The Inc Affair (Pty) Ltd

4. The Greatest Showman

I thought I had finally gotten over Nikolas, or at least started the journey to. But the puppeteer still had me in his grips, pulling strings. Was he spying on me, making sure that I wouldn't find someone better? A man who appreciated me and my sacrifices.

"Emily, I can explain."

"Go ahead," I had my lips pursed and my arms crossed. I was more upset than I had let on, but I kept my composure.

Regardless, I saved my earful for the real culprit.

"I-"

"How long have you been following me?"

"I haven't been following you. I was assigned to protect you yesterday afternoon when-" his phone rang again, but that time it was written Major. "I-"

"You better answer that. I'll be downstairs."

"Emily-"

"Don't. You deceived me, and I don't want to hear any more of your lies," she shook her head at him after looking at him up and down.

"Sir?" He quickly answered the phone before he missed a call again as Emily left the room.

▪︎

Trevor parked outside Jenna's house that morning. I imagined that the house was chaotic with everyone trying to get to work and the kids needing to get ready for school. Something she'd never experience if she had chosen to stay with Nikolas.

"I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness, but for what it's worth: I am sorry that I took advantage of your vulnerable moment, Miss Harris.

You kissed me, and I guess I wanted it to happen. If you'll allow me, let me just say; you're an incredible woman that deserves more than Mr Bychkov. Though he does mean well..."

"Thanks for the ride, Trevor. I hope to not see you again."

"Emily," he called, and had his hand on her shoulder as she was getting out, which had given her a fright.

"I guess that's not over."

"PTSD doesn't go away overnight-"

"You think I have..." she trailed off. "No, I-"

"It's nothing to be ashamed about. You can get help. I know a good doctor that-"

"I am fine," she raised her voice that time, and quickly calmed down. "You didn't tell Nik about what happened, did you?"

"I informed Mr Bychkov last night, ma'am."

Emily sat silently, staring at the distance in front of her. She cleared her throat, and sighed, "I don't think you realize what you've done. Nik's gonna... okay. It's gonna be okay."
Nikolas must've tried to call her last night, but her phone was off. Who knows the frenzy he went through when he couldn't reach her? Especially after what happened to her.

"Miss Harris, I omitted the fact that you stayed over last night from my initial report. I'm not sure what you'll do with that. I also want you to know that that kiss was as real to me as your beauty is to me."

Once again, she looked at him up and down, "you have no shame-"

"You kissed me, Miss Harris, yet you're with-"

"Nikolas and I are over, as far as I'm concerned. I guess I'm the fool for thinking that we could be something."

"Emily-"

"Goodbye, Trevor."

▪︎

I had to rush to charge my phone before Nikolas scorched the whole earth trying to find me, and to make sure that I was okay. Still his.

There was only one missed call from him at 23:17. No voice messages. No text. One missed call with no follow-up meant one thing: the fire had started.

"Nik."

"Are you okay?" I heard his voice. Nik Bychkov himself, taking time from his amazing project to make sure that I was okay. How rich.

"I'm fine, Nik. What do you want?"

"You're fine. That's awesome, Emily," he said. I knew right off the bat that that was sarcasm, and what would follow would be worse in the brutality of his words. "How could you be so stupid?"

Emily sighed with her eyes closed as she sat down on the edge bed, careful not to pull her phone out of the charger. She figured that that bomb was enough to some up how worried he'd been, little did she know that that was only the beginning of his scolding.

"Have you any idea what could've hap-"

"Nik, stop making a fuss. I'm okay, and I'm too hungover for this conversation."

"Fine. We'll talk when you're in your senses," he said. "Make sure you drink a lot of water and get some rest."

"I- I can't believe this," she whispered to herself upon discovering that Nik had hung the phone up on her.

She wasn't hungover. That scum had scared her sober last evening, but she wasn't ready to talk to Nikolas, more so after what Trevor had told her about his feelings for her.

"I guess the showman still pulled strings in my life..."