Chapter 3

(Tristan's POV)

I was sleeping when Nikolai moved closer to me. I woke up and found him curled against me, his head on my chest and his hand wrapped around my waist.

I looked down at him and watched for a moment instead of immediately pushing him away.

“So warm,” Nikolai mumbled.

Suddenly, he woke up and realized exactly where he was, his cheek pressed against my chest and his arm wrapped around my waist and I was already awake, staring down at him.

“Good morning, wife, comfortable?”

He moved with the speed of light and stood up and pointed at me with his funny frowned face.

“Don't bite your lips,” I teased him.

“You moved first, Tristan,”

“Says the guy with his head on my chest and his hand wrapped around my waist…. don't be ridiculous.” I laughed and left the room for him in the dining room.

Grace served my morning tea and left, I sipped with ease, it's steam moving to my face when I raise the cup. My phone ran and I quickly checked the caller.

“Hello, prosecutor Harris, what is it this early morning?” I asked, I waved my hand to Grace to take the tea with her and make another one when I'm back.

“Yes, Attorney Tristan, Mr. Jones was found dead in his hotel room and your client was the last confirmed person seen entering his room. His fingerprints were found on the weapon and the security footage showed him entering the suite,”

“So, what are you saying, Harris?”

“The prosecution claims it was motivated by a business dispute,”

“The prosecution? What's the estimated time of death? I asked.

“The autopsy report says 10:30 pm to 11:30 pm,” Harris replied.

“Your forensic pathologist gave you a four-hour window and your guessed timeline of death is 10:45,”

“Attorney Tristan, listen to me,”

“My client left the hotel at 9:56,” 

“And that is according to his damn statement,” Harris stunned.

“That is according to the CCTV footage, prosecutor Harris,” I raised my voice.

“He could've returned back to the room,” he shouted.

“Then prove it!!” I shouted back and ended the call. I slammed my palms against my table, my jaw clenched and my muscles twitched beneath my skin.

My fingers curled into tight fists, I stared at my phone, my eyes hard and unblinking.

I picked up my phone and left my home office, Grace called for my tea and I ignored her and walked fast to my room. Nikolai was busy dolling himself up and I went to the bathroom.

“What on earth is this rubbish?”

My eyes went to his shampoo, then his body wash, then his lotions, his water perfume and hair products. I stormed out of the bathroom and went to Nikolai.

“What are those things in my bathroom?”

“You are blind? They're my things,”

“You have to remove them, Niko,”

“Tristan, there's enough space.”

My breathing grew heavier, each breath forced through my nose, I pressed my lips into a thin, furious line, trying to suppress my anger and went back into the bathroom.

I filled up the tub and entered inside, allowing the cold stinging water to calm me down. Not long after, I got up and scrubbed my body clean and left the bathroom with my body dried and moisturized.

I dressed in my white short and bare chest and went for breakfast, Nikolai was already seated with his hands holding his head, I ignored him and sat down.

“Joyce, get me pasta and raspberry wine.”

Nikolai acted as though I wasn't there and kept waiting for his breakfast, he got served and munched on his toasted bread and milk. I stole glances until I saw milk by the side of his lips, the tissue was closer to me, I drew out a sheet and wiped the milk off his lips, he was left in shock and that was what I wanted.

I had my pasta and wine and left for my house office to continue working on a case file.

I dropped my phone on my table and went to my board where I solve crimes, Mr. Jonas' picture pinned in the middle and my client's own beside it, his estimated time already written.

“What am I missing?” 

I wiped my face off and looked back at the board and still had no clue of what I was missing, the prosecution was already one step ahead of me.

The sound of the dining room chair scraping against the floor caught my attention and I sharply raised my brows in wonder. Three minutes later, I heard footsteps close to my office and I looked up, Nikolai was wiping his lips with a napkin and returned my gaze to the board.

“You can always ask the staff for anything you need,” I informed him.

“I never said I needed anything,”

“Then why are you here?” I asked and he stepped in with the napkin squeezed in his left hand.

“I'm working, Nikolai,”

“It's obvious.” He walked towards my bookshelf and moved around touching the books.

“Do not touch anything, Niko, I'm warning you,” I threatened him.

His hand stopped inches from a book and he looked over his shoulder at me and scoffed then pulled the book from its shelf.

“Put it back!!”

“Too bad, I need it.” his response caught me off balance and I closed my case file and stood up abruptly. Nikolai moved to the other side of the study room and let out an annoying laugh which got to me.

“Hand it over,” I opened my palm for him.

“Is this how you would've been treating my sister?”

“Is this how you behave at home, Niko?”

I wanted to deceive him and get the book. I made to move and he escaped to another side of the room and gave me his awkward laugh and raised my book to the air and caught it.

I chased him to the door and he fell down with me on him and I felt his bra.