Unhappily Married by; Rachel N.

Part 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Xavier remained silent throughout the ride to the Artem mansion, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Nikita sat in the backseat, her eyes glued to her phone, her fingers typing away with a intensity that made Xavier's heart race. He didn't have the courage to speak to her, still reeling from the way she had spoken to him earlier. Her words had cut deep, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of inadequacy that had settled in his chest.

As they pulled up to the mansion, Xavier finally broke the silence. "We're here," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Nikita looked up from her phone, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm not blind," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

They got out of the car, and Nikita made for her bags, but Xavier stopped her. "No, I'll do it," he said, his voice laced with a hint of desperation. "You go in, and I'll bring these inside."

Nikita raised an eyebrow, her eyes searching his face. "Why are you suddenly acting like a gentleman?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "It doesn't suit you."

With that, she turned and walked towards the entrance of the mansion, leaving Xavier to wonder if he had made a mistake by bringing her back. Daria, the housekeeper, opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in Nikita's presence.

"Miss Nikita?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Nikita walked past her, her eyes fixed on the living room ahead.

Eugene's piercing gaze locked onto Nikita the moment she entered the room, her eyes narrowing slightly as she took in Nikita's confident stride. With a swift movement, Eugene stood up, her long legs eating up the distance between them. "Ha! Well, who do we have here? The runaway wife," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, each word laced with venom.

Nikita's eyes rolled in exasperation, her lips curling into a sneer as she turned away from Eugene's taunt. But Helena's anger was already simmering, her eyes flashing with indignation. She sat with her legs crossed, her body language screaming defiance, her fingers drumming a staccato beat on the armrest.

"Why are you back? I thought you decided to leave," Helena spat, her voice venomous, the words hanging in the air like a challenge.

"Isn't that what she said, Maxwell?" Helena asked, her gaze flicking to Maxwell, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Nikita's gaze shifted, her eyes locking onto Maxwell with a flicker of recognition. "Maxwell..." she said, her voice tinged with a hint of surprise, as if she had only just remembered he was in the room.

As she turned to face him, her eyes met a look of utter astonishment. Maxwell's face was a picture of disbelief, his eyes wide and unblinking, like a man who had just witnessed a miracle. His mouth hung open, his jaw slack, as if he had been frozen in time.

The expression on his face was priceless, a mix of shock, amazement, and a hint of embarrassment. It was as if he had been convinced that Nikita was gone for good, and her sudden reappearance had left him reeling. The look on his face was akin to that of a person who had just seen a ghost, or someone who had been convinced that a loved one was dead, only to have them walk back into their life as if nothing had happened.

"Nikita, you sure think your life is yours, huh? Is that why you go out and come in as you like?!" Helena yelled, her voice echoing through the room, her eyes blazing with anger.

Nikita's response was swift and fierce. "Yes!" she shouted, her eyes flashing with defiance. She strode towards Helena, her steps long and purposeful, her fists clenched at her sides.