Chapter 24
Chapter 24
Belle's POV
When we arrived home, I asked Alexei to have the chef from Dile come over because I want him to
teach me how to make bread. If I can't cook a decent meal, perhaps I can make edible bread.
Hopefully.
After several minutes the chef arrived with the woman he's always with. They brought all the
ingredients and some tools with them.
Goatee is resting on his makeshift couch. I feed him with green leafy vegetables. Poor Goaite, so thin
and weak. I'm gonna make sure he recovers fast so I can bring him to a farm or something.
We are on the center island of the kitchen. Alexei is sitting right across from me doing something on his
phone. I'm wearing Alexei's shirt. I rolled a portion at the back and tied it to a bun making it a crop top. I
borrowed Yelena's pink daisy dukes and just stood barefoot. I collected my hair into a messy bun. NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
After several minutes I'm already mashing this soft white thingy flour mix the chef already made for me
because my patience has already run out. I don't usually get impatient towards anything, this time
however is different, perhaps because of my frustration about what's happening between Nikolai and I.
Everything that has happened last night, and the fact that Nikolai went to Boston to see that woman,
are slowly eating me up. I realized I'm actually angry, mad even!
I punch the flour mix and squeeze it as hard as I can. My sweat is already dripping on my neck. And I
can feel my body heat up because of this anger I feel inside me.
"Princess, don't overwork yourself."
"Let me be Alexei."
To my surprise, Nikolai arrived. He has a bouquet of red daisies in his hand and he's looking at me as
he enters the kitchen. He is wearing a grey suit and as per usual instantly filled the room with this
indescribable godlike charm.
Nikolai is inching closer to me. I just stood and continued squeezing the flour mixture. My sweat is
dripping down my neck and chest.
"Baby.." Said Nikolai while drawing close to me.
The chef and the other woman quickly went near the oven and turned their backs on us. Yuri and Boris
are standing at the entrance of the kitchen.
I on the other hand did not say a single word. I just continued with what im doing.
"I'm not going to apologize for what I did last night. I have all the right to react that way. You gave me
no choice."
Why am I not surprised by this? He sounds like the other Boss I know.
Nikolai stood right next to me. I can already smell his icy cologne.
I added another handful of flour to the mixture. Nikolai slowly slid the bouquet of red daisies in front of
me.
I rolled my eyes and instantly took the flowers and fed them to goatee.
"Here buddy.." Goatee chewed the flowers. "Good boy."
"Meeeh." Said goatee.
"You know goatee, you talk more sense than someone I know."
I heard Alexei snort like he's holding back his laughter.
"I'm gonna shoot that animal down if you won't talk to me." Said Nikolai all too seriously.
I shot a glare at him. Oh god, he looks like he's not kidding at all.
I went back to my position on the center island and continued mashing and squeezing. One thing I
know about my future husband is that, he can't stand not to touch me, and what better way to punish
him than depriving him of that touch.
"Don't you dare touch me Nikolai."
"You're mine, I will touch you whenever I want to touch you."
"Oh, just like Yrina? You go to her whenever you want to go to her like I just don't exist?" I looked at
Nikolai sternly.
He then gestured everyone except for Alexei to exit the kitchen. After everyone exited, Alexei also
followed, leaving me and Nikolai.
"She's just a business partner."
"A business partner who touches your chest and looks at you like she's obsessed with you?"
A smile is slowly forming on Nikolai's face. Unbelievable! At this point, the anger inside me is starting to
boil up. I inhaled deep and sighed hoping to calm myself down. I then turned my back and went to the
sink to wash my hands.
"You're jealous." Is this man being serious? Ya think Nikolai?
"It's nice that you are very happy Nikolai. If she makes you this happy why don't you marry her? Here,
give this ring to her instead. I think she'll be more than happy to give you babies you have been
wanting."
I then tried to take the ring from my finger but Nikolai grabbed my hand.
"Don't you ever take this ring from you Mary Arabella Volkov."
"I'm not yet a Volkov, so stop calling me a Volkov." I flicked his hand from me.
"You are still not a Volkov because you don't want to fucking marry me!"
I parted my lips in disbelief. Oh my god. I can't believe Nikolai can be this unreasonable. He then
inched too close to me and meets me in the eyes.
"Why baby? Do you prefer to be called Mrs. Bogdani instead?"
How come this has become my fault now?
"How many times do I have to tell you that Artan is nothing to me!"
"Then why aren't you believing in me when I say that Yrina is just a business partner?"
"You went to Boston without even telling me and that's beside the fact that we still have a problem that
needs to be fixed. How would you feel if I do that to you Nikolai? You made me feel like I don't matter!"
Nokolai went silent. I dare not look at him in his eyes.
"I know you went to Boston the night before you told me that you played me. And Alexei covered up for
you by telling me that there has been a weather disturbance that's why you won't be able to go home
that night."
Nikolai extends his hand to touch me.
"Try and touch me Nikolai and I will be out of this place and your lives in an instant!"
"You're going to leave me? Where are you going when you leave? To Artan? Huh?! So you can be one
big happy family?!" He held my right arm so tight while yanking me. Nikolai is already drowned in
jealousy.
At this point my tears are threatening to fall.
"Nikolai how many times do I have to tell you that you and Alexei are the love of my life! I have given
everything that I could possibly offer! My world revolves around you and Alexei! I said yes when you
asked me to marry you. What else do you want me to do?!"
Nikolai clenched his jaw. I can see his adam's apple move while looking like I have slapped him in the
face.
Nikolai lets go of me and run his hand through his hair. My heart jumped from my chest when he
snarled and swipes everything from the platform near the sink. The coffee maker and some plates fell
down and broke into pieces.
"Fuck!" Yelled Nikolai.
I stormed out of the kitchen leaving Nikolai behind. I see Yuri and Boris standing outside the entrance
of the kitchen. They just stood while sporting their usual poker faces. I then went upstairs to Yelena's
room and took a white cardigan. I went back downstairs hoping to leave but Nikolai is already standing
at the bottom of the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Siad Nikolai as he looks at me intensely.
I just continued stepping down. Nikolai is already fisting his hand in anger.
"Go back to our room Belle!"
I took another few more steps towards him.
"Did you not hear me? Go back to our room now!" Said Nikolai while raising his arms pointing upstairs.
"No! I want to get out of this suffocating place! Go back to Boston if you want! It's not like you still need
my permission because apparently my opinion doesn't matter in this house!"
"Guard and lock the door! Nobody let her out of this place or I will personally make sure that everyone
gets punished!" Said Nikolai angrily making sure his men hear him.
I then stepped to the side and pushed Nikolai away but he did not move even an inch. He then held me
on my arms very tight.
"Let go of me Nikolai! You don't have the right to touch me!"
I'm trying to break free from Nikolai's tight grip but he doesn't let go of me. Nikolai's furious green eyes
are looking at me madly. I however am not surprised by this kind of Nikolai. His reactions are always
like this whenever Artan is between us, or any other man for that matter.
My tears are now starting to fall. My heart is beating so fast. I feel exhausted. I feel betrayed. I feel
worthless.
Nikolai lets go of my arms and grab me by my waist.
"I'm sorry baby. Please don't cry."
"I hate you Nikolai." I said as I wipe a tear falling down my face.
"I know. I'm sorry."
I did not answer him. Nikolai reaches for my face and wipes the tears off of my cheek.
"I miss you... I'm sorry for going to Boston without letting you know. Please just stop crying." Nikolai is
already pleading.
"Let go of me Nikolai."
"No. I will never let go."
"I accepted everything and took everything that happened between the two of us but one thing I could
not accept is if your cheating on me. Cheating is my breaking point Nikolai." I said all defeated.
I have seen many relationships ruined by unfaithfulness and I swore to myself that I will never let that
happen to me. Almost everyone from my father and mother's side are broken families, and it's all
because of cheating.
"I'm not cheating on you. I just need to do something for my father."
"What do you need to do? Tell me so I would understand!"
"You will know in time. Please trust me on this?"
"Trust you? So in the meantime I should accept that you're seeing that woman? Is that it Nikolai?"
Nikolai's embrace tightened. He is burying his head on my chest.
Oh god. I feel like my heart is being stabbed many times. What is it that Nikolai is not telling me?
"Let go Nikolai, I want to go to bed. I'm exhausted."
Nikolai slowly lets go of me and looks me in the eyes.
I turn my back on him and walk upstairs. I went inside our room and slid my body under the covers.
A few seconds later I felt Nikolai next to me. He spoons me and buries his face on my nape.
"Don't give up on me." Nikolai whispered.
I feel like my heart is being crushed into pieces. I don't know what to do. I'm confused. I'm mad. I'm
hurt.
Do I follow what Matushka said about standing my ground and owning my place? I know myself too
well, I'm not as tough as Matushka. I could not bear the fact that Nikolai is probably having an affair
with that woman.