Chapter 8

The next morning, Daria woke up feeling light-headed and immediately grabbed her phone to check on Elena, just then she noticed a text from Nicholas.

'look through your window' she read out the text, immediately she sprang to her feet and ran to her window.

Nicholas stood in the middle of their garden, dressed in a black tuxedo and black sunglasses he's black hair flew across he's face in the wind.

He waved he's hand and mouthed 'come down to her', Daria's eye's lit up instantly sparkling with joy.

'come down' he mouthed again. Daria quickly grabbed her shorts and top, hurriedly she put them on and sprinted towards the garden, right into his arms.

Nicholas lifted Daria in the air and spun her. Placing her down he captured her lips in an intense kiss.

"My dad will see" Daria said shyly as she broke from the kiss.

"I want him to" Nicholas said pecking her lips " I want him to know that I love his daughter" he added.

Scooping her up he walked into the house, and they were met by Jacob, standing in the center of the living room.

He's expression was unreadable, Daria saw him and got scared. "Put me down" Daria whispered in Nicholas's ear.

"Please" she added wiggling in his arms. Carefully Nicholas placed her down and they both walked towards Jacob.

"Good morning Mr Jones" Nicholas greeted, as the corner of his lips lifted up in a smile.

"Good morning Mr Raceanu" Jacob responded, his face still unreadable. 

His eyes turned from the nervous Daria who was playing with the side's of her shorts and Nicholas who beamed with confidence.

"Good morning Dad" Daria greeted as well, silently praying for the ground to swallow her.

"What brings you to my home?" Jacob asked turning his attention to Nicholas.

"Business?" He said sitting on the chair behind him.

"No, I came here to seek your permission to have your daughter" Nicholas replied, going straight to the point.

Daria's breath hitched, she didn't know why she felt so nervous. She became even more nervous when Jacob threw her a look.

Slowly she hid behind Nicholas, this did not go on unnoticed by Jacob.

"My daughter?" Jacob said, raising an eyebrow at them, "explain" he added.

"I am in love with your daughter and I want to make her my wife" Nicholas replied, he's confidence growing with every word he spoke.

"I see" "Daria, come here" Jacob said to his daughter. Slowly Daria stepped out from behind Nicholas and faced her father.

"Do you love him?" He asked sternly. Daria fumbled with her shorts as she nodded in response "yes".

A smile crept up Jacobs face as he heard her, he got to his feet and walked towards Daria.

"Are you sure, you want this?" He asked again, taking her face in his hands. 

"Yes" Daria replied feeling relieved after she noticed his smile, Jacob gave her a warm hug.

As if giving her all his blessings, "I am happy for you" he whispered into her ears before he released her.

"Come here" he said to Nicholas. Slowly Nicholas approached them, Jacob took both their hands and placed Daria's in Nicholas's hand.

"I will give you my daughter only if you promise to take care of her" he said to Nicholas.

"She's my precious child" he added as his voice began to break.

"I will" Nicholas replied assuring Jacob. Daria slowly began to tear up as she watched her father walk away.

"Aren't you happy" Nicholas said, drawing her attention.

"I.. I am happy" Daria replied sniffling, "you didn't tell me you are going to do this" "and isn't it a bit rushed" she asked.

"I want everyone to know about us and I want is to be together as soon as possible" Nicholas replied. 

"But.." Nicholas placed a finger on Daria's lips stopping her.

"But nothing" he said, "come on, go get dressed I want to show you something" he continued, leading Daria to the staircase.

"What is that?" She asked forgetting about their previous conversation.

"Go get dressed first" he said urging her up, "I'll be outside, waiting" he added as he watched her disappear into the first floor.

"Would you like to come up?" Daria suddenly popped her hear above the railings.

"No not yet, I don't have the right to" he replied with a smile.

Thirty minutes later, Daria made her way down the staircase, while Nicholas stood at the bottom, gazing lovingly at her.

Daria was dressed in a brown kaki shorts and a blue button up shirt, her hair fell over her shoulders.

Nicholas stretched his hand to receive her, just then his phone rang but he didn't pay attention to it but continued to stare at Daria.

"Are you not going to answer it" Daria said referring to his ringing phone. Nicholas reached into his pocket and checked the caller.

'Ludwig' it read. "Whatever it is solve it, I am busy" Nicholas instructed sternly without hearing what he had to say.

"Why would you do that? he might really need your help" Daria asked concerned about the phone call.

"He will handle it" he replied as they approached Nicholas's car.

Meanwhile in a luxurious office which was built underneath another building, Ludwig worriedly paced about after his phone call with Nicholas.

"He says his busy, send help to him now!!" He ordered the group of men that stood in front of him.

"Find his location and make sure he is safe and unharmed" he continued, as he turned to face the man kneeling in front of him with a black eye.

"I am coming back to deal with you" he said kicking him in the chest.

"Lock him up" he ordered the men that stood guard at the door, with guns in their hand as he followed the men he previously sent away.

Nicholas and Daria drove down to a five star restaurant to have breakfast after Daria complained of being hungry.

"Can you please, tell me what you want to show me" Daria asked blinking pitifully.

"Eat up first" Nicholas replied, with a smirk, "the suspense is killing me" Daria complained.

"We would have been there if we didn't make this stop" Nicholas said pointing out the obvious.

"Let's go then" she suggested packing up her bags. Nicholas smiled and asked for the bills and cleared it.

Nicholas eye suddenly caught a strange figure watching them as they walked out of the VIP section, "shall we?" He said placing his hand on Daria's back.

"Yes" she replied excited, Nicholas led them out of the restaurant as the chaffuer brought his car to the front of the restaurant.