Nicholas was boiling when he picked up his phone to call Sarah. They needed to figure out who was helping Thompson and fast. His company was under attack again, but it was subtle. Clients were slowly selling out their shares. Nicholas could feel in it in his bones that it was a warning. Whoever was behind the havoc that his company faced five years ago was also doing it now. Nicholas could not go back to losing everything, not after all he did. He couldn't.
"Hello, Nicky how are you?" Sarah said in a chatty tone. Nicholas was not in the mood for all of that.
"Come to my house immediately," he said in a clipped voice. Sarah seemed to get the memo as she did not throw a line as she usually would or complain. She just said okay.
Nicholas paced around the house and fumed as he waited for Sarah to come. He had a glass of whiskey in his hand. He could not help the fact that the alcohol made him sane at the moment.
Nicholas heard from his informant at Astra's office that his wife was getting even closer to Jared. That they left the office together. His company was going into shambles and his wife was with another man.
The logical part of Nicholas' brain told him that Astra was no longer married to him, that she didn't owe him anything, especially not loyalty, but he was pissed. He had a long week, he was willing to blame anyone that could be blamed.
"Ms. Sarah is here, Sir," James said and Nicholas frowned at him.
"Let her in will you?" He shouted. The man who was supposed to be his bodyguard rushed away.
Sarah walked into the house in a pant suit, alone. She had the good sense not to bring Theo with her. He was barely in the mood to talk to babies.
"Drop the alcohol Nick and calm down," Sarah slowly said. She took slow but sure steps to him. She didn't waver. She could tell that she was wary of the alcohol in his hands but she trusted him. That was good enough.
"I am so fucking pissed, Sarah, so
fucking pissed," he said to her. He dropped the glass of alcohol on the table then.
"It's alright to be pissed, but just calm down and tell me what happened at least, you are making me pissed too," she said, and Nicholas narrowed his eyes at her. She looked at him in response and smiled.
Nicholas could feel some of his anger dissipating, Sarah had that effect on him. In some ways, such as this, she reminded him of Astra. She made him calm. Even when deals had done wrong during their short time in marriage, she always knew what to say, what to do. Hell, if she had done anything at all, it would be alright since she was Astra. He loved her that much.
"Our shareholders are selling off their shares," Nicholas said.
"What?" Sarah shouted. She was even more protective of the company than he was sometimes.
"Yes, and this smells of Thompson," Nicholas continued.
"Someone is helping him, like you said. He cannot do all these without us noticing him. Our men have been following him for a long time, they would have known if he met with any of the share holders. Something is very fishy about this," Sarah said and he nodded. Something was certainly very fishy.
"Do you know if Thompson met with the share holders five years back before they began to sell their shares?" Sarah asked.
Nicholas was not very sure. He was not him self when his company was falling into pieces then. He was still grieving his broken marriage. He knew that it made it very easy for his company to become broken just the way it was. Nicholas was very vulnerable then.
"I am not sure. But I think that they all received controversial information about me. I gathered as much over the years. The rumors died with time and I built the business over again, it seems like that is what it is happening over again," Nicholas said. He began to recall what happened back then. How people were saying they couldn't work with someone like him. Nicholas did not really put much thought to it. He was drunk half of the time. What could he really do?
"What kind of rumors? Do you know what they said?" Sarah asked, and Nicholas shook his head. He wasn't sure.
"I don't know. But I remember they said they had proof," he said.
"Proof?" Sarah asked and he nodded.
"That means there is tangible proof that someone was trying to sabotage you," she said. Nicholas shook his head though. He was not sure it was that easy.
"Even if we found this proof how can we know who planted them there? And even if we know, how can we prove it?" Sarah was quiet for quite a while and Nicholas felt like a joy kill. Sarah nodded her head in resignation.
"You are right. Finding whatever evidence the person trying to sabotage you gave to those people will not solve the case. But we still need to find the evidence and clear your name. Who knows? We can catch the bad guy in the process," Sarah said. Her enthusiasm was showing again.
"You're right. We should at least know. So where are we starting from?" Nicholas asked.
"Well, we should track down your former shareholders and also the new ones that just left. The former ones will be more lenient with information though. As time had passed and all," Sarah said and Nicholas nodded.
"I will send you a list of the former shareholders and their addresses," he said.
"Good. That will be enough for me," Sarah said. Nicholas felt relieved he managed to talk to Sarah and she made everything seem so easy.
"So, any other thing?" She asked and Nicholas shook his head.
"Astra is getting closer to Jared," he said. Sarah glared at him in a way that told of a mother hen or an older lady.
"This really bothers you, doesn't it?" She asked, and Nicholas nodded.
"You can make her jealous to see if you are the only one catching feelings," Sarah suggested. Nicholas frowned but considered the idea, maybe it may work out.
"I will think about it. Maybe, just maybe," he replied. His mind went back to when Astra came to the house and met the barely dressed blonde chick who was looking for a job. She was clearly pissed at that. But Nicholas did not want to use someone like that. He clearly would not stay with a woman like that for very long. He needed something long term.
"Who to use?" Nicholas asked, Sarah raised a brow at him.
"You can clearly hire anybody," she said. That option had crossed his mind, a professional actress would be best, but it would take a while to develop the relationship make it obvious that they were serious together.
"I will think about it and tell you later," Nicholas said. Sarah raised her brow in question, but shrugged when he did not give her a reply.
"I heard Astra travelled. She has not been at work since Wednesday," Sarah said. It was Friday. That was odd.
"I talked to my informant last on Wednesday, she told me Jared and Astra left the building together. Had Jared been to work?" Nicholas asked. His heart was already beating faster, he did not want anything bad to happen to her.
"They left the office together but they got into separate cars and went to their personal apartments. And yes, Jared has been to work. Are you sure your informant is doing any work?" Sarah asked, chuckling.
"You are paying a door man for information, you won't get any of the inside gist," Nicholas said. He was relieved that Astra was not with Jared, but still worried about where she may be.
"You would be surprised the number of things the door man knows," Sarah replied.
"Astra did not take an excuse at work, which is unlike her, even the doorman is worried about her. Do you have any idea where she might be?" Sarah asked and Nicholas shook his head.
"She is not with Jared at least that's something. If she is not back to work on Monday I will look for her," Nicholas said, reminding himself that it was not his job to take care of her. That she was not his responsibility. He needed her safe though.
"Are you sure it has nothing to do with the prank we pulled on her the other day?" Nicholas asked Sarah. His cousin shook her head.
"No, I am pretty sure. She actually tried to trace the number but I made sure the block the sim. I am sure she has figured it was a prank, what she would be wondering now is why," Sarah said. Nicholas frowned because he did not want Astra in any form of discomfort, but nevertheless, he nodded. He needed to be strong.
"Okay, that's good," Nicholas said. He picked up his drink again but Sarah glared at him.
"It's nine am Nick, stop drinking. My son would not have an alcoholic for a uncle," Sarah said and he chuckled. She could be so forceful at times.
"I hear you, Ma'am," Nicholas said.
"How is the little bugger doing?" Nicholas asked, he was referring to his nephew, Theo. Sarah frowned at him at waved her finger.
"My son's name is Theo you big oaf, and he is very fine. You would know if you asked ages ago. You were so bothered about Astra and Thompson," Sarah said. There was a lightness in her tone, but Nicholas could tell that she was being serious too.
"I am sorry your Majesty," he said, smiling cheekily at her.
"I am not your girlfriend Nick, go on and find one for yourself. Move on Nick, you need someone new. I am serious. You are hurting yourself with all these talks and thoughts of Astra and Thompson. You need to find yourself outside of them. You don't need them to be happy," Astra said.
Nicholas took a deep breath, he knew that Sarah was right, but he could barely help himself.
Thompson for one had been a part of his life for so long that it seemed almost impossible to let go. The betrayal hurt Nicholas than he let on. And even now he was still betraying him all over again, it made him break even more.
Friendships became extremely hard for Nicholas to form after Thompson. If not for Sarah, he had no friends.
Astra's heart break made him close his heart to love. Love was no longer an option, he could no longer open his heart to love, all he expected was heart break. Nicholas in many ways was broken.
"I know Sarah, I know. But it's not that easy Sarah. It's not easy to move on. You of all people know that. I want to wake up one day and not care about what happened then but I can't. I still love Astra you see. No matter how much she has hurt me, no matter how much she keeps hurting me, I still love her, I can't just stop. It's almost like a disease," Nicholas said. He was shaking by the time he was done. Sarah stared at him with broken eyes. She stood up and hugged her cousin. It seemed like heart break ran in the family.