Niklaus rises from his king-sized bed, where a naked blonde sleeps peacefully on the rumpled bed covers. Despite the great sex, Niklaus is still unsatisfied. Since his arrival in Amalia Valley last month, he's felt a void inside him that no other woman has been able to fill.
In his bare, sculpted form, he enters the living room and gazes out the floor-to-ceiling window at the city in lights. His flat in the Pierre Tower has the best view of the city.
He has an itch that must be scratched, a want that will not be satisfied. Cali flashes into his mind. He imagines how she would taste, how she would feel in her velvety mouth, and how her moaning would sound. He imagines her next to him, above him, then under him again.
"Fuck," he yells. He's returned to his former self. He should go swimming. The water may help him relax.
However, the water did not help him as much as he had planned. His mind keeps wandering back to his nasty dreams about Cali.
Enraged by his lack of control, he takes a deep breath and swims furiously towards the finish line.
After swimming two kilometers, Niklaus feels a lot better. He emerges from the pool, wrapping a towel around his waist.
The blonde has come to. She's leaning against the living room door, passion in her eyes, staring at Niklaus's toned chest.
"Yummy," she whispers, swaying closer to Niklaus, her hand going under the towel.
"Danniela, please, please stop." Niklaus lets out a sigh. He is not interested in a rematch.
The phone begins to ring. Niklaus snatches it quickly and walks over to the window.
"I just found out this morning that the old man had fired Lindsey." She was curious and snooped on the old man's workplace." His man is Jack.
"I didn't expect her to be so devoted to Anthony." Did we have any information about her?" Niklaus is curious.
A body crushes on his back as the hand moves from his chest to his abdomen.
"Get out of my flat!" Niklaus snarled as he faced the blonde. When he is discussing business, he dislikes being interrupted.
The blonde dashes away on her heels, snatching her bra, thong, and dress from the floor.
"Are you having any fun?" Jack, on the other hand, teases.
"Do we have anything on her?" Niklaus impatiently repeated himself. Only Jack, one of his employees, dares to ridicule or mock him. He does, however, know when to stop.
"Not right now," he says, "but we're working on it."
"Good. "Is there anything else?"
"A new assistant will take Lindsey's place beginning next week."
"When does he appoint an assistant so quickly?" "Hasn't it always taken the paranoid old man half a year to hire his previous assistants?" Niklaus is taken aback when he hears his father rapidly find a replacement.
Niklaus is familiar with his father. He does not readily trust others. All of his assistants must pass a thorough background check. It is easier to pass an FBI background check than it is to pass the old man's. The new assistant either had a lengthy history with him or was aware of Lindsey's betrayal and had planned for her dismissal. But, as far as Niklaus is aware, this is not the case.
Niklaus is intrigued by the new assistant.
"I want this new assistant to personally send me the invitation to the old man's birthday party. I'd like to meet her face to face."
"Of course, sir. Speaking of the birthday party, Mr. DelaRoy is expected to reveal his successor."
"We're all pretty sure it's either Anthony or Anderson." But they won't be in charge for long." Niklaus clenches his teeth.
**
"Can we have a talk?" Ken pushed him to Cali's bedroom doorway.
"Of course," Cali says as she rises from her bed to assist Ken.
They're now seated face to face in her confined bedroom, Cali on her bed and Ken in his wheelchair.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to work for Mr. DelaRoy?" Ken examines Cali's eyes for signs of trepidation. Ken is only two years Cali's senior and appears 40 years old. He has long, disheveled hair, pale complexion, and bloodshot eyes from persistent insomnia.
When Cali stares at her older brother, she feels a deep anguish go through her heart. She despises seeing him deteriorate, consumed by grief and sorrow.
"Yes, it pays very well." This is a solace that may exacerbate the uncertainties she will face.
"You miss your old job. You adore your coworkers." Ken brings this up.
"But it doesn't help us pay our bills and debts," Cali grumbles.
"We can reduce our spending." I could take on more ghostwriting assignments. We have the option of leaving New York."
"We couldn't be more frugal, Ken; we didn't have any trips, recreation, or anything else that wasn't for basic needs." With the exception of the trip to Germany. It was her first pleasure in eight years, and she had paid for everything but meals. Sophia's father had planned the vacation with his daughter. Still, it had to be canceled at the last minute owing to business obligations.
"And the doctor strongly advised you not to commit to anything harmful to your health." Cali goes on.
"My health is fine. I can write for four hours straight. I can make money," Ken states obstinately. Cali is very aware that her brother is deceiving her. He is in continual discomfort and has relied on medication since waking up from his coma. The accident does more than simply confine him to a wheelchair.
"Not at all, Ken. I'd like to take this job." Otherwise, how will she pay their increasing rent, utility, and medical expenses, let alone Mrs. Hanleys' debt? She enjoys working at The Gazette Publishing House. However, their meager compensation would not meet their daily costs. She had already indulged herself by choosing literature as her major in college. That is sufficient for her.
If she has to navigate the complex world of wealthy men for them to live a better life, so be it.
"God. I despise myself! I'm completely useless. This irritates me! I despise them! I despise everything they've ever done to us!" Ken's pupils dilate. His hand is violently hammering the wheelchair armrest.
"Ken, please keep quiet. It's fine. You are not ineffective. To me, you are everything. We are the only two survivors. Remember? Our lives will improve." Cali croons, attempting to console her brother.
Cali collapses on her bed after escorting Ken to his bedroom to rest. She could no longer suppress her tears. It hurts to see Ken believe he is ineffective and weak. That accident took away her big brother's joy and confidence. Ken's college sweetheart dumped him the moment she realized he would never stand up again. He dropped out of school since his body's suffering was unbearable, and they didn't have enough money for two people to attend college at the same time. He opted to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Oh, the physical pain her brother has been in since the accident. The pain prevents him from sleeping and exacerbates his insomnia. Even pain relievers are not always effective.
It is now her responsibility to safeguard her brother. She must be strong for them. Cali dries her eyes with her handkerchief. She requires something to divert her attention.
Cali enters her small closet and runs her fingers through her inexpensive clothes. She does not have appropriate attire for her new work. People would expect her to dress appropriately as Mr. DelaRoy's executive assistant.
Her gaze is drawn to the jacket hanging in her closet. Nik's coat. She unhooks it from the hanger and puts it on.
It reminded me of Nik. She closed her eyes and imagined Nik embracing her, kissing her, making love, and relieving her suffering.
Cali is concerned. She's fantasizing about a man she's just met once and only spent a day with. She'd never felt anything like this before.
She expected to forget him when she returned to her daily routine in America. It was purely physical in nature. It would go shortly. She told herself this.
Nonetheless, she is continually reminded of him. She declined a blind date Sophia set up for her once they returned to New York.
"Vincent is the nicest man I've ever met. He is gentle with ladies. And he's rather attractive. Even if you must work and care for Ken, you can still have a love life. Allow Vincent a chance. You'll see how incredible he is." Sophia chastised her for declining the date.
"Oh! Are you still thinking about Nik? I felt there was more between you two than what you told me. I had a feeling!" Sophia yelled.
"No, I already told you everything. I'm just not ready to date." What is the truth? She was and is now not ready to relinquish Nik and their shared memories.
"What exactly is wrong with me?" Cali sighs and buries her face in the blanket.
She wishes to see Nik once more. She's curious about who he is. She desires to adore him. And she wishes for him to reciprocate her feelings.