Chapter 69 Chapter 69: The Suite That Smelled Like Last Night’s Mistakes

Chapter 69 Chapter 69: The Suite That Smelled Like Last Night’s Mistakes


The next thing I knew, I was sitting across from Elara in the back of the black SUV, my hands folded tightly in my lap while the city moved past the tinted windows in blurred streaks of gray and gold. Morning sunlight spilled weakly across the leather seats, but it did nothing to ease the strange tension sitting heavily in my chest. Elara sat opposite me with one leg crossed over the other, scrolling through her phone with slow, impatient movements. She had changed into a cream-colored fitted dress and dark sunglasses, her hair perfectly styled despite the chaos of the previous night. From the outside, she looked flawless again. Untouchable. But I had seen the broken glass. I had bandaged the cuts on her hands myself. I had watched her stare at her phone for hours waiting for Auren to call. That version of her still lingered beneath the polished surface, hidden carefully behind expensive perfume and cold composure.

The silence inside the SUV stretched painfully long before I finally gathered enough courage to speak. “Miss Elara…” My voice came out softer than I intended. She lifted her eyes from her phone without answering. “Where exactly are we going?” I asked carefully. “You said we were looking for Nicholus, but…” I hesitated before glancing toward the unfamiliar road outside. “This doesn’t look like his usual place in the city.”

Elara let out a quiet breath through her nose, almost amused by the question. “Because Nicholus isn’t in the city,” she replied calmly, slipping her phone into her handbag. “Whenever he disappears for days, there’s always a pattern. He runs somewhere loud, expensive, and irresponsible.” Her lips curved faintly. “Which means there’s a very high chance we’ll find him at River Villa.”

I frowned slightly, repeating the name silently in my head. “River Villa?” I asked.

“His friend’s estate near the river,” Elara explained, finally turning her full attention toward me. “A private property where rich people go to drink too much, ignore their responsibilities, and pretend they’re still twenty.” There was dry irritation in her voice now. “Nicholus disappears there every few months whenever the family starts expecting something useful from him.”

She leaned her head back against the seat with visible annoyance. “And today, unfortunately, I need him to be useful.” I watched her for a moment before speaking again. “Do you think he’ll actually come with us to the hospital?”

Elara gave a short laugh. “ He’ll come. He loves Grandfather in his own selfish little way.”

The SUV continued down a long private road lined with enormous trees whose branches curved overhead like dark arches. The deeper we drove, the quieter everything became until the noise of the city disappeared completely behind us. My fingers tightened slightly together as unease crept over me again. “Miss Elara…” I said carefully, lowering my voice. “Are you sure it’s alright for me to come inside with you?” She looked at me immediately, one brow lifting behind the edge of her sunglasses. “Why wouldn’t it be?” I shifted slightly in my seat. “I just thought… Maybe this is personal. Family business.” Elara studied me for a second before answering. “Sera, if I’m forcing myself to deal with Nicholus before noon, then you’re suffering with me.” Her tone was smooth but final. “Besides, you’re useful. You calm people down.” A faint smirk appeared on her lips. “Most of the time.”

Before I could respond, the SUV slowed sharply as enormous iron gates appeared ahead of us. The driver spoke quietly to security through the lowered window, and seconds later the gates began opening inward with slow mechanical movement. My breath caught slightly as the property finally came into view. River Villa looked less like a house and more like a private resort hidden deep in the trees. The mansion stretched across the riverside in pale stone and glass, sunlight reflecting sharply against massive windows overlooking the water beyond. Expensive cars filled the circular driveway, and even from inside the SUV I could hear faint music echoing somewhere in the distance. The entire place carried the aftermath of excess—the kind that never truly slept.

The car rolled to a smooth stop near the front entrance. For a second neither of us moved. Then Elara removed her sunglasses slowly and looked toward the mansion with visible irritation already returning to her face. “God,” she muttered under her breath. “I can already smell the alcohol from here.”

I glanced nervously toward the towering villa before looking back at her. “What if he isn’t here?” I asked quietly.

Elara opened the door beside her immediately. “Then I’ll drag him out of whichever woman’s bed he’s hiding in personally.” Her heels touched the driveway as she stepped out gracefully, completely composed once again. “Either way, we’re not leaving without him.”

I hurried out after her, the cool breeze from the river brushing against my skin immediately. The air smelled faintly of water, smoke, and expensive cologne lingering from whatever party had happened the night before. Elara didn’t slow her pace for even a second as she walked toward the massive front doors, expecting me to keep up beside her. “Stay close to me,” she instructed without looking back.

By the time we stepped through the front entrance, my nerves had fully returned. The inside of River Villa was even more overwhelming than the exterior—towering ceilings, expensive marble floors, half-empty champagne glasses abandoned on tables, music still playing softly somewhere deeper inside the estate. The house looked like a party had only paused instead of ended. Elara kept walking forward without hesitation, her expression sharpening with every step as if she was preparing herself for battle. Meanwhile, I followed closely behind her, trying not to stare too much at the beautiful disaster around us while wondering what kind of person Nicholus Varya truly was… 

Elara crossed the enormous entrance hall without slowing down once, her heels striking sharply against the marble floor while I hurried after her. A young house servant appeared from one of the side corridors carrying but the moment she recognized Elara, she nearly stopped walking altogether. Her posture straightened instantly, nervousness flashing across her face as she lowered her gaze respectfully. Elara didn’t waste a second. “Where is Nicholus?” she asked coldly. Her voice echoed lightly beneath the high ceilings, cutting through the faint music still drifting from upstairs.

The servant hesitated just enough for irritation to sharpen across Elara’s expression. “M-Mr. Nicholus is upstairs, Miss Elara,” the girl answered quickly. “Third floor. The east guest suites.” Elara gave a short nod and immediately turned toward the grand staircase. “Good,” she said flatly. “At least he’s alive.” I followed close behind her, but before we could even reach the first step, the servant suddenly rushed forward in panic. “Miss Elara— wait.” Her voice came out nervous and breathless. “You… you shouldn’t go up there right now.”

Elara stopped so abruptly that even I nearly walked into her. Slowly, she turned back toward the servant, disbelief already settling into her face. “Excuse me?” The servant swallowed hard beneath the weight of that single word. “Mr. Nicholus… he isn’t alone,” she explained carefully, clearly regretting every second of the conversation already. “He asked not to be disturbed this morning.” For one heartbeat, complete silence filled the hall. Then Elara laughed softly. The sound held absolutely no humor in it.

“Not alone?” she repeated, her brows lifting slowly. “Of course he isn’t.” She pressed two fingers briefly against her forehead like she was fighting off a headache. “It’s barely morning and he’s already embarrassing the family.” The servant lowered her eyes further. “I tried to tell him people might come looking for him, Miss Elara, but…” She trailed off nervously. Elara let out a sharp exhale. “But Nicholus Varya has never listened to another human being in his entire life. Yes, I’m aware.” Her voice turned colder with every word. “Move.”

The poor servant looked completely horrified now. “Miss Elara, please,” she said quickly, stepping slightly into the path again. “I really don’t think—” “You don’t think I should interrupt him?” Elara finished smoothly. “That’s unfortunate, because I absolutely do.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “My grandfather spent last night in a hospital while Nicholus disappeared into a river mansion with alcohol and strangers. So trust me when I say I no longer care whether he’s busy.” There was enough controlled fury in her voice to make even my stomach tighten.

I stood quietly beside the staircase, watching the servant visibly panic while Elara’s patience disappeared second by second. “Miss Elara,” the girl tried one last time, lowering her voice carefully, “there’s… there’s a woman upstairs with him.” Elara stared at her blankly for a moment before giving the smallest shrug. “There are always women upstairs with him.” Then her expression hardened again. “If she’s smart, she’ll leave before I open the door.” Without another word, she turned and started climbing the staircase.

I hurried after her immediately, my pulse quickening with every step upward. Behind us, I could still hear the servant standing frozen near the bottom of the stairs, probably debating whether warning Nicholus would somehow save the situation. But judging from the dangerous calm written across Elara’s face now, I doubted anything could. Her heels echoed loudly through the enormous villa as we climbed higher toward the third floor.Elara didn’t bother knocking.

She reached the third floor landing, crossed the hallway with sharp, furious steps, and shoved open the double doors at the end of the corridor so hard they slammed against the wall behind them. The sound echoed violently through the suite. I froze just behind her as we entered, the scent of expensive cologne, alcohol, and cigarette smoke hitting me instantly. Sunlight spilled through the massive windows overlooking the river, cutting across the disaster scattered throughout the room—half-empty liquor bottles, clothes tossed carelessly across chairs and floors, champagne glasses abandoned beside the couch like evidence of a night that still hadn’t ended.

And in the center of it all was Nicholus.

He was sprawled lazily across the enormous bed, shirt half-unbuttoned, dark hair messy from sleep, one arm resting behind his head like he didn’t have a single responsibility in the world. Beside him lay a woman tangled in the sheets, barely awake, blinking slowly against the sudden light and noise. For one strange second, Nicholus simply stared at us without reacting at all, his expression still heavy with exhaustion and confusion.

Then he saw Elara.

“Oh,” he muttered hoarsely, dragging a hand down his face. “That explains why the door sounded homicidal.”

The woman beside him pushed herself upright slightly, clutching the blanket against her chest as her eyes darted nervously between all of us. Elara didn’t even glance at her. Her full attention locked onto Nicholus with terrifying calm. “You disgusting piece of shit,” she said evenly. The softness in her voice somehow made it worse. “Grandfather collapsed last night. The entire family spent hours thinking he might die. And this”—her eyes swept slowly across the room—“is what you were doing?”

Nicholus closed his eyes briefly like he was already regretting waking up. “Good morning to you too, cousin.” His voice was rough with sleep, but there was still lazy amusement underneath it. “And for the record, nobody told me he collapsed until three in the morning.” He finally sat up properly, the sheets falling slightly around his waist while the woman beside him looked increasingly desperate to disappear. “Also, before you start threatening my execution, is he alive?”

“Elara,” I whispered carefully, sensing the dangerous shift in the room already, but she ignored me completely.

“Yes, he’s alive,” she snapped. “Unlike your sense of shame.” She took another step forward, fury burning brighter now that she finally had someone to direct it at. “Do you have any idea what happened last night? The entire house turned upside down. Richmond Draven is going to the hospital personally, and meanwhile you vanished into a riverside brothel pretending to be twenty-one again.”

Nicholus blinked at her slowly before looking toward me for the first time, like he was searching for confirmation that this conversation was actually happening.”Oh, hi sera, you have also come ’’ he said while grinning to his teeth .’’ How nice to see your face early in the morning’’

I, of course, didn't reply to him “Sera,” he said “please tell me she didn’t come all the way here just to insult me before breakfast.”

I opened my mouth carefully. “Miss Elara came because she needs you to go to the hospital with her,” I explained softly before Elara could explode again. “Sir Simon wants both of you there until he finishes the board meeting.”

Nicholus stared at us for another long second before letting out a deep groan and falling backward dramatically onto the bed again. “Unbelievable,” he muttered into the pillow. “I knew waking up today was a mistake.” Beside him, the woman finally slipped quietly out of bed, gathering her clothes in complete silence like she wanted absolutely no involvement in whatever family disaster she had accidentally witnessed. Meanwhile Elara stood at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed tightly, glaring at Nicholus like she was one insult away from physically dragging him to the hospital herself.