CHAPTER 57: – FERNANDO’S PARANOIA –

"Absolutely! He does!" the older man blurted quickly.

"Whatever." Nikolas shut the door. He turned just as Viviana stepped into the living room, wet hair hanging and falling to her waist. She was wearing nothing but his shirt, long enough to brush her knees.

’She really does like my clothes, huh?’ he thought with a subconscious smirk emerging on his lips.

Viviana cocked a brow at him, only to inquire right after, "What is that?"

"For you," he said.

"Me?" She pointed at herself.

"Mhm." Nikolas walked closer and handed the bouquet to her.

She took it, eyes a bit widened. "Why...?"

"Why not?" He zipped his brows. "Do you think I can’t give you things?"

She fluttered her lashes. "That’s not what I... meant."

"Do you like it?"

"How did you know I like roses? Red ones, specifically."

Nikolas shrugged. "I had a hunch. Red suits you the most." He passed her a box. "Open it."

Viviana placed the flowers on the table and opened the box. Her eyes dilated at the ruby necklace.

"This... It isn’t real, right?" She snapped her gaze over at him.

"What do you think?"

"No way. You’d have to spend a lot on this." Her smile grew. "It’s so pretty. I like it. No, I love it."

Nikolas tilted his head. "You don’t care if it’s real or not?"

She shrugged. "That doesn’t matter much to me. It’s beautiful, and I like it." She tried to wear it around her neck.

Nikolas stepped behind her, grabbing to help her fasten the lock.

She looked down at it and smiled much more widely. "Really pretty."

"Red suits you," he said breathlessly. "Pleasantly."

Her dimples deepened as she bit her lips at his words. "Thank you, Nikolas. My father gives me a lot of expensive things, and I get myself a lot too, but... I’ve never really gotten a gift like this. Not really."

Nikolas cursed under his breath. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Huh?" she asked, turning to face him.

He caught her jaw too quickly and pressed his forehead against hers, those fingers trailing down to her pale neck, where they wrapped around gently. "Believe me, I can give you hundreds, thousands, or millions of whatever it is you desire. You just have to... you just have to..." ’Be mine. Stay mine.’

Viviana’s breath hitched. "Nikolas," she breathed his name out.

The man leaned in, not for a kiss, but to bite her bottom lip, pulling for a second before drawing a shaky breath. "You’re breaking me. You’re ruining me, and it’s not fair what you’re doing to me. You’re making me lose my mind, Viviana. And maybe I already have." ’Only then can this obsession be explained.’

Then he pulled away suddenly and walked off to the bedroom.

Viviana was frozen where she stood. Her body went lax and she dropped into the couch, unable to make sense of what had just happened or what he even meant by what he said.

—-----

Fernando paced in his office, his brows furrowed.

His father had been asking again and again about the deal with Carlos Aceto, worried things weren’t going well.

At first, Fernando didn’t see how that could be possible. But now? He wasn’t so sure.

For someone who was finalizing a contract with him, Aceto hadn’t called once, and he couldn’t understand why. The event was in three days. Had something changed, something he wasn’t aware of?

He dialed Aceto’s number again and again until the man finally picked up.

[Fernando Stolov?]

"What’s going on, Mr. Aceto?"

[What do you mean?]

"We’re finalizing a huge contract in three days, but you’ve been quiet all week. Not a single update from you or anything about any procedure regarding this event. It almost feels like things have changed with this contract. Because, if I recall correctly, we had a lot more communications during the starting process of this contract. What is going on now?"

Aceto chuckled on the other side of the line. [Paranoid, are we, Stolov boy?]

"Mr. Aceto–"

[Relax. The deal’s at its final stage. We haven’t had any contact because I’m quite busy with a lot of my personal affairs. Everything is set to be signed at the event, in front of hundreds, with the entire population of Valestra watching. It’s already planned out. I didn’t think there was anything else to discuss. Or is there?]

Fernando bit hard into his bottom lip, swallowing down his paranoia.

If he thought about it, there really was nothing to hold contact over. Still, these sorts of things made him uneasy. Having no idea if the person you’re in some sort of deal with has made changes. The worst of it all was having to wait like a fool.

"My apologies, Mr. Aceto. I was just... worried. Nothing more."

[It’s understandable] The call ended.

Fernando looked up to see Antonio standing at the door. "Did you send the invitation to Viviana?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are you sure she received it?" he asked, beginning to pace back and forth in the office. "I need her to be there. I want her to watch, to understand that I’m not a man she can break just because she decided to."

Antonio nodded. "I did, sir."

"And the husband?"

"He got the invitation as well," he responded like a robot, though his eyes were gazing at Fernando with warmth. "Everything is going as planned, sir. There is nothing to be bothered about. Carlos Aceto may be in the ranking, but he’s still beneath your family. He wouldn’t mess around with the Stolov name, not unless he’s unwise, which I don’t think a man like him is. My apologies if I’ve spoken too much."

Fernando waved his hand dismissively. "It’s fine. You’re right after all." A slow smile spreads across his face. He was still thinking over what Antonio had told him about Nikolas. But for now, he’d set that aside as a plan B.

There were only three nights left until the event. And the anticipation was making his heart pound...

...Rapidly at that.