W-what are you talking about, Nicholas?" Elle whispered and looked up to meet his eyes looking down at her.
Without giving a reply, he pulled her in and planted a passionate, heated kiss on her lips. Gasps could be heard all around her as she got lost in Nicholas's arms. Their lips fit together perfectly, just as they had that night and it was nearly enough to drive Elle crazy.
All of a sudden, Nicholas pulled away, holding Elle by the hand.
"Wow, when were you planning to tell us about this union, Mr. Greg?" One of the attendees asked from within the crowd, obviously shocked at the random, yet quick turn of events.
"Well, I only wanted to finalize a few things before I brought it out into the public, although, now that you all know, there's no point in hiding it any longer," Nicholas smiled, "She's the love of my life. I wouldn't have it any other way."
The audience cheered and clapped as they watched Nicholas place a light peck on Elle's lips once again.
Even though Nicholas was right beside her the whole time, Elle was stunned. It was as if the world had stopped spinning. He had just declared to hundreds of people that they were getting married and although she could feel the uneasy knot in her stomach, she couldn't help but be delighted at the same time.
As the night went on, the new 'couple' was being bombarded with questions every now and then, and by the end of the night, they both left the venue in silence.
Elle had so many things to say, but with Nicholas back to being his usual broody, nonchalant self, she postponed it until whenever in the office. Hopefully, by then, she'd get to the bottom of whatever was going on.
~~
"What's going on between you two?" Jake asked, fixing his posture in his seat immediately Elle walked into the office. His brows were knit with an expression that she couldn't put her finger on.
"I don't understand what you mean, Jake." Elle halted in her steps, turning to face him.
"Don't play dumb, Elle, I saw the news. One night without me, and such a massive event happened—with no sign or warning?" He raised a brow, wanting Elle to confirm his suspicions. To be completely honest, he never liked her, and hearing the news only triggered that dislike even more.
"Well, whatever you heard is true. Mind your business, Jake." She leaned forward to whisper, her tone clipped and precise before she stood straight and walked into Nicholas's office. She couldn't deal with the questions, they were too much.
Just that morning, at least five different people had already asked her about their engagement and when it happened. One thing she knew was that talking to Nicholas would explain everything now.
"Good morning, Nicholas." She greeted, setting her bag down on her table before moving to stand in front of his. He didn't spare her a glance as he flipped through a stack of documents on the table, signing and highlighting.
"What do you want, Elle? You should have started with your work by now." He said, not wanting to engage in conversation with her at the moment. He had more pressing matters to attend to.
"I-I just needed closure on what happened at the Winter Gala, sir." She mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Nicholas froze for a moment, before finally peeling his eyes away from the documents and fixating his gaze on the timid girl in front of him. "What about it? Should I have let you ruin this company's reputation instead?" He narrowed his eyes, his tone now icy.
Elle could feel a lump form in her throat as tears pricked at her eyes. "It caught me off guard."
"Let me tell you something, Elle," He stared at her, his eyes boring into her soul, "That…That was merely a strategic move, for the sake of my family and my business. Don't read any meaning into it, otherwise you'll be stuck on a one-way road."
"But, how?—"
Nicholas quickly interjected, "I don't think you should be wasting my time right now. I suggest you contact your friend and keep his mouth sealed. Whatever transpired between you two, I don't want to know, but keep it far, far away from me. Do you understand?"
Elle quickly nodded, "Yes, I understand, sir." He waved a hand, dismissing her back to her seat before she could say a word more and she silently obeyed, going to sit at her table and work for the rest of the day.
She couldn't deny the fact that she was bat shit crazy for him, but his attitude seemed to always make everything worse for her. Of course, she wasn't special to him, he had mentioned it numerous times and she didn't want to hear it from him again. It would only hurt her more—knowing she wanted a man that she would never have.
As soon as her shift clocked out, Nicholas parted his lips about to tell her something, but before he could, she grabbed her bag and bolted for the door. Stepping out of the office was like a breath of fresh air, and as she stood in the cloudy, chilly atmosphere, she felt more at ease.
She crossed her arms, rubbing herself to generate some warmth as she walked to the bus station and sat waiting for her mind.
"How did Derek find me?" She whispered, lost in thoughts once again. Suddenly, the bus pulled to a halt in front of her, breaking her out of her thoughts. As she stood up, she turned to pick up her bag but came face to face with Derek.
She scrambled for her belongings, quickly trying to move away from him, but he gripped her arm. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Elle." He jeered, as she tried to twist out of his grip, panicking slightly.
"Let me go, please!" She yelled, attracting people's attention.
"Ma'am, do you need help over there?" The bus driver called out, still holding the door open for her.
"No, I'm fine!" She replied, yanking her arm out of his grip finally and scurrying onto the bus.
As the bus drove away, he stared back at her, watching her every move. He'd get his vengeance by all costs.