The Vows we never meant

3. Housewarming

Rhea's Pov

My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel, watching Nikolai Ivanov’s car disappear down the road with my Porsche parked behind me, damaged from our so-called “incident.” I felt my pulse throbbing in my temples, my heart pounding with a mix of fury and disbelief. Nikolai had handed me a blank check and had the nerve to tell me to “fill it with however many zeroes I needed”—as if his wealth could sweep away his arrogance, his indifference. It was infuriating, insulting, and most of all, condescending.

I looked down at the check in my hand, his bold signature scrawled in ink across the bottom. “Typical billionaire,  Akdu kahi ka.”(translation : Arrogant human). I muttered, shoving the cheque back in my purse and waiting for the perfect opportunity to break his ego. "Wait and watch Nikolai Ivanov." I muttered.

I wasn’t going to let Nikolai Ivanov ruin today, not when I’d just closed the Kapoor deal—a massive victory that would push my firm to new heights. Today was supposed to be about celebrating my hard work, my success. And if I wanted a reminder of what I had accomplished on my own, I’d find it, I thought, with a spark of excitement. I decided to gift myself something special: a luxury penthouse in the heart of London, complete with panoramic city views, modern architecture, and all the high-end amenities I deserved.

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

The move was quick, and within a week, and decided to throw a little housewarming party as i was settling into my new place, thrilled at the idea of having my own sanctuary in the city. I strolled down the hallway of my new building, heading to deliver an invitation to the neighbour next door who shared the same name as him but who cares. As I reached his door, a housekeeper answered. I handed over the invitation with a polite smile. “Please give this to Mr. Ivanov,” I said, nodding politely before heading back, unaware of the irony.

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

Nikolai’s POV

By the time I got home, Alex was already sprawled across my couch, looking smug as ever. I took one look at his lazy grin and sighed.

“Is there a reason you’re here, or should I assume you’re just testing my patience?”

“Now, now,” he chided, his grin widening. “Is that any way to greet your favorite friend? Besides, you’re the one who has no sense of fun. Speaking of, there’s a housewarming next door tonight.”

“Not interested.” I turned to check the security feed on my phone, scanning for updates as I take a swig of my bourbon.

“Well, you might be interested in the hostess. It’s her.”

I stopped, narrowing my gaze at him. “Her?”

Alex’s grin turned positively gleeful. “Yep, your Porsche friend. She’s your new neighbor. Thought you might want to, oh, I don’t know—apologize for that gracious display of charm last week?”

I shot him a glare, but he just shrugged, looking more amused. “I’m not going,” I said, already knowing that I was about to be subjected to his unrelenting nagging until I gave in.

“Come on, Niko.” He stretched out my name, half-pouting like a child. “It’s practically your duty as a neighbor.”