Chapter 31
"Give me your jacket" Ella said immediately they got into the house and Nicholas gave it to her and went to sit down.
"I will be back in a minute" she told him before disappearing into the house and Nicholas looked around trying to relax.
He has tried to get Ella's number quite a number of time after settling down but her only friend then wasn't ready to help him so he gave up and focus on work.
After knowing about his mother and guessing that everything she has told him up to date might be a lie, he wanted to go back and stay clear of everything that as to do with Laura and the company but his mother is so adamant and he doesn't want to hurt her feelings.
Nicholas stood up and walk around the room admiring it, the house is not that big but is a comfortable three bedroom flat apartment for a young lady to live. The room is well furnished and Nicholas particularly love the settings.
He saw quite a number of her pictures in the room but his eyes focused on one that has Ella in it with a young beautiful girl with blonde hair.
He took the frame and stare at the picture, Ella has a black hair so she is most probably not her younger sister and he remembers that she told him about being an only child
"Sorry to keep you waiting, had to change to something more comfortable" Ella said as she entered the room then spot him staring at her picture with pumpkin. She snatched the photo from him and hid it away sacred
"Why did you touch that?" She rebuked and Nicholas feels a bit embarrassed
"Sorry, I just wanted to admire the picture it looks lovely" he apologized and went back to take a seat
"It's a.. I mean I.. whatever" she said not knowing how to explain her action
"So, who is that little girl, she has blue eyes like you but her hair is different"
"She is.. like a daughter to me" she answered nervously and swallow hard. Letting him know about pumpkin is definitely not something she planned for.
"And?" He asked further. Ella shrugged indicating what he meant by the question but he just smiled
"I will just get to cooking then" she said and turned to go to the kitchen
"I will help, just tell me what to do" Nicholas offered and stood to join her
"That's not really necessary" she replied and start to walk away
"Are you sure you don't have a man in your life?" He asked suddenly out of the blue
"No I don't, why do you ask that again?"
"I just don't like to hit on someone else girlfriend or maybe wife"
"I told it's nothing like that, come help me here then if you are going to keep thinking nonsense" she said trying to put an end to the conversation and gave him some onions to slice.
Nicholas finished cutting them tearing up, he rubbed his eyes and cried out, Ella also noticed his pain and leave what she is doing to come attend to him
"Why are you whining about some little onion?" She said and get him some water to clean his eyes also helping him wash them.
"Are you okay now?" She asked but he still wasn't opening his eyes and tried to use his hand to rub it but Ella slap it away and held his face closely to herself.
"Let's me blow it for you, using your hands will only make it worse" she told him and blows gently on his eyes.
"I think it's good" Nicholas said after two tries and opened his eyes to find Ella's face so close to his.
"Yeah, great" Ella also said and tried to let go but Nicholas put his hand over hers and pull her closer
"I think.." Ella tries to say something but Nicholas kissed her shutting the word out of her mouth and the two end up in her bed in less than two minutes..
****
Mira entered the restaurant and sight Clara from afar then walk over to her and sat down. The waiter approach their table but she send him off not ready to order anything
"Tell me in details, what happened exactly?" she questioned restlessly
"You said Chris wouldn't come to her after hearing the news" she start to explain
"The reporters were doing great as we planned and the ones I hired online to deal with other things were getting ready to start commenting but just a few words from Chris changed the whole plan and now everything might get exposed"
"You will have to clean up after yourself then" Mira told her planning to dump everything on her
"And you think you will be safe? Laura will never suspect me but she is sure to do so with you and Chris doesn't trust you either"
"How long do you think it will take for them to find out it's us?" she questioned
"Less than a day besides, Laura might be slow when it comes to business but talking about this new project, she is keen on achieving the best out of it because of her late mother"
"I will contact…" Mira stopped as the call from Chris's mother interrupt her and she excused herself to receive the call
"Mom, why are you calling at this time?"
"Are you busy? I saw something online and I wanted to…"
"About Laura right? I also saw that" she cut her short knowing what its about
"I cant believe her, she is still with her ex and won't leave my son alone" Chris's mother sounded very upset and Mira had an idea.
She can still use the situation in her favour, she is sure Chris is just brainwashed by her and as soon as he realize her true self, he is going to dump Laura and come back to her instead
"I will come see you now" she told her and walk back to the table to get her purse
But what about your parents? They are still very much angry after the last dinner we had"
"Don't worry about them at all" she told her and grabbed her purse
"I will leave now, lets discuss later" she mouthed to Clara who tried to have a word but Mira bug out in an instant and she could only hit the table in frustration
The waiter who came earlier comes back after seeing Mira leaves to ask if Clara is ready to order now
"Just get me any soft drink" she told him and he left to get it for her then returned shortly and served her before leaving again
Clara drinks it all at one go to calm down herself, she knows better not to trust someone like Mira and take all the blame later.
The plan was that after they succeeded with breaking their relationship with the rumors and wrecking Laura's dream project for years, she will be busy crying and cleaning things up to know they are behind it
She bought out a recorder that consist all her conversation with Mira and smiled devilishly, all she have to do now is to make sure everything is pointed to Mira alone without her been involved
Whether their plan works or failed, she is still the winner because either ways she will be able to keep Avan to herself and break his relationship with Laura forever
She picked her phone and put a call through to one of her men
"Meet me at the usual place, I have something to give you then you can proceed with the plan" she told the other person and cut the call then she called the waiter to pay her bills and stood up to leave but she is faced with Avan who is looking very angry and disappointed
"Avan! How come you are here?" she asked shocked and sacred that he might have heard what she just said
"I mean..how do you know am here?" she asked trying to play it cool and quickly think of an excuse to give him about her conversation just now
"Are you really behind this? Have you been lying to me all this while?" Avan questioned furiously and Clara trembled in fear.
By his tone, he seems to know something and it might be more than she thinks so she decides to check to see how much he knows first before giving an explanation
"What are you talking about?" she asked back acting like she doesn't understand
"Why did you meet with Mira and who did you just speak to on the phone?" he asked moving closer to her
"I asked her out to find out about the rumors she tried to create today and also I just called someone who will solve the issues online" she explained in one breathe forming the lies through her lips
"Really? Then he must be the same guy you met with two days ago and also the one you paid money to just after Laura got married to Chris" he confronted
Avan has been on Clara's trail after stumbling on her message to a strange number and he place someone on her to monitor her movement. He was surprised to find that Clara has been instigating some things backstage.
After finding out that she is also behind the news about him and Laura still dating, he was all upset that she could do something like that concerning the new project, he might be a complete jerk but Laura has been planning that for years after it failed with her mom and jeopardizing that just because of her stupid feelings is totally out of it
"I know everything so just stop pretending" he added seeing her hesitation to answer.
Clara looked into his eyes to check if he is saying the truth before giving up and decide to tell him everything about this one incident
"I did it for us" she confessed and Avan turned away angrily while Clara also followed after him to stop him
"Listen to me, Laura and Chris were getting really close and I wanted to help you so you can achieve your aims with her before things get out of control with Chris" she explained further but Avan wasn't buying it
"Clara you know what, I don't want anything to do with Laura nor break off her relationship with Chris" he said in a calm tone and Clara's face lit up relieved
"But why? You said your dad wouldn't let you run the company because of it" she said although she is excited with the news that he is finally giving up
"I know but I want to stop everything including our relationship" he told her and waited to see her reaction
"Okay, then wouldn't…what!" Clara didn't get the meaning of his statement at first but when she do, her face looks horrified and she dropped the phone in her hand on the floor
"What are you talking about? End what relationship?" she asked suddenly sweating
"This relationship is just not working anymore for me and I can't continue. We built it on falsehood and I just don't want you in my life anymore" he explained but Clara didn't take the news nicely. She breakdown and start to cry creating a scene
"Not working? How can you tell me you want to leave me after everything I have done with you?" she screamed causing more attention to be on them and Avan felt uncomfortable
"Let's talk more later, I need to leave now" he said and turned to leave instead but Clara wouldn't let him but held him back tightly
"You can't break up with me, never!" she yelled determined and also trying to stop the tears running down her cheeks
Avan sight irritably and move his hand away from hers but Clara grabbed him again shaking her head in disagreement
"Look Clara I don't…"
"Am pregnant!" She voiced out and paused to see Avan's reaction to that but there is no look of excitement except that he looks unpleasantly surprised but Clara still doesn't mind.
She had thought that things might come to this between them in case he falls in love with Laura and worked hard to get pregnant and just two weeks ago, she succeeded.
"Am pregnant with your child, our child, you can't leave me" she said more firmly and Avan just stare at her in disbelief.