Chapter 11
1404 Words
Still high on adrenaline, Nikolaos proceeded with the call. After the first one went unanswered, he tried a second time, and that was when he realized what he was doing.
With great speed, he cut the call and dropped his phone. Regret instantly settled in, and he cursed himself for acting irrationally.
"What have you done, you i***t?" He questioned himself.
Though the damage had already been done, he still sought to rectify his mistake. Picking up his phone, he did what he should have done years ago: block Cinda's contact.
Thanks to the call, Nikolaos finally settled down. He relaxed into his chair and exhaled deeply. His heart pounded in his chest because of the fear of what could have happened if his call had been answered.
Seeing that his impatience almost got the better of him, Nikolaos closed his eyes and decided it was enough drama for the night. Sleep quickly caught him, and he eagerly embraced it.
***
A couple of days had passed since his call with his grandmother. Nikolaos' mood had improved, but he was still cautious about his situation; for he wasn't out of the woods yet.
The two failed calls to Cinda were also a warning for him to take it easy. Since he had found out about the will, all his movements had been sloppy. To pull off his plan, he needed to be of sound mind and, most importantly, cunning.
With his grandmother informed of his intentions to return home for the holidays as a changed man, Nikolaos knew he had to step up his game to convince not just Corinna, but his whole family that he had 'genuinely' changed.
At first, he intended to prove he was a reformed man through his fake fiancée, but when that plan fell apart, he had to find another way to prove himself.
Going back home alone was also an option, and one that he should have had from the beginning. If he could sway his family members, especially his grandmother, to believe he had actually changed, it would spare him the extra drama.
The only problem with that plan was how long he could keep up the act. It was easy to pretend to be reformed, but he could only fake it for so long. Messing up was also a risk. If he so much as showed even a little of his bad habits, it would cost him.
Nikolaos had a lot to think about; luckily, his environment helped in keeping him calm. Seated in a private area under a large parasol by the pool, he gazed into the clear blue water and watched as the gentle wind formed ripples.
The serene atmosphere held Nikolaos and his thoughts captive, but he did not fight against it. After the rollercoaster he had been through the past few days, he needed a little peace of mind.
In the midst of his alone time, however, he had received an unexpected guest.
"Nikolaos?"
An all too familiar feminine voice took his attention away from the water. When he looked up to see who it was, his eyes slowly widened.
"Acacia?"
An awkward silence settled between the two. Nikolaos stared intently at Acacia, trying to figure out if she was real or a figment of his imagination.
"Hey," she greeted
"Hey..."
The awkwardness persisted until Nikolaos snapped back to his senses.
"What brings you here?"
"I was actually looking for you."
Acacia's bold response stunned him; he did not expect such words to come out of her mouth
"You were? What for?"
As Nikolaos looked at Acacia more, he became increasingly convinced that he was imagining things. The embarrassed expression on her face was out of character for her.
"Um... can I sit?"
In an instant, Nikolaos got to his feet and pulled a chair out for her. When she had settled down, he returned to his seat.
"Thanks, and sorry if I am disturbing you."
"You aren't disturbing anything. I was just watching the water."
Acacia looked down at her fingers while she fiddled with them. Nikolaos analyzed all her tiny actions with amusement. It was his first time seeing her behave in such a manner.
"So..." she began
"Yes?"
"I won't apologize for what I said the other night because I still think you're selfish and immature."
"Fair enough"
"But I will admit that I went a little overboard. You caught me at a bad time, and I just dumped all of my frustrations on you. That wasn't fair."
The scene playing out before Nikolaos felt so unreal that he wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
"I'm shocked; I didn't expect you to apologize, especially not after how we left things."
"It's not really an apology; I'm just... owning up to my behavior."
"Whatever you want to call it, it's still shocking that you'd even be here, and looking for me."
Acacia sighed heavily, and her shoulders dropped. Nikolaos sensed her exhaustion, yet she didn't have her work uniform on, suggesting her distress wasn't work-related.
"When I left the restaurant, I was furious with you."
"I could tell."
"I just couldn't believe that you, a wealthy man, would go to such lengths for money."
"I can't believe it either, but here we are."
"Long story short, I condemned you, but I also asked myself if I were desperate enough, would I too do the same?"
"What was your answer?"
Nikolaos looked deeply into Acacia's eyes; they drew him in and held him in place as she spoke.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Acacia's audacious response sparked a flame within Nikolaos. The daringness of her tone and the fearlessness in her eyes were mesmerizing. She truly knew how to keep him on his toes.
"I'm glad that you see things my way."
"Let me stop you right there. I don't see things your way, and I don't think I ever will. Your situation just so happens to be convenient for me."
Nikolaos chucked, "Since it's 'convenient' for you, does that mean you have considered my proposal?"
"I wouldn't have looked for you if I hadn't."
"Does that also mean you're here to give me a positive response?"
In that moment, Nikolaos could not hide his smile, but he could not help it. The universe was finally smiling upon him.
Acacia furrowed her eyebrows, "Yes."
Nikolaos' grin widened; all his pieces were falling into place. If he continued to play his cards right, he would be the victor.
"What?" Acacia went on, "Aren't you going to gloat?"
"Gloat about what?"
"I can see it in your eyes, and in that grin. You're pleased that after I insulted and condemned you, now I'm back to accept your offer."
"You misunderstand. I'm not happy about that; believe me, in my current situation, I have no right to look down on anyone."
"Then why are you so happy? Don't tell me you really didn't have any other options."
"I have never lied to you, not back then and not now. I really didn't have any other options, but I was trying to think of some before you found me.
"Did you find any?"
"No, but you came just in time to save me from another thought-induced migraine. You have my thanks."
Acacia responded with a smile. The unexpected action stunned Nikolaos for a second, but he quickly recovered and moved the conversation along.
"Now that you have accepted my offer, are you ready to move forward? Because we don't have much time left."
Acacia blinked in surprise.
"Already? What's the rush?"
"I made plans with my grandmother to be home for Christmas, maybe even sooner. I'd like to strike while the iron is still hot.
"I didn't expect to be put to work already, but before we start, there's still something important that needs to be discussed."
"Which is?"
"My 'compensation', of course. The reason I accepted this scam."
"Ah, yes, how could I forget?"
"Since this matter is of great importance to you, I hope you don't mind if I take advantage when negotiating."
Nikolaos raised an eyebrow.
"I see someone's eager."
"Of course..." Acacia leaned forward and closed the distance between them, "If we're going to do this, we're going to do this right."
The friction between them was increasing, and they had barely started. A shared ambition set them on a course for a stormy affair.
- Writer
