บททั้งหมดของ TIED BY CONTRACT : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 27

KATE'S POV: I woke up to the familiar chill of an empty bed. The sheets beside me were cold, the faint scent of Nikolai's cologne lingering like a whisper of him. As usual, he had left right before I woke up. I stretched lazily, my fingers brushing over the indentation his body had left behind. He’d been up early again. That wasn’t a surprise anymore. The pillows he had used to separate us both was lying on the floor. Whilst still in bed, I stressed my hands and picked them up, arranging them gently in order. The soft glow of morning light filtered through the tall windows, casting golden streaks across the cream walls. I pushed the duvet off and padded to the bathroom. The marble tiles were cold under my feet, but I didn’t mind. I took my time in the shower, letting the hot water rinse away sleep and the creeping unease of whatever I was feeling in my guts. I scrubbed gently, and letting the water rinse away the soapy foam off my body. After wrapping myself in a thick robe, I

KATE'S POV: The cold stretch of empty sheets met my hand as I rolled over in bed, my fingers brushing over where Nikolai's warmth should've been. It was cold and empty, it's like I thought this morning would be different. Another morning, another chill. I sighed, blinking the sleep from my eyes before sitting up and pushing the comforter aside. He always left before I could wake up, it's like he doesn't want to get reminded about the fact that we share a bed. The mansion was quiet eerily so, but I had grown used to its silence. I padded across the room, stretching my limbs as I made my way to the bathroom cladded in nothing but my bathrobe. The marble floor chilled my feet, sending a shiver up my spine as I twisted the knob of the shower. Steam soon enveloped the air, and I let the hot water wash over me, loosening the knots in my shoulders and clearing the remnants of sleep from my mind. After toweling off, I dressed in a light beige blouse and denim shorts, brushing my hair int

KATE'S POV: The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of a grand building illuminated with soft golden lights that stretched across its high windows and massive columns. The valet was already at Nikolai's side as he stepped out, adjusting the lapels of his sharp tailored tux. He rounded the car swiftly, offering me his hand as I emerged. The whole vibe from the party was nothing I was used to, it was different and it screamed of wealthy self centered people. People who only cared about their looks, their money and the way people feared them. "Ready?" he asked, voice low and confident. I nodded, clutching my small glittering clutch a little tighter. The silky material of my dress whispered against my legs as I moved, heels clicking elegantly against the stone pavement. My heart was hammering with excitement and nerves.Nikolai held my hands like it was his world, everything felt so different afterwards. He looked so confident as he walked. The doorman greeted us with a nod, and a

KATE'S POV: The drive home was cold, colder than the night air, colder than the silence that stretched like a noose between us. Nikolai’s fingers gripped the steering wheel with such force his knuckles turned pale beneath the shadows of passing streetlights. It felt like he could rip the leather that covered the steering wheel with the way he was gripping it. His jaw clenched tight, and the faint muscle in his cheek ticked rhythmically, his only movement aside from the occasional sharp flick of his gaze back to the road. I shifted in my seat, my dress crinkling softly beneath me, but I didn’t dare speak. The tension was thick enough to choke on. I was afraid to say a word, to say something that might raise the bar higher and break the tension that surrounded us both. I looked at his face through the mirror above. I knew that look on his face. I knew it too well. Jealousy. It had been buried beneath the suit and charm all evening, but I felt it crawling up his spine the