Natalie was lazying around in her bed. She was awake but too lazy to get off from bed. The sudden knock on her door startled her, "No one is supposed to be here this early," She thought to herself as everyone in this place now knew she wasn't an early bird so no one disturbed her until she walked out of the room by herself.
Scratching her head, "yes?" She responded.
"It's me," a deep voice answered. Her eyes were now wide open, even though she heard him speak one time. She knew this was his voice.
She jumped out of the bed and quickly rushed to the mirror. She hurriedly brushed her bed hair and wiped the drool off her face.
"Natalie?" He knocked again.
"Coming!" she yelled, as she had one last look in the mirror. She wasn't looking her best, but at least looked presentable enough. She ran to the door and paused. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. "Hi!" She waved at him.
"Can I come inside?" He asked. She frowned, looking back at her room, but the room was presentable enough thanks to the housemaids. She then looked at him and smiled. "Sure."
Her eyes lingered on him as he entered her room. The first day she saw him, he was in a light-colored suit, but today he wore a casual black T-shirt that enhanced his muscular body. She was literally undressing him in her mind.
"Nate?" He raised a brow at her with a hint of a playful smile on his face as if he had just read her mind.
She liked the sound of it, 'Nate' sounded much more intimate than the full name he had called her by before entering the room.
"Nate?" He called her again, this time with a stern face.
"Yes?" She looked at him removing all dirty thoughts from her mind, What the hell, Nat? What has gotten into you? She had dated numerous men but he... just the way he looked at her made her feel things. Hold your horses, Nat, you've only met him once!
And? Her subconscious self retorted.
She was struggling with herself, she wasn't sure why she felt so attracted to this man, he was attractive, sure, but the things she felt for a man she just met, that was insane.
The next thing that rolled out of his mouth shattered every image that popped into her mind.
"Grab your things, you're leaving," He told her.
"leaving? Where?" She asked.
"You and your friend are both going back to your country," he answered.
"But I just came here!" She protested.
"Bad luck, you shouldn't have met me," he shrugged, ".... then you might've gotten to stay a little longer," He muttered the last line which she failed to catch.
"Why?" She peered into his face making him stumble back a little, "I'm glad to have met you."
"Great, now it's time to leave." He said removing himself from her close presence.
"But Amy won't be leaving so easily," Natalie smirked at the thought, she knew her best friend better than anyone, she definitely won't leave without Chris and especially not when she had no information on Chris's whereabouts.
"Who is telling her? She doesn't need to know" Nikolai told her.
"Then why are you telling me?" She asked.
"Cause this is our last goodbye." He looked at her with an unreadable expression.
This is what bothered her, this exact thing, there was nothing between them but his words, his eyes, everything told her there was much more to it.
"You sound so desperate to get rid of me," She caught hold of his hand, "Nik."
At that moment, all the layers that he had built crashed down, he looked so vulnerable that it scared her, and she immediately let go of his hand. And immediately his guard was up.
"Cause you don't belong here," he replied turning his back on her.
Seeing his back turned against her, he seemed so distant so alone, it broke her heart. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she made her resolve to uncover it, uncover everything that he seemed to be hiding. A smirk formed on her face.
"Sure, when are we leaving?" She asked him.
"How much time will it take to pack your stuff?" He asked.
"Not much, I didn't plan to stay for long," She mentioned, "But it seems like I will," She muttered under her breath, which didn't reach his ears. When he turned to look at her, her face was shining in determination which puzzled him, he narrowed his eyes at her.
"You know, Nikolai," She took a few steps towards him until they were too close for his comfort, "when I want something, I get it," She told him peering into his eyes, "because when I pursue I do it until the end," she added.
He frowned.
"Nothing thought you should be warned," She smiled as she moved back from him and went to pack her things leaving behind confused Nikolai.
***
"Oh my god, you look so pretty!" Amethyst exclaimed as she looked at little Yulia who just exited trying the dress she made for her.
"Is that so?" Yulia smiled shyly.
"See for yourself," Amethyst pulled her and made her stand in front of the whole lengthed mirror.
Yulia blinked at the pretty girl in front of her, a girl so unlike her.
"Is that really me?" She asked through tears in her eyes.
"Yes," Amethyst nodded from behind, "let's just add one more thing," She took out something from her pocket and placed it on Yulia's hair, whose eyes shined just like the clip on her hair.
"Now, it's perfect," Amethyst smiled in satisfaction.
"Thank you so much, Am." Yulia pulled her into a warm embrace.
"You're most welcome," Amethyst returned the hug happily.
"I'll miss you," Yulia bit her lips trying to prevent herself from sobbing out loud in front of her.
"What?" Amethyst was confused.
"I love you," Yulia hugged her tighter.
"Aww, love you too, my dear," Amethyst giggled as she ruffled her hair.
"Are you done?"
Amethyst scowled at the stiff voice that interrupted their happy moment.
"Mikhail," She called out his name, "don't you see anything different here?" She asked him.
"All I know is we're getting late." He shrugged.
"Jeez, we're only going to the hospital, dad can wait a bit." Amethyst rolled her eyes, "Look at her, how's she looking?" She asked pointing at the girl beside her, who was almost unrecognizable to him at the moment.
"She looked better before." He commented.
"I swear to god, Mikhail, I'm running out of patience!" She glared at him.
He gave another look at the girl, and his eyes shifted back at her, which clearly screamed, 'one wrong word and I'll kill you.' He heaved a sigh, "You look good." He told Yulia.
"Really?" Yulia's eyes sparkled.
"See even the devil agrees," Amethyst smiled at her.
"Now, if you're done playing doll house, shall we?" The rude remark caught her attention. She glared at him but he remained unmoved.
"Sure, sure, Mr. Devil," She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Yulia, "I'll be back soon." She told her but Yulia squeezed her as if not wanting to let her go.
Mikhail glared at the girl, who then immediately let go of her.
"See you." Yulia waved at her.
***
"The traffic seems light today," Amethyst mentioned as she looked at the road in front of her.
"We had to clear them out," Mikhail mentioned casually.
"You did what?" Amethyst gaped at his words, "Is that even allowed?" She blinked at the power the man beside her held.
"As long you have money and power," he nodded.
"Of course," She let out a nervous laugh.
The color drained from her face when he took a wrong turn, "Hospital, it's that way?" She raised a brow at him.
"Shortcut," he muttered as he sped the car up.
Her eyes then caught the sign of the airport and suddenly all the things lined up, Yulia refusing to let her go, the I miss you that she missed she now remembered, she turned to look back, someone was doing something with the trunk.
"Stop the car, Mikhail." She told him.
He muttered a curse under his breath, he didn't expect her to catch up this soon.
"I said stop the car!" She yelled.
"It'll only stop at the destination," he told her.
"And that's the airport, ain't it?" She glared at him, "You tricked me!"
The car sped up again.
"Evenyour father wants you to leave, didn't you say so last time?" He briefly looked at her before focusing his eyes back on the road.
"But I don't want to go, didn't I tell you last time?" She yelled at him.
"We don't always get what we want, deal with it."
"Argh! I hate you so much!" she punched his arm but as if it made any difference, she was going home today, that he'd make sure of.
"Stop the car, Mikhail, I'm not going!" She yelled again.
"Stop, or else I'll jump out of the car." She threatened him.
"You can try." He told her nonchalantly.
She realized he had locked all the doors, he did guess the possibility.
"Oh you bet I will, I'm warning you, stop the car yourself or I'll do it." She gave him one last warning but he only made a face at her.
"Oh don't you challenge me." She scoffed as she placed her hands on the hand brake and without a warning, she pulled it.
"You-" His words were cut off as the car skidded, he immediately took control of the steering, making the car drift, they spun a few circles before finally coming to a stop. If it was a normal day they'd be dead for sure but for now, they were safe, but she was not from his wrath.
"You crazy woman!" He yelled at her.
"I'm not leaving!" She stood firm on her grounds.