ログイン"He's your friend?" Nicholas asked, pointing his chin at Trey Cole. Rachel frowned, her eyes falling on Nicholas's arms around her waist.
"Rachel?" Trey's voice brought her to her senses. She smiled stiffly, "Trey Cole? I didn't expect to meet you here!" she said as she tried to free herself from Nicholas but she failed, he didn't let go of his hand. "Yeah, my office is nearby, you lived here?" asked Trey looking at Rachel with a frown. "No..." "Yes you are, you lived here, once we get married this place will be yours too..." Nicholas suddenly interrupted Rachel's words. He looked at her with raised eyebrows. Rachel grimaced but didn't say anything.Trey nodded his head a few times, "Maybe we can drink together sometime!" he said with a smile on his face.
Nicholas cleared his throat loudly, "You're going to be busy with wedding preparations, aren't you?" said him, he winked one eye at Rachel who was staring at him in annoyance. "Yeah, I think so, just put your number here, I'll call you later when there's no disturbance," she said as she stomped on Nicholas' feet, who immediately let go of her hand, she took her cellphone and held it to Trey. "Well then, see you guys later!" said trey after he put his number on Rachel's cellphone, he smiled at her who looked at him in amazement. "He's so handsome..." she muttered to herself.Nicholas snorted, "Handsome? Really? He's nothing compared to me! Hurry up, you still want your money or not?" he said while walking away, leaving Rachel who was still watching Trey's back with admiration on her face.
"Can't you just act normal? You just ruined my meeting with the only man I've ever loved!" chirped Rachel as she followed Nicholas' wide stride.
"You have a low taste!" said Nicholas nonchalantly. Rachel scrunched up her face, becoming even more irritated. "Excuse me? Do you think you're better than him?! You're just a spoiled brat who doesn't know what hard work is!" she said curtly."What did you say? Spoiled brat? Don't say something that you don't know," he hissed, he pressed the elevator button and went inside with a cold face. Rachel immediately fell silent, she didn't know Nicholas could be offended by her words.
The elevator shot up to the 68th floor, there was no conversation between them for that long.
Seconds later the elevator clinked open, Rachel stepped out after Nicholas. She was greeted by a long hallway with marble floors lit by bright lamps. They walked down the hall and ended up in a luxurious black door. Nicholas put his fingers on the scanner, and soon the door opened. Looking at the room in front of her, Rachel literally gaped. All the furniture was dominated by luxurious black and white colors, the most prominent of which was a chandelier installation that she knew costs up to three million dollars."How much do you offer?" Rachel asked suddenly.
Nicholas who was standing in front of the glass wall was surprised, he turned to look at Rachel with a frown."You fill in the nominal yourself, let's see..." He pulled out his cell phone, opening the agreement document Rachel filled out while drunk last night.
"Hmmm, you're asking for two million dollars on top of all your debt," Nicholas said, holding back a laugh.Rachel glared, "I have to change the number! I filled that amount while I was unconscious!" she babbled. How could her price be cheaper than the price of a chandelier! That didn't make any sense!
Nicholas shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever, you can use that laptop to revise the contents of the contract, I'm going to take a shower," he said, pointing to a laptop lying on the lounge table. "Don't touch anything except the laptop and don't change the layout of the room at all, put everything back where it belongs, you understand?" chirped Nicholas anxiously, he never liked anyone else touching what was his.Rachel pouted, the corners of her lips lifting upwards. "No wonder you're still single until now..." she mumbled annoyed.
She walked to the lounge and sat on the super-soft white sofa. "The couch is so nice! I could fall asleep if I sat here too long!" she babbled as she put her feet on it. Nicholas glared, "Put your feet down!" he snapped, walking briskly over to Rachel and pulling her feet down to the floor."Don't even try! Look at your filthy feet staining my couch! What a savage!" he muttered in disbelief. Rachel snorted, "Oh God! You're such a bitch! At least give me a drink or a snack!" she babbled, her hand reaching out to take the laptop off the table.
"Are you human? You just finished a heavy meal and now you're asking for a snack? Is there a giant worm in your stomach?" Nicholas said in disbelief, his eyes on Rachel from head to toe.
Rachel snorted, "You stingy bastard! You don't have to call me savage just because you don't want to give me your snacks!" she snapped, glancing at Nicholas with pursed lips.Nicholas just shook his head, he turned around and left leaving Rachel who was sticking her tongue out behind him.
After Nicholas was out of sight, Rachel returned to her focus on the laptop in her lap and began busily revising the contract. She unconsciously did it with a smile, she could imagine that her life would soon be better and brighter without the collectors who were constantly looking for her. Having finished revising the contract and satisfied with the result, she got up and headed for the refrigerator.
"Wow! He's really obsessed with neatness! Such a freak!" she mumbled, gazing in amazement at the neatly arranged rows of bottles and cans in front of her.
She took a bucket of almond chocolate ice cream and a bottle of San Pellegrino then she sat down on a stool in front of the long marble table."It's so delicious!" she muttered as she shoved another large scoop of ice cream into her mouth. But suddenly the ice cream melted and fell onto the marble table.
"NOOOOOOO!" a scream rang out from the stairs, she turned to find Nicholas was staring at her with a murderous look that made her wince.---
“Who are you chatting with?” Nicholas asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled around them.They were having dinner together on the plane, the soft clinking of cutlery and the low hum of the engines filling the background. They had already been in the air for nine hours. According to the digital screen on the wall, they still had a long way to go before they would land in Indonesia.Rachel looked up from her phone. “Someone,” she replied lightly. “Even if I tell you his name, you won’t know him.”She dropped her gaze and continued typing.Chatting with Andrew Parker was… fun. He had a sense of humor almost identical to hers—sarcastic, a bit dramatic, and absurdly random. Most of their messages were about movies, food, and stupid daily things. She carefully avoided any topics that even smelled like romance or relationships. The last thing she wanted was to accidentally flirt when she was only using him as a distraction.She smiled as she typed another reply.Suddenly, N
Rachel's face turned red, it felt like she wanted the earth to swallow her right then and there. She could have avoided it, but deep down inside her heart, she wanted Nicholas to know what was in she felt."Rachel?!" snapped Nicholas craving for an answer.“Fuck, YES! I do! I'm falling in love with you!” Rachel answered quickly, she didn't know where she got the courage from but clearly expressing her feelings for Nicholas was able to lighten the load in her heart.In her head she was counting to three, waiting for Nicholas' reaction who might scream and scold her but until a minute later, nothing came out of his mouth."What is it? Why are you silent?” Rachel asked confused.Nicholas took a deep breath, "Why?" he asked, looking at Rachel for an answer."Why? What? What do you mean why?” Rachel became even more confused.“Explain to me why you fell in love with me even after you found out how broken I was inside?” his voice was a little hoarse when he asked that.Rachel almost choked
Rachel spent the entire car ride to the airport lost in her thoughts, her gaze fixed outside the tinted window while her mind spun with questions. Nicholas had said he “lost a bet with himself”—whatever that meant—and she couldn’t stop replaying it. What kind of bet? Why had he sounded so strange afterward? And why did he look out the window like he was trying to hide something?Her chest squeezed as she tried to decipher it, but the more she tried to guess, the more confused she became.The limousine slowed to a stop, and before Rachel could gather her thoughts, the door swung open. One of Nicholas’s guards stood waiting.“Come on down,” Nicholas said casually.Rachel blinked. Then her jaw dropped. “Am I going to fly to Nihi Sumba in this wedding dress?!”Nicholas snorted. “Of course not. You’ll change on the plane. I already prepared clothes for you.”She stared at him. “You?”“Well… I mean, my staff. Same difference.” He flicked his chin toward the door. “Hurry up.”Rachel grumbled
Rachel’s eyes widened so much she thought they might pop out of her skull. For a split, insane moment she almost opened her mouth to shout across the hall, to demand Trey Cole explain what he was doing there, arm-in-arm with Julia of all people. But before she could do anything reckless, her father gently but firmly tightened his grip on her arm and nudged her forward, forcing her to keep walking down the aisle toward the altar.The music kept playing as if nothing were wrong, as if the sight of Julia and Trey wasn’t a bomb dropping in the middle of the ceremony. Rachel’s heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear the melody. Up ahead, Nicholas stood waiting—straight-backed, composed, his expression unreadable. The chaos in the room, the whispered speculation, the presence of his ex… none of it seemed to shake him.They reached the front. Rachel’s father let go of her slowly, and turned to Nicholas with solemn eyes. He reached for Nicholas’s arm and gripped it tightly.“Nicholas, I
Rachel woke up far too early, and she knew instantly that it wasn’t because of the sun or the alarm or any noise in the mansion. It was nerves—pure, sharp nerves—shooting through her body like a sudden surge of electricity. Her chest felt tight, her heart thumping so fast she wondered if she had accidentally sprinted in her sleep.She pushed herself upright and looked beside her.Nicholas was sleeping peacefully, his face relaxed… too relaxed for someone who was getting married in a few hours. His breaths were slow and soft, the blanket gently rising and falling with each inhale. His hair, as always, was tousled carelessly, yet somehow he still managed to look like he stepped straight out of a magazine.Rachel stared at his face for a long moment. Something deep inside her stirred painfully. Today—no matter how fake, no matter the circumstances—she and Nicholas would be married. They would say vows, walk down an aisle, take photographs, cut a cake…Marriage is still marriage, she thou
Rachel rubbed her skin gently, letting the warm bathwater seep into every tired muscle of her body. The scent of lavender soap drifted through the bathroom, calming her nerves little by little. She closed her eyes, letting the steam rise around her like a soft veil. A glass of chilled white wine sat on the edge of the tub, and she took small sips between sighs. Soaking like this was the only thing keeping her sane at the moment.Her wedding day—their wedding day—was only hours away.It should have been a magical feeling, something thrilling and beautiful. But instead, her mind was tangled like a yarn ball thrown into a hurricane. Confusion, sadness, excitement, and dread made a chaotic mix inside her chest, and no warm bath or glass of wine could fully soothe it.She glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand outside the bathroom door and blinked.8:00 p.m.Had she really been soaking for nearly an hour? No wonder her fingers were wrinkled, her throat dry, and her stomach grumblin







