Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Temptation I Refuse
~ Evric’s POV~
Zayn had been staying in my house for two days now. He only went to the restaurant and came back home. Even though he kept saying he wanted to return to his own place, that he was fine now, I told him there was nothing like that. Until I got back, he wasn’t staying alone. If I were around, maybe we could switch, he’d stay at my place, and I’d stay at his, but for now, I wasn’t letting him be by himself.
Today, the final draft of our project was supposed to be out. Once it came, we’d finally be done here. I had less than four days left, and I couldn’t wait to go back home. I’d been checking my email, expecting to receive it, but nothing came through. So, I decided to knock on Vanya’s door, maybe she’d heard something.
She opened the door slowly, then went back to lie on her bed. "What’s up?" she asked.
"I came to ask if you’ve received any information from the head yet," I said. "I haven’t gotten anything in my mail."
"Same here," she replied. "And honestly, they won’t send it today. Not even tomorrow. It’s a holiday, they’ll only send it the day after."
I frowned. "That’s not the plan. If they only send it the day after tomorrow, how are we supposed to shoot that same day? It’s impossible, we’d have to push it to the next. They said two weeks, and now the time is almost gone. Why are they changing things last minute?"
"I don’t know either," she said softly.
That’s when I noticed the pale look on her face, the weakness in her voice. Concern tugged at me.
"Your voice... and your face looks pale. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I’m fine," Vanya said, managing a tiny smile.
"You don’t look fine. Do you need to go to the hospital?" I pressed.
She shook her head. "No, I’m not sick. It’s just... my monthly flow. I’ll be okay once I rest."
I nodded, understanding. Nuala also struggled with it, so I knew how draining it could be. "Is there anything you want me to do for you? Or get for you?"
She gave me a faint smile. "I’ll be fine."
"But honestly," I pressed, "why don’t you have a female assistant? It would’ve been easier for situations like this."
Vanya shook her head. "My father won’t allow it," she said softly. "So I only have male assistants. A female one would’ve been better, but since I can’t have one..." She smiled faintly, though her voice was weak. "It’s okay. I can manage. I just need to rest. Then I’ll be fine."
"Alright," I said, standing. "I’ll leave you to rest then. I’ll come back to check on you later since we don’t have anything specific today. Hopefully, they still send that final draft soon. I really can’t wait to fly back home."
"Same here," she murmured, closing her eyes as I quietly left the room.
After leaving Vanya’s room, I called Karl and suggested we use the free time to do some shopping. He was okay, so we headed to the store together.
Once we got there, I started picking up things, some for myself, some for Zayn, and of course, I couldn’t forget Chrisly and Nuala. Before I knew it, I had piled up more than I intended: watches, rings, necklaces most of them couple sets. The jeweler even offered to engrave our names on them, and without hesitation, I asked them to do it. While they worked on that, I kept browsing.
That’s when I spotted him, a man across the store, captivating in a way that instantly caught my attention. He was completely my type.
Karl leaned closer with a mischievous grin. "Do you want to chop him? I can walk you over."
I shot him a look and shook my head, but he wasn’t done. "The guy’s also looking at you. Come on, it’s been almost two weeks. You could do it, and Zayn would never even know."
I smiled at Karl, half amused and half in disbelief. "Are you for real? Are you telling me to cheat on my man?"
Karl shook his head quickly, laughing. "No, of course not. I’m only saying you could... enjoy."
I chuckled and shook my head. "I know you’re joking."
"Of course," he said with a grin. "Why would I ever tell you to cheat on Zayn?"
We both laughed, and I nudged him toward the next section. "Come on, let’s head to the other side. Pick something for yourself too."
By the time we finished shopping, I had bought something for everyone, including Vanya. Since I wasn’t sure what would suit her, I asked one of the female staff at the store to help me pick a few things that would be a good fit. I also grabbed her some pain relief, just in case. Karl and I picked up food before heading back, splitting ways in the store to save time before meeting again at the car.
When we returned to the hotel, I handed Karl the bag meant for Vanya. "Take these to her room," I said.
He nodded and went to drop them off before coming back to collect his own things. After that, he excused himself and left my room, leaving me alone with the quiet of the evening and the bags still piled around me.
I was reaching for my phone, ready to call Zayn, when the screen suddenly lit up with a name I never thought I’d see again.
Nicki.
For a moment, my hand froze. He was the last person I expected to hear from. After that night, when he had asked me to come outside and I ignored him, I was certain he’d cut me off completely. I thought he’d never call again.
But here he was, reaching out.
Confused, unsure of what to expect, I hesitated before finally sliding my thumb across the screen.
"Hello," I said cautiously.
"Hello," came his voice, steady, but I could hear something underneath it.
I drew in a slow breath. "How are you doing?"
"I’m fine," he replied simply.
"That’s good," I said. My brows furrowed. "So... why are you calling? Is everything okay?"
"Everything’s fine," he said after a pause. "I just... miss you."
My chest tightened. "Nicki, can you stop acting like this? I told you, I already have someone else."
"I know," he murmured. "But my body... it’s been hungry these days. I just want to have a good time with you again. Like before."
I shut my eyes, shaking my head. "There’s nothing like that anymore. I have a boyfriend, and I won’t do it."
He chuckled lowly and desperate. "Evric, you don’t have to tell him. He doesn’t have to know. I could book a ticket right now, fly to you, and we could spend a few nights together, no strings, no drama. Just good times, like before. And when we return home, we can go back to being business partners... casual friends. That’s all."
Then he begged me, his voice low, trembling through the speaker. "My body just wants you, please, Evric."
I sighed deeply, torn between the past tugging at me and the present I wanted to protect.
I pressed my palm to my forehead, exhaling slowly.
"Nicki," I said firmly, though my voice was softer than I intended. "You can’t keep doing this. I’m not yours anymore. I love my man, and I won’t betray him... not for you, not for anyone."