Adira stood up and ambled to the door at once, and there she found Lyra, looking all radiant in a shimmering dress.A lot had changed about her. Back then, in college, she was mostly looking unkempt and could barely afford good clothes. But now she was looking like a goddess. She was happy for her, no doubt; one thing she wasn't happy about was the fact that she was concealing her identity and might be there for a purpose.The two ladies exchanged weighty stares at each other for a while, saying nothing."Can I come in?" She finally asked, her voice soft and polite.Hesitating a little, Adira nodded and stepped away from the door, giving her access to walk into the room."Could you excuse us, please?" She said this to Yvonne, who was fixing some clothes into the wardrobe."Uh...of course." Yvonne nodded and left, leaving just the two ladies in the room.For a moment, Adira stood behind Lyra, who kept looking around the room, like she was inspecting and admiring it at the same time."L

For a long time, Nikolai was silent, the phone still pinned to his ear. His lawyer understood his silence, hence, didn't utter a word and just let him be. He was right - Nikolai thought. It was time to start processing the divorce. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair, gazing blankly at the window. There was no going back now, was there? There was no reason for him to...stop. "Start the process." He murmured softly. There was a little silence. "Okay, sir. It'll take me about two - three weeks to draft the papers. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done." The lawyer replied and the call dropped immediately. For a long time after the call ended, Nikolai remained still in his car, his face resting in his palms. Why was he suddenly feeling scared about this? Why was his heart beginning to beat so hard like it was about to explode? This was the right thing to do. If she stays back, her life might be in danger. Moreover, he wasn't so sure she loved him. Yes, she might be sweet

Adira continued taking light sips from her cup, the whole time, praying silently that Jared would leave. Even if he means no harm, she still felt uncomfortable sharing a room with him. "You know, growing up, I was almost like you." He suddenly said, a wistful smile on his face. "Always lonely and having no one to talk to. I was very lonely 'cause I grew up with a man who was unfortunate enough to be my father. Man was always so busy and I bet there were times he forgot he had a son. "In high school, there were a group of boys that grew fond of bullying me. I'd go home with bruises and try to tell my father about it, but man would hardly look at my face or care. I kept bugging him and one day, he snapped at me - told me to fix my own shit myself." He paused and chuckled, like he was drawing in on a memory. "Next day at school, wanna know what happened? Every one of those bullies were rushed out to the hospital. One of them nearly died. I beat the hell out of them and pushed the last

It happened so fast, it was the last thing Adira expected. Her heart leapt into her throat and threatened to burst from her chest as she struggled for a moment to comprehend the swift action.Was she dreaming? Or perhaps, drunk again? Or was Nikolai really kissing her? How was it possible? How was this possible when she wasn't even drunk?A tremor of coldness swept through her like an arctic river, freezing from her within. It was just like the first time he kissed her; that very night. Yes, she was drunk but she remembered every bit of it.Nikolai wasn't thinking straight. He couldn't explain how he had lost so much control to kiss her.Damn it! He thought this was going to be easy - getting married and divorcing her in a space of two years. Not until a while ago, he never understood the depth of his obsession over her.It drove him nuts to find her in the company of another. No man should have the privilege of spending so much time with her. He knew it wasn't right. He needed to let

THIS CHAPTER IS RATED 18+Adira's phone nearly slipped out of her hand the moment she saw him. The sight of him ignited a kaleidoscope of emotions within her - his flawless face and features. She felt her legs jiggle instantly.The smell of him filled the room at once as he ambled in, stopping halfway to where she stood. He was in an all white - attire, his gloves being the only contrasting color. The duo locked eyes on each other, Adira unable to look away no matter how nervous she felt. God! She's missed him so much. All she wanted to do at that moment was run into his arms and give him the tightest first hug.Silence enveloped the air, stretching out in the space between them. Unable to bear the weight of his gaze any longer, Adira lowered her eyes to the floor. Nikolai was too charming."Have something to say?" Her heart skipped for no reason when she heard him ask.She lifted her gaze and found him showing his phone to her."You were calling before I walked in."That had complete