Nicholas POV
I stormed out of the car and walked into the house angrily. "Sir, dinner is ready and getting cold. Should I bring it to your-"
"I'm not hungry, Patricia," I responded coldly to my cook as I took the stairs, my hands busy taking off my suit jacket.
"Nicholas," Monica called out from the bottom of the stairs, and I paused in my tracks. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice uncertain and filled with anxiety.
"Of course you did. I gave a simple instruction, but you decided to flout my order," I turned, staring down at her with a piercing gaze.
"But I did everything you asked me to, Nicholas," she uttered, looking everywhere and avoiding my stern glare.
"No, you did not. I asked you to get into the car so we could leave and avoid Ethan, but you stood there like a lost moron, gazing at him like a confused puppy," I yelled, my voice echoing through the hall.
"What?" Monica exclaimed, her voice trembling as tears began to gather in her eyes. "I... I was just trying to-"
"Trying to what, Monica?!" I cut her off, my voice harsh and unyielding. "Trying to let him find out about our arrangement? Trying to let him know you're pregnant? Do you have any idea what that could mean for both of us?"
Monica's lip quivered as she struggled to hold back her tears. "I didn't mean to, Nicholas. I was just... I was overwhelmed. Seeing him again after all this time, I-"
"I don't care about your feelings!" I snapped, my anger boiling over. "This is a business arrangement, not some fairytale where you get to wallow in your emotions. You have to be smarter than this."
Her eyes widened in shock at my words, and she took a step back as if my anger physically pushed her. "You think I don't know that?" she shot back, her voice gaining strength despite her tears. "You think I don't know what this is about? I'm doing this for my baby, for our future. But it's not easy seeing the man who destroyed my life and having to pretend like nothing happened."
"Then get over it!" I demanded, my patience wearing thin. "If you can't handle this, then maybe you're not cut out for this arrangement."
Monica's tears finally spilled over, but she squared her shoulders, refusing to let me see her break completely. "I am doing everything I can, Nicholas. I'm trying my best to keep up with your demands, but I need your support too. You can't just keep treating me like I'm disposable."
"Disposable?" I laughed bitterly. "You think this is about support? This is about survival. For you, for your baby, and my company. There's no room for mistakes."
"Well, maybe if you showed a little more compassion, it would be easier to avoid mistakes," she retorted, fire in her eyes now. "I'm not a machine, Nicholas. I'm a human being with feelings, and I'm pregnant. I need more than just orders barked at me."
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my temper in check. "This isn't about compassion, Monica. This is about keeping Ethan in the dark. If he finds out about the baby, he'll come after you. And then where will we be? He'll ruin everything."
"He's not going to find out," she said firmly, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. "I won't let him. But you need to trust me, Nicholas. You need to believe that I'm capable of handling this."
"Trust?" I echoed, shaking my head. "How can I trust you when you can't even follow a simple instruction?"
"Because I had a moment of weakness!" she cried out, her voice breaking. "Because I'm human, and seeing Ethan again brought back a flood of memories I wasn't prepared for. But that doesn't mean I can't do this. It just means I need a moment to adjust."
I turned away, the weight of the day's events pressing down on me. "Get some rest," I said over my shoulder. "Tomorrow is a new day, and we need to be ready."
As I walked to my study, I couldn't shake the image of Ethan's face when he saw Monica. The recognition in his eyes, the anger, and the disbelief. He was onto us, and if we weren't careful, he would uncover everything. I needed Monica to be strong, to be unwavering. Because if she faltered, it wouldn't just be her future at stake-it would be mine as well.
Inside the study, I poured myself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in the glass. I had to think of a way to strengthen our cover, to sure the directors didn't suspect anything and that meant tightening the leash on Monica, whether she liked it or not.
Suddenly, a knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. "Nicholas?" Anthony's voice came through the door, hesitant and soft. "Can we talk?"
I sighed, downing the drink in one gulp. "Come in," I called, my voice steady.
He entered, her eyes calm but having some hints of sadness. "I don't think you're treating Monica well," he began, "I followed you two home and wasn't glad to find you yelling angrily at her. She was only stunned to see her ex again and from the look of things, she is yet to forget about Ethan"
I nodded, setting the glass down. "I understand but I need her to be stronger than this, Anthony. We can't afford any slip-ups."
"I know," he said, taking a deep breath. " But you need to do something too, Nicholas. Monica can't do this alone. She needs your support, even if it's just a little. She is pregnant and prone to feel lots of emotions at the same time so at least don't make things hard for her. She is keeping up with all of your arrogance because she just wants to be able to provide a good life for her child"
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. he was right-I had been too harsh. But this was my world, and in my world, there was no room for error. I just hope Monica can rise to the challenge because if she can't, I will be doomed.
"All right Mr chief Adviser," I said nonchalantly. "Aren't you going back home?" I asked, finally realizing that Anthony was beginning to gradually turn my house into his.
"Well you do know my house is too big and lonely and I don't mind spending some time with my best friend and his new contract fiancee"
"Suit yourself," I said as I gulped the remaining wine.