Now, it was not him she was sighing for but Hector Petrides.
Nikos looked away just as he felt something inside him clench and then shatter.
Was it his heart? Maybe?Maybe not.
Perhaps it was just all his pride.
CHAPTER 12 - STRANGERS
“S-sir...we can’t find them anywhere...” the man’s weak voice echoed across the small room in which he had been held for two days now.
“You know I do not tolerate incompetence in my team,” Sebastian said through clenched teeth.
He raised his fist once more and aimed another punch at the man’s already bloody and swollen face.
“Please...g-give m-me another ch-chance...” he stammered.
“There’ll be no second chances. Not even for me when it comes to something this big. We’re all dead men,” he whispered.
He retrieved his gun and smiled as he aimed it directly between the terrified man’s eyes. He opened his mouth to beg for his life but Sebastian didn’t give him that chance.
He laughed as he fired.
November 15, 2013
The King’s Suite, Royalty (Nikos’ Hotel)
New York
“Did Cassia confirm that she will come for dinner?” Nikos asked his personal assistant.
“Yes, sir.Mrs. Demakis confirmed that she will be attending dinner at 8pm, Le Bernardin restaurant. The whole restaurant is already reserved for both of you,” his efficient assistant told him.
“Good. And James? Have you ordered the flowers?”
“Yes sir. I have also called Cartier and asked for a selection of their most beautiful necklaces. I found a diamond and ruby necklace. Would that suffice?”
“Yes. I trust your choice. It’s always excellent,” Nikos complimented.
His assistant had been with him for over ten years now. He was more efficient than ever and for that, Nikos compensated him well. James pulled out his cell phone to confirm the purchase. Nikos’ would just drop by the store before dinner to pick it up. He glanced at his watch and it was only 4 pm. He still had to get a lot of work done before he could go to dinner with his wife.
“Have you finished the papers regarding the Higeshima deal?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. They are waiting at your desk.”
“Good. We have to get that finalized before I leave for Monaco next week.”
“Yes, sir.”
Nikos picked up the stack of papers on his desk and began to read. After the first few paragraphs, he became absorbed. It was as if the outer world ceased to exist and it was only him and his papers.
Work was the only thing that occupied his mind and tried to keep the nightmares at bay. So when he couldn’t sleep at night, he just poured more and more of himself into his work.
It felt like the blink of an eye but hours had passed and it was already time to leave.
He grabbed the keys to his Lamborghini Aventador and made a mental note to pick up the flowers and the jewelry. Today was his tenth wedding anniversary with Cassia.
He snorted at the thought for he really did not feel married.
But all of that was now going to change...
November 15, 2013 (Earlier that day)
Cassia’s Penthouse Apartment
157 West 57th Street, New York City
Cassia placed her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she tried to organize a huge stack of papers neatly in an envelope. At the same time, she struggled into her high-heeled shoes.
“You’ve got the divorce papers?” the person on the other line asked.
“Yes, Hector. Got them.”
“And you know what to say already?”
“Ugh. Of course I do!” she shouted and Hector chuckled.
“All right then, good luck tonight princess. Break a leg. Bring home the bacon...all that jazz.”
This time, it was Cassia who laughed. “All right, then.”
“When this is done, we’ll go for that Bora Bora vacation I promised you. One week. And I won’t be bringing my cell phone or my laptop. I swear!”
“Mmm-hmm,” Cassia murmured in a disbelieving tone. “But I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. If you bring any of that, I’ll throw it to the bottom of the ocean,” she warned
Hector’s deep chuckle echoed over the phone.
“Agreed, princess. I’m still in California. See you in two days for our celebratory dinner.”
“Yeah. Bye,” Cassia said with a smile.
She placed her phone in her bag and checked her desk for anything else she would need tonight. Then, she checked her reflection in the mirror. She placed light makeup only and wore a simple black dress with her high-heeled pumps. For her jewelry, there was a simple pearl necklace around her neck and the diamond-studded watch that Hector gave her around her wrist.
It was his first gift to her and he gave it after he made his first million-dollars. When he presented it to her, he told her it was his replacement for the watch that she gave him during her wedding day with Nikos. The value of her new watch was triple the value of the one she gave him.
To date, it was her most favorite jewelry piece ever.
Every year, for their anniversary, Nikos sent her some jewelry. Or maybe his assistant did. She didn’t see him as the type who would bother by going to a jewelry store and selecting a piece himself.
His assistant was who she always spoke with whenever it was about attending company business, declining social invitations or returning the gifts. Cassia really made it a point to speak to James, Nikos’ assistant, and not to Nikos himself.
And always, she sent the gifts back just like she did with the wedding and engagement ring he gave her all those years ago. She mailed those back to him the moment she set foot in America.
Now, it was their tenth wedding anniversary. A great feat for most couples. But not for them.For they never were truly married. It was all a great sham. A big fat lie.
But all of that was now going to change...
November 15, 2013, 8:00pm
Le Bernardin Restaurant
New York City
A limousine picked Cassia up and drove her straight to one of the finest restaurants in New York City. She cringed at the lavishness of the limousine but it was arranged by Nikos’ assistant and she just went along with it. While the limousine made its way through the heavy traffic, she mused about the lifestyle Nikos was used to.
He was born a billionaire and pampered like a prince. To him, this type of extravagance was just normal. But to her, to someone who was born in a lower middle class family and who just now reaped the rewards of her hard work, this was a bit extravagant. And this extravagance reminded her of her grandfather’s ways.
As they got nearer to the restaurant, Cassia’s heart started to race. She opened her bag and sighed with relief when she saw the envelope that contained the divorce papers.
This was it.
The time had come. She was truly going to be free of Nikos Demakis. She was finally letting go of him, this sham of a marriage, her ties to her evil grandfather, and the money and status that came with her name.
She was finally saying goodbye to Cassia Andrade-Demakis and continuing her life as Cassia Adrasteia.
All she needed was to get through this night.
But why did this feel like it was the hardest thing she was about to do in her entire life?
She jerked back to reality when the driver opened the door and held it for her.
“Okay, show time,” Cassia whispered to herself.
She then schooled her features into the expressionless mask she always wore when dealing with people she didn’t particularly like. She was not the scared little girl anymore who meekly stood by in a corner while she was insulted by everyone. She had backbone now and she would not let herself be treated in any manner less than what she deserved.
Cassia entered the restaurant and saw that it was empty. The lights were dim and there were several candles that filled the room with a soft glow. It was elegant yet not too much. On the far side of the restaurant, a stage was set-up and a female singer softly crooned a beautiful love song.
Usually, on a night like this, the restaurant would be crowded. But now, it was reserved for just two people. It would have been a romantic gesture had it not been from someone like Nikos Demakis.
She felt a wave of regret cross her entire body. Nikos was not the sort of person who would organize this. Or maybe not for her but for his numerous other lovers.
For him, she was the evil one; the antagonist to his life story. The reason he was married at an early age.
And to her, he would always be her infatuation gone horribly wrong.
Nikos waited patiently at the restaurant. He arrived early with the flowers and the jewelry. As usual, his assistant did an excellent job. Well, he had lots of practice because he was always the one who chose Nikos’ gifts for his mistresses.
He sat at the only table that was lit and asked for a bottle of wine. He sipped the finest Le Bernardin as he pondered on how his life would change from this night forward. He also thought of how to tell Cassia that he now wanted to give their relationship a try.
Should he say it to her directly? Should he sugar-coat his words?
The door opened and Nikos’ head whipped towards the entrance of the restaurant.
Cassia walked in as the exact epitome of class and elegance. His breath caught and he felt his mouth run dry at the sight. She wore a simple black dress and matched it with a pearl necklace that just made her neck seem longer and added an ethereal glow to her face.
Oh how she had changed from the Cassia he knew before.
He watched as she glanced at her surroundings, as if she could not believe what she was seeing. Just like that, he was taken back ten years ago when he took her to different places after their engagement was announced.