Chapter 1
Julianna
"God, what a freak. How did you hire him?" David said. He looked at Nicholas, who was collecting golf balls in a basket.
"David, please, don't start," I said. He talks about this every day, and I am tired of it.
Nicholas is my personal assistant. My father hired him when I was 14, after a pedofhile tried to stalked me. Nicholas has been loyal to me for 12 years. He is always with me. I trust him with all the secret doors in the house that only he and I know.
When David and I started dating, he didn't like Nicholas from the first day. I don't understand why. Sometimes I feel ashamed of David's behavior.
Nicholas brought the basket of balls and put it on a chair. David looked at him while taking a ball.
"So, will you play golf with me?" David asked me.
"I don't want to, it’s boring," I replied.
David looked at Nicholas and me with a grumpy face. He turned away, muttering something under his breath. He lifted his golf club and was ready to hit the ball, but a phone call interrupted him. He threw the club on the ground and went to answer.
I looked at Nicholas. I knew that David was annoying both of us. Suddenly, David made a gesture with his hand for us to get ready. It seemed the plans had changed.
When we arrived home, he talked on the phone for a long time. Something was wrong, and I hoped it wasn't about our future clinic.
It is a plastic surgery clinic. It sounds strange, but when we got married, we wanted a big business together. It was my idea because, in high school, I dreamed of being a plastic surgeon. But I was too afraid of the risks of surgery. Since I couldn't be a surgeon, I wanted to own the clinic. When I told David, I thought he would say, "Are you crazy?" but he agreed quickly.
Two months ago, we started building a small, high-level clinic. That’s why I am worried that something might go wrong.
I couldn't wait any longer, so I decided to listen to his conversation. The living room leads to the backyard. I moved quietly behind the curtain and listened.
"What do you mean it’s not enough? I already invested a lot of money!" David shouted.
I felt very nervous. He was talking about our clinic. Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder. I jumped. I turned around and saw Nicholas. He looked worried.
"Miss, did something bad happen?" his gray eyes searched my face.
"I don't know yet... you saw David today. Maybe something is wrong with the clinic," I said.
"Maybe I can help with something?"
"Thank you, but you already do so much for us," I tried to smile and touched his shoulder gently.
"I know," he said, and covered my hand with his.
I understand that he is not just a protector or an assistant. He is a person I can trust with everything. People like him are worth their weight in gold.
Suddenly, I heard an angry sound from the entrance. Nicholas and I quickly moved apart. I pretended to fix my hair in the mirror, and Nicholas started Tidying books on the shelf.
A second later, David appeared with an angry face. He looked at Nicholas and signaled him to leave. Nicholas left immediately. David sat on the sofa and rubbed his face. I couldn't wait anymore.
"I heard you on the phone. Did something happen?"
"Yes," he sighed. "The builders called. They need more money for materials. I already spent $200,000! Is this a joke? I didn't think 250 square meters would cost so much money." He was as angry as a boiling kettle.
"How much do they need? What is finished?" I tried to calm him down and started massaging his shoulders.
His shoulders relaxed a little. "The offices, the halls, and the operating room are finished. That cost $200,000. But the renovations will cost another $300,000."
My eyes went wide. And that’s without the equipment, which costs another $150,000 to $300,000.
"Well... what if we use the savings from our bank account?"
"I thought about that. I think the lock period is over. I will call tomorrow to check. I’ve had enough for today."
***
In the evening, I told Nicholas to go to his room and rest. He has a large bedroom with a private bathroom. He walked a lot today, and I wanted to spend the evening with David. Romantic evenings are rare for us.
We had a romantic time in the jacuzzi with candles and expensive white wine. David loves alcohol and gets drunk very quickly. When he is drunk, he often wants to touch me and be sexual.
Tonight, it was obvious. We drank two glasses each, and he got drunk fast. He started stroking my legs and pulled me close. His hand was on my waist. His voice became quiet.
"Yuli… you are so beautiful in this swimsuit. I forgot what you look like without clothes."
Of course he forgot. We only have sex once a month or less.
"If you spent more time with me, you wouldn't forget your wife's body," I said with a bit of anger.
His breath was on my ear, and his lips touched my neck. "Don't be mad. We will fix this now. I promise."
"When?"
He reached for a button on the jacuzzi and turned off the bubbles.
"Right now." He kissed me hard. A few seconds later, he pushed me onto my back and climbed on top of me.
His hands were demanding. He quickly found the string of my bikini top and pulled it. My small breasts were naked in the candlelight. He started squeezing them, and soon he removed all our clothes.
He moved between my legs and entered me. I moaned. One of my hands grabbed the edge of the jacuzzi, and the other was on his back. His movements were fast and rough.
The bathroom was filled with our heavy breathing and moans. After ten minutes, we reached the peak together.
But it didn't end there. We continued in the bedroom. I was on top of him, and his hands held my hips to help me move. There was only a small nightlight in the room.
"Damn, you take me so well," he growled, moving his hips up to meet me.
Suddenly, I felt like someone was watching me. I remembered something. Our bedroom is in the left wing of the house, and Nicholas’s room is in the right wing, directly opposite. Even the windows face each other.
"Jump deeper… mmm, don't stop," David said.
I took a quick look at the window, and I was right. In the right wing, I saw Nicholas. He was standing by the window, watching us. His face was expressionless. He was wearing nothing but boxers.
I felt a wave of shame. Nicholas understood exactly why I sent him away early. It was my fault; I forgot to close the curtain.
After sex, David fell asleep immediately. I quietly went to the window and looked out. Nicholas was gone. I fell asleep thinking: how will I look into his eyes tomorrow?
***
In the morning, I woke up alone. I heard a sound from the kitchen. I put on a thin robe and went downstairs. I froze when I saw Nicholas. He was cleaning David’s coffee cup.
He looked at me with a calm face. "Good morning," he said, as if he hadn't seen anything last night. "What kind of coffee would you like?"
My head hurt after the alcohol. "Give me some orange juice."
He poured the juice. When he handed it to me, his fingers accidentally touched mine for a second. Maybe I imagined everything last night because of the wine? I decided to change the subject.
"Where is David?"
Nicholas became a bit tense. "He didn't tell me, but he took his documents. I think he went to the office." He paused. "Did something happen between you?"
I shook my head. "No, no. He is just a difficult person. He doesn't always say his plans."
"I understand," he said quietly.
Since David was away, I decided to visit the clinic. David can be very dramatic, and I wanted to see the progress myself.
"Which car did he take?"
Nicholas thought for a moment. "The blue Bentley."
That meant I could take the black Mercedes secretly. David loves that car and never lets me drive it, even though I am a good driver.
"Okay, the plan is: after breakfast, you come with me."
"Okay," he replied.
***
After breakfast, we went to the clinic. Inside, workers were plastering the walls.
"Hello," a voice said behind me. I turned around. It was the head manager. He offered his hand.
"Good afternoon," I shook it.
"Are you here to check on us? It’s been a long time since you were here. But don't worry, we won't steal anything," he laughed.
I smiled fakely, but I was confused. A long time? David said he was here last week.
"What do you mean 'a long time'? My husband was here last week, right?"
He looked surprised. "No. I don't remember anyone visiting. Maybe I was at lunch. Wait a second."
He went to the other workers. "Hey guys, did you see David here last week?"
Three workers answered. "No, we didn't see anyone." They all shook their heads.
I became very tense. Nicholas was listening nearby and looked at me.
"I will fix this. Goodbye," I said firmly and signaled Nicholas to leave.
We got into the car. "How was he not here? Where was he then?" I asked aloud.
"Maybe he is hiding something?" Nicholas suggested.
I thought about it. "Nicholas, have you noticed anything strange about him lately?"
He thought for a moment. "No."
"Can you follow David secretly? It sounds stupid, but…"
"No, don't say it’s stupid," he interrupted me. "I will follow him, just like you say."
Suddenly, his hand covered mine. He leaned toward me and wanted to say something, but someone knocked on the car window. It was the head builder.
Nicholas opened the window. "Lady, you dropped an earring. It was on the floor."
I was surprised. I didn't feel it fall. "Thank you very much," I said, taking it.
"Don't lose it again. It’s a beautiful thing," he said and left.
Nicholas gave me the earring and closed the window. I looked at the red stone. David gave it to me before the wedding.
"Are you okay?" Nicholas asked. His hand was on my shoulder, and I could see care in his eyes.
"Yes," I replied, looking into his eyes. In that moment, I realized how fast something was growing between us…
