Chapter 39

"Is it done?"
Nicholas asked as he tapped his foot on the hardwood floor with impatience. He was on a call with Marcel, who had finally had a meeting with his brother at the Devine company. So far, everything seemed to be going as planned.
"Almost. We're drafting a contract this afternoon as we speak. He seems eager to be done with it."
Nicholas nodded.
"That's a good thing. Call me when it's all over."
"We'd be done before noon. Then, you'll take me out for a drink and let me know what all this is about."
"I will let you know in due time Marcel."
"Thank you for this."
He added as he ended the call.
All he had to do was wait. Wait till the contract was drawn up and tell Cara.
Why wait?
You can tell her now.
His mind said and he nodded and rushed out of his office.


"This is great! And in such little time! It's already decorated."
Malory commended as she looked around the hall that was to be used for the rehearsal dinner.
Cara nodded, her head down and her eyes focused on the cryptic message that Nicholas had just sent her.
She was torn.
He claimed he wanted to see her one last time before he left and that he had something very important to tell her. Ordinarily, she would have refused.
She should refuse. But she decided that she was going to see him. The wedding rehearsal was in evening, she would see him and come back. And she would tell him off, tell him that they could no longer be meeting the way they were meeting and it was generally unsafe for the two of them since Alexander had given them both a warning.
"Cara? Cara?!"
Malory called out as she shook Cara out of her head.
"What's wrong? You have this look on your face."
Cara started murmuring.
"I'm sorry. I think I have to go..."
She started as she looked around for her purse. Malory's expression became dark.
"Go where?"
She asked as she narrowed her eyes at Cara who gave her no reply.
"I have to see him . Even if it's one last time."
She said after a long silence. Malory was not happy about it.
"Cara, seriously, don't do this! This is foolish!"
"Foolish? Yes, I'm aware of that. But I just want to say goodbye and that's all."
"Goodbye? Can you hear yourself? You can call him on the phone and say goodbye and that would be the end of all that! Why must you see him physically?"
"Why must you make everything worse Cara."
"Malory please. You know how I feel about him. Just let me go."
She pleaded. Malory was still holding her arm with all her strength while also trying very hard not to make a scene.
"How you feel? You didn't tell me that. You told me nothing about that!"
Cara sighed.
"Then I'm sure you must have suspected it! Either way, please leave me alone. I don't want to fight with you."
Malory looked around and whispered in her ear, a few people were already looking at them.
"I'm keeping you from making terribke decisions that you're going to regret."
Cara shrugged.
"If you really care about me like a true friend does, you'd let me go. I already agreed to go through with this, there is no need for me to back down now is there?"
Malory slowly released her hold on Cara and Cara walked away, angry and frustrated.
They had chosen a new place, somewhere even more discrete than all the places they've ever been.
Cara entered the Airbnb apartment that Nicholas was in with uncertainty. He had rented it just to see her and it was far away fom the proximity of her work home or place. Far way enough for the people who knew her not to see her. Alexander could after all still be keeping tabs on her and who knows if he had been following her. Although she had been very careful not to have been followed.

"I'm sorry I made you come all the way here."
He said as soon as she walked in and Cara nodded.
"It's okay. I only came to say goodbye."
She said as she gulped hard.
"Goodbye?"
Nicholas said as he walked towards her.
"That's not why I asked you to come here..."
"Stop!"
"Oh God just stop!"
"I'm getting married to your brother in the next three days. And nothing is going to change that. I've made my decision and I've decided to live with it. It'll be good if you do the same."
Nicholas's mouth went dry. That was not why he called her to come, that wasn't it at all. He understood where she was coming from, but he still found it hard to mask his hurt.
"I wanted to. I tried to get you out of my mind I swear I did. I can't let you go."
"And I can't let you marry my brother either. You don't love him."
Cara started laughing.
"What does love have to do with that? And why do you care if I love him or not?"
Nicholas walked closer to her and gently took her hands in his. He was holding her, Cara had missed the warmth of his touch for a long time. But he was finally holding her and it felt like heaven to her. It did. But she quickly pulled away from him.
"I love you Cara and it's breaking my heart that you want to spend your whole life with my brother when I know that you want to be with me."
Cara froze on the spot. He loved her?
He loved her?!
She took a seat on the sofa, trying to calm her raging heart. Why did he tell her? Ad why now? Why?!
"I.. I..."
She was at a loss for words.
"It's okay. You don't have to say it back."
Nicholas said as he crouched in front of her.
"But you cannot get married to my brother."
"Listen, I have something important to tell you..."
Cara looked up.
"What is it?"
She asked and he sighed.
"I bought your company from my brother."

"What?"
Cara said and Nicholas nodded and passed her the paperwork.
"Everything is all in there. He doesn't know I was the one who bought it but he was eager to sell the company, so very eager to get rid of it."
Cara was seeing red.
The nerve of Alexander! He sold her father's company?
Without letting her know?!
Cara was very sure that her parents didn't know about it because they would have kicked against it.
"What? What is this?!"
She cried out.
"This is your ticket out Cara. He doesn't have a hold on you, You can leave him now..."
"How could you do something like this! Without informing me!"
Nicholas looked taken aback.
"I.. I was trying to help..."
Cara chuckled, she flung the paperwork.
"Trying to help! This only makes things much more worse!"
"You think all we ever wanted back was the company? No!"
"Why do you think your father took it in the first place? Because we owe your family money Nicholas! We owe them money and our company was in debt!"
"This.. This changes..." she stammered, trying to find the right words.
"It changes everything Cara! It's your company, one that I plan to give to you! I bought it because of you!"
"You don't have to marry Alexander! Not anymore!"
"Not anymore?! And what the hell do you think Alexander is going to do when he finds out that you're the one who bought the company?"
Nicholas shrugged.
"What is he going to do? The debt has been paid! They took the company because of the debt and now it's yours again!"
Cara shook her head, she was getting overwhelmed and slightly dizzy with all the information that was getting to her. She just wish he had told her earlier before doing it.
"I have to go."
She said as she picked up her purse.
Nicholas ran after her as she opened the front door.
"Cara please. I did it for you. I did it to help you."
She shrugged.
"You could have told me before taking such an important decision. You should have..."
She said as she shook her head.
"Anyways, it still doesn't matter. This is goodbye."
She said.
She looked at Nicholas's lips, she touched them with a finger, slowly. Nicholas closed his eyes to savor the moment, Cara pulled away sharply.
It was going to be the last time she was kissing them
She kissed him.
Slowly, passionately, their last kiss.
And somewhere across the street of the Airbnb apartment, the click of a camera could be heard.