When Love & Hate Collide [Completed]

Chapter 37 - Don't Do It, Please!

Next few weeks were utterly chaotic. Meeting with Noberto did not avenge me. It didn't do anything for my planned satisfaction I had schemed and hoped for all those months at Antibes. I had started thinking of revenge long back. I didn't know how, I didn't know when. All I knew was that he couldn't go scot-free. He had to pay for his misgivings. If not for anything else but to save other innocent girls from falling prey to his dubious character.

That was the reason I had decided to come back to Paris and join the fashion world. I was bound to meet him since the elite circle was common in such a society. In my few days with him, I had learned art and fashion world had a lot of commonalities, especially among the people. I had decided I would make it big at any cost and then beat Noberto at his game.

But now when I was faced with the reality to put my plans into action, I was at a complete loss. I had made it big as a fashion model. But what powers did it give me? How would I take away everything from Noberto?

I spent days plotting a scheme but nothing practical came out of it. I was getting upset and irritated. It was difficult to concentrate on my work. I had to leave for Provins twice to be with Raul to calm my agitated mind. My shootings had to be cancelled twice and rescheduled several times in last three weeks. So much so that Albert came to know that word had started going around about my weird behaviour.

He had not met Raul for a long time now and wanted to come with me, but I refused. It was difficult to avoid the media and the paparazzi when I wanted to visit Raul. Moving around with Albert would make it even more difficult.

I didn't want people to find out about Raul and then flock his day and night trying to find out about his father. Albert would have been upset about my refusal but as usual he didn't say a thing about it. Instead he came to my place when I had returned to Paris.

"You know this is not helping you," he said while settling down on the couch in my living area.

I was still groggy with sleep because of my early morning return. I flopped back on the couch opposite to him and looked up from my drooping eyes.

"What is not helping? My sleeping?" I asked in surprise.

Though I was interested in what he had to say I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. Settling more comfortably in the large sofa seats, I pulled my hairs up in a bun and rested my head on the hand rest. That I was in a spaghetti top and night suit pyjamas was least of my concerns at that moment. Long were the days when I would be conscious of what I wore in front of others, especially Albert who had seen me at my worse.

Though maybe I should have been. Albert saw me half sitting and half lying, spread over the couch. My hands holding my hair on top of my head gave him a beautiful view of my womanly shape. My top had hitched up, exposing my smooth midriff and for few seconds Albert lost himself in staring at the enticing pose.

I still had no clue what I was doing to him. When he didn't answer for few longer seconds, I flicked an eye open to look for him. He stood up abruptly at that moment and turned away from me.

"What?" I was getting intrigued by his demeanour today. "You look tired. I'll come later," he said hurriedly and looked as if he was leaving. He had just come few minutes back. Now I was seriously concerned. I went up to and held his hand and asked,

"Albert, what is it?"

He looked at my hand on his arm but didn't make any effort to either remove it or to walk away. After a deep breath, he seemed to have decided something internally. Taking me back to the couch, he said, "Melanie, I don't know what you think of me, but I can't watch while you throw away everything you have worked so hard to build."