Destroyed For All Others

Chapter 2 - Wildflower

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Niklaus

How long before she comes back inside? Aashiv was similarly anxiously looking at the door I had come through minutes before. I followed her outside, the woman with the sad brown eyes and with a scent that brought back memories of a night with a stranger that I could not forget. Jasmine and vanilla. The face unknown, though if I ever kissed her, I would no doubt recognize her. It was the best kiss of my existence.

Aashiv's face morphs from concern to relief and a smile, the cause of this change making her way through the tables littering the hall. She doesn't seem to notice how the men look at her, many swiveling their heads in her direction as she passes through. The women, on the other hand, look at her with a mix of envy and disgust as their partner's attention remains focused on the beauty making her way through the masses.

Her black dress is plain, and the lack of embellishments adds instead of takes away from her. She doesn't need it. Her face lacks the copious amounts of makeup that every female face in this room wears. Its lack reveals a natural beauty that many women wish they could possess. Her skin is pale, and her complexion is clear, like the crystal glass I am currently sipping champagne out of. That being said, the lack of makeup means the whispers of shadows under her eyes are on display for those keen enough to notice. Her lips are not overly plump, her bottom lip slightly bigger than the top, and the color of ripe strawberries. Not like some in this room who have clearly topped up on their lip fillers in preparation for this night.

Her wavy brown hair is long and shiny, hanging loosely down her back and reaching just above her curvy rear, some pieces falling forward and covering her face as she looks down, her teeth capturing her bottom lip in nervousness. She is trying to move around a large man blocking her path, her curvaceous body side-stepping him as her hands shoot up in front of her defensively. She gives him a small smile as she passes, his attention on her making her uncomfortable.

I first noticed her during my speech, one she seemed uninterested in as she only looked up once. The sea of faces I looked upon earlier at the podium held the same expression I had seen a thousand times before. The men were smug and arrogant, the women eyeing me with desire and unveiled lust. The only people not doing any of that was this woman coming toward me and Ade and his wife. The one time she had looked up, I don't think she even saw me, the sadness in her eyes stirring something inside me. Intriguing considering some would say I possessed no heart whatsoever. When the speeches were over and the horde had devoured the main meal, I watched her leave her table, meal half-eaten, her expression anxious as her hand palmed her chest.

Following her outside seemed insane, but I was compelled. Perhaps her uninterest in the events around her made her intriguing to me. Or maybe the fact that she obviously didn't seem to fit in here with the mass of people that seemed too materialistic, too superficial, too fake. Or perhaps it was the sadness that seemed to leak out of her being and permeate her aura. It was a sadness I had seen my mother wear on many occasions.

My search of the gardens found her sitting on a bench, her hands massaging her feet gently. Her eyes were closed, a sigh escaping her lips before her eyes opened again. The conversation was stilted, and while some might have called her arrogant in her answers or lack of conversation, I just think she is reserved and shy. After seeing how uncomfortable I was making her, obvious by the way her body had tensed as soon as she sensed me, I left. 

Back inside, I found an excuse to talk to Ade just to sit at her table so I could be there when she returned. Which wasn't hard, considering he works for me. As a business partner and head of my London branch, there was always something to discuss. He is also one of my closest friends, our friendship spanning years back when we were both in diapers.

"Where have you been?" Aashiv asks the woman, her flushed face giving Aashiv an apologetic look.

"I was outside. I must have lost track of time," brown hair says quietly, her voice firmer than expected based on her meek demeanor and limited responses before. She takes her seat beside Aashiv, her face somber.

"I was just about to start looking for you. I thought you had left," Aashiv says softly, giving brown hair's hand a squeeze on the table before handing her a glass of champagne.

"Niklaus?" Ade saying my name confirms that I have indeed not been paying attention to him, my eyes darting to his.

"I'm sorry. What did you say, Ade?" Ade smiles, a knowing look on his face as he stares at me.

I quirk my eyebrow, giving him a silent warning which makes him laugh.

"Ahh, how rude of me. Let me introduce you." He leans slightly forward, catching his wife's eye before looking at the woman beside her. With me directly across the table from her, I have the perfect view of her face, the look of surprise unmistakable as Ade says her name.

"Allegra, this is my boss and one of my dearest and closest friends, Niklaus Rosi," Ade says, gesturing to me across the table as Allegra's eyes follow the movement.

"Niklaus, this is Allegra Edevane, an old friend of the family. Aashiv and her met when they were in university together."

"Niklaus," Allegra says, pausing after saying my name as something flashes across her face. Her eyes dart to Aashivs briefly before looking back at me. "It's a pleasure meeting you," she says stiffly.

"Likewise," I say, staring into eyes that silently and unconsciously tug at my soul, daring me to spill my darkest secrets.

It was the same feeling I had when I looked at a painting by an artist using the pseudonym of Divoká Rostlina, the Czech translation being wildflower. It was a painting of a field full of wildflowers. Instead of the sun shining down on this beautifully painted field, the sky was overcast, and small droplets were falling on the wildflowers, the colors dripping off the tips, leaving the field awash with colors while the wildflowers appeared black and white...faded. It mesmerized me just like Allegra's eyes were doing as she stared back at me.

I tried numerous times to track down the artist. However, even with my money and connections, I could not, all attempts having the same end result. Nothing. The artist has never been photographed or identified, and only one gallery in London, The Vortex, exhibited this artist's pieces. The owner of that gallery was unwilling to disclose the artist's identity even after offering large sums of money a normal person would not refuse. He would not budge. I purchased all of the pieces years ago. The artist was either dead or no longer painting, as nothing new had been produced in about three years.

I watch as Aashiv whispers something to Allegra, frustration evident on her face as she looks back at me. The look is accompanied by a look I rarely get from the opposite sex. Dislike. 

So, what do we think of Niklaus? Let me know in the comments, and please vote :)