Monica POV
Chills ran down my spine, and I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. I sat frozen in my seat, my heart pounding in my chest.
The room seemed to close in around me, and I could feel Nicholas tense beside me.
"What did you just say?" Nicholas asked, his voice dangerously low. His eyes bore into Greg, who seemed to be pleased by the discomfort he was causing.
"Ethan Knight has been quite persistent," Greg continued, ignoring Nicholas's tone. "He's very interested in Monica. Keeps asking questions, trying to dig up information. I thought you should know."
I felt my stomach drop. The memories of Ethan and the past I was trying so hard to forget came flooding back. The last thing I needed was for him to stir up trouble now.
Nicholas's hand clenched into a fist. "What did you tell him?"
Greg shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing, of course. I have nothing to tell him, but he's not the type to give up easily."
Greg's silent gaze on Nicholas made me shift uncomfortably in my seat. "What are you hiding, brother?" Greg asked, narrowing his eyes.
Nicholas's eyes flashed with anger, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. "Stay out of this, Greg, and just so you know, I'm not hiding anything."
"Just trying to help, brother," Greg said with a smirk. "After all, family looks out for each other, right?"
"Get out," Nicholas said through gritted teeth, his control slipping.
Greg gave a mock salute. "As you wish, but remember, dearest Brother, that whatever you're hiding won't stay hidden forever."
With that, Greg turned and left, leaving a heavy silence in his wake. I felt tears prick at my eyes, and I looked away, not wanting to meet Nicholas's gaze, which was already fixed on me.
"I think I made a wrong move," Nicholas said, rising to his feet as he paced about in worry.
"What?" I exclaimed in confusion.
"It's not even a month since you signed those contracts, and here your ex-husband is trying to poke his nose where it doesn't belong. This is all your fault."
"What? How is this all my fault?" I asked in shock.
"Why is Ethan asking questions about you?" Nicholas asked angrily.
"I don't know," I responded honestly.
"And you expect me to believe all you just said? You told me he drove you away, but now here he is, asking crazy questions about you," Nicholas said, running his hands through his hair and pacing about.
Silence lingered for a few minutes, then he suddenly halted in one spot. "Or did you see him at any time? Did you talk to Ethan?"
"No, no I didn't. I haven't seen Ethan since the charity gala, and I haven't spoken to him since he drove me away."
"So what's making him suspicious?" Nicholas asked.
"I don't know," I responded, tears already gathering in my eyes.
"Suspicious of what?" I froze when I heard Ella's voice behind us as she took steps to where we were. "Who's suspicious and what are they suspicious of?"
"It's nothing, Aunt," Nicholas replied, and her gaze shifted to me, making me bow my head even more.
The silence after Ella's question was heavy. I could feel Nicholas's frustration emanating from him, and my nerves were frayed. Ella's presence was both a relief and an additional source of tension. Her sharp eyes seemed to take in everything.
"Nicholas, it's not 'nothing,'" Ella insisted, her voice firm yet gentle. "You need to tell me what's going on. Stop keeping secrets"
Nicholas sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "Aunt Ella, it's just… complications with the business. Nothing to worry about."
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Complications with the business can't make Monica cry. I've known you long enough to recognize when something is not okay with you, Nicholas."
Nicholas glanced at me, then back at Ella. Ella's face softened as she turned to me. "Monica, sweetheart, what's going on? Is Nicholas giving you a hard time?"
I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "Yes, he is. He keeps yelling and_" I broke down as I started crying again in front of Ella.
Ella nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Nicholas, please stop stressing her and making her cry. I beg of you"
Nicholas ran a hand through his hair again. "Why are you turning me into the bad guy here, Monica? I'm not stressing her, Aunt. Look at her, she just ate some minutes ago and she is sitting down, so how am I stressing her?"
Ella raised a brow. "You're stressing her emotionally, and that's not good for a pregnant woman."
Taking a deep breath, Nicholas sighed as he crashed into the seat beside me. "Living with a pregnant woman is harder than I thought," Nicholas whispered, but I heard him because I was sitting close to him.
Ella's face registered surprise, then understanding. "I see. So you think it's easy to look after a pregnant woman, right? Well, sorry to disappoint you, son, but a pregnant woman needs more than yelling and scolding."
Ella sighed. "You both are in a precarious situation. But you need to stay strong and united. Nicholas, yelling at Monica won't help. She's carrying your child and needs your support now more than ever."
Nicholas's face softened slightly. "I know, Aunt Ella. It's just… everything is so overwhelming, and I'm trying my best."
Ella moved closer and placed a hand on his arm. "I understand, Nicholas. But you need to remember why you're doing this. It's for the future, for the company, and for your family. You wouldn't be getting married to Monica if your dad hadn't stated it as a necessity."
"Please bear with him. He's a hard nut and a stubborn man," Ella stated, looking at me apologetically.
"I'll try," I responded, faking a smile.
Ella smiled warmly. "Good. Now, let's all have some tea and calm our nerves. We'll tackle this together."
Just then, the front door opened, and Anthony walked in, carrying an apple in his hands. He took one look at the scene and raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"
Ella shook her head. "Just some family drama. What have you got there?"
Anthony waved the apple. "Wrong move, Anthony," I said, echoing the exact words he uttered when I requested to eat an apple.
Nicholas's jaw tightened. "Why are you eating my apples?"
Ella poured the tea, her movements calm and deliberate. "What's with you and apples, Nicholas? You should be focusing on keeping the company stable and focusing on Monica too. Monica, you need to focus on staying healthy."
We all nodded, feeling a bit more unified in our purpose. The tea was a soothing balm to our frayed nerves, and for a moment, it felt like we had a handle on things.
"So what are your plans for the wedding, Monica? Have you chosen a wedding gown yet?" Ella asked.
"Yes, about that, Aunt," Nicholas interjected before I could answer. "I don't know if you could help talk to Uncle about Judy organizing a short court wedding for me and Monica. Planning a wedding right now would stress her a lot, and I don't want that for her."
I looked at Nicholas, who sounded genuinely concerned about me, but I knew this was just a strategy to make Ella listen to him and do what he wanted.
"I don't think he will listen to me, son. Besides, I suggest you talk to him yourself," Ella replied.
Nicholas sighed, looking defeated. "I understand, Aunt Ella. I'll talk to him."
Ella's expression softened. "Good. And remember, Nicholas, Monica needs you now more than ever. Be there for her, support her, and everything else will fall into place."
We sat in silence for a while, sipping our tea. The weight of the situation still hung heavy in the air, but at least we had a plan. Nicholas and I would face this together and with Ella's support, I felt a renewed sense of strength and determination.
After a while, Anthony spoke up. "Nicholas, about the board meeting tomorrow, we need to make sure everything is in order. We can't afford any mistakes for the contract we are signing tomorrow"
Nicholas nodded. "You're right. We need to focus on tomorrow's meeting."
Ella stood up, her demeanor resolute. "Then I think you guys need to get to work. We have a lot to do, but we'll get through this together."
As the evening wore on, Anthony and Nicholas worked on the preparations for the meeting. The sense of unity and purpose helped ease some of the tension.
Later that night, as I lay in bed, I felt a sense of fear. Despite the challenges ahead, I hoped everything in our plan worked out fine. Securing a life for my child for my major priority and I was ready to do what it took. As I drifted off to sleep, I knew I could overcome anything, as long as I had my baby with me and determination unpunched.