Burning Passion

CHAPTER 168: THE ONLY VIOLET 

"I was looking for someone who completes me."

* * *

Nikki takes a deep breath when Theo puts her down.

"Nik, you can open your eyes now." 

Theo, standing behind her, whispered after he took the blindfold. 

Nikki slowly opens her eyes; she adjusted her vision from the light that welcomed her eyes. However, instantly, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"What is this?" 

She asked Theo while drying her eyes to see a clear look at the paintings. It astounded her of how the room filled with her face like she had become the model of these portraits since she was young. Many of them were exactly her appearances in her younger years.

Theo told her about him dreaming of her... She thought it was just a dream. But Theo paints her every time he dreams of her. 

"There's so many of me in your paintings…" She cannot help but overwhelms. She laughs but crying at the same time. It was because she was astounded.

Nikki takes gradual steps, to look at the painting one by one. Theo was attentive to hold her might she fell in the pool.

Theo replied, "Yes. I shipped them a month ago and finally arrived when we were on the island. I asked Rubin and Donny to put them up since Roland is with us. They are the first people who had a glimpse of the paintings." 

"Oh, do you mean?" 

"No other soul on earth sees them. But since I can't do it myself and I want to show you them, I ask my trusted friends to prepare them for me." 

"Oh, that was the reason I didn't see you for an entire week."

"Yes. And I'm glad that you missed me." Theo teases her, which Nikki widened her eyes before she smiles sweetly at him. He planted a kiss on her head, he continued afterward.

"I went back to Switzerland, the reason I'm away for a week. I have to wrap them carefully to place in safety boxes to ship them. They were my treasures." 

Nikki turned around. She looked up at Theo. The guy is unbelievably passionate when it comes to her, which made her speechless as always. So then, she conveyed her feelings. She tiptoed and reached for Theo's lips to kiss him.

"I don't know what to say. But I want you to know that you always made me happy." Nikki utters between their kisses. 

"I am so happy, too, Nik. Now I have the real one here." 

"Thank you." Nikki murmurs before she and Theo have kissed once again. When they parted, Nikki asked Theo with something. 

"Now I recalled about that day I realized I began liking foodstuff with mango flavored. You picked me, and Chelsea in the school." 

"Yes. The plane had just landed. Immediately, I went to your house with flowers. I promised Mama Lucy, so I want to explain why I haven't sent her off." 

"Hm. That is the reason you suddenly stop popping out everywhere for an entire week." Nikki says it like a tease. Theo laughs; his cracks echoed in the entire pool area. Nikki wandered her eyes. Its natural lighting is from the high ceiling windows which could view the apartment building where she lives.

It made her curious about something. She asked Theo. "Have you stalked me from here?" 

Theo smiled and replied to Nikki. "Sort of, but I only gazed out of the window to observe your neighborhood. I don't want to cross your privacy entirely. All I want is to make sure you're safe. By then, I feel at ease at night once Jasmine reported you are home." 

"Oh, right! She's working with you!" Nikki burst out.

Theo nodded, he explained, "I instructed her to watch Mama Lucy. And to tell me if you go out during the night. But most of the time, it was Donny who reported to me." 

Nikki pouted from amazement. "I can't believe you." 

"I'm sorry if it has peopled I assigned to keep an eye on you. We have been noticing suspicious cars around. After the investigation and the incident, Matt confirmed they are Kevin Hale and Senator Lu's people. They were trying to kidnap you for a long time already. But since I added more people to watch your neighborhood for suspicious people, they did not succeed. Until they made a bold move of abducting you right in front of us." 

Nikki was keenly listening, now Theo mentioned suspicious people. She sees strange men or women that are unfamiliar faces to her. Theo just wanted to protect his loved ones.

Then, she could not be angry at Theo. Though she doesn't like people to follow her, Theo only thinks of her safety. The Hale family had partnered with Theo's uncle to kill him and Jeremy in the past. Again, Theo's uncle was to involve Kevin Hale's scheme.

Now that more things have revealed and explained, Nikki asks Theo about the large canvas placed in the middle of the paintings.

"What was that for? Is that your project?" 

"Yes." Theo nodded, as he went on. "Do you remember the photoshoot Rubin handled?" 

"Oh, right! The master he talks about is you. It was you who are looking for a suitable model to shoot a commercial. I brought three models to recommend to you." 

"Silly. That was only Rubin's excuse, you know." 

"Huh?" It confused her.

Gaping at Nikki, he could see it confused her. "Well, even Rubin has an eye, you are a suitable model I am looking for."

"Wait, what?" It dumbfounded her once again. She was like an idiot, having mixed reactions showing toward Theo.

Theo explained to Nikki. "I have been going through countless applications from International models. Still, I didn't find you." 

"Huh?" It was her expression again. She had been dumbstruck over again while listening to Theo's explanation.

"You are the one I want for this project, Nik. I'm hoping to find you. And I lost hope already, but a force to choose a model I don't like to become the face of this project." He continued. "When Rubin sent me a short film? I was too lazy to check it out. It surprised me when even Jeremy convinced me to check my emails. I didn't anticipate anymore as my head was already throbbing from undeserved models. But then, the girl in the video was you." 

"Me?" It surprises her. 'How did that happen?' she ponders. 

"Rubin secretly took a photo of you. Soon when Director Choi got bored as he did not see any potential candidate for the selection; Rubin opened up to the Director about you. Director Choi and the cooperation of the photographers make a plan for how they can film without you realizing it." 

"Oh, my gosh! I noticed them taking pictures in my direction! So then, Rubin led me to that place for that?" Nikki presumed.

Theo nodded as he confirmed Nikki's presumption. "Yes. And you are the reason I come back to this country. Even after I swear that I would never come back here or meet any of my family members. For nine years, I cursed everything in my life and isolated myself from everyone… but then, I found you. No. I finally met you once again."

"This project is too important for me, Nik. It was my life. And you are my life. Would you be okay to be my model?" 

It overwhelmed her, as she could not imagine herself as a model. 

"What should I do?" She asked Theo.

Theo could understand the concerns in Nikki's face. He understood that Nikki has the fear about the whole thing, "I need you to pose for me and to shoot a commercial." 

"Oh, a commercial? But I'm not a model," said Nikki.

"So am I." 

"Hm?" It surprises her when Theo expresses that.

"I won't allow another man to hold you during the commercial." 

"You're saying that because?" 

"We will be together in the commercial." 

"Oh, I like that!" 

"Then, would you consider working for me?" 

"Hm. It could be the reason you offered me a job as your secretary? It was because of this project?"

Theo nodding, he pushes a smile before he replies to Nikki. "Yes, I have a plan to take you to Switzerland once you accept my offer. By then, I will trap you with me, and confess to you that I was the mystery man and this project." 

"I can't believe you!" Nikki burst out. She reaches for Theo's waist and pinches him. "That was your other ninja moves with me, huh?" 

Theo chuckled sexily, Nikki wanted to kiss him, and she did. While her lips were covered by Theo's mouth; she contemplated and made a decision.

"Okay. As long as it was you I was with this project, I'm doing it." She said after their lips parted.

"Oh, I'm glad, Nik. But it happens that you turn me down, I have to choose from our reserves models." 

"Oh. Well, I was nervous and shocked. I am worried if I can do it properly. But I want to help you finish your project." 

"Thank you, Nik. You are so beautiful. Do not doubt yourself, but have confidence. Besides, everyone already looks forward when we reveal who is VIOLET, and Where is Violet?"

"Oh! Now it reminds me of the motif of the photoshoot! So, it was the product's name?" 

"Yes. It was the name of the wine. A man saw a woman walking in the vineyards. He followed her, but she disappeared. Instead, what he found is a bottle of wine. He had a taste of the wine, and he dreams of the woman inside his arms. The scene would change. After the glass touches his lips, what he felt is the kiss of the woman." 

"Oh. That was the script of the commercial! And no way I will kiss another man!" 

"And the reason I will be the guy searching for this woman," Theo expressed wholeheartedly.

"Something like, as in reality, you were searching for me." 

"And something like in reality... I was looking for someone who completes me. The reason this project is my life."

"Oh! I love this project!" Nikki loved the script for the commercial. As long as the guy is Theo, she has no issue about the kiss.

Theo has now breathed after Nikki agreed to become the VIOLET of this project. The reason he firmly disagrees with Nina pointing him and Min Xi for the commercial is because of the kiss and having an intimate scene with her... Gladly, he found Nikki.

She was the only Violet for him.

"We will do it together." 

He uttered before he lowered his head to kiss Nikki once again.