CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Astra was seated in her office trying to complete even more paperwork that was given to her when she heard her phone ring.
It was quite surprising to see that it was Nicholas calling her. She had not seen or heard from him since she got back, and she was expecting he would ask her where she went. Astra could admit that she was a little disappointed when he did not call her at all.
The case with Thompson had reached a dead end and she was working on paperwork instead of other more important cases. It was driving her crazy. She had half the mind to beg Nicholas to drop Thompson's case.
Astra hesitated to pick Nicholas' call as she remembered the last time he called her and how that went.
It seemed like it was an emergency though as he kept on calling her even if she ignoring his call.
Astra stood up from her seat and went to the lobby to take the call. Knowing Nicholas, he would probably show up at her office if she did not pick.
'Hello," she said.
'Is that how you treat your clients? Making them call you for minutes before you pick up?" Nicholas asked from the phone, he sounded angry. The nerve of him. Astra could not help but roll her eyes.
'I am sorry, Sir," she replied sarcastically.
Nicholas did not seem to sense the sarcasm as he said, 'You better be. I need you be at my house in the next thirty minutes. It's regarding the case, you should be fast."
Astra could barely believe the man. He was asking her to come to his house during work hours and he actually thought she would go. It was annoying. She had no one to blame but her superiors for the insults he was dishing at her.
'Look, Nicholas. This case with Thompson is going nowhere. As a friend and as a legal practitioner, I advise you to drop the case, it is the best course for everyone," Astra said as gently as she could.
'I should do what? You want me to drop the case against a man that ran my company to the ground? I was broke and miserable for years. Of course you would ask me to drop the case, you are just the same as him," Nicholas said, his words piercing her heart. He was the bastard, he was the one who broke her into pieces. How dare him say that she was just like Thompson? What did she do to him apart from love him?
Astra wanted to shout at him and curse him but she reminded herself that she was still in the office.
'Even if you don't want to drop the case, it's fine. Drag him till the ends of the earth. We can't even go to court yet. Just don't involve me in it. We have better, more experienced lawyers that will be willing to handle your case. Just leave me alone," Astra begged and she could hear Nicholas' sigh on the other end.
'I asked you to come to my house that we had important issues pertaining the case to discuss. I expect to see you there in thirty minutes," Nicholas said and disconnected the call.
Astra frowned at the phone and cussed the wretched man and all he represented.
She was not going. There was no way she would let him control her. It was not possible, Astra said to herself and walked back to her table to sit down.
She worked for about thirty minutes, her heart beating as she was expecting another of Nicholas' calls. One hour passed and she became more relaxed. It was obvious that Nicholas was now listening to her. She would become more affirmative as time goes on. That seemed to work on the annoying man.
It was almost two hours after she received Nicholas' call that another number called her, this time, it was her boss, Trevor Abby called her. Astra felt dread as she saw the call. Trust Nicholas to go to the extreme.
'Good afternoon, Sir," Astra said as she picked up the call.
'This is the last time I will be talking to you regarding the Thompson case. The next time you do something like this, you will simply get a resignation letter," her boss said. Astra knew that he was not joking because of the firmness in his voice. Trevor Abby was not one to joke around.
'Yes Sir," she replied. Astra really needed her job, especially now. If not, she would have just resigned to save herself all the stress.
'Mr. Michealson said he asked you to be in his house over an hour ago. I expect you will be there soon," her boss said. Astra sighed at that. She should have just gone when Nicholas asked her to.
'Of course, Sir," Astra said.
'Just clock out for the day. We will see you tomorrow," her boss said.
'Yes Sir. Thank you, Sir," Astra replied as her boss disconnected the call. Astra groaned as she inevitably started to clear out her desk. She was on her way to meet the devil.
'Are you leaving, Astra?" One of her colleagues asked as she stood up.
'Yeah, I will see you all tomorrow," Astra said and walked out of the building.
Astra got into her car and started to drive down the familiar road to Nicholas' house. The house that she once called home. It gave her feelings of nostalgia when she went back to the house. She had once stayed in that house, cleaned the floors, cooked there. She had sex with her husband there, almost every room of the house. She planned to have her children there. When Astra was making these plans, she had no idea what life had in store for her. She did not know that the same she once lived with and loved would become her enemy. If anyone told her that was how she was going to end, she would have said it was a lie. That her and Nicholas were meant forever.
Astra got to the house in less than ten minutes.
James greeted her with a look of surprise as she entered the house. Astra figured it was because she almost never came.
Astra heard the giggles of a baby as she opened the door into the living room. The sight that greeted Astra gave her PTSD. Nicholas was sitting down and bouncing a baby boy on his knee. The child looked like she was having the time of his life as he was giggling and laughing and putting hitting his little hands on Nicholas arms.
Astra then noticed the lady who was sitting beside him, she was a slim beautiful blonde. She looked simple and practical, she was definitely the mother of the child.
Astra's mind went back to a memory of seeing Nicholas and a blonde woman go into a baby shop. It was certainly because of this. Nicholas had a child with this woman. Only the thoughts brought pain to her chest. Astra's eyes began to sting as she began to think of several excuses for Nicholas. He was probably not the father of the child, maybe he was just sleeping with the mother.
But the Nicholas she knew did not like children. For him to play so much with a child, he had to be close to the child. As far as Astra knew, Nicholas did not have any siblings so the baby could not be his nephew.
There was also the possibility of the baby being the child of a friend. Astra looked at the hand of the lady and saw no ring, her confusions and frustrations all but doubled.
'Oh, Astra you are here," Nicholas said noticing her for the first time, and stood up, taking the baby to his hip. Astra looked at the child then and she could see some resemblance between Nicholas and the child. All round the child looked like his mother though. The resemblance she saw with Nicholas was enough for her to jump into conclusions.
'Yes. Good afternoon. You said you had something important to show me," Astra said. Trying her best to sound as professional as she could.
'I actually told you that two hours and go and I told you to get here in thirty minutes. My girlfriend just called to say that she is coming over," Nicholas said casually. Astra looked over the blonde and she smiled and waved at her.
'Oh, wow. I didn't know you were dating someone. Does she know about us?" Astra asked. She suddenly felt jealous and territorial. The primitive part of her said Nicholas was hers and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
'Of course she does. I told Sarah about all my past mistakes," Nicholas said. Before Astra could respond to that, Sarah cleared her throat and took the baby from Nicholas. She said something about giving them space to talk.
'Did you tell her that you have been coming to my house almost every night for months?" Astra asked. She absolutely wanted Sarah to hear that.
'I have no idea what you are talking about," Nicholas said in a flat denial. Astra was surprised. The nerve of the bastard. What did he think he was?
'You bastard!" She shouted and hit him on the chest. She could barely control herself.
'Calm down Astra. I called you for work, not all these drama you are displaying," Nicholas said, holding on to her hands with his.
Astra's mind went back to the last time she was at his house. He was drunk, and even times before that, it seemed like he was always drinking. Now he was clean, there was no ounce of alcohol on him. It annoyed her that he was seemingly getting a hold of himself when she continued to break down.
'Did you tell her that you are an alcoholic?" Astra shouted again. Ignoring what he said about work. Nicholas' eyes narrowed in anger and his hold on her wrists tightened.
'Between you and I who is the alcoholic?" Nicholas asked, Astra's chest tightened at that. Tears blurred her eyes and she almost collapsed against Nicholas' chest.
'I told you I called you here for work, but you decided that you want to fight. I don't understand what you gain for being so difficult and unprofessional," Nicholas said as he let go of her hands.
Astra managed to stay strong and not fall to the ground when all she wanted to do was cry. Nicholas was hurting her over and over again, and there was nothing she could do about it. Just to wallow in self pity.
Astra cleaned her tears and stood strong. 'I am not in the emotional state to work now. I will come when you call me again," Astra said and walked out on Nicholas.
She was expecting Nicholas to call her back, maybe she would have hit him some more to get more revenge on him, but he didn't. She walked steady steps to her car where she placed her head on the steering and started to cry. Once the tears started, she could barely stop then. From experience, she knew that Nicholas could see her car from inside. So with teary eyes she put on the ignition and began driving to her house.