She Who Belongs to Nikolai

Chapter One

[ O N E ]

Elaina entered the bakery early morning, the smell of coffee instantly filling her senses. The young princess hair had yet to dry from her morning shower, and she was wearing mismatched shoes along with a shirt she had no noticed had a small hole on the side and a pair of old jeans she managed to squeeze into since she was running late.

"Good Morning." Lucy Armes, the owner of the bakery greeted her.

"Good Morning, sorry for being late." She apologized giving her a smile, Lucy shook her head.

"You'll be on the register today I hope you don't mind." Lucy told her, Elaina shook her head.

"Got it." She walked into the back room chasing into her work clothes with consists of a white button down shirt tugged inside her pants and a black waist apron with two pockets holding, pen, straws and a small note pad. After she had checked the work schedule she went to her place in front of the register the small stool already pulled out.

"Oh." She grabbed the food magazine in front of her and flipped through the pages, her mouth watering at just the pictures of the desserts. The bell rang and she closed the book standing up as she looked towards the entrance.

"Welcome to Amor Delights." She greeted with a warm smile. Her eyes took in the lady and the stroller she had pushed inside, the infant inside suckling on his pacifier and looking up at her with wide eyes as they approached the register.

"Hi, can I have three chocolate donuts, one lemon lime cake and two of the French cake as well as a cup of large warm green tea to go please." Elaina nodded and moved towards the glass covered food holder, filling the brown snack bags up with the lady's orders before turning around to the drink station behind her and filling up a cup of warm green tea.

"That'll be $19.89 ma'am." Elaina smiled as she placed the lady's orders in a bigger bag and handing it over to her.

"Here you go." The lady handed her a 20 dollar bill. After inputting it into the register she handed her receipt and change back to the lady thanking her.

"Hello." She waved at the now squealing child reaching his arms out to her.

"Oh my." The lady laughed softly, "He's never done that before." Elaina giggled keeping her eyes on the squealing boy. She rounded the counter crouching down in front of the stroller.

"Is it okay to hold his hand, ma'am?" She asked.

"Go right ahead." Elaina placed her finger in the childs hand watching as he grasped it tightly looking up at her with twinkling eyes, giving her a toothless smile.

"Hello, little boy." She smiled. "You're such an adorable boy." She smiled poking his cheek lightly with her other hand, he giggle squeezing her hand tightly and kicking his feet happily. Hearing the bell again she got up letting the small boy go.

"Bye bye." Elaina gave him a small wave as she rounded the counter to greet the next customer.

Exhausted.

After a grueling rush hour battle, she had finally handed her shift off to the next person and went to the back to take a break. Just as she went to sit down and relax her aching muscles, her coworker and close friend Angelica James entered the break room a smile on her face.

"Elaina someone's here to see you." Nodding she got up brushing the loose hair back and putting her hair into a low bun before walking out of the break room. Her eyes met those of a familiar one and she smiled approaching the male. Her fathers trusted Secretary Landon Reed.

"Uncle Landon, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Hello darling, your father is currently in a meeting so he won't be able to meet you," Landon said, Elaina nodded, "Your father will be out of town for the next few days for a business meeting, of course Ethan will be tagging along as well. And I wanted to come check up on you." He chuckled embracing her in a tight hug.

"I'm doing fine," She smiled pulling back from his embrace, "And you?" He shrugged.

"Does as fine as a man in his early 40s, surviving." He stated with a sigh.

"So when are you leaving?"

"I can't hide anything from you can I?" He chuckled rubbing the back of his neck. "As you know I am your fathers secretary and he is my top priority," he cleared his throat making her giggle. "I am only going on this trip merely for moral support. You know how your father gets when he's far from home, depressed and your brother doesn't know how to handle that." Elaina nodded agreeing with him.

"And?"

"And what?" He questioned.

"When are you and papa going to fess up?" She smiled mischievously a teasing twinkle in her eyes making Landon sigh.

"When your father," He cleared his throat, "When your father is ready then we shall." Elaina giggled shaking her head.

"Sometimes my brothers are really slow." She sighed shaking her head making Landon laugh.

"I should head back now to your father." He said checking his watch, she nodded giving him a tight hug. "See you later, darling." He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before leaving.

Elaina rubbed the back of her neck trying to undo the knots as she walked down the block to her apartment building. The brick apartment building stood on the side of the busy street, a place she bought before leaving for her trip around the world. A small cozy two bed room apartment just for her, though it didn't come with a view it was everything she wanted, a small cozy apartment just for herself.

And though the building looks rundown from the outside it is actually the opposite. Yet the other buildings next to it put it in shame even the newly built elite private condominiums for the famous and rich. Very high class. She noticed the cameras flashing and cars pulling up trying to pass through the hoard of what she suspected was paparazzi. It didn't take long before guards were clearing the drive way opening the gates for the car to enter. Seeing as they were still outside she walked into her apartment complex entering through the front and taking the stairs instead of the elevator (a little exercise session) to the third floor where her apartment was.

She shrugged off her jacket and turned the tv on to the news channel, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the familiar male on the tv screen. His black hair was slicked back, sharp features more defined than before and dark eyes that she could not forget. It was merely a picture of him yet it got her giggling like a school girl who had a crush with her seat neighbor.

"He sure has gotten even more handsome." She breathed slapping her hands on her flaming cheeks. Quickly she switched the channel and walked to the kitchen sink splashing her face with cold water trying to cool her warm cheeks.

"I need a shower." She muttered walking away from the tv that was still on and to her room shedding her clothes, and heading into her bathroom where she turned the water on to cold filling the top. She placed her hair up in a messy bun before tipping her feet in first into the water letting the cold water cool her body before turning the hot water on to warm it a bit. Once she felt good about the temperature she laid back her head against the tiles as she closed her eyes thinking about the handsome male.

"Nikolai Valesco." She muttered. "Truly a handsome man."