Stay with me

86 Taming the stubborn

"Are you sure?" An inner voice asked sarcastically. "You slept with HER all night until morning and were the happiest person in the world."

Niko only clenched his teeth harder and drove the image of Jansu out of his head. He will not think about her. Will not remember. And he will not dream either. Revenge is the only thing he needs. Having avenged, he will forever get rid of her image in his subconscious and will be able to start living again.

Leaving Monica in front of her room, he headed to his. She was dumbfounded. Not hiding her disappointment, she asked, "Won't you come in?"

"No," Niko said, stopping at his door.

"Why?"

He did not answer. He just gave her a look that made Monica furious.

"Damn it, Niko! How difficult it is with you!" she shouted.

"Nobody forces you to endure these difficulties." He replied coldly.

"But I love you!"

Niko just winced at her confession. Empty, accessible, and materialistic, she had no idea what it meant to love.

"Take my advice," he said. "Do not compose fairy tales and do not invent something for yourself that does not exist. There was, is, and will be only sex between us. But if you continue to put forward your claims, then it will not be there either. Goodnight!"

He went into his room and slammed the door. An enraged Monica followed suit. Inside, she stopped in front of the dressing table. From the mirror, a gorgeous woman with a perfect figure, flawless skin, and a doll-like face looked at her.

"Damn it!" She swore and, adding a couple of non-literary phrases, asked a rhetorical question, "What else are you missing, Niko Bianco?"

Niko pulled off his tuxedo and threw it on a chair, untied the bow tie, unbuttoned his shirt, and sat down on the bed. He looked in front of him and his gaze burned with a dark fire.

"You have matured, Princess Jansu," he said hoarsely, "but still beautiful. And I ... I am no longer a poor signor. Now we are on an equal footing."

***

Jansu, hugging her knees with both hands, sat on her bed and looked into the darkness. Images of the past evening appeared again and again in front of her eyes.

"You have changed, Niko," she said quietly, "but still handsome. And I ... I am still in love with you."

***

Niko arrived at Passionis a little earlier than the appointed time. The secretary behind the semicircular counter checked his name on the boss's meeting schedule and asked him to sit on the sofa in the waiting area.

"Mr. Omer is holding a meeting with the designers," she said. "He'll be free in fifteen minutes."

Niko thanked her and walked to the cozy corner. There was a sofa, a low table, and several pots of luxurious plants. Niko sat down and prepared to wait. Suddenly a large, casually dressed man rushed into the office and yelled in a strained whisper, "Princess Diana!!!"

Workers began to peek out of the offices.

"Admit it, who hid her?" The man hissed. "If you don't confess, I'll fire everyone."

A wave of the low hum of voices swept through the office. The workers exchanged glances, but instead of indignation, cheerful smiles played on their faces.

"A-ah! Nasty!" the man scolded them and ran to the other end of the office.

Niko, contemplating the performance with curiosity, involuntarily smiled. The man was a very colorful character and it was fun to watch him. And then, among the motley foliage of Benjamin's ficus, Niko noticed a pair of black eyes. He looked closely. A small, red-haired girl was hiding among the pots of flowers. Meeting his gaze, she pressed her index finger to her lips, urging the unfamiliar uncle not to give her hiding place. Niko glanced sideways, and then quietly said, "Hi!"