Nichole Richards is currently living her best life.
She's single and mingling, has an amazing group of friends, and business is booming for her bakery business. Things only take a turn for the worst after she discovers that someone from her past ha...
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19 | KEYS
"Good morning, daddy."
Nichole smiles warmly at Taehyun after he wakes up next to her. She pulls her attention away from the television so they can cuddle and kiss. Ademar eventually stirs awake and joins the party. The trio doesn't roll out of bed until half an hour later, no one caring about their jobs and other responsibilities. Nichole swears she's never been as happy as she is now.
Her relationship with Ademar and Taehyun is stronger than ever; she's since gone back to managing the bakery full-time; her car is finally out of the shop, so she no longer has to depend on her boyfriends for transportation. Life has returned to normal, or as normal as it can be.
And most importantly, Kade Lowery is gone.
Nichole hasn't heard a peep out of him for nearly three weeks, and according to his sister Caty, his family hasn't heard a word from him either. Nichole assumes Kade has finally been scared straight. Though, there is still one part about the night when she had to surprise him in his motel room that she can't seem to get off her mind.
The phone call.
Kade had thrown a bigger fit about his cell phone being taken than he did about getting tied up and tortured. He'd said he was expecting a phone call from someone who he'd made out to be seemingly important, and if he didn't answer... well, only he knew what the consequences might've been.
Nichole hates to dwell on it, but perhaps the reason for Kade's sudden silent treatment is because she'd taken his cell phone that night. Perhaps he wasn't exaggerating about something bad happening if he didn't answer whatever phone call he'd been waiting to receive. Perhaps Nichole helped send her ex into an early grave by accident.
"Why do you have that look on your face?"
Nichole is pulled out of her thoughts after Ademar sits next to her on the couch with a plate of food in his hands, just enough for two. She smiles softly as he passes her a fork.
"When did you go out to get this?" she asks in between bites. "I didn't hear you leave."
"Because you were too busy staring off into space," Ademar chuckles. "Now tell me why you have that look on your face."
"What look?"
"The look like you're mentally preparing to go to a loved one's funeral."
Nichole sighs. Not much gets past her overly observant boyfriends. "It isn't like that."
"Then what's it like, sweetheart? Talk to me. I hate it when you're down."
Before Nichole can reply with an excuse rather than the truth, Taehyun enters the apartment with Kade's laptop and cell phone. There's a smile on his face, which can only mean that he had a productive meeting with the hacker he hired, Jacob. Taehyun goes into the kitchen to grab the hammer and a garbage bag from underneath the sink. He then joins Nichole and Ademar on the couch, both of them eyeing him crazily.
