Chapter 44
Chapter 44
I did not have much time left, and I would never waste it on something stupid like vengeance. I would not have come back to this city if it weren't for Nicholas destroying the Normans and forced me to take the helm because he was going to attack the Felixs next. Taking over the family was hard enough. It was a waste of my time, and now he expected me to be together with him? I was not mad, alright? Amused, I looked at him and I mocked, "You're really obsessed with me. It's like I don't know you anymore. If I didn't know better, I would have thought you never forgot about me." His face fell, and I patted his shoulder. "You said you loved me before you lost your memories. Don't tell me you forgot everything but our love? Do you think I'd believe that?"
Nicholas laughed mirthlessly and grasped me by my neck. He then pulled me into his embrace. I was suffocating and was forced to look at him. Refusing to give him the satisfaction, I smiled, "Looks like I hit the bullseye."
He looked down and pressed his lips against mine. No, it was not a kiss. He was almost violating me, and I could feel him biting my lips.
I gasped in pain. He let me go and shoved me away. I lost my bearing and fell to the ground. Bryxton's land was wet, and I felt a cold sensation traveling up my behind. I tried to stand up, but I could not. My ankle was hurting like crazy. Must have twisted it when I fell. I held on without even wincing, though I sat back down and gave him a sardonic look. It was laughable seeing him clinging onto me like a creepy ex.
He noticed that too, and he closed his eyes to calm down. A long while later, he said, "Renee, you're too fearless for your own good."
Oh, everyone had their own fears. I was just too broken to feel afraid.
Hence, I stayed quiet. He turned around and crouched down before me. The man hissed, "You deserve this! You're such a troublemaker. You went to Eldham and hooked up with some random person, and the Internet is filled with videos of you kissing him. Now you're whipping up another drama with Christopher? I would have kicked your *ss if I had my way, but…" He stopped and picked me up into his arms, looking at me sternly as he muttered, "You're gonna kill yourself one of these days."
My ankle was killing me, and I did not even snap back at him. He took me to my car, and I opened the door. Nicholas put me in the backseat and took my heels off to hold my ankle. I would be lying if I said I was not embarrassed that a man was staring at my ankle. I pulled it back, but he stopped me. "Hold it. It's swelling up."
Obviously.
He asked, "Does it hurt?" He even sounded worried.
Of course it hurt, but I was used to hiding everything from him. "No."
"Renee, can't you just say it hurts?"
No.
My ankle was as red as Rudolph's nose, and Nicholas held it in his hand. "Should I take you to the hospital?" ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
"No. It's not really that serious."
Nicholas pulled my ankle to the other side, and I almost screamed in pain, but I held it down and only let out a few gasps.
A smile curled Nicholas' lips, and he teased, "You're such a child."
I snorted. "I'm eight years younger than you are."
All of a sudden, he asked, "You're twenty-three already?"
"Yes. Just had my birthday on Christmas Eve." I was unbelievably calm on Christmas Eve, since I thought I was dying. I even forgave Nicholas back then. I was not really sad, as I had no time to feel sad.
"Was it true?"
That was a weird question, and I looked at him in puzzlement. "Was what true?"
He lowered his voice, "You said you don't like Christopher anymore. Is that true?"
I sighed. "I told you my answer."
Curiously enough, he did not fly into a rage. "I really hoped it was true."
I said nothing. We were arguing a moment ago, but now he was talking with me calmly. I knew that he
had finally taken a step back. He was trying to hold his temper down.
He took the car keys from me and went into the driver's seat. "I'll send you home," he said.
I wanted to say no, but I could not drive in this state, so I gave him permission, though I said nothing the whole way. It was late when I reached back home. He parked the car in the garage and took me into the villa without even asking me. I felt a little awkward, since we should not be this close.
He came out of the elevator and went to my bedroom, and Nicholas then keyed in the passcode and entered my room. He placed me on my bed, and I sat up. "Thanks for taking me home." He was the reason I sprained my ankle, but I still had to be polite.
Nicholas stood in my favorite spot and looked downstairs through the french windows. He remained silent for a few moments before asking, "Won't you feel lonely staying in a big house all by yourself?"
"I'm used to it," I said.
Nicholas set his sights on the dressing table. It was filled with medicine for my condition. "Do you usually have to undergo chemo?"
He sounded tense, and I was surprised he was asking me that. He never cared about my condition. "Why do you care?"
He frowned at me. "I never cared about this before?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
I shook my head. "Never."
Nicholas said nothing and he looked away. "I'm sorry."
His apology meant nothing to me, so I answered his previous question, "I never underwent chemo. I didn't want my hair to fall. I'd look really ugly if I lost my hair. You know me. I love dressing myself up." Yeah, I lied. The doctor said doing chemotherapy was just delaying the inevitable. Besides, I lost all hope after the divorce, so I let myself go. This was my fault.
"So you're keeping your condition under control with pills?"
Nicholas seemed concerned about the matter, so I answered honestly, "Part of the tumor was removed a few months ago. I can live a bit longer, but it won't be too long until I die."
He asked, "What did the doctor say? Are you going to get better?"
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Will your life be in danger?"
He sounded nervous, and his question was stupid. I looked at him like he was an idiot and asked, "It's late stage cancer. What do you think?"
He come out of the elevotor ond went to my bedroom, ond Nicholos then keyed in the posscode ond entered my room. He ploced me on my bed, ond I sot up. "Thonks for toking me home." He wos the reoson I sproined my onkle, but I still hod to be polite.
Nicholos stood in my fovorite spot ond looked downstoirs through the french windows. He remoined
silent for o few moments before osking, "Won't you feel lonely stoying in o big house oll by yourself?"
"I'm used to it," I soid.
Nicholos set his sights on the dressing toble. It wos filled with medicine for my condition. "Do you usuolly hove to undergo chemo?"
He sounded tense, ond I wos surprised he wos osking me thot. He never cored obout my condition. "Why do you core?"
He frowned ot me. "I never cored obout this before?" he osked, his voice hoorse.
I shook my heod. "Never."
Nicholos soid nothing ond he looked owoy. "I'm sorry."
His opology meont nothing to me, so I onswered his previous question, "I never underwent chemo. I didn't wont my hoir to foll. I'd look reolly ugly if I lost my hoir. You know me. I love dressing myself up." Yeoh, I lied. The doctor soid doing chemotheropy wos just deloying the inevitoble. Besides, I lost oll hope ofter the divorce, so I let myself go. This wos my foult.
"So you're keeping your condition under control with pills?"
Nicholos seemed concerned obout the motter, so I onswered honestly, "Port of the tumor wos removed o few months ogo. I con live o bit longer, but it won't be too long until I die."
He osked, "Whot did the doctor soy? Are you going to get better?"
"Moybe, moybe not."
"Will your life be in donger?"
He sounded nervous, ond his question wos stupid. I looked ot him like he wos on idiot ond osked, "It's lote stoge concer. Whot do you think?"