Auri couldn't help but feel a rush of conflicting emotions. Gratitude for Nicolas's protection mingled with triumph at the scrutiny they faced. There was also a growing sense of admiration, for his unwavering support and unyielding resolve.
She did not want to feel grateful to him. She did not want to admire him. She did not want to be grateful to him. He had ruined her life. He had ruined Mara. He had hurt her. This was why she was here.
She could not allow herself to soften towards him. He slowed down and drove in front of a hotel's entrance. Auri smiled at Lola as she peered at her from between the two front seats.
"Good night, Auri," Lola said with a gentle cheer, "I will see you around."
She then looked at her brother with a grin.
"See you later, Nico," she sang.
"Get going, Lola," he said and she let out a giggle as she opened the door and skilfully slid out.
"Come sit in front, Auri," she said as she opened the back passenger door.
"Umm," Auri hesitated.
"My brother is not your chauffeur," Lola said as she pulled Auri out of the car and pushed her into the front seat.
Auri had no response to that. She opened her mouth several times but nothing came out.
"Give up now," Nicolas told her as Lola shut the door on Auri.
Auri watched as she skipped away from the car. She stood at the entrance and waved at them before dancing her way in.
"My sister can be a bit much," Nicolas said as he put the car into drive and began pulling away from the hotel.
"Put your seatbelt on," he told Auri as he merged with traffic.
Auri complied.
The ride was mostly in silence. Auri had no words to use to fill the silence. She was tired. She fidgeted with the folds of her skirt as they navigated the traffic.
"You shouldn't take to heart everything that the media says," Nicolas suddenly broke the silence.
Auri looked at him.
"You will have fans and then you will have people who just love to hate," his voice was a matter of fact.
Auri nodded.
"Don't worry," Auri said with a smile, "I know my worth… I won't take that woman's words to heart."
"Good," Nicolas said as pulled into an underground garage.
He manoeuvred the car to a parking spot and then killed the engine. He unclipped his seatbelt and Auri did the same. She got out of the car and waited for him as he pulled the key from the ignition and then stepped out of the car. He locked it and then gestured for her to come over. She walked to him and he took her arm and guided her to the elevators.
The light caught Auri's necklace and it caught his eye again. He pressed the elevator call button and the door opened immediately. The elevator was empty.
They got on and the door slid shut behind them.
"You said you created that necklace," Nicolas said to Auri and her hand immediately flew to it.
"Yes," Auri responded with a smile.
"May I see it?" he asked.
"Sure," Auri said as her hands went to unclasp the chain from her neck.
"No," Nicolas stopped her by grabbing her hand.
She lowered it slowly. And then he reached with the other hand to the teardrop cut stone hanging a little below her collar bone.
His fingers brushed her skin and Auri was wickedly aware of how close that hand was to her cleavage.
He inspected the jewel and its setting and then looked at her.
"Where did you get the design?" he asked her.
"It's custom," Auri told him, "I made it myself."
"Wow," he said as he turned the stone this way and that way and then he stopped and looked into her eyes.
"Are you sure you did not formerly train for this?" he teased.
Auri grinned, "I know I did not."
The elevator stopped and when the doors opened, Nicolas was standing very close to Auri. One hand on hers and the other above her cleavage holding her necklace. They were looking into each other's eyes and smiling.
This was what Valentina saw from across the passageway at the door to his apartment. Hurt filtered into her eyes but she buried it.
Auri looked up at the open doors and drew back from Nicolas.
"We're on our floor," she said with a smile.
Nicolas let her go and the two stepped out and began walking towards their apartments. That's when Nicolas saw Valentina. A frown formed between his brows.
Is he not happy to see me? Valentina wondered. Did I ruin his plans for the night?
Her gaze went to Auri who bravely met her eyes and smiled at her.
"Valentina, right?" Auri said with a big smile, "We met earlier today at the party."
Valentina gave her a tight smile and then turned to Nicolas.
"I need to talk to you alone, please."
"Is everything okay?" Nicolas' voice was full of concern.
"Yes," Valentina replied as she kept her gaze pointedly on Auri.
Auri let out a little giggle. It was annoying if anything.
"I live next door," she said as she went to the apartment right next to Nico's and entered her code.
"Goodnight, Nicolas," she said, "Nice to meet you again, Miss Dubois. I hope everything is okay with you."
Valentina nodded at the departing woman.
"Goodnight, Aurelie," Nicolas responded as he entered the code to his door.
He opened the door and gestured for Valentina to follow after him.
"What is it that could not wait until tomorrow, Valentina?" he asked as soon as she was in and the door was shut behind her.
"We need to talk Nico," Valentina said as she crossed her arms over her torso.
"About what exactly?" Nicolas was moving to the living room and he did not stop to check if she was following him.
"Our marriage for instance," Valentina stated as she followed him.
"Is it worth discussing?" he asked her his face and eyes devoid of any emotion.
"It certainly is," his wife insisted.
"What is there to discuss about us finally putting an end to this charade?" he asked her.
"You misunderstand," Valentina smiled at him gently a victorious fire in her eyes.
"I am here to talk about reviving our marriage," she declared winningly.
Nicolas wasn't having it. His face remained blank but his eyes became hard.
"Why?" he asked her, "You left me at my lowest. When you came to the realisation that I was essentially disowned and had nothing to my name except a little business that was in heavy need of funding, you were gone. You made me sign a prenup to 'protect your interests' if memory serves me well."
Valentina's smile wilted as he delivered each word.
"It wasn't like that," Valentina protested.
Nicolas let out a bark of a laugh.
"Was it not?" he asked her.
His green eyes dared her to challenge his memory.
"I think we can save our marriage," Valentina told him.
Nicolas could not believe his ears. He threw his head back and roared with mirthless laughter. The irony. He had run after her once. He had begged her to not give up on him. He had let go of his pride and dignity. He had even knelt at one point. Begging her to see his vision. She had been the one person he'd thought he had left.
She had stripped him of everything he'd had left. Even the love he'd thought he'd had for her. He had not even had the energy to hate her. He had accepted that he had read her wrong and moved on. Now here she was. Years later. When French Red was doing better than even he had envisioned, she was back. She wanted to "save" their marriage.
What marriage?
"Nico, please do not do this," Valentina cut through his laughter.
"I'm sorry but do you hear yourself?" he asked her.
"I know this is out of the blue but I have been thinking about this for a while," she said.
"It's far too late," he told her, "When you left me and went to have an affair with my best friend it was too late then."
He watched the shock sink into her face. He smirked. There was no joy in that expression. It was just an emotionless arrangement of facial muscles.
"Just because I said nothing doesn't mean I did not know," he told her as he began moving toward his door.
"I appreciate this visit and will chalk it up to too many sips of bubbly," he put his hand on the door and opened it.
"Please leave," he told her.
Valentina walked towards him and stopped. She looked at him. Her eyes begged him to see her way. To give in to what she wanted. He was no fool.
"You were willing to forgive me anything then," she told him. "What happened to that Nico?"
"You trampled over him until there was none of him left," Nicolas told her and then gestured to the open door with his head.
"Leave," his tone was unyielding.
Valentina walked past him and through the door.
He shut the door in her face and locked it. It was time he put an end to whatever he had with Valentina.