𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒓𝒆 » 𝐀. 𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒

❝𝒊𝒙.❞

Nora was barely keeping it together. She had no regrets, but Polly Gray taught her that doing the right thing, making the right decisions can be extremely painful. She was rendered silent in all matters except business, she never smiled, and when she went home all she did was cry. She'd cry to the point she couldn't breathe. After four days she stopped showing up to the opalite altogether. She lied in bed and stared into the ceiling as a pool of tears formed on each side of her body. By the evening Clara entered her bedroom, "Oh thank God, sorciere we were worried sick." Nora doesn't move as Clara sits on the bed, observing her. "Are you alright?" Nora tries to maintain her composure as she bursts into tears. Clara pulls her in for a hug, almost overwhelmed. She's never seen sorciere like this. "Nora what happened, did someone hurt you? Was it Solomons?" "I left Alfie," she whispers admittedly as she silently cries. Clara tilts her head understanding, "After what happened with Ollie?" "I know it was the right thing to do but..."

"But you love him," Clara whispers, laying Nora on her lap. Nora continues to sob as Clara rubs her back. "Listen, this pain won't last forever. You'll find someone soon, or better yet they'll find you. He'll be compassionate, and very rich. For once there will be someone taking care of you." "Alfie wanted to take care of me. He wanted to take care of us." Nora mumbles incoherently.

After a prolonged silence, Clara mumbles softly, "It looks like it's going to pour into the night, so I'm going to make dinner and then put you to bed, you look like you haven't eaten or slept in days. Then I'll come back in the morning and we can see if you'll come back to work." Nora nods in agreement. "It's gonna be alright, Nora."

Clara cooks Nora a hearty meal and provides her with sleepy tea. It takes a bit of urging but she was able to force feed her half her plate before letting her retire to her bedroom. She tidies up her friend's house, cleans her dishes before rushing home, beating the storm that begins to pour over the streets of London as the sun sets.

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Nora was taking a midnight bath when she hears loud thumps from the front door. Her heart skipped beats as she grabbed her gun. She hated guns, but she was halfway to sleep, soaking wet and needed the upper hand, or to at least give herself a fighting chance. She slips on a robe and runs downstairs before slowly approaching the door. She jumps as another series of loud thumps hit her doors.

" I just want to fucking speak to her! Ella!"

Nora gasps as she puts her gun down and swings open the door. "Alfie, what the hell are you doing here?!" The man stood before her, pouring rain hitting his person, with her security guards not far behind "My God, where is your umbrella? It's so late." She signals the guards to stand down as she pulls him inside the house and turns the light on. "Are you alone?" Alfie nods as his eyes don't leave hers. "God you're soaked," she sighs as she tries to remove his coat, but he retreats from her.

"What brings you by at this hour, Mr. Solomons?" She freezes up, unable to process his presence. "I met with Sabini this evening. We've called a cease fire. One of my conditions for the cease fire was that he leaves you and the other women alone." Nora tilts her head and sighs in relief, "It's over?" "It's over, pet." She smiles as she nods her head in gratitude, "I'm in your debt once again, Mr. Solomons." He opens his mouth to respond but nothing comes out. There's a silence between the two of them, that only made Nora sweat. "Alfie? A-are you-"

"Marry me, Ella."

I...What did he just say? Is this real life? This can't be real. This isn't my life. This is...no...this is a dream. I don't like this dream.

Nora's eyes widen as Alfie pulls out a box from his coat pocket and kneels down on a knee. She begins to pinch herself. As she registers the pain, tears cloud her eyes as she lets out a dry chuckle, "You must be joking."