Two Weeks Later
“The man refuses to speak but I think they are planning to attack her again,” Stefan suspected, frowning slightly.
Nikaulas didn’t seem as affected by the news as him. His expression was calm and cool as he dismounted Roar, a brown stallion. Stefan was standing some steps away. Currently, they were at his barn. Nikaulas owned a stable full of horses and he liked to spend his free time here. Horse riding was one of his favorite hobbies coming second only to shooting.
Nikaulas' taut muscles were out on display as he tended to his horses. His tanned skin glistening like fine gold under the light of blazing sun. His biceps flexing deliciously as he stroked the horse. The servant came rushing with a bowl of food for the horse.
“ They think they will have you by your throat if they manage to get her,” Stefan added in a solemn tone. Nikaulas rolled his eyes and continued to play with his pet. His enemies were dumb and boring. A part of him wanted to let them catch her so that he could destroy their confidence.
Apparently, a rival group had attacked Angela when she was going back home from the hospital. The woman was rescued in time though. She had suffered some injuries.
“She needs protection,” Stefan asserted in all seriousness. The firmness of his tone caused Nikaulas to turn his attention towards him. He arched his brow in question. His right hand clearly had a soft corner for his wife.They had met just once and he had already joined the group of her admirers. And It came as a shock to Nikaulas as Stefan was as impervious as him. Stefan wasn’t the one who could be charmed, fooled, or impressed easily, at least not in just one meeting.
He wondered what people saw in that woman. Yes she is pretty, he will give her that but for him she was nothing more than just a disable. And a whore’s daughter.
He smirked, wondering if his right hand was into his wife.
“You like her or do you pity her?” he moved his attention to the horse. The question threw Stefan off guard. His eyes flared in surprise. Nikaulas seemed completely casual. He didn’t seem offended or curious, just amused. The muscular man quickly schooled his features to blank.
“ I respect her,” Stefan replied in all honesty.
“Whatever,’ Nikaulas remarked, having already lost interest in the topic.
“Make sure the news doesn’t travel to Spain,” Nikaulas instructed and turned to fix him with a serious gaze. Stefan nodded, knowing very well what would happen if Mr. Serrano found out about this. He will have Nikaulas’ head if something happens to Angela. The only person Nikaulas feared was Kilian Serrano. That man was lethal when provoked and deadly if his family is brough to harm.
Nikaulas couldn’t let this matter slide. Angela was the string that was holding Spanish and German the two most powerful mafia clans together. She was the essential factor and he had taken the responsibility of safeguarding her; more like the responsibility was forced on him but still. Besides, she was the queen of the German mafia. Her name was associated with his. A scratch on her would be a scratch on his pride. And his pride was something he cherished dearly.
“Get the jet ready,” he instructed Stefan while patting his pet. He was flying back home. He will have to take the bull by its horn.
Stefan left at once.
Once the horse was full, Nikaulas climbed the beast and rode towards unknown.
“You must have already heard from many but let me say this you are truly gifted, Mrs. King. Not many are endowed both with talent and beauty,” Henry, a businessman admired her with a knowing smile. Angela returned his smile with her own.
“Why Thank you, Mr. Aicher. But I believe more than talent it takes dedication to succeed and beauty is quite temporary, don’t you agree?” Angela replied amiably. Mr. Abney who was standing beside Mr. Aicher let out a chuckle.
“Didn’t I tell you Mr. Aicher, Mrs. King is quite a charming lady,” Mr. Abney told Mr. Aicher while flashing Angela a good-natured smile.
“Quit charming indeed,” Mr. Aicher eyed her with deepened interest.
“You flatter me,” Angela continued to smile for the sake of politeness.
“I speak the truth, Mrs. King,” said Mr. Aicher with a smirk.
“See you soon, Mrs. King,” Saying that, Mr. Aicher and Mr. Abney walked up to their respective tables. Angela turned her face forward and released a sigh.
“Are you alright, madam?” Graham, her CEO asked in a concerned tone. He knew she wasn’t fond of social gatherings. Angela nodded and gave him an assuring smile.
Currently they were sitting on the front row of a charity event. She usually avoided events and all but the chairman of NGO had specifically requested for her presence.
It wasn’t the first time Angela had received a compliment on her beauty or talent. She was called beautiful, talented, skilled, and many other things but unfortunately, all these qualities even if put together can’t outweigh her one lacking. Her disability outranked her every quality, every talent. She was the owner of Alma but she was more known for being the lucky disable who got married to Nikaulas King.
At the time of her wedding with Nikaulas she had seen headlines flashing.
The heartthrob took a disable as his wife
Who wouldn’t want a man like Nikauas King. The owner of King Enterprises doesn’t care if his wife can’t walk.
Nowhere they had mentioned her name. For them she was just a cripple who had hit a jackpot. It seemed as if her whole existence had boiled down to her disability. Angela appreciated the fact that Nikaulas wasn’t bothered by her invalidity but at the same time she was saddened that her most highlighting feature for the world was her disability. She would have heard more about how lucky she was for getting married to a handsome business tycoon despite being a disable if Killian had not stepped in and threatened the media.
But that wasn’t the first time her disability was mocked. She had been enduring harsh comments since her childhood. First in school where kids bullied her for being lesser than them. They would snatch her bag from her and drop all her things on the floor and she would watch them doing it with helpless eyes. And sometimes they would carry her to the upper floors and leave her there. It would take her hours to crawl downstairs where her bullies would already be waiting to laugh at her.
Angela wasn’t a timid girl though. She fought back wherever she could. But it was tiring. She was tired of proving to others that she wasn’t lesser than them. For how long would she have to do this? Not only the children but elders too. They didn’t bully her like other children but the pity in their eyes would reiterate what she was fighting; that she was lesser than them.
The worst time of her life was when she entered her college. By that time she had learned to ignore rude comments.
She has no idea how did they find out but they did find out and from then on she was mocked for being a whore’s daughter. It was written on classboard, on the desks, in the last page of library books, everywhere she could see. That had hurt like bitch. Like a final punch, it had shattered her. Her already cracked spirit had broken to pieces and she had no one to piece it back for her.
She wasn’t ashamed of being a whore’s daughter what pained her was the way people described her mother as. How they could be so heartless? She was gone. Can’t they show some respect?
The worst thing she did to herself was to bottle up her feelings. Angela never breathed a word to Ara and Killian no matter how hurt she was. She already felt grateful to them and didn’t want to add to their trouble. After high school, she moved to another state for her studies despite Ara’s disapproval. Ara was like a mother hen who wanted all her kids around her all the time.
“ I would like to invite Mrs. King on the stage for sharing some words with us,” the announcer said and the room resounded with applause. Angela felt a great deal of discomfort when she steered towards the stage. There were eyes judging her. She hoped she was being judged for her professional acheivements and not for something she had no hold over. She made her way towards the stage only to find there was no way for her to go up. Her face reddened with embarrassment.
The chairman smirked and shared an amused look with her husband who was Angela’s rival.
The room was dead quiet, everyone was watching her.
Angela didn’t let her smile waver and decided to try her luck. Graham quickly rushed to her side to help her. Angela calmly held his hand and climbed up the stairs on her shaky legs. She kept her smile despite feeling humiliated to her core. She let go of Graham’s hand and decided to walk to the dias by herself just to show her enemies. People watched her with their mouths hanging open as she staggered forward without support. Every fiber of being was twisting in pain but her resolve was firm. She walked a few steps but unfortunately her legs were not as strong as her heart. They couldn’t bear the burden of her resolve for long and gave away. In a second, the woman fell down to the floor causing a collective gasp to erupt from onlookers.
More than the physical pain, she was hurt internally. She failed. Embarrassment washed over her. Angela felt the tears of humiliation stinging the back of her eyes. She had successfully made a caricature of herself. She inwardly cursed herself for refusing Graham’s support. She was a fool to think that she can do it on her own. That she could walk a small distance without anyone’s support. With her hands planted on the ground, she pressed her eyes closed to keep tears from falling. She heard Graham climbing up the stairs and towards her. She raised her hand for him to take and pull her up but instead she felt him bending and then it hit her.
Pine and Cedarwood. Exotic and soothing. Her eyes flung open on their own as he swooped her up in his strong arms. They popped out in surprise to see the face she had least expected to see. Nikaulas. She had questions but right now she just wanted to live in the moment and admire his handsome hero. It was not every day her husband swooped in to rescue her. And what visuals. His firm jaw looked more defined from here. Without delaying she looped her arms around his neck. She watched him, dazed and confused as he carried her towards the dias while keeping his gaze ahead. In a second, they were in front of the mic standing before hundreds of people. He carefully put her down and interlaced his hand with hers. She grabbed the dias with her free hand and leaned forward. A big grin on her face. She was nervous no doubt but for some reason, Nikaulas’ presence had calmed her frantic nerves. His large hand was now wrapped around her small ones and she felt…assured. Also she wanted to impres
Angela casted a glance at the wall clock and sighed. It was 1 in the morning and he still had not arrived home. Is he gone already? She wouldn’t know if he had left the city or not but as he was here it felt wrong to sleep when he was yet to come home. Who knows if he had his dinner or not. Angela had seen him leaving from her room. He was on the phone speaking about some meeting. Judging by the conversation, she realised he was headed for a meeting at Regency hotel and would be back. After what felt like an eternity the door finally opened. Her gaze quickly darted towards it. She straightened her posture and put a smile on her soft lips. Nikaulas entered the hall and started towards the upstairs. His coat was hanging on his arm and his hair was tousled giving him a rugged look. Like always, he didn’t notice the woman waiting for him.“I..I’ll set the dinner for you,” nervousness caused her voice to shake. It was very rare for them to talk. The man paused mid-stride, just noticing
She had chosen a purple fish tail gown that complimented her black stiletto and diamond set. Not to mention it also made the green of her eyes pop beautifully. She had curled her hair and left them open. “How do I look?” she asked Lina. Nervousness coated her words thick. “Just like an angel, madam,” Lina replied smiling. “I hope you are not saying it just to make me feel good,” Angela narrowed her eyes playfully. “Believe me all the men at the party are going to lose their heart to you,” Lina remarked with a wink. A bubble of laughter erupted from Angela’s throat. Nobody loses their heart to a disable like her. No matter how successful or pretty she was, she was still a disable. “I want only one man's heart,” a note of longingness in her voice as she whispered the words. Not much later, Alvira sauntered into the room with her little boy. The little bundle was wide awake and watching everything with wonder in his eyes. Angela smiled and reached for the baby. “How my li
The venue wasn’t very far from home as they had managed to reach in less than twenty minutes. Again, Jonas fetched the wheelchair and helped her out whereas Nikaulas had already climbed out to take a call. “Looks like you are going to hear a lot of thank you from me tonight,” Angela looked up at Jonas and stated. Her voice held a note of disappointment for her husband. “I swear you are the only boss in this world who thanks her subordinates just for doing their job,” Jonas replied in a joking tone. Angela chuckled at his response. “And I am certain you are the only bodyguard in this world who takes his work this seriously,” she shot back. “You are the queen. Can’t take any risk,” “In name only,” she answered smilingly but the pain in her eyes was unmissable. “You are the queen,” Jonas stressed on each word. She didn’t need no King to make her feel her worth. She had Sebastian Hernandez blood running through her veins. She was born queen and she will remain so. A clea
Please understand, I can't break off the engagement, Nik. His family has done a lot for us. I can't back off now. Please don't get me wrong I love you, I really do but I am bound. Besides, your family is in mafia and my family will never approve of it. I want a life where I can walk freely without having to worry about my next breath. I might sound coward but I don't want to be targeted by your rivals all the time for being married to you. I know you will protect me with your life but we cannot predict future. I am sorry I wish we were met in different circuimstances. Her explanation echoed in his head as he watched her coming towards him. He was seeing her after over two years and she still looked just as dazzling. The blue hue of her eyes was still his favorite. A soft smile was gracing her lips, making her look more beautiful. A hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes when they met his gaze but she masked it away with her ever bright smile. "Never thought I would see
Angela looked around in search of her husband. He was noweher insight. "Nikaulas is a lucky jerk for having you. You are a very nice human being, Angela," Theo stated in open admiration of her. Angela smiled but that didn't reach her eyes. She was quite sure Nikaulas thought different. " You, sir, flatter me too much," Angela said jokingly causing him to laugh. "I see you are the modest type," Theo observed. Angela just smiled beforeonce again scanningthe room for her husband. A heavy hand gripped her shoulder all of a sudden. She looked up to find Nikaulas standing in front of her. His expression looked troubled. "We are leaving," he stated and steered herwheelchair towards the exit. Angela was confused by his behaviour. "Is everything alright?" Theo stood up and asked. Nikaulas halted for a second and nodded. "I have an urgent work to see to," Nikau
Theo got to his feet the moment he saw Angela. His lips twitched into an appreciative smile as his gaze raked her beautiful form. Leah also got to her feet and sent a strained smile her way. "Thanks for coming," Angela smiled graciously at the couple. "How could we turn down the offer. Besides, I know Nik wasn't going to invite us ever," Theo replied, flashing her his charming smile. Angela chuckled off his statement and asked them to take a seat. "Umm....where is Nik?" Leah asked after searching the hall with her eyes. "He is at work. I am afraid his work might not allow him to join us tonight," Angela explained to her, giving her an apologetic smile. They must feel weird to not being joined by their own friend. Nikaulas really needed to work on his social skills.Leah looked disappointed as she nodded in understanding and withdrew from the conversation. "Who leaves a beautiful wife like you at home for work. He is a certified fool," Theo scoffed in disapproval. Angela smiled
"This is a beautiful piece," said Leah while examining the jewelery piece in deep admiration. Angela's eyes lit up. " I got it from Italy. I have a weakness for vintage," Angela admitted zealously. "Me too," Leah replied while rubbing her thumb, feeling the intricate details of the necklace. "With this one it was a first sight love," Angela divulged. "You have a lot of first sight love," Leah bit out still admiring the piece. There was a certain sharpness in her tone that Angela missed. Angela passed her comment off as a joke. "I guess I do," she replied chuckling. Leah sighed and set the necklace back in its box. "I must say you are in possession of nothing but only the best," Leah remarked wistfully. The naive Angela smiled, thinking she was talking only about the jewelery piece. She took the box. "Here," she offered it to her. Leah looked up at her in confusion. "For you," Angela encouraged her with a smile."It's yours," Leah replied. "Yes and I want you to have it. I