Have you been using my strawberry body wash?¡± Ethan raised his eyebrows up in confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You used my strawberry body wash, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked amusingly. ¡°I know the smell of my favorite body wash.¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Is it the red bottle in the shower?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± I told him. ¡°There are so many bottles in the shower, how am I supposed to know?¡± ¡°By reading what¡¯s written on the bottle. You smell good anyway, so it¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Your opinion is all that counts, princess.¡± He hugged me again from behind. I could feel his erection pressing against my butt. Not again. If I don¡¯t get away from him, bad things will go down. Not that I would mind, but considering how tired we both are and how early we need to rise up tomorrow it is definitely not a good idea to have a wild night. ¡°Yeah okay, now let me go so I can wash my mask off.¡± He groaned frustratingly, but let me go. ¡°Hurry up.¡± I threw a quick nce behind my shoulder and saw how he is frustratingly adjusting his manhood in his boxers. I chuckled and opened the bathroom door. I walk inside the bathroom and washed my face. After I was done, I dried it and went back to the bedroom. My lips curled into a smile as I neared the bed. Ethan was sleeping peacefully, hisptop in his hands. Some sort of movie was ying onflix, but he was too tired to even stay up. I took hisptop and ced it on the nightstand. I was about to click on ¡®shutdown¡¯ when suddenly a message popped up. ¡°Hey darling¡± Chapter 27 Nicole Vargas ¡°Is there something bothering you, darling?¡± Rose stared at me intently as I draped the fabric over the mannequin, showing the tailor and sewer how I want the dress to be. ¡°See, this should go over the shoulder. This tiny detail makes it unique.¡± They nodded their heads at me and made notes in their notebook. ¡°What about the bottom half. I still don¡¯t get that one. It¡¯s a little bitplex.¡± the redhead in the skin tight dress said to me. ¡°It is, but don¡¯t worry I will show you it once more. You all can have a break now. I¡¯ll see you guys back in twenty.¡± I said as I walked towards Rose who was sitting behind her desk. I let out a deep and exhausted sigh as I sat down across her. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just so tired and stressed.¡± I lied to her. I don¡¯t want to ask her about Veronika and Ethan, because I feel like this is something I should handle on my own. Plus Rose is like Ethan¡¯s mother. She would always be on Ethan¡¯s side, no matter if it¡¯s good or bad. Maybe she would help me¨C to break up with him¨Cbut she will always be with Ethan. She would probably be mad at him for awhile but she would forgive him eventually. The message was from Veronika Morozov. It was a chat message on facebook. First of all, I didn¡¯t even know Ethan had facebook. Personally, I don¡¯t use facebook only Instagram and snapchat. I didn¡¯t went through his chat, because I¡¯m not the type of girlfriend who¡¯s going to invade his privacy. If he wants to tell me something, he will do it on his own. I don¡¯t need to go through his messages and phone calls. But¡­ I know that he is not telling me something and it¡¯s killing me. Why would Veronika still hit him up? I trust the guy, but now I have my doubts. When the morning came, I saw breakfast on my nightstand with a note saying he had to go out early and that he couldn¡¯t wait for our dinner date tonight. I didn¡¯t had a chance to question him. And now I¡¯m overthinking everything. Crazy thoughts are floating in my head. It¡¯s so hard to concentrate when something like this is constantly on my mind. ¡°Coffee?¡± Rose asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°You look so distressed, darling. I should take you to one of my yoga sses.¡± Rose¡¯s assistant handed me a hot steaming cup of coffee. ¡°You do yoga?¡± I asked, incredibly surprised. I never saw Rose as a yoga person. ¡°Yes of course. Why do you think I¡¯m so fit? It¡¯s the power of yoga.¡± I chuckled and took a sip of my coffee. It felt so good to have some liquid sliding down my throat after talking and exining so much. There was a soft knock on the door. I looked at the time and saw that there was still fifteen minutes left of lunch break. Ethan stepped in with a panera bag in his hand. ¡°Good morningdies.¡± He greeted, walking over towards me to ce a soft kiss on my lips. He then went around the desk to give Rose a hug. ¡°My big baby. You brought lunch for us again?¡± Rose asked as she opened the panera bag. ¡°Is this Bacon Mac and Cheese?¡± Her eyes lit up as she stared at Ethan. ¡°Yep, that one is for you. The BBQ one is for Nicole. I hope you like BBQ Chicken Mac and Cheese.¡± He said, looking at me. The way he looks at me, one would believe he was so in love. His eyes were sparkling everytime he looks at me. I¡¯m not the one who noticed it. Rose did. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said softly. ¡°You did not have to do this.¡± ¡°Why not? I cannot let my princess starve.¡± I smiled at him and grabbed the bowl with food. ¡°It smells delicious.¡± ¡°Wait until you taste it.¡± We ate our lunch in silence. asionally Rose made a joke or questioned Ethan about his work. Ethan on the other hand seemed a little wary. He was not very talkative and he avoided eye contact with me. Or maybe I was just imagining that. Before he left, he quickly ced a kiss on my cheek and told me to not take long to dress up for our dinner date¨Cas if¨C. The rest of the day went by very smooth. The whole thing about the chat message didn¡¯t really bother me anymore. When I finally came home it was six in the evening. There was no sight of Ethan. I decided to take a long bath to unwind a little. Today had been a hectic day and my muscles were sore. I hope that a warm bath would help me feel a little better. After what felt like hours I finally decided it was enough. I stepped out of bath and entered the bedroom to find myself something to wear. Ethan was still not home yet. I wondered what took him so long. It was almost eight. I decided to settle on a ck off the shoulder dress. The dress hugged my figure perfectly and the long slit on the side showed off my naturally long tan legs. I sat in front of my vanity mirror to do my makeup, which this time surprisingly did not take long. Maybe because I was not feeling to do a full face, but rather go for a more natural look tonight. I looked at the time again and frowned, thinking why Ethan was not home yet. This was the first time in history that I¡¯m actually ready to go on time. And of course, no one is here to witness it. After waiting for a while, I decided to give him a call. Right before I was about to dial his number, I heard the door downstairs open and closed. He¡¯s home. I smiled, feeling relieved that nothing happened to him. When he entered the room and saw me sitting in front of my vanity mirror, his eyes widened. ¡°Oh shit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot.¡± I groaned out annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry princess. I was so caught up in something and¡­ well I forgot to call for reservation and¡ª,¡± Ethan tried to exin, but I cut him off. ¡°Save it. Don¡¯t even apologize about it.¡± I was mad. Oh my god, I was furious. ¡°Are you mad? I¡¯m so sorry, princess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad.¡± I hissed, trying to contain my anger. ¡°Just don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°You¡¯re angry.¡± Ethan remarked quietly. ¡°Princess It was not my intention to not take you out. It just slipped my mind.¡± ¡°Yeah, I believe you.¡± ¡°You do?¡± I took a deep breath to calm my inner storm down. Calm down, baby. Calm down. ¡°Just leave me okay.¡± ¡°But why? Can¡¯t I get a kiss?¡± He asked, pouting. Be calm. Be calm. ¡°No, I¡¯m trying to contain my anger. You have no idea how long it takes to get ready only to hear it¡¯s cancelled. You could have called me!¡± ¡°Princess, I forgot.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll forget you¡¯re my boyfriend then.¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± Ethan massaged his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic. I¡¯ll take you out another day.¡± I raised my hand at him to stop talking. ¡°Did you just call me dramatic? You know what, just go to sleep.¡± I walked to the bedroom door, but Ethan grabbed my hand. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make myself something to eat and have a date with myself, because in the end it¡¯s just me, myself, and I.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cook something for you.¡± I yanked my hand out of his grip. ¡°No,¡± I said sternly. ¡°Go to sleep. There¡¯s leftovers in the fridge that I can eat. Don¡¯t even bother to show your face downstairs. I¡¯ll throw whatever that is in my hand at you.¡± I angrily stomped out of the room. My anger was not because of the date night being cancelled. It was because of so many things I bottled up inside me. The chat message of Veronika being the main reason I got so riled up. And then the wary look he had when he visited me for lunch. It was all inside me. The anger, the frustration. And it all came out when he cancelled the dinner date. Yes, I was hungry and I had a reason to be mad. But all the anger and frustration I carried with me all day, it all came out too. I know that he was keeping something from me. I just want to hear iting out of his own goddamn mouth. I don¡¯t want to investigate like some teenager, we are adults for god sake. I ced the leftovers in the microwave to warm up. That¡¯s when I heard music fill the room. It was the sound of the piano. Before the microwave made the annoying beeping sound I took the leftovers out and walked to the living room. Ethan was sitting behind the piano. His eyes closed, his fingers moved with grace, ying the piano like the pro he is. A beautiful sound, one I have never heard him y before, flooded the room. I felt the sadness and pain of the music seep into my body slowly and spread throughout my veins. He was pouring his soul into the song. He looked up at me as he kept ying. His eyes begging me toe closer. I slowly walked over towards him. He scooted over so I could sit down next to him. He ced a soft kiss on my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He whispered. ¡°Keep ying.¡± I mumbled as I ced my head on his shoulders and closed my eyes. The piano makes everything feels alright. Even though we both know it isn¡¯t.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Chapter 28 Nicole Vargas I sighed as I read the letter that was on the nightstand along with a tray of breakfast. Ethan had to go out early again today. We didn¡¯t even got a chance to talk. Last night after the piano he carried me upstairs and we went straight to bed. I wasying down for an hour or so wide awake, listening to his soft snores next to me. He was too tired to even stay up for another half hour or so to talk. Rose just messaged me that the audition with the models has been rescheduled. That means I didn¡¯t had to go anywhere today, I could just do my work from home. I took a long shower and dressed infortable clothes. I did my work while having breakfast outside the balcony. Next to me was the cooking book Rose gave me that one time she invited Ethan and I to dinner. I was thinking of cooking dinner tonight and discuss certain things- like the chat message from Veronika. Yes, I was literally contemting whether to cook or just head out, order some takeout and bring it back home. But cooking might be more effective. Even though I cannot cook if my life depends on it, I¡¯ll just try today. Silently praying, I¡¯ll not burn the kitchen down this time or put anything in the kitchen on fire. I might as well carry a fire extinguisher on my back, just in case. I searched for the easiest recipe in the book, but came to the conclusion that there were none. Going through the book once again, I settled for Chicken and Broli alfredo. That just seem to be the easiest. I looked at the time and saw I still had a whole half day before it was time to prepare dinner. I called Ang asking if she wants to have a girls day out and she immediately said yes. I grabbed the car keys and my sunsses and headed outside. Ethan wrote in the letter also that he couldn¡¯t have lunch with me today, because he is meeting up with someone. Probably an investor or so. I drove to Downtown New York, because that¡¯s where Ang and I would meet up. Little by little I am getting familiar with this ce, thanks to my dear little trusted friend GPS. I searched for a parking spot to park my car and headed out to meet Ang. She messaged me a while ago that she would be at the Westfield World trade center. When I was already there I looked for the Sephora store because that¡¯s where she would be. When I finally found the Sephora store, I saw her in front, looking impatiently around. She finally spotted me and walked over towards me, smiling widely. ¡°There you are! Finally we can hang out!¡± She took me into a hug. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing well, how about you?¡± I asked, as she released me out of her hug. ¡°I thought since I didn¡¯t had anything to do at home, might as well spend some time with you.¡± Angughed. ¡°Then let¡¯s go. I have so much nned for us. Let¡¯s go to the Spa first?¡± ¡°Spa?¡± I asked. I was more thinking of shopping today. ¡°Yeah, and then to the hair salon or do you want to go shopping afterwards. Anyways the point is that we will not leave anytime soon. Let¡¯s go!¡± Ang grabbed my hand and dragged me to her and I quote ¡®favorite spa in whole New York.¡¯ We went to the spa, did some shopping, and then headed out for a veryte lunch. It was already five when we decided that it was enough for today. Both exhausted and satisfied we sat in Starbucks, sipping on our strawberry frappino. ¡°This was a perfect day¡± Ang said smiling. ¡°Thank you for this girls day out. Next time we should have a movie marathon.¡± I grinned. ¡°Yep, you shoulde over to my house for that. What about tomorrow night?¡± ¡°I wish I could, but tomorrow morning I¡¯m flying to Greece for a friend¡¯s wedding. Will not be back until next week.¡± ¡°Wow, Greece. It¡¯s beautiful over there. Well, then the movie night will be postponed to next week.¡± ¡°Whoop, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Anyways, I should get going. It¡¯s already five.¡± She stood up and hugged me. ¡°Thank you once again. You¡¯re the sweetest.¡± ¡°Thank you foring with me. Have fun in Greece!¡± ¡°I will !¡± I stood there in Starbucks, thinking what I should do know. Maybe I could go for a little walk, or maybe¡­ oh shit. Dinner ! I drove back home as fast as I could. I would make dinner for Ethan today so that we could have a talk. When I arrived home, I left all my stuff in the car and headed straight to the kitchen. I had one hour to prepare this dish. I got the linguine out of the cupboard and the vegetables and the chicken out of the fridge. I took a deep breath. ¡°I can do this!¡± I told myself. It¡¯s not hard. It¡¯s like¡­ It¡¯s like making a face scrub. Yeah, that¡¯s more like it. It¡¯s like making a face scrub.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. I cooked the linguine ording to the packing directions. Or at least, I tried to do that. It didn¡¯t exactly went ording to the directions, but it does look¡­ decent enough. I hated this. This is already going wrong. I chopped the broli and add it in the pot with linguine. There were so many pots and pans, I didn¡¯t know which one to use. I chose the closest one to me. Once again, I hated this. This is thest time I will ever cook. I just do this, because I really really wanted to have this talk. And maybe also want to prove Ethan that I can cook if I actually tried¡­ really hard. I heat the butter in a skillet ¨C thanks to mommy dearest I know how to heat butter. It¡¯s not something to be proud of, but it is something. Then I chopped the chicken and put it in the now melted butter. Is it suppose to go like this? The directions in the book are a little vague. Why can¡¯t they be more descriptive in the cookbook or is it just me? Oh, now it says stirring. I stirred the chicken, a couple of times. How long do I need to stir? I continued to stir the chicken, until a burning smell entered my nostrils. Oh shit ! Chicken failed. I scooped the chicken out of the pan. It did not look bad, a little bit burned on the sides, but nothing bad. I added the chicken with the broli and linguine and milk, cheese, ck pepper. I mixed it through and ced it into another bowl. I stared at my final result and it did look decent enough. It did not look exactly like the picture in the cookbook- well it did not look anything like the picture in the cookbook. I just hope it taste better than it looks. I grabbed a spoon to taste my masterpiece when the front door opened. Voices filled the mansion. The voice of Ethan and the voice of a woman? I washed my hands and dried it on the table clothe before making my way to the living room. When I entered the living room, Ethan was busyughing and talking with a beautiful red haired woman. He did not even acknowledge me ! I cleared my throat and that¡¯s when they both turned around to look at me. Ethan was beaming, like a little boy who just got his favorite candy. ¡°Hey, Nicole.¡± He greeted, his smile never leaving his face. Red g one, he did not call me princess. ¡°I did not know we had a guest today.¡± I did not want to sound bitchy, but I prepared dinner for two. ¡°Oh yes. I forgot to tell you yesterday.¡± He chuckled and shook his head. I raised my eyebrows up at him. ¡°Oh, yeah like how you forgot our dinner date.¡± Ethan cleared his throat. ¡°Not now, Nicole.¡± Red g two, he did not call me princess again ! The red haired woman looked ufortably between the both of us. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce me to her, darling?¡± Red g three, she called him darling ! I don¡¯t even call him darling! Who the hell is she? Now that I looked better at her. She seemed quite familiar. The sharp face features and skeletal body. She looked just like¡­ ¡°Nicole, I want to introduce you to Veronika. Veronika this is Nicole.¡± Chapter 29 Nicole Vargas ¡°Is it safe to say that we can order takeout?¡± Ethan asked, as he dropped his fork down on his te. He looked up at me and gave me an apologetic smile. ¡°I really appreciate your effort princess. I really do, but this is¡­ it¡¯s just not edible.¡± I stayed silent as I stared down at my food. The embarrassment was real. First of all, the food was a disaster. It was horrible. Too much salt, butter. Just too much of everything. Second of all, Veronika bitch Morozov joined us for dinner. My first time andst time ever cooking and Ethan¡¯s perfect ex-girlfriend had to be here and eat my food. Third of all, Ethan just can¡¯t seem to get the hint that I want her out of this house. I was pissed and I had all the right to dump this shit food on his head, but instead I just nodded my head at him. ¡°Yeah, takeout sounds good.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Veronika¡¯s shrill voice shouted as she pushed her te away. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry. I got you, the first time I ever cooked I burned the steak. This is totally natural for a first timer.¡± She shed me one of her million dor smiles that I only saw in magazines. I clenched my teeth, trying to stay the kind and happy housewife. I forced a smile and looked up at her. ¡°Yeah, so uhm Veronika, where are you going to stay the night?¡± She looked surprised at the both of us. ¡°Is that even a question?¡± She asked,ughing as she rolled her eyes at me. ¡°I will stay here of course. I told Ethan about it.¡± ¡°Forgot to mention that too.¡± Ethan said, looking guilty at me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess. The guest room is clean, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him and stood up from the table. ¡°I feel a headacheing up. Ethan are you going to order the food? And Veronika sweetheart, can you clean up the table?¡± The sarcasm in my voice did not go unnoticed as I saw Ethan flinch. ¡°Clean up the table?¡± She sputtered. I smiled at her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not much and Ethan told me how much of a kitchen princess you are. Since I have a headache would you be kind enough to clean it up for me?¡± Without waiting for an answer, I made my way upstairs. I was so pissed and the storm inside me was getting worse the longer I stayed in the kitchen. I cannot believe that Ethan can be so irresponsible and inconsiderate. Didn¡¯t he think that maybe I had a problem that his ex-girlfriend is staying here? I clenched and unclenched my fists. So much stress is not good for me. I really should calm myself down, before I¡¯ll get wrinkles. I prepared a nice bath for myself andid in there for a while. A nice bath is always the best way to calm myself down. After the bath I will feel much better about myself. After the bath I grabbed my peignoir to cover my body. When I walked into the bedroom, Ethan was sitting on the bed, patiently waiting for me. In one hand he had chinese takeout and with his other hand he was fiddling nervously with the bed sheets. I ignored him and sat down on the other side of the bed. As far as I could from him. ¡°Princess,¡± He whispered quietly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I should have told you about Veronika.¡± ¡°You have just realized that now?¡± I snapped, narrowing my eyes at him. ¡°What am I to you, Ethan?¡± ¡°My girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancee.¡± He answered in a matter of fact tone. ¡°Keep doing -excuse mynguage- shit like this and I will soon be your ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°That will never happen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself, Gray!¡± I yelled angrily. ¡°I¡¯m so fucking pissed right now, you have no idea!¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I already told you how sorry I am.¡± He cried out, cing the food on the bed. ¡°I brought you food, is this going to help you calm down?¡± ¡°Calm down?!¡± I seethed, my eyes basically spitting fire at him. ¡°How would you feel If I brought my ex-boyfriend home? How would you feel? Tell me!¡± ¡°I would punch him.¡± ¡°I would do the same thing with Veronika, but I am not the violent type. But damn it if I cannot stand the situation anymore¡­,¡± I took a deep breath and continued, ¡°do you have any idea how easy it was for me to break her ribs?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you did not do that.¡± ¡°You should be! Ethan, I am your girlfriend. Girlfriend! What you did today was not eptable!¡± ¡°I know, princess. I know. And I am so fucking sorry for not telling you earlier. I really am sorry.¡± I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a while. ¡°How long did you know that she woulde?¡± ¡°Since yesterday.¡± He answered, his voice barely in a whisper. ¡°Is that why you were so wary and forgot about our date?¡± I questioned, keeping my eyes on him. I studied his bodynguage, because that is how I know if he¡¯s telling the truth or if he¡¯s simply lying to me. ¡°If I would say no than I would be lying.¡± I really really wanted to throw the nightmp on him. ¡°And¡­ you decided to not tell me.¡± ¡°I know that this would be your reaction.¡± ¡°And you still chose to not tell me?! You brought your ex in the house where your current girlfriend is living?¡± ¡°Where else would I bring her? Four seasons? You know that would cause another big fight.¡± ¡°Get out! Get out of this room before I throw this nightmp at you!¡± I yelled as I stood up and grabbed the nightmp to threaten him. I would not actually throw it at him, I just wanted to scare him. ¡°Why are you so mad? I don¡¯t understand?¡± He asked frustrated, going with his hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m so clueless right now as why you are mad. This is not a big deal!¡± ¡°Get out of this room and onlye back when you realize why I am so fucking furious right now!¡± I hissed angrily. ¡°No, I will not. You tell me why you¡¯re mad. We will talk this out!¡± He said firmly. ¡°I will not go out of this room until you tell me what¡¯s your problem!¡± I stared bewildered at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s my problem?! You don¡¯t know?!! Well listen, my problem is Veronika bitch Morozov. The rest you can figure out yourself! And until you don¡¯t know what you did wrong, don¡¯t bother looking for me!¡± I angrily grabbed my phone and keys and walked out of the bedroom, mming the door behind me closed. I did not care, that I was in my peignoir. Right now, the only thing on my mind is that I should get the fuck out of this house. At the end of the stairs, Veronika was looking worried at me. She wanted to say something, but I immediately shut her up. ¡°This is what you want right?¡± Iughed falsely as I gave her a dirty look. ¡°Enjoy your time with Ethan!¡± Chapter 30 Nicole Vargas ¡°I don¡¯t understand, will you finally tell me why you have been so grumpy for the past two weeks?¡± Rose sighed as she handed me a stack of papers. ¡°These are the files of the final models.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I answered curtly as I continued doing my work on Rose¡¯sptop. Last night myptop suddenly stopped working. I called an mechanic and today I had to drop it off at his office. I could pick it up in the evening he said. In the meantime I had to find anotherptop where I could work on. ¡°Nicole¡­,¡± Rose grabbed theptop and ced it on the other side of the table. ¡°What happened? Why did you move out? It has been two weeks, I deserve to know why there are so many roses at the reception.¡± Rose ced her hands on her hips and rose her eyebrows up at me. Her eyes studied me -like how she did for the past two weeks-, but as always I just remained calm. ¡°There are more at my apartment¡­ Oh and also cards. Millions of them.¡± I answered, avoiding eye contact with her. I stared at the marble table, staring nervously at my polished nails. Yesterday I went to the nail salon to get my nails done. A way to distract myself from Ethan and his constant calls and deliveries. He even send dinnerst night. Pizza from domino¡¯s. I ended up giving it to the homeless guy who lived in the park across my apartment. ¡°Seriously Nicole. What happened? Your fashion show is next weekend. You will not achieve anything if you are so grumpy.¡± Rose asked impatiently as she let out a small groan. She looked at me intently, but I didn¡¯t budge. I shrugged my shoulders at her. ¡°Rose, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s something between Ethan and I. I don¡¯t want you to worry about it.¡± I said, smiling tightly at her. She was still standing next to me, her eyes pleading me to spill. ¡°Rose, I am fine. Honestly.¡± Rose shook her head and red at me. ¡°No, I know it is bothering you. If you will not tell me, this fashion show will be canceled until further notice.¡± ¡°What?! You cannot do that.¡± I yelled out. I have been working my butt off the past few weeks so the fashion show wouldn¡¯t be a flop. The guest list, invitations, and everything else has already been ordered. Moving the date would be a waste of money. ¡°Oh I can honey. Don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± She chuckled and sat down on the chair next to me. ¡°So, will you tell me now?¡± I crossed my arms and leaned back on the leather chair. The room was quiet, the only sounding from the air conditioning. I stared outside the huge window in Rose office. I was contemting whether I should tell her or not. Knowing Rose, she would freak out. The past two weeks has been a blur for me. After I walked out of Ethan¡¯s house in my peignoir I slept in a hotel for three days before finally moving into an apartment. It was easy to find an apartment with the emergency money dad gave me. This certainly was an emergency. I left my clothes and makeup at Ethan¡¯s house and purchased new one. I did not want to step foot on his property ever again until he realize what he did wrong and why I was so mad at him. I still cannot believe that he brought his ex-girlfriend home. I don¡¯t know what possessed him to do such a shameful thing. I told Rose that I moved out, but I didn¡¯t tell her the reason why. She offered me a ce to stay, but I knew better that time. The only reason she offered me is to know the reason why I left Ethan. But I wasn¡¯t ready to tell her. She deserves to know, but I know what her reaction will be. She would hire an assassin to kill Veronika. There¡¯s no doubt in that. The way she spoke about Veronika-with so much venom in her voice- there¡¯s no doubt that she would kill the woman. And how much I despise Veronika, I don¡¯t want her to die because of a dick. Maybe that¡¯s why she keeps returning back to Ethan. His dick and his money. I don¡¯t see anything else why she would keeping back. She¡¯s already famous, she has a status. But to keep the status she needs money and who has both, good dick and stacks of money? Ethan Gray. For the past three days Ethan send me roses and cards non-stop. Once in a while he send me dinner, like yesterday night. The cards and roses were beautiful, sweet, and considerate, but still¡­ I told him toe and see me when he finally realized what he did wrong. Yes, he came one time but I mmed the door in front of his face. He came to apologize and just when I thought that he finally got his senses back, he asked me why I moved out. It¡¯s like he doesn¡¯t know that bringing your ex-girlfriend in the house without informing your current girlfriend is a no-no in the rtionship book. And that¡¯s not the only thing he did, because I would have forgive him if he kicked her out of the house immediately. But no, he let her stay over for dinner even though I told him that I was not pleased with that idea. ¡°Nicole! Helloo, earth to Nicole?!¡± Rose waved her hands in front of me. ¡°Snap out of your thoughts.¡± She had a worried expression on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t bottle your feelings up. I am here for you.¡± She leaned in closer and hugged me tightly. ¡°Come on honey, don¡¯t bottle your feelings up.¡± I hugged her back, feeling so much better now. ¡°Sorry Rose. It¡¯s just¡­ Ethan brought Veronika home.¡± Rose released me out of her hug and she stared at me agape, her eyes widened in shock. ¡°He did what?! When?!¡± she screeched, her cheeks turning a dangerous shade of red. Damn, she was really cooking inside. ¡°Two weeks ago.¡± I told her quietly. ¡°Oh no ! I¡¯ll so p somemon sense into that boy. I swear¡­ I will, where the hell is he now?¡± She stood up and grabbed her car keys. ¡°And ohh, I will shoot that golddigger right in the head. Grab my gun, bottom drawer!¡± She impatiently pointed at the bottom drawer as she waited for me to make a move. First of all, why the hell did she had a gun in her office?! Second of all, this is getting out of hand. I know Rose was crazy, but not this crazy. ¡°No, Rose. Please, don¡¯t.¡± I stood up and patted her on her back. ¡°Please sit back down.¡± ¡°Why not? He clearly lost his mind! And that golddigger? Why does she need toe back?!¡± Rose seethed as she pped my hand away. ¡°Why are you so calm?! Nicole, I swear I will hire an assassin to kill that Russian. Just say the word!¡± I knew it. About the assassin. This woman is crazy. I took a deep breath and shook my head at her. ¡°No, I do not want her dead. I just want Ethan to realize what he did wrong. That¡¯s all I want.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. Rose breathed in and out to calm herself down. ¡°I still want that Russian dead. I have always wanted her dead. But, I will not go against your wishes.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I let out a breath of relieve. ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡°But that does not mean I will not hire someone to punch her in her face.¡± ¡°No, Roseeee.¡± I cried out, slumping back in the chair. ¡°Have you not seen the woman. She¡¯s basically a walking skeleton.¡± Rose snickered. ¡°With the amount of dicks she takes, you would think she would gain some weight.¡± I scrunched up my face. Rose was a old woman with a twenty year old mind. A dirty mind. ¡°Geez Rose. Where the hell did you hear that?¡± ¡°What?¡± She asked innocently. ¡°It¡¯s a fact that when you get good dick, you automatically gain weight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± I chuckled as I rolled my eyes at her. ¡°Anyways,¡± She said, now in a serious tone. ¡°Has Ethan realized his mistake?¡± ¡°If he did would I still look so miserable?¡± I asked as I rested my face on my hand. ¡°Mmh, what if he never realize what he did wrong? What if¡­ he takes Veronika back?¡± Something inside me snapped at the question. I blinked my eyes to stop the tears from falling. With a broken voice I answered: ¡°Then we were not meant to be.¡± Chapter 31 Nicole Vargas I threw my bag on the bed and stripped out of my work clothes. It was already seven in the evening and I just arrived home from work. Today I went to see the seamstresses and how far they are with sewing the gowns. They did a wonderful job and I stayed there for a couple hours to watch them doing their work. I also helped them and assist them where needed. On my way home I grabbed myself dinner, Chicken wings and fries. Since I skipped lunch today, I was starving right now. Rose helped me with thest minute nning. The fashion show is in two days and so far everything has been going great. We went to the venue twice to give instructions and advice to the decorators. Even though I hired an event nner, I still wanted to get involved in everything. I took a long shower and washed my hair since it felt so dry after being outside all day. I scrubbed my body thoroughly to get rid of all the toxicity. After I step out of the shower, I dried my body and hair and put on a pair of shorts and a white shirt. Ibed my hair and walked out of the room to the kitchen.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. I ced the chicken wings and fries on a te. I was about to throw the paper bag away when there was a knock on my door. I look at the time and wondered who it could be. I was starving and I wasn¡¯t in the mood for visitors. I let out an annoyed groan as I made my way through the endless roses, that Ethan delivered to me for the past five days, to open the door. I opened the door and raised my eyebrows at the person standing in front of me. His hair was disheveled, his eyes were tired, but damn didn¡¯t he look delicious in his Armani suit. I shook my head lightly. This is not the time to think about him as a snack. ¡°Nicole, we need to talk.¡± His voice held so much authority than thest time he came to visit me. I raised my eyebrows at him, cing my hands on my hips. ¡°Yeah?¡± I cocked my head to the side. ¡°Then talk.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to invite me inside?¡± He asked as he tried to peek behind me. He gave me a once over, but rested his eyes on my face. ¡°Do you havepany?¡± ¡°What if I had? That¡¯s none of your business anyways.¡± I replied sassily. I was hungry, I was tired, and I was so not in the mood in having a conversation with him. ¡°It is my business. You¡¯re still my girlfriend. I never broke up with you.¡± he said firmly as he tried to peek behind me again. I rolled my eyes at him ¡°Well, then I will break up with you! Right here, right no¡­,¡± Ethan interrupted me andughed. ¡°Oh hell no, you¡¯re not breaking up with me, princess. I¡¯m here for the long run. Now can Ie inside, we have so much to talk about. Have you received my roses and cards? Oh and dinner?¡± ¡°Those things will not help you to win me back. I just want you to realize what you did wrong. I want to hear it from your own mouth.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Have you realized your mistake, Gray?¡± He stared at me for a second and let out a deep sigh. ¡°I guess you¡¯re still mad at me then. Should I be honest, Nicole?¡± ¡°Will the truth hurt?¡± He shrugged his shoulders . ¡°Depends on how you take it.¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know what I did wrong, can you please give me a hint?¡± he asked, looking hopelessly at me. I red at him and took a step back. I cannot believe this man. ¡°Bye Gray.¡± I wanted to m the door in front of his face, but he stopped me. ¡°Why are you being so dramatic, Nicole. Why can¡¯t you just tell me, like a normal human being, what I did wrong?¡± ¡°I am dramatic? Seriously? You are the one who cannot figure out your mistake. You are old enough to realize your mistakes yourself. I will not tell you!¡± I snapped angrily. ¡°Is it because Veronika is a better cook and you¡¯re not?¡± I was fuming, it¡¯s not rocket science to realize what he did wrong. Why can¡¯t he just realize it? He graduated with a bachelor degree, he is a CEO, but a simple thing like this he cannot figure out. I don¡¯t want to hear him say sorry. I just want to hear him say that he was wrong for giving Veronika permission to sleep over. I wanted to hear him say that he had to discuss the whole Veronika thing with me first before bringing her to the house. Or something along these lines. Not a goddamn sorry. Ethan does not know what he did wrong and as long as he doesn¡¯t know, he will do it again. I will not tell him what he did wrong, he¡¯s old enough to figure it out himself. So why can¡¯t he just ughhh! ¡°That is not the reason at all!¡± I let out a long frustrated groan. ¡°I don¡¯t care if she can cook better than me or that she is a better housewife. I do not care! And that¡¯s also not the reason why I am mad. It is all about you!¡± ¡°Then I don¡¯t know what you are talking about? I am fucking clueless, Nicole.¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. Come back when you have got your shit together!¡± I hissed before mming the door close in his face. I let out a huff and stomped my way to the kitchen to grab my food. I identally kicked a bouquet of roses down, but I didn¡¯t care. The whole room was filled with roses and unopened letters. I brought my food to the living room and turned onflix. This should help me calm down. Too much stress is not good for your skin I told myself. The past few days I have been stressing so much. If it¡¯s not about work, it¡¯s about Ethan. I was about to dig in when there was another knock on my door. I groaned, but didn¡¯t bother to get up, knowing that it was Ethan. The knocks didn¡¯t stop and I let out a strangled scream. I¡¯m going to murder him if he will apologize again. I walked out of the living room and opened the door. ¡°Can youe back when you realize what you did wrong?!!¡± I yelled out, my vision red from anger. I was about to close the door again when the person in front of me spoke. ¡°Hey Nicole.¡± That voice. Definitely not Ethan. Chapter 32 Nicole Vargas I looked at the Russian model in front of me. Her eyes roaming over my body and stopped when it reached my angry eyes. ¡°Veronika.¡± I stated as I gave her a skeptical look. ¡°Can Ie inside?¡± She asked, smiling tightly at me. She wore a dark green dress with spaghetti straps with five inch killer heels. She literally towered over me like a giant ogre. ¡°So you can murder me with your stilettos? I don¡¯t think so.¡± She sighed and rolled her eyes at me. ¡°We really need to talk. You look so miserable and I pity you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity.¡± I snapped as I red at her. I cannot believe she came all the way here to tell me this. Veronika just shrugged her shoulders and stepped inside my apartment. ¡°Whatever you say, but we need to talk.¡± What is it with these people wanting to talk to me? And did she just waltz inside my apartement? The nerve. ¡°If you don¡¯t get your dirty feet out of my apartment, I swear Veronika, I will break your neck and call the police.¡± I threatened her in a dangerous voice. She chuckled and nced over her shoulders down at me. Yes, she was a Gru and I was a minion at the moment. ¡°Then you would be charged for murder.¡± she replied sweetly. ¡°Fine then, I will just call the police.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even bother.¡± Veronika turned around as she spoke to me. ¡°I really need to tell you something about Ethan and I. I thought I would never have to do this, but you are so dramatic about the whole situation so I figured I had to clear some things up, yeah?¡± I narrowed my eyes at her, still not believing her. ¡°If you want to murder me, the knife is in the top drawer in the kitchen.¡± Veronika snorted out inughter. ¡°Seriously, Nicole? If I wanted to murder you¡ª,¡± She stopped talking and rummaged through her purse and pulling out a pink-how clich¨¦-beretta 380. ¡°Then I would have just pointed this at your head, but I¡¯m not doing that right now am I?¡± ¡°You might as well do it.¡± I said daringly, eyeing the dangerous pink looking gun in her hand. ¡°Do you have suicidal thoughts? You need to see a fucking therapist, Vargas.¡± She furrowed her eyebrows at me and then nced at her watch. ¡°I will miss my flight if we don¡¯t start talking now. Close the door and lets sit on your couch and have some girly-girl conversation, yeah?¡± I decided to just hear her out and see what she has to say. I closed the door behind me and walked passed her. ¡°I swear to god Veronika, if this conversation is as shitty as Ethan¡¯s apology, I will call the police.¡± ¡°Is it possible to call the police from the afterlife?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. I immediately spun around and red at her. ¡°So you are nning to kill me, you bitch ass Russian. Get out of my apartment!¡± She put her hands up in surrender and cackled. ¡°Oh my god, I was just kidding. It was a joke.¡± ¡°Look Veronika. If you will not be serious, then I don¡¯t want to hear the shit you have to say. Because the only reason Ethan and I are living separately right now is because of you!¡± I walked into the living room and sat on the end of the couch. Veronika sat across me. She looked around my apartment as she put her purse next to her. ¡°Nice apartment you have here.¡± ¡°Thanks, and what are you here for again?¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± She took a deep breath and slowly breathed out again. She didn¡¯t look at me as she began talking, but instead she looked at the floor. ¡°So, I guess Ethan told you about us living together for the past seven years and our uhmm well friends with benefits kind of rtionship.¡± ¡°Yeah it was confusing as hell to understand him.¡± ¡°I know, it was so confusing and so toxic. Anyways we didn¡¯t actually live together for seven full years. It was more kind of like, when we lived together we just were like best friends I guess, I cooked for him and vice versa, but when I went away for five months or more, he had other girls on his arm. Funny thing about it, I would not mind at all. We were not exclusive. And for me it was good. When he was absent, I was hitting on my next door neighbour.¡± I raised my eyebrows at her and Veronika rolled her eyes at me. ¡°The neighbour was good looking, don¡¯t judge. Anyways another thing, when Ethan met you he told me that he wanted to stop what we had. And to be honest, I wanted the same, because¡­ I have been in a happy rtionship for a while now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in a rtionship?¡± I stuttered out, my eyes basically turning wide as saucers. ¡°Yeah, why is that a surprise? I¡¯m a good looking model, everyone wants to bang me.¡± She said in a matter of fact tone. ¡°But that has nothing to do with this conversation. Anyways, so I thought I woulde back to the state, pay both of you a visit. I really wanted to know who this girl was who suddenly changed him and I wanted to wish him a good life. I did not want to end things on bad terms.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me that you woulde visit.¡± ¡°Men are stupid like that, honey. I¡¯m pretty sure he forgot or he was afraid of your reaction. Look Nicole, I am not his ex girlfriend. He never popped the question. It was just basically sex-asionally- and living together. The reason we lived together and pretended we were a couple was just a PR-stunt.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I asked, letting out an exhausted sigh. ¡°Because, the reason he does not understand what he did wrong is because he had been in a toxic rtionship with me for so long. Seven years. This is the first time he fell in love. I, on the other hand, experienced being in love with someone, a couple of years ago. Lets just say I had to break things off because my parents did not ept it. But now I am an adult and well uhm things changed.¡± Veronika exhaled and looked at me. ¡°Don¡¯t be so hard on him. He is trying, okay? Don¡¯t be so dramatic about this and just fix it. Talk to him, exin what he did wrong. He cannot help that he didn¡¯t know about it. He never had a serious rtionship in his entire life. It was only flings and one night stands before.¡± ¡°So, you basically did note her to steal him from me?¡± Veronika facepalmed herself. ¡°Oh god, why do you think that I would steal him from you? He¡¯s not even my type.¡± ¡°You lived and had sex with him for seven years.¡± ¡°It was just sex. And in the seven years it only happened like four times, because as I already said we usually bang other people.¡± ¡°Ew, I hope both of you used a condom.¡± ¡°Yes, we aren¡¯t that dumb. Have you though?¡± Have we? Oh god, have we? I was desperately trying to remember if we did, because I am not on birth control. Veronika smirked as she saw the worried look on my face. ¡°Guess you will find out when mother nature will arrive¡­ or maybe not.¡± ¡°Have you ever felt attracted towards him?¡± I asked her, ignoring her mother nature remark. Veronika nced again at her watch and gasped. ¡°Oh my god, if I will not go now I will bete.¡± She pulled out her pink beretta 380 out of her purse and threw it on the table. ¡°Here, you can have this.¡± ¡°What the hell am I supposed to do with this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Shoot an intruder maybe. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± She answered as she closed her purse. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to need it?¡± Veronikaughed as I followed her out of the living room. ¡°My dad has a whole lot more. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She opened the front door and turned around. ¡°So this is it. Go fix whatever that needs to be fixed with Ethan¡­ And remember, he will have a little bit of trouble with this whole rtionship thingy. You are his first true love after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, I will remember that¡­,¡± I told her. I suddenly remembered something I asked earlier. ¡°Veronika, you haven¡¯t answered my question from earlier.¡± ¡°What was it?¡± she asked, impatiently. ¡°Have you ever felt attracted towards Ethan?¡± There was a long silence before the Russian finally spoke up. ¡°No¡­ And you know why?¡± She gave me a lopsided smile and licked her bottom lip. ¡°Because I¡¯m straight as a circle.¡± My mouth fell open at her confession. Oh god. This is unbelievable. Veronika chuckled at my facial expression. ¡°Yup there you have it. Just don¡¯t tell Ethan I faked my orgasms. Proshchay.¡± She closed the door in front of my face and I was left behind still totally in shock. Chapter 33 Nicole Vargas I groaned as I twisted and turned in bed. Mentally I was happy, because the reason I¡¯m in so much pain right now means that I¡¯m not pregnant. Physically I was dying from the back pain and constant cramps. It felt like my insides was being ripped out and sawn in half. I¡¯m not always in so much pain, but once in the six months¡­ shit gets real. Like today. I didn¡¯t even had the strength to stand up and make myself something to eat. I was just twisting and turning in bed trying to somehow ease the pain. The entire night I had trouble sleeping. I drank one ibuprofen, but it only help to ease the pain for a couple of hours. Back in Brazil, mom or the maid would make some special soup during times like these. Mom would also massage my stomach and back to ease the pain. My eyes were heavy and tired. Iid t on my stomach on the bed when there was a knock on my door. I internally screamed as I tried to sit up straight in bed. When I finally sat up straight it felt like I was being stabbed by a knife from the back. I groaned as I tried to hold my tears back. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and looked at the time. It was only eight in the morning. I called Rosest night that I could not make it to work, who the hell was now at my door? I angrily grabbed the gun that Veronika gave me and stumbled my way to the front door. I will not shoot the person. Just scare them away. I was not in the mood for a conversation at all. The pain in my back and stomach became unbearable and my patience was running low. I opened the door, ready to snap at whoever was standing there, but instead my eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Goodmorn¡ª Jesus Nicole, why do you have a gun with you?¡± Ethan¡¯s eyes bulged out of his socket as he stared at the dangerous thing in my hand. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± I breathed out heavily as I felt a jab on my sides . The pain in my stomach was getting worse the longer I stand. ¡°I¨C I¡¯m just here to¡­ oh my god, there¡¯s blood on your thighs.¡± Ethan screeched, as he pointed at the blood that was seeping down my thighs. What the fuck. I looked down and cursed loudly. I ced the gun on the table next to the door and stumbled back to my room. ¡°Are you okay Nicole? Are you hurting yourself?¡± Ethan yelled worriedly from behind me. ¡°Are you cutting yourself? Why are you cutting yourself down there, I swear Nicole if you¡ª,¡± I rolled my eyes at his stupidness. ¡°I¡¯m on my bloody period, Gray!¡± I yelled back as I closed my bedroom door. The pain in my stomach didn¡¯t vanished as I cleaned myself up in the bathroom. I decided to take another long warm bath. The bath felt so good as it was a remedy to the stomach cramps. The pain did not went awaypletely, but it was not as bad as before. After I was done I dried myself, dressed in a loose fitting outfit and walked towards the bedroom. The pain in my back was still there, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. Right now I just felt tired and sleepy since I haven¡¯t got a good night sleep. When I entered my bedroom the smell of something delicious entered my nostrils. At the end of my bed Ethan waited for me with a bowl of soup. Now that I finally felt like I was not being sawn from the inside, I could finally take a good look at Ethan. He wore a white loose fitting shirt and gray track pants. His hair was neatlyb, but his eyes. His usually lively eyes looked dull. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this.¡± I croaked out as I crawled on the bed. ¡°But thank you.¡± I managed to give him a sincere smile ¡°Of course I had to do this.¡± He said in a matter of fact tone. ¡°You look miserable.¡± He handed me the bowl and a napkin. ¡°Do I need to feed you or are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. I¡¯m on my period, not disabled. What is this bytheway?¡± I asked as I stared at the soup that looks so delicious. ¡°Mushroom and potato soup.¡± I frowned my eyebrows at him. ¡°I don¡¯t have mushroom nor potato in the house.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t had any of the ingredients in the house. I had to go out and buy it. Have you been living out of take outs the entire time?¡± I bit my bottom lip and stared at the soup. I cannot cook so what did he expect. ¡°Yeah?¡± He scoffed, but didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡± Eat the soup and take some rest. I¡¯ll prepare dinner for you.¡± ¡°Ethan you don¡¯t have to¡ª,¡± ¡°Sshh.¡± He raised his index finger up to stop me from talking. ¡°Eat Nicole.¡± I ate the soup in silence as Ethan watch me and handed me my drink. It was chamomile tea. He said it was good for the cramps. When I asked him how he knew about that, he simply told me he googled it. The soup tasted as good as it looks. Maybe even better, because in no time I had finished it. It reminded me so much of the soup my mom used to feed me. ¡°It was delicious.¡± He grinned at me as he took the bowl from me. ¡°I know. Now go get some sleep.¡± I yawned as Iid my head down on the pillow. ¡°You know.¡± I whispered as I ced theforter over me. ¡°Veronika came to visit me.¡± Ethan was silent for a while before he spoke up again. ¡°I know.¡± he answered softly as I felt him shift on the bed. ¡°How?¡± I let out another yawn as I my eyes slowly started to be heavier. ¡°Because of the gun, Nicole.¡± ¡ª My eyes fluttered open as I pushed theforter off me. I sleepily reached for my phone on my nightstand, but felt nothing. ¡°Your phone is on charge. The battery was dead.¡± A voice said next to me. I squealed as I snapped my head to my right. ¡°Holy shit, Ethan you¡¯re still here.¡± He chuckled lightly. ¡°Yeah, I promised to make you dinner. I hope you like chicken parmesan.¡± I nodded my head as I still tried to slow my heartbeat down. ¡°Yeah I do. What time is it now?¡± He nced at his watch. ¡°Almost seven.¡± ¡°I slept the entire day?¡± ¡°Pretty much. Anyways¡ª,¡± Ethan shoved a stic bag towards me. ¡°Chocte. I don¡¯t know which one were your favorites so I just grabbed a bunch of different ones. I heard girls love it during their period. There¡¯s also ice cream in the fridge.¡± My heart melted as I took the stic bag from him. This was just too sweet. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll go take a bath and then I will have dinner with you. Is that alright or do you have other ns?¡± ¡°Nope, take your time. I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the kitchen. Do I need to make the bath for you?¡± Iughed softly as I stepped out of bed. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I can do it myself.¡± He nodded his head and walked out of my bedroom. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the kitchen. If you need something just yell super loud.¡± Several minutester I walked into the kitchen where Ethan was still waiting for me. He handed me a te with Chicken parmesan and a ss of water and together we walked to the balcony to enjoy dinner. ¡°Thank you for making dinner.¡± I said as I sat down on the rattan chair. I ced a pillow to support my aching back. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He answered smiling. We ate dinner in afortable silence, until I decided to break it. ¡°Uhm, you told me that you knew that Veronika visited me because you saw the gun. Like, how?¡± ¡°I have seen many more. Some dangerous than the other. Her dad is a mafia boss.¡± Ethan said indifferently. I choked on my food. I coughed a couple of times as Ethan patted me on my back. ¡°What?! Does the mafia still exist?¡± ¡°Yes of course they do. But it¡¯s not like the ones you read in books or see in movies. The russian mafia is very different and modern. The Italian mafia of course are still the most powerful and richest, but the russians are the most international. I thought she told you about it.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nope, that¡¯s not what she came here for. Are you in the mafia?¡± Ethan gave me the are you crazy look. ¡°Hell no. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the mafia.¡± ¡°But you can just like I don¡¯t know talk about them. Isn¡¯t there like some kind of rule? Omerta or whatever?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Ethan chuckled. ¡°As I already said, the mafia is nothing like you read in the books. As long as I do not spill important information which I do not have, I¡¯m totally safe. But now I¡¯m curious, what did Veronika came here for?¡± ¡°Oh that.¡± I shrugged my shoulders as I put my ss down. ¡°She just came to tell me that she¡¯s lesbian.¡± Now it was Ethan¡¯s turn to choke on his food. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Yeah, shocker. Oh and she faked her orgasms.¡± I took another sip of my water as Ethan stared at me like I just grew another head. ¡°Is it her habit to gift a gun to people?¡± ¡°Yeah, the only gifts she got in her entire life from her whole mafia family is guns so¡ª But are you for real, she¡¯s lesbian?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what she said.¡± Ethan was quiet for a while and then his eyes lit up. ¡°Oh my god. That¡¯s why!¡± He eximed as he put his fork down. ¡°What?¡± I asked, knitting my eyebrows in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s why Veronika and I never worked out!¡± Ethan eximed and smiled at me. I have never seen so much adoration in his eyes. ¡°Princess, believe me or not. You taught me what love is.¡± Chapter 34 Nicole Vargas ¡°What?!¡± Ethan stared bewildered at me as he opened his mouth to say something, but immediately closed it again. He stood in the middle of my room following my every movement. He was ready to go for almost an hour and a half now. Today was my first fashion show and Ethan offered to pick me up. I also found this the right time to finally tell him what has been on my mind for the past couple days. We have spent some time together these past couple days after the whole Veronika drama and how much I hate to admit, some things did not felt right. Forced conversations, awkward encounters, and oh god the amount of sexual tension was getting too much. I nodded my head at him as I adjusted the straps of my dress. It was a sky blue evening gown designed by me. ¡°Yes, you have heard it right. I want to take a break.¡± I emphasized thest word as I watched myself in the mirror. I definitely would be the center of attention.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°A break?¡± He repeated, the words rolling bitter out of his mouth. He looked at me in the mirror and I could see the hurt on his face. It pained me, but I expected it. ¡°As in seeing other people?¡± ¡°A break does not necessarily mean seeing other people, but if you want to do that, than sure go ahead.¡± I turned around, grabbed my clutch and stuffed my keys and phone in it. I was already fifteen minuteste to my own fashion show, but would it really be a ¡®Nicole Vargas¡¯ fashion show if I didn¡¯t arrive fashionablyte? ¡°Why are you so casual about this?¡± Ethan asked as he frustratingly went with his hand through his hair. His once neatlybed hair looked now disheveled. He loosened his tie as he took a deep breath. ¡°You wanted this all along, didn¡¯t you?¡± I sighed deeply as I looked up at his distressed but still handsome face. His eyes held all kinds of emotions, it was hard to make out what he was feeling right now. Hurt, anger, betrayal? ¡°I don¡¯t want this. I need this. And so do you.¡± ¡°No, you cannot tell me what I need. And for your information, it¡¯s you that I need.¡± I rolled my eyes at him. That was so cliche. ¡°You will figure that out during our break. It will be good for the both of us, Gray.¡± ¡°Exin how, Vargas?¡± he taunted as he clenched his fist. ¡°Exin why we need a break? As far as I know I have been nothing but forgiving, caring, and loving. It¡¯s you who has been acting so impossible. I try my best to live life your way, but I don¡¯t get the same energy back from you.¡¯ I sighed deeply and walked towards him to fix his tie. I didn¡¯t want to get angry. Partly he was right anyway. My fingers trembled as I did. ¡°We rushed things. We both know that. So let¡¯s just¡­ stay single for a while. Let¡¯s figure out what we really want. Let¡¯s see what fate has in store for us. I still love you. I really do, Ethan. I¡¯m not willing to change for you, or at least not for the moment. You were just someone who was suppose to watch over me. Not fall in love. But look where we are now. You may not think that we need a break, but I know that we do.¡± The pain flickering in his eyes didn¡¯t go unnoticed and something in my heart snapped. But I took a deep breath and tried to stay unaffected. I have thought about this for a long time and I really wanted to go through with it. We both need it for godsake! ¡°I do not agree with this at all.¡± He mumbled as he looked into my eyes. ¡°But as I already said before, everything for you princess. So once again, I¡¯ll grant you your wish.¡± A tear managed to fall down my cheek, but Ethan was quick enough to wipe it away. I have no idea why I just cried. I have prepared myself for this. Ethan kissed my forehead and let me go. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing. A break is a break, princess. We might not end up together anymore.¡± I gulped as my chest tightened. So much for staying strong. The idea of us not being together in the future is bothering me. I silently told myself that it will never happen. Somehow I will make sure we will end up together. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± I whispered softly as I stroked his cheek softly Ethan shrugged his shoulders and brushed my hand away. ¡°This is your way of granting me ess to love someone else, fuck someone else, marry someone else. Is this what you want?¡± ¡°If that happen¨C¡± I took a deep breath, deep down hoping it will never happen. The break is to get both our lives back on rails. It is not to develop feelings for someone else. ¡°We were never meant for each other.¡± Ethan chuckled and shook his head. He stayed silent for a while, studying my facial expression. ¡°Congrattions on your first Fashion show. Your dad must be proud of you, achieving such a milestone in less than a year.¡± His sudden change of demeanour bothered me. Ethan then turned around and walked out of my bedroom. I followed him and frowned my eyebrows at this sudden action. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take me to the fashion show?¡± ¡°I changed my mind. I will let my driver take you.¡± He answered curty as he opened the front door and turned around to face me. ¡°Oh and I will send your stuff first thing tomorrow morning.¡± With that being said he closed the door on his way out. I stood there, staring at the door as the tears finally streamed down my face. What have I done? Chapter 35 Nicole Vargas ¡°Minha filha, you look so gorgeous. Que beleza, n?o ¨¦ Santiago?¡± My mother squealed as she took me into a warm embrace. Her perfume was so strong, I had to sneeze. ¡°She is.¡± My dad agreed as he smiled at me. His face was beaming with pride. ¡°We have made the most beautiful feij?o in the world.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a bean anymore, Papai.¡± Iughed as I hugged my mom back. She looked incredible in her white long sleeve dress. She even had her hair done. ¡°Ol¨¢ m?e, how was the flight?¡± ¡°It was horrendous. I told your dad to book us in business ss, but he identally booked us in economy ss.¡± She huffed as she crossed her arms around her chest. She narrowed her eyes at my dad who just shrugged his shoulders in response. ¡°You could have upgraded to business ss and what happened to the private jet?¡± I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. ¡°Business ss was full.¡± My dad said. ¡°Our airport is under construction. We cannot use it until next month.¡± ¡°That sucks, but I¡¯m d you made it tonight.¡± I was so happy that they could make it to my very first fashion show. Today my mom had an art exhibition and dad needed to go to Thand for a meeting, but they all canceled it for me. I couldn¡¯t be more grateful. ¡°Of course.¡± My dadughed. ¡°I would cancel anything for you only to see your sesses.¡± My mom looked around the room, her eyes analyzing each and everything. ¡°It¡¯s amazing what you have achieved in less than a year. I¡¯m so proud of you. Where¡¯s Ethan bytheway?¡± The smile on my face disappeared and the pain in my heart welled up again. ¡°He uhm¡­ he can¡¯t make it tonight.¡± I lied to her. There was no other thing I could say right now without me breaking down. It took a solid hour to redo my makeup after Ethan left. Mom looked at me suspiciously. ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡± She mumbled as she looked at my dad. ¡°Don¡¯t you think, Santiago?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± My dad answered casually as he straightened his tie. ¡°He¡¯s a busy man, meu amor.¡± ¡°I know, but he could have at least cleared his schedule for Nicole.¡± my mom huffed out. I took a deep breath before I spoke up again. ¡°Mom, it is fine. Go take a seat, the fashion show will start in a couple of minutes.¡± After my parents walked away to find their seats, Rose came up to me. She looked stunning in a red cashmere dress and louboutin heels. If it wasn¡¯t because of the wrinkles on her face, one would still think she is in herte forties or so. ¡°Have you seen, Ethan?¡± She asked as she stopped in front of me. ¡°You look absolutely beautiful.¡± she gushed as she spun me around. ¡°Hot even.¡± Iughed. ¡°Thank you.¡± I answered, smiling. ¡°And as for Ethan, he is noting.¡± ¡°What?¡± She stared bewildered at me. ¡°You invited him didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I said quietly, hoping she would not interrogate me any further. ¡°I thought you guys were doing great.¡± ¡°Well I may have said some things today that uhm might have hurt him?¡± My answer came out more as a question. But it wasn¡¯t a question, it was a statement. He did got hurt by what I said. ¡°Oh goodness. Nicole.¡± Rose pinched the bridge of her nose. She looked at me with pity in her eyes. ¡°What did you say to him? I hope you can fix it after the fashion show.¡± ¡°We are on a break.¡± I blurted out. There was no reason to hide this from her. Might as well just spill it right her, right now ¡°You suggested that?¡± she asked, knitting her eyebrows in confusion. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Rose wailed and gave me a yful p on my shoulder. ¡°Why Nicole, you two look so great and I already had the wedding nned in the back of my head and¡ª,¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°I¨Coh, the fashion show is about to start. I have to go backstage to the models.¡± I hurriedly walked away from Rose and her rambling. She will eventually know the truth, Ethan will tell her. And talking about fixing it. I don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s a possibility anymore. I will just leave it up to fate. Backstage was a disaster. Models, makeup artists, seamstresses were running from one side to the other. ¡°Miss Vargas, you¡¯re finally here. How do you tie this strap? I have tried so many ways, but the model looks funnily in it.¡± She pushed a blonde haired girl towards me who looked totally ufortable in the dress. Poor girl. I let out a deep sigh and untied the dress. I carefully then tied it again, following the steps I wrote down in my sketch book. ¡°There. Does it feel right now?¡± I asked her as I spun her around to face me. The blonde nodded her head and smiled at me. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Now, go stand in line. You will follow after the girl in the blue dress.¡± I pushed her towards the stage as I continued to look around for models who needed my help. I helped as many models I could as possible and when I was finally done, Rose ran towards me. ¡°Nicole, it¡¯s your turn to walk on stage!¡± she yelled out of breath. ¡°My turn?¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You need to walk with the models. You are the designer after all. Hurry up.¡± She dragged me towards the stage. Before I could climb the stairs to the stage she held my hands and looked adoringly at me. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Nicole.¡± Chapter 36 Nicole Vargas Ethan was serious when he said that he would drop my stuff at my apartment early in the morning. When I woke up my suitcases were stacked right outside my door. I carried them inside and went through my stuff. A tear fell down on my cheeks. I missed him so much. The fashion show was a huge sess and afterwards my parents and I went out for ate dinner. Thank goodness they didn¡¯t ask about Ethan anymore. I don¡¯t think that I could have talked more about him without breaking down. Instead they told me about everything that happened in Brazil since I was gone. Mom painted two masterpieces and one of them has already been sold to a rich Persian man. My dad opened two more hotels in Rio de Janeiro and they were doing great. He wanted to open one more in Thand, but that would take a little bit more time. Maybe two or three years. I was so happy for them. Once upon a time they belonged to the lower ss, but look where hard work and dedication had brought them to. Now they are one of the most well known people in Brazil as well in the rest of the world. After dinner they went to their hotel and I returned home. I was exhaustedst night and fell asleep on the couch in the living room. Today my parents are going back to Brazil and I am going to apany them for a small well deserved vacation. After everything I went through, I totally needed it. I packed my stuff, which was not a lot, and dressed up infortable traveling clothes which consisted of pink leggings and a white T-shirt. I put my hair into a bun and slipped on my shoes before heading outside. As always I waste and my mom had called me twice to hurry up. I was supposed to hail a cab, but because I waste my mom send her driver to pick me up. Minutester the driver of my parents arrived and he brought me to the airport. Thank goodness my mom booked the ne ticket this time. We were traveling business ss instead of economy. There¡¯s nothing wrong with traveling economy ss, but I am so used to travel in style that it is hard to settle for less. When I arrived at the airport my parents already waited for me. I hated public airport, it was always so busy and people were basically pushing each other out of the way. ¡°Well¡­ well look who we have here.¡± A familiar voice said behind me.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. I turned around to face the person and my eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Hayden.¡± ¡ª- The entire flight Hayden managed to make meugh. For a moment I forgot all my worries. He was, just like me, going back to Brazil for a small vacation. He was in New york for three days to settle some things for his father he told me. Hayden was handsome. Like abercrombie model handsome. He had small dimples on his cheeks when heughed and his well defined abs were poking through the thin white shirt he had on. ¡°So,¡± Hayden gulped his champagne down and beckoned the flight attendant to bring him another one. This was his third ss of champagne and the guy looks far from being tipsy. ¡°Your fashion show was a huge sess. I have heard so much about it.¡± I smiled as I sat up straight in my seat. The seat was not reallyfortable like the ones in our family private jet, but then again the service here was splendid. ¡°It was actually. I will open my own boutique in New York very soon.¡± I told him as I fiddled with my phone in my hand. ¡°And how long is very soon?¡± He asked as he ced his hand on top of mine. Caressing it softly. I immediately pulled my hand away. He frowned his eyebrows but didn¡¯t try to do it again. ¡°Because I want to be there.¡± ¡°I will send you an invitation.¡± I said,ughing ufortably. Hayden ced his hand on my thigh and squeezed it lightly. ¡°You¡¯reughing? I am serious.¡± The flight attendant came back and handed him a new ss of champagne. ¡°Anyways, how¡¯s your boyfriend doing?¡± Why did he had to ask me about Ethan right now? We were having such a great time. I pulled his hand away from my thigh and gave him a murderous re. Is he drunk and does not show it or is he actually like this? If he is, than it is a waste of a hot man. Because hot body and shitty personality makes a shitty person overall. ¡°What?¡± Hayden stared intently at me trying to caress my cheek. Now he was getting really touchy touchy and I hated it. I wanted us to be friends. ¡°You two broke up. I told you he¡ª,¡± ¡°No,¡± I snapped, taking him by surprise. I even took myself by surprise. Why did I even snap? ¡°Actually we are doing great. Thank you very much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to¡ª,¡± I cut him off. I was angry because I don¡¯t want to talk about Ethan. But every person I meet somehow include him in the conversation. Can¡¯t they just keep our conversation Ethan-less? Then to top all of it, Hayden cannot keep his hands to himself. I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s the alcohol working, but if it¡¯s not then I¡¯m really close to punch him in his face ¡°And you don¡¯t have to stick your nose in other people¡¯s personal life.¡± He ced the champagne ss down and raised his hands up in surrender. ¡°Fine, don¡¯te crying at me when he goes back to that Russian.¡± he said bitterly. I chuckled and shook my head. ¡°He will never.¡± ¡°And how are you so sure?¡¯ I shed him a fake smile and said; ¡°Because she only falls for pussies¡­ Maybe you will have chance with her.¡± Once those words flowed out of my mouth I immediately wanted to bang my head on the seat in front of me. Why am I being such a bitchtely? Chapter 37 Ethan Gray ¡°Florence, no! That¡¯s not how you make sushi!¡± I yelled at the ck haired and tan skin beauty that was standing behind the kitchen ind. She is making a total mess out of my beautiful kitchen by mixing all ingredients together on a bamboo mat. ¡°But Ethan, what are we going to eat?¡± She asked, pouting her plump lips as she looked at me helplessly. ¡°I¡¯m starving. I did not eat at the airport.¡± ¡°Get dressed, we¡¯re going out.¡± I told her as I made my way towards the kitchen ind. Florence is a really great cook, but not if ites to sushi. She totally sucks at making it. ¡°What a waste of ingredients.¡± I muttered as I shoved her away so I could clean the mess. ¡°I¡¯m tired!¡± sheined as she watch me cleaning up. ¡°Come on, make me something to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to cook today.¡± I said tiredly as I continued to clean up the kitchen ind. ¡°Now go do what I told you to do and stop acting like a brat. I don¡¯t know why you couldn¡¯t just stay with your husband.¡± ¡°And leave you here to wallow in self-pity.¡± She scoffed rolling her eyes at me. ¡°I think not. That girl really messed with your head.¡± She said as she walked away. ¡°Hurry up, okay!¡± I yelled after her. I was not in the mood to wait hours and hours for her. But if it was Nicole you would not mind something inside me said. Nicole taught me that love can be a beautiful and amazing thing, but she also taught me that love can keep me up until midnight wondering what the hell I did wrong. I miss her so much. Her smile, the way she talks, and how she¡¯s alwayste on every asion. But as the saying goes. Alwayste but worth the wait. Nicole was worth every second of it. The girl could shut up an entire room with her beauty and grace. A small smile made its way to my face thinking about her. After I was done cleaning the kitchen ind, Florence came downstairs in a pink sweater and ck leggings. ¡°I¡¯m ready!¡± She yelled even though I was standing one feet away from her. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She added impatiently slipping on her shoes. Florence and her husband Yannick flew into the states this morning. She immediately came to my house to ¡®cheer me up¡¯ while her husband was in a meeting. I don¡¯t know from where she heard that I was dating let alone that I¡¯m going through a bad break up. I think Ang must have told her or she must have read it in the gossip papers. Florence followed me to the car and we drove silently to the sushi ce. I turned the music on, because Florence was not one to talk a lot. But when she found it necessary she could rant for hours and hours and hours. We arrived at the sushi ce and searched for a table near the window. After we ordered an awkward silence followed. I haven¡¯t spoken to Florence in a very long time and now that she¡¯s sitting here I don¡¯t know what to talk about. Plus I was not in the mood to start a conversation. I had a hundredth problems going on. Ny nine involved Nicole. ¡°So¡­,¡± Florence started, breaking the silence. ¡°Are you going to tell me why you look like shit, nephew?¡± she emphasized thest part as she stared intently at me. ¡°It¡¯s still too fresh to talk about it, Flor.¡± I warned her, but added. ¡°Maybe another day?¡± ¡°But you will feel better when you talk about it.¡± She told me and ced her hand on mine. ¡°Come on, it will do you really good.¡± She squeezed my hand softly indicating that it is okay to pour my heart out at a sushi ce. ¡°Where do I start?¡± I mumbled quietly, knowing she will not give up. ¡°I¡¯m in love with her. Truly, madly, deeply.¡± ¡°I can see.¡± She said still holding my hand in hers. ¡± What is the problem? The feeling is not mutual?¡± ¡°It is, but I don¡¯t know.¡± I pulled my hand away and ruffled my hair out of frustration. ¡°I really don¡¯t know why she wanted to take a break.¡± ¡°Maybe she has her reasons?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°What reasons?!¡± I whisper-yelled. I have thought about this. So many times. But I cannot see why she wanted this break. We were fine. Everything was fine. ¡°If she would have told me maybe we could have solve it¡­ together.¡± ¡°Look, maybe she just need some time to think about it.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everyone has their own reasons why they want to go on a break. Maybe she is just confused or maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know. But trust me when I say this, this is all in god¡¯s n.¡± I facepalmed myself. How could I forget? Florence is very religious. Everything that happens she refers to as in god¡¯s n. She always carries a bible with her in her bag and every Sunday she can be found in the church. ¡°I really love her, Flor. Like actually love her. I have never loved any other girl before as much as I love her. And I don¡¯t think I will ever stop loving her.¡± ¡°Then you should give it some time, Ethan.¡± Florence said in her soothing voice. ¡°If god really made you two for each other, you will get your happily ever after. Don¡¯t stress.¡± ¡°But what if we are not made for each other?¡± She frowned her eyebrows at me and pursed her lips. ¡°Why would you even think that? The way you describe your feelings for her says enough. You two are made for each other.¡± ¡°Then why am I not with her right now?¡± ¡°Ask god and he will give you your answer.¡± She answered simply, moving a strand of hair out of her face. ¡°Pray for your happiness, Ethan. We can go to church afterwards. Is there a church near your home?¡± I shrugged my shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never go to church.¡± Florence scowled at me. ¡°If I will tell your mom about this, she will whoop your ass to the moon and back.¡± Usually I wouldugh at this, but today my mood was just somber. It has been somber since that night Nicole told me she wanted a break. Our food arrived and we started to eat quietly. I started to think about what Florence said. I should pray for my happiness. Since the day Nicole arrived, I have never felt lonely or sad. Frustrated maybe, because she is so goddamn infuriating but never lonely or sad. Does that mean she¡¯s my happiness? ¡ª After our early dinner I drove Florence to the nearby church. She had googled it earlier and showed me the direction on google maps. In the church she was the one that read out of the bible while I sat down next to her with my eyes closed. She squeezed my hand softly and I turned my head towards her. ¡°What?¡± I mumbled. She pointed with her finger on a page in her bible and said out loud: ¡°Ephesians 4:2 said, Bepletely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.¡± She then looked up at me and smiled; ¡°Nicole wille back. Sooner than you think.¡± Chapter 38 Nicole Vargas I adjusted the straps of my ck striped bikini and grabbed my sunblock out of my beach bag that I borrowed from my mom. She had a whole closet with bags and she didn¡¯t like it when I borrowed one. But once in the blue moon, just once, she let me choose something out of her collection of bags. I opened the sunblock and squeezed a little bit on my hand and applied it on my body. This was my third day in Brazil and so far I have been enjoying it. I went shopping the same day I arrived and attended a partyst night hosted by one of my mother¡¯s friends. My mom didn¡¯t mention that it would be an art party, so it was boring to say the least. Today I decided to go to the beach and get a beautiful golden brown tan before going back to New york, which will be at the end of next week. I was so ready to go back to the busy city and get started on my boutique. Rose was currently also on vacation in Moro. I put on my sunsses andid down on the beach chair. The chattering from the people around me and the cool breeze from the ocean gave me a tranquil feeling. Living in a busy city as New York made me crave for a rxed environment quite often. Even though Brazil was not exactly a quiet and rxed city, it was my home. And home is where the heart is. Although that¡¯s what I thought untilst night when I cried myself to sleep. The feeling of guilt suddenly took me over and I started to bawl my eyes out. I thought that I was slowly going insane. There was a missing piece in my heart and I knew exactly what that missing piece was. It was the sound of the piano, the warmth of his body, and the love that he fed me. ¡°Hey.¡± I opened my eyes to see who stood between me and the sun. I immediately gasped as I saw it was none other than Hayden. What the hell was he doing here? He was standing next to my beach chair, his hair all wet and his toned skin glistening in the sun. He wore his orange shorts so low, that I could see his v-line. ¡°Like what you see?¡± He asked smirking, raising his eyebrows up at me. Pursing my lips I slowly sat up straight. ¡°Definitely¡­ not.¡± I answered, giving him a final once over. ¡°I have seen better.¡± I added, my mind wandering off to Ethan. For his body I would definitely drop my panties. I didn¡¯t miss how Hayden¡¯s face fell. He quickly recovered, because he sat down on the beach chair next to mine. ¡°How¡¯s your vacation so far?¡± he asked, his eyes continuously wandering from my boobs to my thighs. I shrugged as I crossed my legs and ced a towel over my exposed legs and breasts since Hayden couldn¡¯t keep his eyes off my body. ¡°Great, I miss home though.¡± ¡°But you are home.¡± He said, frowning his eyebrows at me as he, finally, looked at my face. ¡°Yes¡­ well no, not exactly. I have found a new home.¡± I answered absent-mindedly. ¡°It¡¯s Ethan, isn¡¯t it. New york is your new home?¡± The disappointment was visible in his voice. ¡°Why are pretty girls always attracted to the fuckboys?¡± He muttered under his breath quietly, but still loud enough for me to hear. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I narrowed my eyes at him even though he could not see them due the big sunsses I was wearing. ¡°You¡¯ve heard exactly what I said. Have you even seen what¡¯s on the news the past few days?¡± he asked, fishing his phone out of his pocket. ¡°Do you mean the gossips? Then no, other than that I¡¯m well aware of what is happening around the world.¡± ¡°Yes, I meant the gossips. Because it was or it is still very interesting you know.¡± His lips curled into a half smile as he switched on his phone and furiously started scrolling down. ¡°How so? Gossips are just a bunch of made up things.¡± He chuckled, but didn¡¯t look up from his phone. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that, because your loverboy is having quiet a good time without your presence there while you¡¯re over here sulking.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t feed me your bullshit. I¡¯m trying to make the best out of this vacation.¡± I was about toy down again when he pushed his phone into my hands.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Bullshit? Really? Why don¡¯t you look at this and tell me if I¡¯m still feeding you lies?¡± I looked at the picture on his phone and my heart immediately clenched. Tears were brimming behind my eyes, but I tried to not burst out in front of Hayden. I would not give him that satisfaction to watch me break down so he couldfort me. The picture on his phone was from none other than Ethan with a beautiful girl in a sushi restaurant. She held his hand and was smiling at him like he was her whole world. There was another picture where they went to church and there was ast one where he hugged her and ced a kiss on her forehead before she walked into the four seasons hotel. To watch all this from afar was painful. I should have been her. It should have been me in the pictures, holding his hand and going with him to church. Part of me was screaming screw him. But the other part of me was screaming fight for what you love. I couldn¡¯t let this happen. Oh hell no! I made a stupid mistake of letting him go and I really really need him back. He is my home, without him I would just be someone with a missing piece in her heart. I threw the phone back to Hayden and immediately started packing my stuff. I threw on my pink beach dress and zipped my beach bag close. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Hayden asked worriedly. ¡°Back to New York.¡± I told him as I put my hair in a ponytail. I picked up my bag and stuffed my sunsses in it. ¡°What?¡± His eyes widened in surprise. I threw a nce at the helpless Hayden behind me. He thought that after seeing the pictures I would run to him. Boo-hoo, his n backfired. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you heard what I said. Now if you will excuse me, I have a ne to catch.¡± Chapter 39 Nicole Vargas I was soaking wet. I stepped out of the taxi, pulling my suitcase behind me as I made my way towards the front door of the mansion. My hair was sticky and wet and my YSL dress clung onto my body like a second skin. It was hard to walk in the pouring rain with six inch stiletto heels and legs that were shaking uncontrobly. My makeup was smudged all over my face and my false eyshes came off in the taxi. If only I had took one minute out of my precious time to look up the weather in New York I would have not be in this situation right now. My heels made it impossible for me to walk fast in the rain, because the tiled driveway was slippery. When I finally reached the front door I wiped my hands on my dress andbed my sticky hair with my fingers. I grabbed a tissue out of my handbag and wiped my smudged makeup off my face. Thest thing I wanted was to look like a roon in front of Ethan. I took a deep breath as I closed my eyes for a millisecond, trying to calm down my nerves. I had already prepared everything I was about to say in my head once Ethan opens the door. I was so ready to face him and win him back. I knocked twice and waited. The sound of the rain became louder and the temperature began to drop. It was getting colder and I didn¡¯t brought a jacket with me. I shivered as I rubbed my hands together to keep myself warm When no one opened the door, I knocked again. This time harder. I heard footsteps somewhere in the mansion and my heart started to beat faster. Suddenly the door swung open and my breath got stuck in my throat. My eyes widened as I hid my shaking hands behind my back. In front of me stood Ethan, dressed in a loose fitting white tee and boxers. He opened the door in freaking boxers. His hair was a mess like he had just woke up or maybe it could be sex hair. I just hope it¡¯s not thetter one. ¡°Nicole?¡± He asked in a hoarse voice, ruffling his hair and squinting his eyes at me like as if he couldn¡¯t believe that I stood in front of him. ¡°Is that you?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. A small smile made its way towards my face, but soon sadness and guilt overpowered me. I thought I could be strong and just deliver my speech without bursting out into tears, but the exact opposite happened. ¡°Ethan I¡¯m so sorry.¡± I sobbed as tears welled up in my eyes. My lips was quivering and my hands were trembling as I spoke further. ¡°I should have never let you go and I know you just had sex because of your voice and your hair. And I know who that girl is, but honestly I promise you, I would make a better girlfriend. I really really miss you and you are my home.¡± I choked back another sob and couldn¡¯t see anything through my tears except the blurry outline of his body. ¡°And I love you so much and I¡¯m so sorry about everything, but I will not change right away if you consider taking me back. It will take time, but I promise it will be worth it. And I¡ªdid I already said how sorry I am and how much I miss you? I was so stupid and¡ª,¡± Suddenly I felt a warm body pressed against mine and a pair of lips iming my own, stopping me from further ranting. With his free hand he grabbed my left hand and ced my open palm on his heart, and holds it there, while still kissing me like there¡¯s no tomorrow. I hungrily kissed him back until we were both out of breath. Slowly he pulled away, a satisfied grin stered on his face as he let go of my hand. He slowly runs his fingers through my wet and sticky hair and gently guides my face closer to his, eventually leaning me in to rest my head on his chest. ¡°God, you¡¯re so dramatic.¡± He mumbled into my hair as he wrapped his arms around me. I let out a shaky breath as I felt the warmth of his body against my cold skin. My body trembled under his touch and he must have felt it. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you changed.¡± Ethan said as he put his hand behind the small of my back and guided me inside the mansion. ¡°I-I just need to know if I¡¯m forgiven and¨C,¡± I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence, because he ced a quick peck on my lips shutting me up immediately. ¡°We will talk about thatter, princess. Come on, let¡¯s get you changed. You¡¯re soaking wet.¡± I nodded absentmindedly and followed him to his room. When he was about to open the door, I took a few steps back, my heart stammering wildly. ¡°Y-your girlfriend.¡± I managed to choke out. Ethan chuckled and shook his head. ¡°What girlfriend are you talking about?¡± He opened the door and I peeked inside, only to find it empty. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Here.¡± He threw a white shirt at me that was lying on his bed. ¡°Change into this ande downstairs. I will make you coffee.¡± I quickly changed my clothes and dried my hair before heading to the kitchen where Ethan was waiting for me with a steaming cup of coffee. I took a sip of it and felt my insides warm up instantly. I looked around and everything was still the same. ¡°What girlfriend were you talking about?¡± Ethan questioned as he sat next to me on the barstool. ¡°The one in the gossip papers?¡± Ethan scoffed and put his coffee mug down. ¡°Really? You out of everyone should know not to believe in gossips. The girl you saw me with¡­ she is my niece.¡± Oh damn you, Hayden. Why was I so stupid to even listen to you? ¡°Oh.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say now. A deafening silence followed. The only sound heard was from the rain sshing on the roof. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¨C,¡± we both said simultaneously. Ethan chuckled and nodded his head at me to continue. ¡°Ladies first.¡± I took a deep breath before I spoke up again. Instead of apologizing I decided to say what I wanted to say for a long time. Three words, eight letters. Crossing my fingers and hoping that I will not scare him away. ¡°I love you.¡± Chapter 40 Nicole Vargas Ethan stared at me agape. Totally paralyzed, his eyes bulging out of his socket. ¡°Did you just dropped the L-bomb?¡± He finally spoke up after what seemed like a decade. His chest was rising up and down rapidly and his eyes held all kinds of emotions that it was hard for me to make out what he was actually thinking. I knew it was not a good idea. ¡°I-yeah I did.¡± I answered looking down at my coffee mug that was now half empty. My fingers trembled, but I managed to hide them under my shirt. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, afraid of what Ethan was about to say. I should not have said it. Now I will ruin this perfect moment I have with him. I should have waited. But I can¡¯t. I honestly can¡¯t wait anymore. I wanted him to know how I feel about him. About this. About us. I wanted him to know that I¡¯m also here for the long run. I may have walked out of his life, but I came back. And I think it will always be like that. No matter what, I will alwayse back to him. Because he is my home. My peace. My safe haven.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. Ethan leaned in closer to me and tilted my chin up so I could stare right in his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face as he softly caressed my cheek. ¡°I love you, too.¡± This time I was the one that was star struck. I couldn¡¯t believe what I heard and I had to blink my eyes a couple of times to assure myself that I was not dreaming I hadn¡¯t expect him to say it so fast. I stared inplete awe at the handsome guy in front of me before leaning in further and kissing him briefly on his lips. ¡°I still cannot cook.¡± I murmured against his lips as I slowly pulled away. His warm breath was fanning in my face. I felt his lips curling up into a smile. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as he studied my face. ¡°I will be there to cook.¡± ¡°I still take hours to dress up.¡± Ethan traced my lips with his fingers as he kissed me on my forehead. I love forehead kisses. ¡°I will be there to wait.¡± ¡°Why are you so patient with me?¡± I asked as I stared in his eyes again. His eyes held so much adoration, I could practically melt. ¡°Why?¡± He asked, giving me a small smile. ¡°Because what I have with you, I don¡¯t want with anyone else.¡± Ethan pulled me closer towards him and nuzzled his face in my hair. ¡°You are jegged, princess. Want to take a nap?¡± I yawned as I stayed in his arms for a little longer. I have missed him after all. ¡°A nap sounds good.¡± ¡ª Soft music in the distance¡­ My eyes fluttered open as I shielded my eyes from the sunlight. It was shining right into my face. I yawned as I reached for my phone on the nightstand. When I finally got hold of it I heard footsteps outside the room. ¡°Good Morning.¡± Ethan stood in the doorway with a tray of food in his hands. He wore a crisp dark blue suit and it seemed like he was ready to go to work. His hair was neatlybed and a big smile was stered on his face. ¡°Good Morning.¡± I mumbled confused as I switched on my phone to see what time it was. ¡°Did I sleep through until the morning?¡± Ethan chuckled and put the tray with food in front of me. He walked over towards the window and closed the blinds a little so that the sun wasn¡¯t shining directly at me. ¡°Yes, you did. I wanted to wake you up, but you were sleeping so peacefully.¡± ¡°Wow, I hadn¡¯t realized that I was so tired.¡± I looked at the breakfast tray and my mouth started to water. There was scones, a cup of coffee, and bagels. ¡°That looks so delicious.¡± I said as I grabbed a scone and took a bite of it. It was so good, it basically melted in my mouth. ¡°Rose called when you were asleep. I picked up your phone. She wants to meet you today to discuss the opening of the boutique.¡± Ethan informed me as he sat down at the end of the bed. I stopped chewing on the delicious scone and stared at him agape. She came back early from her vacation. ¡°What time?¡± Ethan nced at his watch and then looked up at me again. ¡°In two hours.¡± ¡°Thank god.¡± I let out a breath of relieve as I continued to devour the deliciously looking scones. Two hours will be enough time to get ready and exfoliate my face. ¡°Oh my god¡­ This is so good.¡± I pointed at the scones. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind waking up to it every morning.¡± Ethan chuckled as he watched me eat. ¡°I would love to stay here and watch you eat, but I need to be at a meeting now. The car keys are on the kitchen table. Can I take you out for lunch today?¡± ¡°I will call you. I have a lot to catch up with Rose.¡± I told him as I sip on the coffee. ¡°Rose cane along too.¡± He said as he smoothed out his suit. ¡°And third wheel? I think not.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Ethanughed as he stood up from the bed. ¡°What about dinner?¡± ¡°Dinner sounds better.¡± I told him with a smile. Ethan nodded his head and walked over towards me, cing a soft kiss on my forehead. ¡°It¡¯s a date then.¡± I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from squealing in excitement. I watch Ethan walk out of my room, but before he could close the door I called him. ¡°Ethan!¡± He turned around and raised an eyebrow up at me. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Am I forgiven?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°Princess, I thought that we have already established that.¡± He said a small chuckle rising up from his throat. ¡°But¡­ there are also other ways to make up for what you did.¡± He send me a wink and I gasp. ¡°You dirty minded freak!¡± I yelled as he closed the door behind him. I heard hisughter echo in the hallway. ¡°Right back at you, princess!¡± Chapter 41 ¡°Finally! The break was a really stupid thing!¡± I couldn¡¯t have agreed anymore with what Rose just said. Dressed in a turquoise dress she brought from Moro she walked around the table to sit down next to me. After our small meeting about the boutique the conversation shifted to Ethan and I¡¯s rtionship. To say that Rose was happy was just an understatement. She was over the moon. The sparkle in her eyes said enough about her feelings after I told her that Ethan and I were back together. ¡°We are going out for dinner tonight.¡± I told her as I packed myptop in my bag. The smile on my face has not left since this morning. ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± She eximed happily. ¡°You will open your boutique in two months and you will get the man you love. Couldn¡¯t your life get any better?¡± I grinned as I zipped my bag close. ¡°I know. I feel so much better now. Better than before.¡± ¡°I can see that! You looked so miserable thest time I saw you.¡± Rose caressed my cheek and gave me a loving smile. ¡°Thank goodness I¡¯m not anymore.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Anyways, I should go now. I have a dinner date to go.¡± Rose gave me a nod. ¡°So romantic. Well have fun! I will see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send me the address.¡± I reminded her. She nodded her head. ¡°I will not¡­ Wait!¡± I turned around and raised my eyebrows up at her. ¡°Yeah?¡± Rose opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a red velvety box. ¡°I want to give this to you.¡± She whispered. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I took the box from her. ¡°Open it.¡± She ushered me. ¡°You will look stunning in it.¡± I opened the box and gasped. My eyes widened in surprise as I saw what was in it. ¡°Rose, no I can¡¯t. This is yours.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org. ¡°But now it¡¯s yours.¡± She closed her eyes, a small smile ying on her lips. ¡°He gave it to me as a gift. He told me that I was the keeper of his soul and holder of his heart.¡± Rose opened her eyes and chuckled. She blinked away her tears and continued. ¡°My old man, he was so romantic. Now, I¡¯m going to give this to you. I believe in you, Nicole. I know you will not break Ethan¡¯s heart. I love that boy, he is like the son I¡¯ve never had. And I love you, you¡¯re like the daughter I¡¯ve never had. Keep him happy, will ya?¡± I stared at the diamond ne in the box and looked up at Rose. ¡°I promise. I will.¡± ¡ª ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Ethan breathed out as he entered the bedroom. I turned around and saw him standing in the doorway with a bouquet of red roses in his hand. ¡°Are those for me?¡± My eyes lit up as I saw the beautiful roses in his hand. It matched with my redce dress. Definitely need to take a picture for my instagram feed. He nodded his head and walked over towards me to hand me the roses. ¡°Do you like them?¡± he asked as his eyes raked over my body. ¡°Sexy.¡± He murmured. ¡°I love it!¡± I hugged him and nted a kiss on his cheeks. ¡°They are beautiful.¡± ¡°Not as beautiful as you.¡± I blushed and walked away from him to put the roses in a vase. ¡°Get ready fast, will you?¡± I shouted at him as he walked towards the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°I will, princess. Unlike you, I only take five minutes.¡± He shouted back. Iughed and made my way downstairs to search for a vase. When I finally found one I put the roses in it and ced it on the piano. ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± Ethan voice came from behind me. I turned around and smiled at him. ¡°You cleaned up nice. I love the suit.¡± ¡°Umhu.¡± He murmured, walking towards me. ¡°You bought it, so why wouldn¡¯t you love it.¡± ¡°Shut up. You look handsome, alright.¡± Iughed as he snaked his arms around me. ¡°I know, princess. I know.¡± He chuckled as he ced a kiss on my cheek. ¡°And you look stunning.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I said, winking at him. He entwined our fingers together and brought my hands to his lips. ¡± Now shall we go? I can¡¯t let mydy starve for any longer, can I?¡± Ethan kissed the back of my hand, causing me to giggle. ¡°Of course not, otherwise she will throw a tantrum and that¡¯s not what you want. Right Mr. Gray?¡± ¡°Certainly not. So let¡¯s get going.¡± Ethan drove us to our destination. He had already ced a reservation he told me. We stepped out at a beautiful hotel that also had a restaurant in it. We walked to the lobby that will lead us to the restaurant and halfway through the lobby Ethan suddenly let go of my hand. ¡°Shit! I forgot my wallet in the car.¡±he cursed as he felt his pockets. ¡°Wait here for a moment. I will be back in a minute.¡± I nodded my head and watch him ran outside. While waiting I saw a familiar couple in the corner of my eyes. I didn¡¯t really pay attention to them until I felt like they were staring holes into my body. When I turned my head towards them, they were indeed already staring at me. My eyes widened when I realized who it was. They walked towards me and a big smile was stered on the woman¡¯s face. She was beautiful, dressed in a long silver gown and so much jewellery. ¡°If this isn¡¯t the beautiful Nicole Vargas.¡± She squealed as she hugged me tightly. ¡°Nicole I¡¯m¡ª,¡± Ethan¡¯s voice came from behind me. I turned around and his eyes widened instantly when he saw who was in front of me. ¡°Mom, dad?¡± I gave him a stiff smile. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me this was a family reunion.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡± He turned his attention back at his parents. ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± His motherughed. ¡°We¡¯re staying in this hotel and now we are on our way to dinner.¡± ¡°Your mother wanted to surprise you.¡± His father said, his eyes darting back and forth from Ethan to me. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise indeed.¡± Ethan chuckled as he took my hands in his. ¡°Nicole and I are also heading for dinner.¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± His mother squealed, her eyes sparkling from happiness. ¡°I¡¯m so d you two have be friends.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they are just friends, my love.¡± Ethan¡¯s father said as he stared at both Ethan and I. His stare made me so ufortable. ¡°What?¡± Ethan¡¯s mother blinked her eyes at her husband in confusion. ¡°Nicole is my girlfriend.¡± Ethan dered as he squeezed my hand tightly. This was not how it was suppose to go. ¡°G-girlfriend?¡± His mother stuttered out as she stared at the both of us. Then she looked at her husband and hugged him tightly. ¡°Our son finally has a girlfriend!¡± His father rubbed his mother¡¯s back softly and gave Ethan a small smile. ¡°Your mother¡­ she thought you were from the other direction.¡± I heard Ethan groan next to me and I turned towards him quirking my eyebrows up in confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°My mom thought I was gay.¡± He muttered under his breath. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a littleugh. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Apparently gossip didn¡¯t reach my parents.¡± Iughed and shook my head. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Mr and Mrs Gray.¡± I said to the pair in front of me. ¡°Nice meeting you too, Nicole.¡± They both said in unison. I didn¡¯t miss the look of admiration in their eyes as they watch us walk away. Chapter 42 Nicole Vargas ¡°We are just staying for a week not five months.¡± Ethan entered our room and stared at all my clothes scattered on the floor and bed. The room was a mess. My thong was hanging on the bedpost and my bra was on the doorknob. ¡°You don¡¯t need three suitcases and two carry-ons.¡± ¡°But I need to have options.¡± I hold up a pink blouse I didn¡¯t know I had. ¡°Do you think this pink blouse will make me look fat?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Ethan raised his eyebrows up at me and then he looked at the blouse in my hand. ¡°Are you out of your mind? You are not fat. You don¡¯t even have baby fat.¡± ¡°I never said I was fat.¡± I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°I was just asking if it would make me look fat.¡± ¡°No, of course not. Don¡¯t be so silly.¡± I turned my back towards him and started to fold all the clothes on the bed, because it was alreadyte at night and tomorrow we had an early flight to catch. ¡°I¡¯m so tired princess, can you hurry up?¡± Ethan yawned behind me as he hugged me from behind. ¡°You will love this vacation.¡± I said as I continued folding the clothes. Ethan workedte nights now and I was most of the day in Rose¡¯s office discussing the things for my new boutique. We rarely saw each other during the day and the only time we were together was at night. But then we were both too exhausted to start a conversation. ¡°I deserve it. We both do.¡± Ethan murmured as he kissed my cor bone. ¡ª ¡°Ethan¡­ No.¡± ¡°Princess¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat that¡­ that thing.¡± I scrunch my nose up in disgust as I pushed my te far away from me. Even the smell nauseated me. ¡°We are in Australia. You should at least try this. And this thing is called vegemite.¡± Ethan pushed the te back towards me and picked up a sandwich. ¡°Come on, open that pretty little mouth of yours.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat dynamite. It¡¯s¡­ It looks so disgusting.¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s vegemite. And I promise, it taste delicious. Tell me, would Australians eat this if it wasn¡¯t good?¡± I hesitated for a moment as I stared at the sandwich in Ethan¡¯s hand. He already ate three and I couldn¡¯t even look at it without wanting to vomit all over the ce. Maybe, it¡¯s only the smell. Maybe, it taste good. Ethan ate three and Australians ate it everyday. How bad could it be? ¡°Come on, princess.¡± He urged, giving me a tender smile. ¡°One teeny tiny bite. I just want you to have the experience.¡± ¡°Experience of what?¡± I asked, staring disgustedly at the sandwich in his hand. ¡°Trying something new.¡± I sighed and took a deep breath. One small bite will not kill me. Only one. I closed my nose with my fingers as I took the smallest bite of the sandwich. I coughed as I instantly spit it out. ¡°Ugh it¡¯s so disgusting! Oh my god, how can you eat this!¡± I gulped down the ss of water on the kitchen table and red at Ethan. ¡°Are you happy now?¡± He grinned widely. ¡°More than happy, princess. Now, go pack your swimwear. We¡¯re going to the beach.¡± ¡°But i¡¯m still hungry.¡± I looked at the vegemite sandwiches on the table and shuddered. ¡°I never want to have that thing near me ever again!¡± Ethanughed loudly. ¡°I will make sure of that, don¡¯t worry. And we will order something on our way to the beach.¡± I went to the bathroom and packed my swimsuit in a blue beach bag I got two summers ago. It was still in a good condition and I actually like the color and how spacious it is. When I returned back to the kitchen, Ethan already had his keys in his hands. ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked as he put the tes in the sink. I bet he ate the remaining sandwiched. Ew. I nodded my head at him. ¡°Yup, let¡¯s go.¡± I turned the lights off the kitchen and walked towards the front door. We were staying in a luxurious condo in Sydney, Australia. It was a open n condo stylishly decorated and furnished with a dining area that flows out to the balcony. Both, Ethan and I were amazed by the the high ceilings, stunning light fittings and ambience. Everything we could possibly need was here. It was a beautiful ce. Even better than it was shown in the pictures. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to stop somewhere to have breakfast.¡± I reminded Ethan as I threw my bag in the backseat of the car. ¡°Of course not, Princess.¡± He chuckled as he turned the engine on. ¡°Are you up for a fish burger?¡± ¡°A fish burger? For breakfast?¡± Ethan shrugged his shoulder as he easily drove out of the small driveway. ¡°Yeah, considering it¡¯s almost noon a fish burger would be nice. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Is it the one around the corner of Gordons Bay? Are we going to Gordons bay?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. How¡¯d you know?¡± Ethan asked surprised. ¡°I heard so much about it during family dinners. My mom¡¯s family is obsessed with Australia by the way. Like, they are going every year to Australia.¡± I told Ethan as I put on my sunsses. Heughed. ¡°Well then, next time at the family dinner you can also talk about the famous fish burger from Gordons Bay.¡± Soon, we arrived at this small burger joint called ¡®Out of the Blue.¡¯ Ethan went in and ordered the fish burgers and chips. A couple of minutester he came out with two bags in his hands. We ate in the car and now I know why my mom¡¯s family praised this ce. The burger was incredible it made me wonder what I¡¯ve been doing with my life this whole time. I let out a loud moan as I took thest bite of my burger. ¡°It¡¯s so good. We need toe back!¡± Ethanughed, wiping his hands on a napkin. ¡°Yup, we should. I don¡¯t even need to ask you if you enjoyed that burger. That moan was enough.¡± I chuckled as I grabbed the water bottle. It was really hot and I got thirsty really fast. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the beach. I¡¯m so sweaty right now.¡± We drove to the beach and Ethan parked the car. I grabbed my beach bag from the back seat and stepped out of the car. While we¡¯re heading towards the beach my phone suddenly rang. I fished it out of my bag and narrowed my eyes to see who the caller was. ¡°Ol¨¢ m?e,¡± I answered the phone. ¡°Ol¨¢ minha filha, how are you?¡± Mom chirped in the phone. Too happy. Has she sold a painting again for some rich dude in Dubai? ¡°I¡¯m doing well. I¡¯m in Australia right now.¡± I told her. ¡°Really?¡± She squealed. ¡°With Ethan.¡± ¡°Uh yes, how¡¯d you know?¡± I asked, furrowing my eyebrows. Was it in the newspaper? Or online? I didn¡¯t see paparazzi when we were heading towards the airport. ¡°Ohe on. His parents told us. I¡¯m so happy for you and so is dad.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Okay..¡± I didn¡¯t really know what to say. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy! Ethan is a great guy. We couldn¡¯t wish for a better son-inw.¡± ¡°I¨Cokay that¡¯s great to hear. Lucky me. Haha. Uhm¡­ why did you call again? Ethan and I are actually heading to the beach.¡± ¡°So cute. Young love. I love it. Reminds me of your dad and I when we were young. It was such an amazing¨C,¡± ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Oh yeah¡­ sorry, got carried away a little. But I want to invite you to the family dinner next weekend. I hope you can make it¡­ You better make it. Bring Ethan. He¡¯s part of the family now.¡± ¡°I will tell him. Thanks for calling mom.¡± ¡°Eu te amo.¡± ¡°Eu tamb¨¦m te amo.¡± I replied as I ended the call. As I put my phone in my bag, Ethan stared at me with raised eyebrows. I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Are you ready to meet my family next weekend?¡± Chapter 43 Nicole Vargas ¡°Do you like this lingerie?¡± I turned around to show Ethan the redced lingerie that I found in one of the racks in Sylvia Rhodes Boutique. Ethan looked up from his phone and walked towards me to have a better look at it. ¡°It¡¯s so expensive.¡± He mumbled as he fumbled with the fabric. ¡°I¡¯ll tear it off anyways, so why bother? But if you like it, I will not stop you from buying it Princess.¡± Princess. I love it when he calls me that. I rolled my eyes at him as I put the lingerie back on the rack. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. A waste of money.¡± Ethan chuckled and kissed my forehead. ¡°If you like it princess, buy it.¡± He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ll get us some dinner and dessert. You can continue shopping.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait at the parking lot for you in an hour or so?¡± ¡°Sounds good, just give me a call okay?¡± I nodded my head at him and continued shopping. I looked at the red lingerie again and picked it back from the rack. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s expensive and he will tear it off. I¡¯ll buy it just because it¡¯s too cute to just leave it here on the rack. Today was ourst day in Australia. Thest few days were a bliss. We went to Hunter Valley, that was probably my favorite from this whole trip excluding the many beautiful beaches we also visited. At Hunter Valley we went into a hot air balloon to watch the sunset (so romantic) and then we had dinner at Muse restaurant. Another thing I enjoyed from this trip was the art and culture the city had to offer. Ethan brought me sightseeing and then he suddenly stopped at Wentworth Gallery to show me quality australian art. Even though I¡¯m not a fan of art, I enjoyed the little tour and his constant chattering. It made me fall more in love with him. He¡¯s so considerate, attentive, and he treats me like ady. Sometimes I wonder why he chose me. Me out of everyone. The dramatic, spoiled, and bratty daughter of Santiago Vargas. Ethan could have had anyone. And he still chose me. I¡¯m so lucky even though he always says that he¡¯s the lucky one. I walked out of thest store and fished my phone out of my Louis Vuitton bag to call Ethan. He immediately picked up. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m heading off to the parking lot. Are you there?¡± I immediately asked. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on my way. See you in a bit.¡± He said. I ended the call and put my phone back in my bag before continuing my journey to the parking lot. It was not easy considering I wore five inch heels and I was carrying four shoppings on both my arms. When Ethan saw me he immediately helped me with all the bags. ¡°You went all out, didn¡¯t you?¡± He chuckled as he ced the bags in the backseat of the car. ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop myself. They had pretty stuff.¡± I said as I stepped inside the car. The smell of food entered my nostrils. ¡°Mmh, it smells so good in here.¡± ¡°I ordered wok fried tapioca noodles for dinner and mango pudding as dessert. Are you down for it or do you want me to order something else?¡± Ethan asked, starting the car. ¡°Is that even a question? Of course I¡¯m down for it. It smells amazing!¡± I eximed as I fastened my seatbelt. ¡°By the way, thank you for this trip. I enjoyed every second of it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, princess. I mean we both needed it anyways. We haven¡¯t spent much time with each other until Australia.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s true. And next week you¡¯re going to meet my family. I probably should warn you¡­,¡± I bit my lip, hoping I will not scare him away. ¡°They are a little bit loud.¡± Ethanughed. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can handle that.¡± That¡¯s what he says now.N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°I¡¯m serious. They are loud and¡­ I just don¡¯t attend family dinners because they are so¡­ they just talk a lot!¡± I said with an exasperated sigh. That was just the truth. Family dinners did not feel like a family dinner at all, but more like parrots squawking through each other. They barely touched their food except for the men. ¡°Don¡¯t stress it. I will be just fine. I¡¯m excited to meet your family to be honest.¡± Ethan said, giving me a side nce. ¡°I mean, I already met your parents. But I¡¯m excited to meet the rest of the family.¡± We soon arrived at our condo. I grabbed my stuff from the backseat and Ethan brought the food inside. We took a quick shower before curling up in the living room, eating dinner while watching Divergent. After dinner and dessert I walked to the kitchen to wash my hands. Ethan followed behind me. ¡°Nice view from behind here.¡± He said as he whistled at me. I chuckled as I opened the tap. I know where this was going. I was so up for it. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°The view, yes.¡± I rolled my eyes as I closed the tap, searching for a towel. ¡°I meant the shorts. I bought it today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cute too, but I prefer you without. You know it.¡± He gave me a wink as he washed his hands. ¡°Oh really?¡± I asked seductively as I threw the towel at him which he easily catched. ¡°Maybe if you can catch me you can have some¡± I paused for a little before continuing in a whisper ¡°¡­ extra dessert.¡± His eyes darkened as he eyed me up and down before running after me. ¡°I¡¯ll not say no to that!¡± I squealed as I ran to the bedroom. Before I could close the door, Ethan grabbed my hand and held it on top of my head. Damn it. That was fast. His mouth was inches away from mine. ¡°How do you want it today, princess?¡± He asked, his warm breath fanning in my face as his eyes darkened with lust. ¡°Slow and Tender or Hard and fast until you can¡¯t walk?¡± I licked my bottom lip and wiggled my eyebrows at him. ¡°You know, the usual.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t expect anything else.¡± Ethan growled before pressing his lips on mine while unbuttoning my blouse. Slow and Tender? Ha, never. Chapter 44 Nicole VargasN?velDrama.Org (C) content. I could hear the sound of people babbling the moment I stepped out of the car. I was still in the driveway and these people were all the way sitting in the patio in the back garden. That¡¯s how loud they were talking. ¡°A huge family you have here.¡± Ethan remarked as he stepped out of the car, looking as handsome as ever in his ck button up shirt and blue jeans. I love casual Ethan. ¡°Huge family? There¡¯s only like thirty people.¡± I answeredughing. ¡°Really?¡± He asked, cing his hand around my waist. ¡°Are you sure? It sounds like a hundred people.¡± ¡°Ohe on. Remember when I told you my family is really loud? They are like parrots. Talking non stop.¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with then.¡± We walked to the front door and before I could knock, the door swung open revealing my mom in a bright blue dress. She always managed to look so elegant and ssy. ¡°You made it!¡± she eximed, hugging me tightly. ¡°You never like family dinners, I thought you woulde with ast minute excuse for this one too.¡± Iughed at how urate she was. ¡°I would. But then I thought that it would be the perfect way to introduce Ethan to the family.¡± My mom looked at Ethan and grinned widely. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wish for a better man for my daughter. Come in. Everyone¡¯s waiting for you.¡± We walked towards the back of the house where the patio was. For as long as I can remember we always have family dinner at the patio. It was big enough for thirty people to fit and it was outdoors. My dad sat at the end of the dinner table and when he saw using out of the house he stood up, a big smile stered on his face. ¡°Everyone this is my future son-inw, Ethan Gray.¡± he announced as he pointed at us. Everyone at the dinner table turned dead silent. For one second. ¡°Meu Deus!, ele ¨¦ bonito.¡± ¡°When is the wedding?¡± ¡°Mmh, Nicole are you pregnant? You are glowing.¡± ¡°Shush Alexandria, how can you ask that? Nicole is in love of course she will glow.¡± ¡°You snatch a homem bonito. I¡¯m jealous.¡± All the women on the table started talking through each other, firing one question after another at us. They were all suppose to be ¡®elites¡¯ but at the family dinner all the etiquette they have learned suddenly vanished. The only thing that they worry about at family dinner is their weight. Most of these women on the table excluding me and my mom chose for sd rather than the juice steak and fries or mac and cheese. I usually choose mac and cheese and sd to keep dinner bnced. I love my figure and I¡¯m doing anything to keep it like this, but I also don¡¯t like to starve myself. ¡°Boa noite a todos, I want you to all meet my boyfriend Ethan Vargas.¡± I squeezed Ethan¡¯s hand as I look up to him. I was surprised to see his rxed facial expression. If I was in his ce I think I would have a stroke. He smiles politely at everyone at the table. ¡°Good evening all, I¡¯m honored to meet all of you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so polite.¡± Aunty Rafa with the big hoop earrings said from across the table. ¡°I already like you. We like him, don¡¯t we Benito?¡± She looked at her husband who nodded his head at her. ¡°Yes we do, darling.¡± We sat down at the table as everyone was still chattering on and on. They questioned Ethan what he was doing in New York and what his future ns were. They asked about his family, how we met, and where he went to school. Ethan answered all the questions as best as he could. Then we had dinner and as I already said even while we were eating the talking didn¡¯t stop. Ethan looked at me and mouthed ¡®you were right.¡¯ After dinner we decided to say our goodbyes. Ethan didn¡¯t really show that he had a problem staying around these loud bunch of people that I call family. But I did. My head was spinning from all the questions, stories, andints. ¡°So fast?! Why?¡± Mom pouted as she hugged me tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll not see you until¡­ when you decide to visit me again or vice versa.¡± ¡°You will see me soon mom.¡± I promised her. ¡°At the opening of my boutique.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, please tell me in advance so I can reschedule my appointment and dad his meetings.¡± ¡°I will don¡¯t worry.¡± I turned to my dad who was standing at the doorway with his arms crossed. ¡°Bye dad.¡± ¡°Can I have a little chat with Ethan?¡± I looked at Ethan who was standing behind me and he just shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°In private.¡± Dad added as he walked to his office, beckoning Ethan to follow him. ¡°Dad, please don¡¯t do anything ridiculous.¡± I yelled at him before he closed the door behind him. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and join the family again.¡± Mom suggested as she tugged on my hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back. They are so loud like¡­ like fifty childrenbined in one room.¡± I said as I looked outside through the window. Even from here you could still hear clearly what they were talking about. Aunt Gina was talking about her trip to Australia (like always at all family dinners) and Uncle Vidal wasining about how shitty the service was at some airline he flew withst week. ¡°What can I do?¡± My mom sighed. ¡°They are all family. My siblings and your dad siblings. And then your cousin Xavi and his fiancee and Penelope and her sister. It¡¯s a big family.¡± ¡°It totally is. And they are so loud. Like parrots.¡± My momughed. ¡°Don¡¯t say that in front of their faces. Are you going to invite them all at your wedding?¡± ¡°What wedding?¡± I asked confused. ¡°Your wedding. I mean you must have talk about marriage with Ethan right?¡± I gave my mom a funny look. ¡°No, besides I feel like we have just started dating yesterday.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. It¡¯s always good to talk about marriage and babies at the earliest as possible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. I don¡¯t see why it¡¯s important. ¡°Because then you will know where Ethan stand. What if he never wants to marry or never want kids?¡± ¡°Now you are just overthinking, mom.¡± I shook my head andugh. ¡°If the time is right things will happen on its own.¡± The door of the office opened and Ethan stepped out followed by my dad who patted his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt my daughter, Ethan.¡± ¡°I will not, Santiago.¡± Ethan said as he gave my dad a firm handshake. Santiago huh? First name basis already. ¡°Shall we go, Nicole?¡± Ethan asked as he stretched his hand out at me. I ced my hand in his and together we walked outside, followed by my parents. ¡°You are right, you know.¡± Ethan whispered in my ear as we neared our car. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your family is crazy.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Your dad especially.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± I asked as Ethan opened the door for me. ¡°Nothing. He just showed me his collection.¡± I facepalmed myself. Grumbling I fumbled with the seatbelt until Ethan jumped in the drivers seat. ¡°He didn¡¯t threaten you, did he?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯t or maybe he was. I don¡¯t know, it didn¡¯t feel like it. I was just taken aback. It¡¯s not everyday I see something like that.¡± Of course, it¡¯s not everyday you see a collection of swords. Chapter 45 Ethan Gray ¡°Happy birthday!!¡± I felt the bed shift next to me and in no time I felt someone straddling me. I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times to get use to the sunlight. Who opened the curtains so early in the morning? On top of me sat Nicole in nothing more than a silky top and shorts. I groaned inwardly at the sight. ¡°Ethan! Wake up, it¡¯s your birthday. Blow this candle before it will burn the room down.¡± I chuckled as I saw her holding a cake with a big candle in the middle. ¡°Can you get off me so I can sit up straight, princess? I don¡¯t think I can blow the candle like this¡­ or maybe you can give my candle a blow first. What do you say?¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. Nicole scowled as she sat down next to me. ¡°You¡¯re insatiable.¡± I chuckled and looked at the cake. It was chocte cake with vani frosting. My favorite. ¡°Did you bake this yourself?¡± ¡°Bake?¡± Nicole snorted as she bursted outughing. ¡°Are you kidding? I can barely cook water.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t bake it. I went to the bakery early this morning.¡± She said smiling. ¡°Anyways, will you blow the candle, please. And make a wish.¡± ¡°As you wish, princess.¡± Iughed as I blow the candle. Nicole grinned as she pulled the candle out of the cake. She then looked up at me, her eyes narrowed and her lips in a devilish smirk. She was up to something. Before my brain could fully process what she was up to, I felt the cake and frosting being smashed all over my face followed byughter. ¡°You little¨C,¡± I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand as I watched Nicole rolling on the floor fromughter. ¡°HAHAHAHA, you look so sweet right now!¡± She roared, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I narrowed my eyes at her and jumped out of bed to catch her and wipe my face all over her. Her eyes widened as she saw me getting out of bed. She hurriedly stood up and ran to the door. ¡°Oh my god, Ethan stop¨C don¡¯t..!¡± She yelled, still running, but I was fast enough to grab her and throw her over my shoulder. My beautiful girlfriend squealed and hit my back, yelling at me to put her down. ¡°Please don¡¯t go to the living room¡­ Ethan listen to me! There are¨C,¡± Instead of listening to her I just pped her butt as I walked into the living room. ¡°SURPRI¨COH MY GOD!¡± My eyes widened and my mouth fell wide open in shock. In the living room were my parents, Nicole¡¯s parents, Rose, and the rest of my family from Ennd. I put Nicole down and she smiled sheepishly at me. ¡°Surprise?¡± She squeaked, burying her face in my chest immediately. ¡°This is so embarrassing.¡± I heard her mutter. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we interrupted, but a question. Didn¡¯t you guys had like a birthday eve sex? I tell you, that¡¯s wayyy¨C,¡± ¡°Florence!¡± My mom eximed, eyes bulging out of her socket. ¡°Oh god, I don¡¯t want to hear about that.¡± She then turned her attention towards me and smiled. ¡°Happy birthday, my son. Nicole called us all and asked if we wanted to surprise you in the morning.¡± ¡°I should have told you guys to surprise him in the evening instead of in the morning.¡± Nicole said, finally being able to face the crowd in the living room. ¡°I thought so too.¡± Dad chuckled. I was still speechless. My whole family and Nicole¡¯s parents were in the living room. ¡°Is this real?¡± I asked, still in a daze. Nicole nudged me from the side. ¡°It¡¯s all real. Now, will you please look a little more excited. You look like someone killed your cat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in shock right now.¡± I looked around the room, still trying to absorb this ¡®surprise.¡¯ I looked at Nicole who was softly squeezing my hand. How could I get so lucky to call her mine? She¡¯s a gem. I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better way to wake up this morning. The love of my life shoving cake in my face and everyone close to my heart in the living room. It¡¯s perfect. I¡¯m so grateful for this little human next to me who made it all possible. ¡°Thank you, princess. You¡¯re absolutely the best!¡± I hugged her tightly and kissed her briefly on her lips. ¡°They¡¯re so cute.¡± ¡°There are kids in the room!¡± ¡°Ew, did you wash your mouth uncle Ethan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so Maddie. Couples love to swap germs with each other.¡± ¡°Shut up, you two.¡± Iughed as I let go of Nicole. ¡°I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± I told everyone in the living room. ¡°As you can see.¡± I pointed at my face. ¡°My girlfriend woke me up by shoving cake in my face.¡± ¡ª After I was done showering, Nicole told me that everyone was in the kitchen ready to have breakfast. ¡°What did you order for breakfast?¡± I asked her as I watch her slip into a yellow jumpsuit. We both took a shower together thatsted longer than usual showers. Needless to say, I had cramps in my hand right now from constantly covering Nicole¡¯s mouth. She is loud. ¡°Blueberry scones, muffins, cinnamon buns, and Donuts.¡± she said, pulling her hair up in a ponytail. She then turned around to face me. ¡°Do you think I should have ordered something more healthy?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. My family love sugary things. I¡¯m pretty sure yours too.¡± ¡°Yeah. My parents don¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s go, I think they have waited long enough.¡± ¡°And whose fault is that?¡± I asked teasingly. ¡°Definitely you!¡± After breakfast we all went to the living room. ¡°y something on the piano, uncle Ethan.¡± My cousin Maddie said. She was eleven and too adorable for her own good. ¡°Sure.¡± I walked over to the piano and beckoned Nicole to sit next to me. ¡°This one¡¯s for you, princess.¡± A small smile appeared on her beautiful, fresh face. I love seeing her without makeup. So pure. So beautiful. God took all his time on her. I yed ¡®Can¡¯t help falling in love with you.¡¯ by Elvis Presley. As always, Nicole rested her head on my shoulders with her eyes closed enjoying each second of it. For the first time, everything felt alright. I was surrounded by the people I love, doing something that made me feel peaceful. I looked at the beautiful girl next to me and I couldn¡¯t help but smile. This is going to be a forever thing. We¡¯re both in here for the long run. I know what I want for the rest of my life. The piano, her, and us. Chapter 46 Nicole Vargas This was really happening! Oh my god¡­ soon I will be Mrs. Gray! My heart was beating fastly in my chest as I tried to breath in and out. I still cannot believe it that it has already been two years since we first started dating and one year since we were engaged. After a year of dating everything suddenly fell in ce. My boutique became a huge sess and now I¡¯m even thinking about expanding it beyond US borders. I have payed Rose back a year ago for all the hard work she put into the boutique, but she kindly declined. Instead she told me to give the money to a charity I supported. Ethan¡¯spany in New York and in Ennd is making millions and now he is also considering expanding to Asia. New York became our new home. It was easier for both Ethan and I. We moved from the huge mansion to live in tiron District in Manhattan eight months ago. Our new home is located in Madison Square Park. It was a beautiful penthouse with panoramic views of the city, including the Chrysler Building, One World Trade Center, and the Empire State Building. The home also includes floor-to-ceiling ss walls, two other studio apartments for staff on the tower¡¯s lower floors, and two parking lots. It was the perfect house for us and our future children. Talking about children. Ethan has been throwing subtle hints for the past few months about starting a family. It all started when he pointed out this cute little bunny onesie at a baby store when we were at the mall. And two nights ago when I brought food for him in his office I caught him watching the baby shark song. ¡°It was in the rmended.¡± He sheepishly said when I gave him a weird look. ¡± Okay, okay Nicole, you need to breath¡­ Can you do that for me??¡± Rose asked as she gently squeezed my hand. Ethan¡¯s mom, who insisted that I should call her Anna, rubbed my back and nodded her head at me. ¡°Yes honey, you should breath. We should have hired a yogi for situations like this.¡± My mom sat across from me waving with a fan in my face. Even though the air conditioning was on I was still sweating like a pig. ¡°It¡¯s fine Anna. I think a yogi would be a little too extra. Besides, every bride is like this before the ceremony.¡± ¡°The dress¡­¡± I panted as I slightly shifted in my seat. ¡°It feels so tight!¡± My mom scowled. ¡°Of course it would be tight, you have been eating junk the entire week. Don¡¯t tell me I didn¡¯t warn you!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I said offended even though it was true. The past couple of days I have been eating a healthy amount of burgers, fries, pizzas and donuts. But it can¡¯t be possible that I have gain weight so fast. ¡°Really? Burger King, Mcdonalds, Dunkin Donuts? What is that, sd?¡± Okay maybe mom was right. I was eating junk the entire week and I didn¡¯t exercise. But I had my reasons! There was a soft knock on the door and my mom looked at me, eyebrows raising. ¡°Is it one of the bridesmaids?¡± She asked. She stopped waving with the fan and ced it next to her. I shook my head as I searched for my big white robe. ¡°It¡¯s Ethan.¡± I whispered as I put on the white robe over my wedding dress. Luckily my wedding dress was simple and easy to hide with a bathrobe. ¡°He can¡¯t see you right now!¡± Rose eximed. ¡°And what are you doing?¡± ¡°I need to show him something.¡± I told her simply, even though I felt like my heart was about to explode out of my chest. ¡°It can¡¯t wait until after the wedding?¡± Anna asked worriedly. ¡°Actually, it can.¡± I said smiling. ¡°But I prefer to tell him now.¡± I opened the door and in front of me stood the most handsome man who I will be lucky to call my husband in a couple of minutes. Dressed in a ck tuxedo and shiny jimmy choo shoes he simply just knock the wind out of me. Ethan never failed to make me breathless. Whether it is the way he dressed or the way he goes down on me every night, he never fails. ¡°Why did you call me over?¡± He asked as he entered the room. ¡°The wedding is about to start in a half hour. Where are your bridesmaids?¡± ¡°They are in the other room. I told them to get some refreshments.¡± I answered, the nerves suddenly kicking in. ¡°So?¡± he asked quirking up his eyebrows. ¡°You look stunning princess, but why the big robe?¡± I chuckled nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see my wedding dress just yet.¡± ¡°Okay love.¡± Heughed. ¡°Why did you call me over then?¡± I took a deep breath and pulled out a small box from the drawer next to my Vanity Table. ¡°I have a little gift for you. I want you to open it right now.¡± He looked confused at the small box in his hand. ¡°Okay? It couldn¡¯t wait until after the ceremony or the reception?¡±Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. ¡°Yes. But I want you to see it now.¡± I told him, biting my lower lip. ¡°This is weird. You¡¯re making me nervous.¡± Ethan opened the box and when he saw what was inside his eyes immediately widened. He opened his mouth and closed it again staring at the white stick with two stripes. ¡°We¡¯re having a baby.¡± He whispered and then he looked up at me, tears brimming in his eyes. ¡°Princess, is this true?¡± I nodded my head at him as he scooped me up from the ground and hug me tightly. I couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of happiness. ¡°Is that why you were eating so unhealthy for the past few days?¡± he asked, letting me down again. He looked at me with so much adoration in his eyes I couldn¡¯t help but burst out into tears again. ¡°Princess, don¡¯t cry. Your makeup.¡± Ethan slowly wiped the tears away from my cheeks and probably also the highlight. ¡°That was not me.¡± Iughed through my tears. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about my makeup. I can always call Tara over to fix it.¡± ¡°Riiighttt¡­.¡± Ethanughed and hugged me again. ¡°Words cannot exin my love for you, princess.¡± He ced his hand on my belly that was still t as a pancake. It¡¯s only still ten weeks old after all. ¡°Can¡¯t wait for you toe, little one.¡± Suddenly sobs filled the room. We turned around to see the three women standing across from us, bawling their eyes out. I forgot about them being in the room. ¡°We¡¯re going to be grannies.¡± Anna cried as she hugged my mom and Rose. ¡°I feel so old, but I can¡¯t wait to hold little munchkin in my arms.¡± ¡°Congrattions, you two.¡± Rose said in between sobs. ¡°You will be the most amazing parents ever.¡± Before I could respond to that, the door swung open again revealing my dad. He stared at Ethan and I and then at the three women who were still wiping away their tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt but the wedding will start in less than twenty minutes.¡± ¡°Oh shit!¡± I pulled away from Ethan and shoved him out of the room. ¡°See you at the altar!¡± I yelled, closing the door in his face. I turned around and stared at myself in the mirror. ¡°TARAAA!¡± Chapter 47 Nicole Vargas ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I whispered, nudging him gently as I threw the covers of me. I nced at the time on the clock and saw that it was only two in the morning. I let out a sigh as I looked at the peacefully sleeping Ethan. It can¡¯t wait. I need to disturb him out of his sleep. ¡°Ethan..¡± I whispered louder as I yanked the covers of him. ¡°Huh¡­¡± he immediately shot up and looked at me with a worried expression on his face. He rubbed his eyes and asked, ¡°Is everything okay? Is it the cramps again?¡± I shook my head as I rubbed my big round stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± He let out a breath of relieve. Probably happy that it wasn¡¯t the cramps or back pain. Those were awful and Ethan always massaged me even if it was in the middle of the night. For the past week I didn¡¯t feel any cramps or pain, so or sleeping schedule went back to normal. Well, until the babyes. ¡°I will make a sandwich for you. Cheese or bacon?¡± Ethan got out of bed to put on his pants and go to the kitchen, but I stopped him immediately. ¡°I¡¯m craving something else.¡± I said in a small voice, looking at him from under my thick eyshes. ¡°What do you crave? Spaghetti, fried rice,¡­¡± ¡°Tacos.¡± His eyes widened and he stared at me as if I was crazy. ¡°Tacos? Where am I going to get tacos at two in the morning?¡± ¡°I really really crave it right now.¡± ¡°We can go to taco bell first thing tomorrow morning.¡± He said, scratching his head, not knowing exactly what to do with my random cravings. ¡°I don¡¯t want taco tomorrow. I want it now. I¡¯m really hungry.¡± I pouted, my lips quivering. Damn, pregnancy hormones. Ethan sighed and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± He said as he walked out of the room. He closed the door behind him and I heard him walk down the stairs to the living room. He¡¯s mad at me. Or at least, I think he is. I sat on the bed rubbing my stomach as I waited for him toe back. The baby kicked and a smile crept on my face. I could give birth any moment now and I couldn¡¯t be anymore happier. Being eight and a half months pregnant meant twenty five pounds extra, swollen feet and an extreme sweet tooth. I felt another kick on the side of my stomach. ¡°Easy there, little one.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Daddy will bring us tacos soon. You love mexican food, don¡¯t you?¡± Half an hour passed by before Ethan came back into the room with a paper bag in his hand. I wasying down on the bed, almost drifting back to sleep when he finally came back. ¡°I¡¯ve got you tacos.¡± He said, smiling as he turned on the lights. ¡°Pablo was nice enough to make something for you at this time.¡± Pablo owned the local mexican diner and for the past three months he saw us there basically every week. He soon learned that the reason I couldn¡¯t get enough of his burrito and tacos was because baby Gray loved his food. I took the paperbag and my mouth immediately started to water at the delicious smell of tacos. I could eat all four of it right now. And I will too. ¡°Mmmh..¡± I murmured quietly as I took a taco out of the bag. I looked up at Ethan who now sat on the bed, looking at me with an amused expression on his face. ¡°Are you mad at me?¡± I asked, before taking a bite of my taco. ¡°Mad? What do you mean?¡± He asked, looking confused. ¡°I will do everything to keep you happy, princess. You know that.¡± Yeah I know that. How could I forget that one time when I was crying for an hour because he wouldn¡¯t shave his beard. I was six months pregnant then with swollen feet and for some unknown reasons I suddenly didn¡¯t like his beard. ¡°I know, but it must irritate the hell out of you sometimes.¡± Heughed. ¡°I have to admit. It does. But it¡¯s all worth it. You¡¯re my most prized possession. I don¡¯t ever want to lose you. And bytheway you¡¯re carrying my son.¡± I snorted. For the past weeks he had been saying that. ¡°How many times are you going to say that? The doctor told us it will be a girl. Even your mom said so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡± He stated proudly. ¡°I know it. And we will name him Jaxon.¡±N?velDrama.Org (C) content. ¡°Pff.. This¡­¡± I pointed at my stomach. ¡°Is going to be a girl. Lexi, to be exact.¡± ¡°We will see.¡± He said smirking as he lowered his face to my stomach. ¡°You¡¯re a boy aren¡¯t you? Daddy, can¡¯t wait to see you.¡± I rolled my eyes as I flicked his head away. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to Lexi like that. How will she feel, you calling her a boy? She has a vagina, Ethan. The doctor saw it.¡± ¡°The doctor is mistaken, princess. You will get a daughter in four years.¡± He said confidently. ¡°How do you even know that?¡± I asked, letting out an exasperated sigh. ¡°You weren¡¯t even there at myst check up. And four years? I don¡¯t think I will get pregnant after this for the next twenty years or so.¡± Ethan chuckled. ¡°We will see. Or no, wait. Let¡¯s make a deal. If it¡¯s a boy, we will make another baby in four years and if it¡¯s a girl you can decide when you want another one again.¡± I scoffed. ¡°This is so stupid.¡± ¡°You are sure that it¡¯s going to be a girl right?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah, duh. The doctor said so. He¡¯s a doctor for god sake, he studied half his life to be what he is, why would he lie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying his lying. I just said he¡¯s wrong this time. So will you take the deal?¡± Ethan smirked at me as he wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Fine.¡± I huffed. ¡°If it¡¯s a boy, which I¡¯m a hundredth percent sure it will not be, then I will pop out another Gray in four years.¡± Ethanughed and shook his head. ¡°Good then. We have a deal, princess.¡± I rolled my eyes at him and continued devouring my tacos. After I was done eating tacos, I brushed my teeth and went back to bed. Ethan was already asleep when I pulled theforter over me. In the morning he had a conference to attend so he needed all the sleep he could get. 2 hourster ¡°Ethan¡­¡± I poked his ribs to wake him up. ¡°Ethan¡­!!¡± This time I pped his upper arm, making him jump out of bed. ¡°What¡­?¡± He looked at me, still half asleep. ¡°Whatever you want we will get it tomorrow morning, Princess.¡± He was about to doze off again, but I held his arm firmly making him grunt in pain. ¡°I¡­ I think my water broke!¡± Chapter 48 Bonus ¡°I¡¯m not taking you to the hospital just because you stubbed your toe.¡± I let out a deep breath as I stared at my six year old sister who was crying on the floor. ¡°Jax, it hurts!¡± She limped towards me and threw herself in my arms. She wiped her snotty nose on my new shirt and I internally let out an annoyed groan. ¡°I broke my little toe!¡±She screamed in my ear, making me stumble back a little. Thank god, the couch was there to support me. I really deserve the award for best brother of the fucking year. ¡°You didn¡¯t break anything, sweetheart. You hit your toe against a pillow.¡± ¡°A hard pillow.¡± She sobbed, burying her face in the crook of my neck. She¡¯s so dramatic, oh god. She could easily be the next Emma Watson with all the acting skills. ¡°It was not hard. You¡¯re just being dramatic.¡± This made her cry even louder. For fucksake! ¡°What is happening?¡± The front door opened and mom entered the living room. ¡°Jaxon, why is she crying?¡± She asked worried. ¡°She stubbed her toe against a pillow and now she wants me to take her to the hospital.¡± Mom rolled her eyes, but took Lexi from me. ¡°Come here, mommy¡¯s girl. I will put ice on it, okay?¡± ¡°She hit her toe on a pillow!¡± I cried out as I let out an exasperated sigh. ¡°She¡¯s just being dramatic.¡± Mom gave me a nk stare and ced Lexi on the couch. ¡°Mommy wille right back. I¡¯ll get some ice.¡± I followed mom to the kitchen and watched her cing ice cubes in a cup. ¡°How was work, Mom?¡± ¡°Tiring.¡± She let out a deep sigh and turned around. ¡°You send the nanny home early today?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Yeah, she left three hours ago.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your father?¡± Mom asked, handing me the cup with ice. ¡°In his study room. Something work rted came up.¡± I took the cup with ice from her and headed back to the living room where Lexi was still crying. I swear this girl never runs out of tears. ¡°I have ice here for you, sweetheart. Now stop crying. Crying makes you ugly.¡± After the words left my mouth her lips quivered and she cried louder. Goddammit! Mom ran out of the kitchen and stared at us in confusion. ¡°Why is she still crying?¡± ¡°JAX SAID I¡¯M UGLY, MOMMY!!¡± Lexi screamed on top of her lungs as the tears fell down her cheeks like a waterfall. Mom red at me and I instantly raised my hands up. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Why is Lexi crying?!¡± A voice came from behind us. I turned around and saw dad on top of the stairs, looking puzzled at us. ¡°Can¡¯t you just switch her off or something? I swear she is crying on any given opportunity.¡± I muttered as I sat down next to mom on the couch. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that to your sister.¡± Mom told me sharply. ¡°She is in pain.¡± ¡°Yeah right.¡± I rolled my eyes and shook my head. ¡°With all the tears she has been spilling, she can open her own bottled waterpany.¡± ¡°Jaxon!¡± ¡°Jaxon is a meanie!¡± Lexi sobbed, clutching my mom¡¯s shirt tighter. ¡°Talia is making Jaxon a meanie!¡± ¡°Who is Talia?¡± Mom and dad both asked in unison. ¡°Just a girl from school.¡± ¡°Talia is his girlfriend.¡± Lexi said with a smug smile. I red at her. After I let her wipe her snot on my shirt, this is how she repays me? Snitch. ¡°Shut up, Lexi! She is nothing like that.¡± I stood up and went back to my room to avoid this conversation. After I closed my bedroom door behind me, my phone screen lit up. I¡¯m sorry, Jax. Can you pleasee back? I need you! I stared at the message for a long time before throwing my phone at the wall. Little bitch. After the stunt she pulled yesterday, she still had the audacity to text me. Talia Davis and I have been dating since freshman year. She was my light in the darkest times. My marshmallow to my hot chocte. We were the ¡®best friends who turned into lovers¡¯ couple. In short, she was my entire world. I would cross oceans for her. And I¡¯m not even kidding. Last year when she had a pianopetition in Australia, I went to surprise her even though I had an important Lacrosse match the next day. That¡¯s how much I love her. She reminds me so much of mom. Dad taught mom how to y the piano. She always yed the piano for me when I was younger. I sat on herp and watched how her fingers gracefully tapped the keys. I was only four years old when mom suddenly got really sick. At that time I had no idea what happened. She was almost every day at the hospital with dad. There was one thing I remembered everyone talking about. Cancer. Mommy had cancer. I didn¡¯t know what it was at that time. I didn¡¯t even know that mom was fighting between life and death. We were almost every day at the hospital. I saw mom in the hospital bed surrounded with so many machines and needles. It was scary for a four year old. But dad always assured me that everything would be alright. I could clearly see on his face that even he was scared. He was always so stressed and when he thought I was asleep at night he went to the bathroom and started crying. I remembered every night praying to the angels to make mom better and dad happy again. And suddenly one day, mom came back home. Happy and healthy as before. Sheughed and hugged and kissed me. She yed the piano again for me. I was so happy that the angels heard my prayers. From grandma I heard that mom healed from chemotherapy. Another word I didn¡¯t knew the meaning of. But at that age I figured, that was something the angels invented to make mom better. ¡°JAX!¡± Lexi barged into my room and jumped on my bed. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Get out of my room, Lex.¡± I grumbled. Lexi was born when I was twelve years old. By then mom was cancer free for six years already.Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org. I remembered being so happy about having a baby sister. She was so sweet, little, and chubby. I knew from the moment mom ced her in my arms that I would do everything to protect her from all the evil in the world. What I didn¡¯t know is that she would turn into a sassy, dramatic, and spoiled princess. I told dad one day about this and he justughed. ¡°That¡¯s the mini version of your mom there, Jax.¡± He had said. It was hard to believe that mom was so dramatic as Lexi, but I knew dad was telling the truth. Because where would Lexi get her attitude from except from mommy dearest. ¡°Say sweetheart.¡± Lexi said as she threw a pillow at me. ¡°Lex!¡± I hissed as I turned around to re at her. ¡°Get out!¡± ¡°Talia is downstairs.¡± She said with an amused smile on her face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say bye? She¡¯s going away. Do you know that?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s moving.¡± After she cheated on me, she¡¯s leaving? Bet she can¡¯t deal with all the hate she would receive once it would leak out. ¡°Tell her, I don¡¯t want to see her.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and tell her yourself?¡± ¡°I will tell mom and dad that you like Peter Kavinsky.¡± I said, smirking at my little sister. ¡°Do you want that?¡± ¡°You jerk!¡± She let out a loud disapproving sound and exited my room. ¡°Little kids.¡± I muttered as I let out a soft chuckle, before walking over towards my bedroom window. From there I could see the entire driveway. A couple of minutester I saw Talia leaving. Even from upstairs I could see that she was crying. Her mousy brown hair was tied into a high ponytail and she was wearing an oversized sweatshirt with flip flops. She¡¯s so goddamn beautiful. If there was someone I couldpare her to, it was Hestia the greek goddess. Talia was generous, kind, and forgiving. I always admired her when she was at the orphanage every friday night to read a bedtime story for the children. I closed the curtains and let out a shaky breath. She¡¯s a liar. A whore. A thief. Because of her I will not be able to love and trust anyone anymore. How can someone so sweet and kind hearted turn into a nasty cold hearted bitch? I opened the curtains again and saw her leaving in her car. Damn her. Damn her for breaking my heart. I took a deep breath and shook my head. I should forget her. She¡¯s gone. That¡¯s what I wanted sincest night. I swear to god I wanted her dead, because no one deserves a cheater. Cheating is the most disgusting thing you can do to someone who loves you so incredibly much. ¡°One day.¡± I whispered to myself. ¡°One day I will get my revenge. And it will be the sweetest thing ever.¡± The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!