"Don't let him get in! What is he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be at work?" Nikoleta stood up from her seat.
"I believe he's in the elevator right now." The woman revealed. Just then, they all heard the ding of the elevator.
Astrid rushed back into the changing room, clutching the dress in her hands and breathing rapidly.
.
Darius stepped into the room, his eyes doing a quick sweep for any sign of Astrid. He smiled at Nikoleta and shrugged. "Why do you look like you're angry at me?" He asked, feigning innocence.
"You're supposed to be at work. You knew Astrid and I were coming here. What are you doing? Showing off, trying to tell everyone just how many private jets you have?" Nikoleta frowned at him.
"Oh, but I am at work, mum. I own the place." He sat down next to her on the comfortable sofa with an air of pride. Cassia knew that Darius was engaged, but that didn't stop her from blushing at how he carried himself, and he noticed.
"Leave! We were in the middle of something." Nikoleta started to protest.
"I'm not stopping you." He smirked at her. He knew exactly what he was doing, getting her agitated.
"Darius." Her tone changed, signalling the surface of her anger.
He sighed and stood up. "I'll leave, if that's what you want. Where's Astrid, by the way?" He asked, like he didn't know.
Nikoleta closed her eyes and expelled a breath. She could explode at her son any moment from now.
"I'll leave. I have things to do downstairs, anyway." He chuckled, kissing Nikoleta's forehead.
Cassia looked at him in admiration until she couldn't see him anymore. Nikoleta shifted uncomfortably at it. Anyone was sure to notice that Cassia had the hots for Darius. But who could blame her, really? His looks, his poise, his wealth—almost everything about him, even—was sure to pull anyone to him.
Maybe that was why he was used to getting whatever he wanted. That was also why he couldn't bear the rejection from Astrid.
Astrid returned from the changing room and they all continued to stare and marvel at the wedding dress.
Astrid told them that she wanted the dress and that no other one could change her mind. Nikoleta had pressured her into trying on six other dresses, but her mind was still set on the first dress.
"Just a couple of adjustments and you'll be ready to rock that wedding dress." Cassia told her after taking her measurements.
.
Cassia couldn't help but smile and pretend to be happy about Darius's sudden wedding. It was too late, after all, to tell Darius how she felt about him.
Maybe if she hadn't slept with him five months ago, she wouldn't have had those feelings for him. But there was something about him that she still wanted, even after five months.
She didn't want to tell Astrid about it. Why would she? Would that even make Astrid change her mind? She wondered if Astrid knew of Darius's numerous affairs.
One question kept nibbling at the back of her mind: were Astrid and Darius really in love?
If someone asked her, she would look straight into their eyes and tell them no. Maybe she just didn't want to accept it. Maybe she was just too jealous and bitter about it. Or maybe she was right and they really weren't in love.
She decided that she would have to find out herself. She would find some time to meet Darius and get the truth out of him.
.
Astrid and Nikoleta found Darius downstairs, a whole stampede of paparazzi and shoppers gathered around him.
"Mr Titan, are you here because of your wedding with Astrid?"
They seem to be forgetting that he owns this place, Astrid thought.
"There are rumours going around that you still sleep around with other women, how true are they?"
"Is it true that Astrid is just another conquest of yours?"
"I LOVE YOU, DARIUS!"
Astrid couldn't stand listening to the questions and the screams any longer. By the look on his face, Darius couldn't, either.
They locked gazes and he nodded at her. At that moment, they seemed to have a mutual understanding. They both wanted to leave.
They walked out of the building with Nikoleta, their bodyguards closely surrounding them. Of course, this didn't stop people from following and trying to get answers to their borderline invasive questions.
They got into the cars, Nikoleta in one, Darius and Astrid in the other.
Astrid sighed, trying to steady her trembling hands. She had never felt so attacked, so encroached.
Her tremors only worsened as Darius placed his hands over her shoulder. "Calm down." He said calmly. He knew she was in a sensitive state and she could either break down or lash out at any moment.
"Why do they do this?" She asked, hugging herself.
"I don't know." He answered.
"Maybe if you weren't as notorious for sleeping around as you are, this wouldn't be happening." She finally snapped at him.
Darius knew that it was coming for him, one way or another, the attack. And he couldn't do anything about it.
"I didn't know it was going to affect you." He lied. Of course, he knew. He knew it from the second he asked her to marry him in public that she was not going to be happy with what the media had to say.
Screw them, he thought, they always have something to say.
"I'm really sorry this happened." He apologized.
"I'm sorry I got angry like that." She looked out through the window and closed her eyes, trying to erase everything that had just happened from her memory.
They got to the airport in silence. Even Nikoleta didn't have much to say at the airport. There was some tension between her and Darius.
Throughout the journey back home, she kept staring at Darius. He avoided her eyes at all costs. He knew she had questions. Ones he couldn't answer without lying to her over and over again.
Nikoleta didn't bother about going to Darius's house. She decided to go to her own home, but not after telling Darius that she would not be moving in with him as soon as was planned.
She had told him that she needed some time and he had nodded, distraught. He knew that she didn't trust his relationship with Astrid anymore.
He wanted her back home with him soon enough, so he knew he had to renew her trust. He also knew that Astrid had to be a part of the plan somehow.
He decided that what was best for him was taking Astrid with him on dates and showing her affection of some sort. He wouldn't tell Astrid that it was all a plan. She could possibly jeopardize it for him.
He watched Astrid walk into the living room, where her parents were. She sat beside her mother, placing her head on Rose's lap.
He gave Caleb a curt nod and walked up the stairs. He had to cut off every other female he had sexual attachments with. That was going to be the hardest part for him.
He was a man who loved and desired pleasure. And Astrid wasn't willing to give it to him. Maybe if he just did it one last time before cutting her off, it could work.
He picked up his phone and dialled Selene's number, making one last arrangement.