Chapter 9

Caily dejectedly bent her head and took her seat on the couch hovering in a corner of the room.

A line appeared between her brows as she began to think deeply. Creating different speculations in her head on how she was suddenly on the news, again.

Was she being followed?

If not, then how else were those photos of her and Nathan suddenly in the news for the whole world to see?

And when would she finally be free from their false accusations?

Caily abruptly wrapped her arms around herself at the pang of frightening chills that went through her veins.

Just then a knock on the door got her attention.

She jerked up on her feet and hurried to the door to open it.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked with concern,

Caily nodded, "I'm used to it…"

"But are you okay with it? You don't have to pretend to be okay just because you are used to it, Caily," He gently said,

Caily's eyes met with his,

"Even if I'm not, there is nothing I can do about it, Nathan. The public wants drama and they won't stop reaping me for it," She mumbled,

Her eyes locked with Nathan's warm blue eyes. Nathan's eyes were the same as her Ex-husband's but still, it felt so different from Alex's cold blue eyes.

She instantly looked away with an awkward cough,

"I will leave you to rest now. I'm right in the next room if you need anything, okay?"

Caily nodded with a smile, "Okay."

He left and she gently shut the door, making her way back to the couch.

***

After a never-ending series of rolling to and fro on the bed, Caily was surprised to see that it was morning already.

She failed to get a good sleep probably because her heart was heavy all through the night as she felt restless with everything going on.

Caily made her way out of the room.

She had to start thinking of a way to get back to Glovedon City. She was low on money and calling Emily was out of her options.

A sudden bang on the door gave her a slight jerk.

Just as she fastened her steps to the door, Nathan rushed out of his room,

"Stay here," He stopped her and rushed to see who was at the door that was banging so loudly on it.

"Bring her out!" The order hit his face the moment he slid the door open,

With confusion etched on his morning face, Nathan scanned the men standing in front of his doorway. He recognized one of them to be Alex Thornefield, Caily's ex-husband, and concluded that the other men were probably his bodyguards judging by their big builds.

"Bring who out?" He questioned,

"I believe Caily is here, I just want to talk to her," Alex uttered as he stepped forward,

"What for?" Nathan challenged,

How they managed to uncover that Caily was at his house was something he slightly pondered on,

"Caily is my ex-wife and you have no business with her so you should stay out of the way, and let me see her." Alex blurted out those words nonchalantly, but he couldn't deny within himself that he was feeling jealous of this whole entanglement between Caily and Nathan.

"I'm sorry, I can't let you see her," Nathan curtly replied,

"What?" Alex scoffed with a forced chuckle,

Nathan exhaled loudly,

"Listen, I don't know what your problem is and I don't even care! You might be Caily's ex-husband but that still doesn't warrant you the audacity to come here looking like a threat,"

Alex laughed dryly,

"Aha! This is some kind of a joke, right?!"

"Absolutely not," Nathan sneered, shaking his head. "As a matter of fact, the police will be here anytime soon, so it better you leave now," He fibbed,

"Bullshit! The police can't do anything to me. I have them under my wings! I must speak to that cheat today, and that's final. I'm not leaving this place until I do,"

"What do you want to talk to me about?" Caily questioned, her voice devoid of any emotions,

On hearing her voice, Nathan quickly turned around and his eyes rested on Caily's half-worried and narrowly frightened face,

Nathan briskly walked closer to her,

"Do you really want to talk to him? I'm not so sure he is in his right mind right now," Nathan warned,

"He is never in his right mind. But, I will be fine. Trust me!" Caily whispered, immediately walking past him to Alex,

"Talk!" She said to Alex's face, her hands clenched into fists with determination, agreeing within herself to put him in his place. To abandon all of her love for him and put him right behind her.

"When will you stop? When will you stop dragging my name into the mud, Caily?" He began, rashly,

Caily scoffed with a head shake.

"It baffles me that for someone who just lost his Grandfather, all you care about is your stupid name being dragged into the mud," She breathed to his face,

Alex's face twisted in bewilderment, wondering how she suddenly got the nerve to talk back at him. She was always this timid girl who barely fought back whenever she felt wronged or bullied.

"I gave up my life for you, Alex. And up till this day, I still don't know how I foolishly managed to fall in love with you. You humiliated me! You chose that sly fox over me! know that I will never forgive you for the hell you put me through. Never, Alex!"

As Caily turned away with tears already blurring her vision, Nathan was there to hold her hands and led her into the house, immediately closing the door behind them.

"Boss, are you okay!" One of the bodyguards asked Alex who stood still, uttering no word.

Why did her words strike his heart with so much guilt and hurt?

Why did it remind him of the time they were still dating when he had pretended to be a fellow worker?

He had only shown interest in her just to make Mirabel jealous and ease himself from his Mother's worry about marriage, but he still felt love in his heart for her.

Caily was always comfortable to be with. Unlike Mirabel, Caily was easier to talk to and relate to.

She was always there during his hard times and always ready to help in any way she could. Caily was the best… but then where did it all start to go wrong? How did he end up being such a terrible person to her? Why was it so hard for him to believe her when she pleaded for her innocence?__Obviously because he was overwhelmed by the nonsensical love and lusty yearning he had for Mirabel!

All he could think about then was getting rid of Caily and starting afresh with Mirabel, but now he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

"Boss!" His bodyguards shook him out of his daze.

Alex gestured for them to get into the car and they drove off.

As he looked out through the window of the car at Nathan's apartment. He vowed that he would be back the next day to clear things up with Caily.

Mirabel was a good catch, but it wasn't worth losing a great woman like Caily for.

***

Caily and Nathan were seated in the sitting room.

She had just revealed everything to him, including how she had previously left the country with Emily but had to return for a false emergency.

Nathan was now on the phone with his father, he wore a serious look on his face,

"Leave the country for a few days, son. My re-election is happening soon, I don't want more nonsensical scandals to jeopardize my chance of winning," His father's grave voice emitted from the phone,

When the call ended, Nathan turned to Caily,

"Well, it looks like you've got yourself a companion. I will go with you to Glovedon City," He smiled.