47. Saving Grace

Sometimes in life, some incidents occurred, and the first thought on your mind— the first thing, that you can think of, at that very instant was “FUCK,”

This was one of those moments for me.

It was just like everything I had feared, had suddenly turned up. And, I was left to start wondering how exactly it all muddled together thus, ending up this way.

This was what my head thought of, all on its own.

The moment Big James out poured all of that anger on me; he threw some documents towards me. With my eyes bolted in shock, my hands trembled and I quivered a bit at the thought of mum.

I reached for the document which laid on the floor. Opening it, I read the words that contained it, “TERMINATION OF CONTRACT,” These were the words engraved on it. Just then, Pink Moda’s lawyer walked in.

As he walked in, I knew one thing was for sure. Fighting it all, was no use. Because if I did want to, I didn’t have the financial capacity to deal with it all. And from the look of it all, Big James owned the company. He was still infuriated with me but that wasn’t changing anything.

If anyone could rewind that day, I’d still react in the exact same way to how he insulted my mum.

With the documents still in my hand, I took one last look at the four bosses of Pink Moda. Boss Deveraux held a disappointed look on her face at me while the other young boss had a pitiful expression.

My eyes directed to Jackson; whose face wasn’t directed to me. Knowing the type of personality, he was, I knew he definitely felt bad about this. My eyes tore away from him, with a glance at Boss Liam.

His expression was a tight one.

His chiseled jaw didn’t bulge. Instead, he just sat with his chin straight up with the same civility and nobility like he always did.

One thing was for sure. I was so done in my dealings with the James men…

Quickly, I walked out of the office. The instant I came out, I saw some employees outside. It was obvious that they had been eaves dropping but they still tried to cover it up. Breathing it off, I hastily walked to get my things from Pink Moda’s dressing room.

As I did pack up, Hardin walked up to me in a sullen look. His eyes were puffy and swollen.

“I’m really going to miss you, Miss Nikki.” he stated, wiping a tear from his eye. He wrapped me into a big hug and continued sobbing.

“It’s okay now, Hardin. Don’t cry,” I answered, patting his back. He untangled from the hug few moments later and I headed out the door immediately. I walked on the office corridors, entering the elevator. It dinged open and I stepped out.

To my utmost surprise, I came in contact with the daredevil herself, Jojo Lopez. As always, she was dressed as stylish and fashionable as ever. She approached me with a triumphant expression, imprinted on her features.

“Oh darling, told you I’d get back at you for taking Liam and my spot in Pink Moda. Now you see, you should have stepped back then,” she surprisingly said. My nose shrunk in disgust and my brows arched.

“You’re responsible for this?” I muttered, giving her a death glare. She took two steps back before actually speaking.

“Off course, what did you think? That I’d let all that go?” she stated, asking me. I watched as she took two steps back, before snapping her fingers. There was a mischievous smile lurking in her features. My mind tried to know what she was up to.

But it was too late.

“Enjoy your humiliation,” she let out. The instant she said that, swarms of paparazzi immediately came rushing in. In less than a milli-second, they had all gathered me. Flashes of me were taken that instant. Dejected, I covered my face from them, but they weren’t having any of it.

“Miss Nikki! Miss Nikki!” They shouted.

“Care to tell us why you trafficked people in Mexico?”

“You’re a celebrity, didn’t you know this would bring your image down?”

“Why did you verbally assault a receptionist?”

These questions were thrown at me and I was left speechless. I was taught to have evidences while defending myself and judging from how no one took my side, I knew this was going to be hard.

I ran the opposite direction with my possessions in my hands, only to see my fans (now turned anti-fans), taking angry steps towards me. I was about to turn the other way, only to discover it was too late. I was surrounded by them all.

“At last, here goes the b*tch lurking right in front of us.” One said.

“What do you all want?” I seethed, asking them.

“You still dare talk after all you did?” Pushing me hard, a fan girl said. I breathed it off, before continuing my statement.

“Whatever rumor you must have heard is certainly not the whole truth, I assure you. If I’m Nikki Fox, and I have it all, why would I indulge in something I know would taint my career?”

“You’re still denying this? We should teach her a lesson.” Another muttered.

“How dare she take Liam and Jackson away from us?” Some fan girl cried out.

“And now she traffics people with a cover as a model?”

“Let’s show this shady and unethical female her place,”

Multitudes of them raised their hands to hit me. I dimmed my eyes shut, waiting for the effect of their hands on me.

Suddenly, a hand encamped around my shoulders. I shuddered at the familiar touch, coursing beneath my veins. I froze in my spot, wondering who had taken all of that beating for me.

My heart thudded rapidly when I looked up, only to see a figure I didn’t expect would turn up to save me. In a realization of guilt, my mind wandered to why he would choose to save me.

“Li-Liam?” I called out, in a husky and unsure tune. Didn’t even know if I should be sure that he was really the one that had shown up. Couldn’t believe he covered me with his body, to take all of those beating.

While all these had happened, if I had expected anyone to show up to save me, it’d have been Jackson, not him. But, him, doing this, I didn’t know what I was supposed to think anymore.

“Oh my! It’s Liam,”

“It’s really Liam,” The fan girls muttered, whispering amongst themselves.

“Why are you saving a scoundrel like her? We thought you were with us your die-hard fans?” A girl asked.

With gritted teeth, and a hand on my shoulder protectively, Liam muttered,

“I have nothing to say to you all,”

“Let’s go red,” he whispered in my ear.

Their faces were immediately masked with disbelief. Liam entangled an arm around my waist. The next thing that happened was that I found us both walking out of the building of Pink Moda. As we did walk, I felt safe. This was because he held me like I was something he treasured so much.

The instant we got outside, he led me towards the car. He used the remote to open it, when I went out of his arms. A guilty feeling lurked on my face; thus, I couldn’t face him. With my eyes directed to the floor of the garage, my lips parted.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked him immediately.

“Doing what, red?” he answered, with a smirk.

“Helping me.”

“After all that I have put you through, why would you choose to help me? Why would you take all of that beating for me?!” I yelled out hard at him. I could feel my eyes giving to tears already. I was so frustrated that I didn’t even know the move to make again.

He had just helped me again.

Now my heart won’t be able to stop now.

I shivered from the cold breeze that blew past us that instant. My eye brows arched as Liam took two noble steps towards me. He removed his suit jacket, before putting it around me. That warmed me up but I knew I couldn’t go around taking things from him.

I was about to give it back when he stopped me.

“One more time, red.” he breathed out.

“Allow me to help for just for just one more time,” he added softly, with a serious expression on his entire face. His hands, which were around my shoulder placed the jacket, once again, around me.

The next thing he did do, was open the door to the car. I stepped in, timidly. He entered, hitting the steering wheel, before driving off.

…

Unable to face anyone at home, not even Chloe, I told Liam to take me to Orange Summers. When we eventually got there, I single-handedly got out and went in the bar. I certainly didn’t expect Boss Liam to follow me here.

Music boomed as we walked in the bar. I walked up to the bar tender’s arena, sitting down on one of the seats. Through the corner of my eyes, I looked at Boss Liam. He looked like he was having a hard time adjusting in a place like this.

“Used to somewhere more expensive than this?” I asked cockily, with a hazy head. He cleared his voice at me before speaking.

“How did you find this place? There are places better than this,” he stated, with an upright expression. I sipped from the alcohol the tender just served, before speaking,

“Not everyone is privileged to live a luxurious rich man’s life like you, you know,” I sighed out.

I drank the entire contents of the cup, pouring myself another glass. Again, I drank the contents, thinking of how pathetic my life currently was.

“You need to slow down with that, you don’t want to end up drunk.” he smiled. Instantly, I giggled out so loud, pouring myself another glass. I wanted all my worries to go away, even if it was just for some hours.

“Why should I listen to you!” I yelled. My head was already beginning to feel foggy and I noticed I was becoming more outspoken and bolder.

“You think you have the whole world under your feet, you this crazy and infuriating billionaire,” I cried out.

“Cheers to the Almighty Liam James, my life is in shambles. If it wasn’t because of you, that model Jojo wouldn’t have set me up today,” I added in my thoughts, sobbing a little.

“What are you talking about, red?” he asked.

Oops, did I say that out loud? DAMN. I wasn’t supposed to mention that out loud.

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” I said, demonstrating my hand in a zip motion, around my mouth. Liam immediately encamped his hands around my shoulders, with a serious look in his eyes.

“Was Jojo responsible for everything that happened today?” he asked. The whole moment was tense that instant. I just stared at him blanky, feeling light headed. I didn’t know when I chuckled out, so loud. I laughed and it surprised him.

“W-What’s funny?”

“Everything, Liam. It’s all funny,” I said. I immediately begun to feel dizzy and I slurred in my speech.

“To…think… we... were all tooth and claws with each other when we the first day of our meeting.”

“Now…you…” I trailed out, holding his face, pressing it with a comical look on my face.

“…broke all my rules of never falling for a rich guy.” I muttered before passing out.

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