Illicit Attraction

Chapter 10

"I wonder who brought that miraculous smile on your lips, Nicodemus." Finlei commented as he join his cousin in the shooting range. Nicodemus remove his electronic muff hearing protector after he felt his cousin's presence on his side. There's a smile curve up on Finlei's lip that push Nicodemus in a conclusion.

"What did you say?" he asked while removing his safety eyewear this time too.

Finlei continue to load up the long riffle on his hand with its bullet before he dodge his eyes to Nicodemus who is still smiling as if something great happened and he has all the right to be in a great mood.

"Nothing. Did you hear me say anything?" Nicodemus gazes at him for seconds. He knows his cousin is not believing him but Nicodemus opinion about trifling matter does not bother him.

Finlei is wearing his electronic muff hearing protector when one of Octavius' man walk to them. Finlei let the man talk to Nicodemus without the cannonading noise cause by the riffle on his hand.

"The High Lorde is requesting for your presence, Lorde Nicodemus," he said. Just like that the gleeful smile on Nicodemus' lips faded. Everyone in the Eight Castle knows that an important matter is involve once the High Lorde requested for your presence alone with him. It's either he'll commend you for somethint great you did for the group and organization or the latter, he'll condemn and punish you.

Nicodemus sighed heavily. He already have an idea what this private meeting with his Father is about and he's not happy about it. If he didn't know better. He'd choose to ignore his father's request or more of a command and go on with things that he wants to do for today but doing it means driving Bishop Possilico to the highest level of his anger. Though Nicodemus rank and position is second to the most powerful in the Eight Society, that's still not enough to go against the High Lorde's will.

"Father." When Nicodemus entered their family museum in the Eight Castle. He found Bishop standing in front of the gigantuc family portrait of the young Bishop, his young and late mother, Mathilde and the young master, no other than himself.

"Do you know why I fell in love with Mathilde Ferucio-Possilico?" he asked. There where silence between the two until Nicodemus is standing on the same spot as him. "I don't know. She didn't told me anything either." Mathilde died almost one year ago because of her terminal disease. No one dared to talk about her in the Eight Castle anymore until this day.

"It's because of the power she could give me." Nicodemus smiled bitterly. He could still remember the sweet smile of his dear mom, the softest of her voice, the caring touch of her hand... the endless love she could shower to everyone around her. While waiting for Bishop's answer. Nicodemus silently wish that one of those is the reason but Bishop is Biship. There's nothing he find most mesmerizing than power and people who could give it to him.

"It's not a secret that she help me climb up to where I am now. Because of her powerful family that supported me. I became the High Lorde of Eight Society." Nicodemus gawked at his Father. He didn't know anything about this. He was nervous curious about it.

Bishop then faces him and tap his shoulder. "While you were growing up right before my eyes. I wish to see you take the same journey as mine. You've already do your part. Your background is impressive now all you need to do is find someone like your Mother." Bishop leans to his son's ear as if what he's gonna say next is a top secret he won't let anyone know except for his own blood and flesh, Nicodemus.

"What I mean by that is someone who can support you the same way she did to me." Nicodemus kept his posture and look straight into his father eyes.

"Saddie Stewarts," he whispered. Bishop smiled triumphantly. "Uhu-hmm. I was talking about Saddie Stewarts. I'd rather see you dead than see you with someone else, son." The calmness on his father's eyes send shivers on his spine.

Nicodemus closed his eyes. Hearing his father's voice inside of his head together with the words he just said made him move his head in agreement like a mechanical robot, designed to oblige on everything that his master will command him to do regarding if it's the right or wrong thing.

"Very well. Six pm at Harbor's Float. You'll see her there. Don't forgot to bring her a pot of Kadupul Flower. I had one of our men ready it." Bishop Possilico tap his son's shoulder before he left him in their family museum.

Five meters away from the yacht where Nicodemus will have his dinner with Saddie Stewart. He could feel the will of his feet to runaway and be with the woman he trully one to spend this free time of him with---be with Adi but he know that's impossible and so do the thought of being with her.

Nicodemus checked the weird plant on his hand but base on what he heard from Pharrel earlier. It is the most expensive but priceless flower in the world. It's  a fleeting beauty from Sri Lanka that blooms as infrequently as once a year. And when it does bloom, it does so in the dark of night and withers away before dawn.

Nicodemus tsked before he walk to the yacht and meet Saddie Stewarts for the first time and get this thing done and over.

Saddie Stewarts looked different from what he imagined she'd look like. She looks moderate and innocent with her white dress, the detail of two crystal hairpins on the side of her mermaid curled hair. It's like she's sent by God above and not by one of his Father's friend who is influential in the world that they're living on.

Saddie's innocence and charming facade reminds him of his mother.

××××××××××

I was beyond disappointed after seeing all these pictures and video clip in pretty much every social media platform that I know. I stopped scrolling on my phone and logged out to my account. I just don't want to hear any notification about the viral couple. Especially one of the lovely couple is Nicodemus Possilico who kissed and said that he wanted to be linked with me, literally two days ago.

"They'll eventually get married. Everyone is commenting that and they're excited to see and witness it happens." I couldn't continue chewing on the pile of popcorn I fed myself after hearing Uiji read all the comments posted on Nicodemus and that woman named Saddie. They f*****g look like every teenager's favorite couple in a romantic novel.

When she laugh out loud. I know that she did it to see my reaction and looks like I unintentionally give her a satisfying one.

Uiji put her hand on my chest to feel my heart. After I get back on my senses. I shove her hand and she laugh again. She even fell off the sofa because she's laughing too much.

"Now you know what it feels like to fall in love with someone out of your league."

My eyes widens. "I am not!" I yelled at her contentiously. Uiji smile at me and sit back on her sofa. "You're not until you start to deny it aggressively." Uiji take the bowl of popcorn that serve as my comfort food earlier before she rake the sofa, signalling me to sit back.

"It's fine, Adi. You're not the first on the women's history to fall in love with someone as untouchable as Nicodemus. It happens, naturally like how you every little girl wish they are Ken from Barbie's girlfriend."

"You were saying that Pharrel is your out of my league man?" I asked. It's Uiji's turn to choke on the butter-flavored popcorn. Her hand reaches for an in-can coke.

"You can say that." At the back of that nonchalant smile she's giving me. I could sense the pain. She's admitting to me the truth about Pharrel and her but she's not yet ready to admit it to herself.

Maybe every human being is like that. We thirst for people we can't have. Most of the time we yearn for the possibility of the impossible.

"If you're into him as deep as I used to be with Pharrel then I advice you to chase for him. Do the chase until your feet, heart and soul gives up. That's when you can finally start without any regret. Because your heart knows you've tried. Most of the time, people desperately chase not because they really want to end up with them even if its impossible but because its the least thing we could do before we get to find the courage to let go and move on," she said and that's probably the most sincere thing I've heard from her.

ALMOST TWO months after my team and I starts working on my first album that we haven't come up with an official title yet. We finally completed a demo version and the music producer who is also the CEO, Mr. Parker will get to hear today.

In that two months. I became close with everyone in the team except Kenna. No one in the both of us wanted to climb up on the wall she set for us to stand on the same ground.

"Look her hand is shaking." Jordane raise up my quivering hands. I took my hands away from Martin and looked away. "This is the first time our bosses will a demo song that's so promising they'd agree to release this in the first ten seconds," he whispered to my ear. In contrast to his twin brother, Morty. Martin is the optimistic one while Morty is more of a realistic one. He gave comment base on logical thinking and such. He's the non-sugar version of Martin.

The recording studio's door opened. Everyone in the team bow their head to Mr. Parker but I remained standing still after I saw Nicodemus behind the CEO, two months of his absence.

Manager Kierra tugged my blazer that's when I snap back in reality and bow my head as quick as I came.

"We're still thinking for a better title for the title track but as of the moment we decided to use the word I. Since Adi is the one who did most of the work for her debut single. From the lyrics to the melody."

Mr. Parker stare at me like a proud father. "Interesting." He hummed.

When the silence takes over after the demo song ended. I could feel myself sweatint bullets.

Mr. Parker and Nicodemus has this expression that I can't immediately name. Mr. Parker swirl the swivel chair where he's sitting to face me.

"The title track sounds country while the other one is jazzy and boarders on american pop. You combined the soft rock vibes with electronic beats for I. You came up with that idea all by yourself?" I tore my eyes off him and look at Martin.

"Martin helped me."

"They did a good job, don't you think?" The CEO asks Nico who is the most quiet one in the room. My eyes walk to him as I waited for his comments. He raise up his eyes and met mine.

"I'd reserve the good job and congratulations after they release this and become a hit that will be one for sure," he said.

The two of them stands up from the swivel chair to shake hands with us. I look at Nico and silently tell him to let go of my hand after he didn't do it as fast as he should.

"I am personally excited to hear the final version of this song." Nicodemus finally let go of my hand, allowing me to response to the CEO while maintaining an eye to eye contact.