Repaying the debt

Ari ran as fast as she could, as she would rather not deal with Nicolai. Or maybe she did not know how to deal with someone so out of control. 

Throughout her life, she had tried to leave her in a well-planned manner. But Nicolai was the opposite of her, he was the kind of guy who acted first and planned later, not to mention he had no filter in his damned mouth. 

What did he mean by telling her that he was packed down there? What was she supposed to do with this information?! Argh! Her head was now spinning out of order. 

She took the path that she always took every morning because the thought of changing her route scared Ari, like every other change. She had never woven past the thick trees and the cobblestone path that went inside them, for she did not like the darkness and the silence of a forest. 

When Ari was kidnapped along with Noah, the kidnappers took them to a warehouse that was within the forest, and it left a scar on Ari's heart. And even though this park was not as deep as the forest, Ari had never taken the risk. 

She was afraid that it would trigger her trauma, and Ari did not want to scream hysterically in the middle of the park like a crazy woman. 

Maybe this was why it was effortless for Nicolai to keep up with her, as he knew which turn she would take. 

Fortunately, Ari was a part of a socialite club and played tennis. Thus she was used to running. More importantly, she had often participated in marathons when she was a student. 

There was no way, Nicolai with his gigantic size would be able to catch her. 

A weight crashed against her back and she lost her grip on Timmy, who jumped out of her arms. Ari stumbled as she dropped the Frisbee as well and wheeled around to see Nicolai behind her, he was breathing hard but not as hard as her. 

There was practically no sweat drop coating his forehead, though his chest was heaving up and down because of the all-black attire that he had chosen to wear like a gothic punk. 

"What the hell is wrong with you, Mister De Luca? Did I not tell you that I am still a married woman? Your actions might create rumours if anyone were to see us," Ari snapped, there were quite a few socialites who lived in this locality. If even one of them saw her with Nicolai, Ari could forget about her peace. However, as soon as she snapped, she bit as Ari was not someone who would lose her temper. 

This was something that she learned while she went through the bridal lessons, and she found patience and calmness way better than losing her temper. As nothing good came out of it whenever she lost her temper. 

"What? They will make rumours just because I met you in a park?" Nicolai questioned, looking part amused and part confused. He acted as if he did not notice the loss of control in her temper just now, which was considerably different from her husband, who would have snapped right back at her. 

Noah did not like her raising her voice at him. 

Ari shoved the demon inside her heart that was surging and roaring to take control in the deepest part of her heart. 

Only then did she rub the space between her brows before supplying, "I am the wife of your business rival. The very man whom you tried to punch the last time, do you think that if anyone were to see us together, they would leave us alone?" 

She held her hand in front of her in a questioning manner, but instead of listening to a thing that she said, Nicolai reached forward and took her hand in his. He squeezed it before his lips curved in an unhinged grin, "Sweet. Your hand is softer than every other woman I have held, Mrs. Nelson. Anyway, I am not here to make things difficult for you. I am just here to tell you that the loan that you took from me is now twenty dollars and not ten. Gotta do my job, but I will chip off five dollars for letting me squeeze your hands." 

Ari was momentarily stunned, her calm and gentle thoughts were now raging with a fire that she never felt in her life. Hell, she did not feel such a rage even when she found her husband kissing her sister. She wanted to kick the man in front of her in his crotch, but Ari did not let anger take over her. 

Because if she did that, then she would lose control of every freaking thing. 

She snatched back her hand and then said to him, "Stop making sexual innuendos, it makes me feel like I am selling my body to you in exchange for money." Ari then paused and added, "It has only been three days … and the loan exceeded twenty dollars, your interests are quite high." 

"Well, that's how it works," Nicolai flashed her a grin as he placed his hands in the pockets of his pants. "This is why no one takes loans from mafias, the interest rates are much too high for them to withstand." 

Ari's brows twitched as she took out a twenty-dollar bill and then handed it to Nicolai. Though she was running out of money, Ari knew that if she did not repay this debt, who knows what exorbitant amount this mafia man might try to make her pay. 

"Here you go, Mister De Luca," Ari said with a sweet voice. "I have now repaid the debt that I owed you." 

With that, she tried to pull away, but the man reached out and held her hand that she slapped on his chest with a twenty dollar bill. 

His grin widened as he shook his head and said, "No, not yet. You haven't bought me lunch and dinner." 

"I told you that I can't unless——"

"You are divorced? Yeah, I know," Nicolai tilted his head and finished the sentence for her. "But don't worry, you will get what you want very soon." And so would he.