Forced To Bend

"How do you know that?" Max had a slight frown on his face. "Do I look too stern and principled?" 

Nora flushed. That was right. The Max in the future had strong principles but she did not know about the Max in the present. In the past life when they have met. They were parents already. Broken at a point and struggling. She shook her head. A look of longing filling her face. If only she could tell him about their past. About the time they had spent together.

He had called her his sister and. He sighed, breaking her reverie.

"I do like speaking truths. Yes. but that does not mean I am rigid about them. I do understand the need for gray lies." he voice was gloomy and a hint of disappointment on his face when she smiled.

"Yes, I understand." but she still did not ask again, making him shake his head. 

Max stood up surprising Nora. She stood up behind him but the drip attached to her hands did not let her move away freely.

He turned to see her when he heard the calming noise of moving iron.

"You do not need to run behind me. I will take care of the matter. My statement would only be in your favor. And I will help you in finding a good hostel where you can live until your graduation." her heart surged with the welter of emotions as the door of her room closed.

"If only you remember me, Max. If only I could tell you what I am like." she shook her head and closed her. Her hands clenched into a tight fist. "But in this life, I do not let you see me dying. In this life, I will save both of us." 

—----------

In the spring Villa,

David returned exhausted. There were some papers in his hands. "Share warrant" was written in bold letters on the papers. He was holding them as if he was holding for his life. When he saw the dim lights in the hall and closed doors, he gritted his teeth. He pulled the tie with force and threw it on the ground as he leaned on the sofa and closed his eyes.

He heard steps approaching him but he did not open her eyes.

"Have you convinced Nora to take the complaint back and give a statement to the press?" he asked without opening his eyes, sure that it was Sohpia who had come.

When he did not hear a reply, he gritted his teeth and threw the cushion from the table toward the person.

"I am asking you damn it. Are you playing dumb with me now?" he cursed as he opened his eyes but instead of looking at the person first, he picked up the glass from the side table to throw toward her.

But he paused when he noticed it was not his wife but their maid standing there.

"Lucy! Did Sohpia send you because she has failed in convincing that brat?" his eyes narrowed only for Lucy to look toward the kitchen.

His eyes narrowed and went cold.

"Ha! That woman had lost it." He stood up, walking toward the kitchen where the maid was staring. "Once I find her, I will teach her a good lesson. She had already ruined my future after insulting Benard.'' He gritted his teeth and opened the door of the kitchen only to see her daughter standing there.

The maid followed him closely.

"Sir, madam is not here. She is.. She.. is in the police station." Lucy spoke hurriedly. Penny's face was red with tears in her eyes. But when she heard her father talking about Benard, a dark ray of light flashed in his eyes.

She ran to her father and hugged him.

"Oh, father! Nora complained about mother. They said that she had tried to kill Nora the way they had taken her." she sobbed hard wetting the shirt of her father making the man stiffen.

Dark clouds covered his face that instant. He was cursing his wife earlier but when he heard that Nora had created trouble for them again, his chest burnt with rage.

"That ingrate girl had forgotten what we have done for her. I will remind him of that. Penny, do you have your principal number?" Penny nodded at once. She ran and brought her mobile. Without waiting for instructions, she dialed the number and passed it to her father.

"Hello, this is Mr Stone, the guardian of Leonora Stone. I need to convey a message. My niece had left our home. So I can not pay her fees or support her education anymore." a cold glint flashed in his eyes and he curled upward hearing the reply from the other side.

"I understand your policies too. So, I will not request you to do charity. I can understand but as i told you, she did not live here anymore. So, I will not be able to convey your message. Could you inform her in person?" he waited with a smile and winked at his daughter when she smiled. 

"Yes, that would be enough. Thank you." he cut the call and laughed maliciously. "Now I will see how you are going to stay so conceited Nora."