Nicholas' tone was solemn when he asked that question, and he kept staring at me while waiting for my response.
It was as though he saw through me, and I felt my heart beating faster as I panicked. Ridden with guilt, I tilted my head down and couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye.
He was a smart man, so it would be a miracle if he couldn't guess why I had rejected him that quickly.
In a way, I guess I was also admitting to it with my silence.
“I see. So you haven't moved on from him. Are you still fantasizing about being with him? Have you forgotten why you came back in the first place? Do you still remember how he hurt you a year ago?”
Nicholas became agitated when he saw how I was keeping silent. His tone was a little hostile, and he had his hands on my shoulders as he said those words.
I knew he must feel terrible at that moment. He only said all that to remind me I will never be with Michael again.
Everything he said was true. There was no way Michael and I could find our way back to each other, but even then, I wouldn't get together with just any man. Emotion simply didn't work that way.
I didn't have any feelings for Nicholas, so there was no way I would sleep with him or marry him. It was cruel of me to reject him like that, but I thought it was the best option for both of us.
“I am well aware of everything you said. There is no way Michael and I can be together again, and I never even dreamed of us finding our way to each other. That is the one thing you don't need to worry about.”
Nicholas only came back to prove his strength and to acquire Michael's company.
Hence, his main concern should be a skilled worker like me supporting Michael. If I were to get back together with Michael, Nicholas' quest would be virtually impossible to accomplish. That was not an exaggeration because I had worked for Nicholas for years. I knew all about him and had a good idea of what his plans were.
“If you know that the two of you will never be together, why won't you be with me? How is Michael better than me? Is this about his power? His looks?”
Nicholas' hand gripped my shoulder. His emotions were getting more and more out of control, and his eyes shone with discontentment.
That was the first time I saw him that agitated, and I was a little taken aback. The sudden change was too drastic, and it got to the point where I felt as though I no longer knew the man standing in front of me.
He was usually grounded and stoic. It seemed he was confident in accomplishing whatever he had set out to do, and that was a trait similar to Michael's.
The way he lost control, however, made me feel as though he was someone who was too stubborn. If it were anyone else, they would probably have given up after being rejected that directly and clearly. Yet Nicholas refused to let go.
“Nicholas, love is not something rational or something that can be explained. I will never be with Michael, but I won't get together with you either, because I don't love you. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with someone I don't love. You understand that, don't you?”
I was getting a little agitated, so my tone was getting hostile. His constant badgering made me impatient. Guilt was burning in my heart when this topic first started, but that had since turned into a desire to flee the place. I simply didn't want to continue talking to him about it.
“No, I don't believe that. How could you work with an excellent man like me for a year and still not love me? Trust me, Anna. You will surely fall for me once you become mine.”
After saying that, Nicholas hugged me and kissed me all over my face without letting me reply.
My heart pumped with surprise and fear when I realized what was happening. I struggled as much as I could to push him away, but he kept his lips on me. That was when I truly panicked.
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