The Royal Contract

After visiting his brother, Nick had decided to go to the club. One drink later, he knew he was disinterested in the scene. Even the girls that approached him did not do anything to amuse him.

Staying in his house was not an option either. Going back to the office did not appeal to him too. He was running out of things to do because he only wanted one thing, but going back to the island was still out of his cards.

He grabbed his phone and checked for any messages, but his inbox was only filled with schedules. He put away his phone since he did not want to entertain any clients, not tonight. 

He wished to get distracted from his thoughts even for the night. Not to keep thinking about the problems he had been handling the entire day.

"Ready the car. I am leaving." He told one of his bodyguards as he finished his drink and dismissed the two girls sitting beside him on the couch. 

As much as he wanted to fly out tonight and be back on the island, he could not. He still had a board meeting that he could not miss early in the morning.

"I will see you some other time," Nick promised them, kissing each one before letting them leave. But he did not mean any of it. He could not care less about those girls.

Parking outside the building that he had visited a few hours ago, he looked up to the apartment he was supposed to go to. The lights were still on, but it did not matter if it was off. He owned the place. He would come and go as he pleased.

He figured that the woman who resembled Dani in some way would have to do for the night. He had already paid for her. He might as well get his money's worth.

He was about to go inside when he noticed a familiar car park outside not far from where he had parked. He would know that junk from anywhere. 

"What is your car doing here?" He asked aloud as he stood outside his car, staring at the plates of the old rusty motor vehicle. "What are you up to, brother?" He questioned himself as he looked up to the building again.

He thought his brother had an emergency at the hospital, which was why he had to decline his request for dinner tonight. But this place was long away from the hospital that he was working at.

He decided to make a few calls for himself, just to check on his suspicion. After he had made a quick conversation with the information desk in the hospital. He had verified that his brother had lied to him.

"This is interesting." He thought as he walked towards the lobby of the building. "What are you hiding from me, my little brother?"

He believed his brother would not be staying in this place since he loved his trashy apartment so much. Maybe he was visiting a friend, but why would he lie about it, he thought.

Maybe his brother was keeping a lover that he was not yet ready to introduce to him. But then again, why the secrecy. Well, it only piqued his interest the more he thought about it.

Inside the building, in one of the apartments. Jacob visited his friend just like he used to do when he was not on duty in the hospital.

Instead of going out, as she initially planned, he eventually convinced her to remain inside and just have a quick dinner in her apartment. But he had no plan to stay long.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for a movie marathon? I have prepared several of your preferred choices. I even have popcorns and chocolates." She bribed him to stay, tempting him with his favorites. 

He was the only person she had been able to talk to since Alex had locked her up in this prison. It was not a cell with iron bars on it, but it certainly felt that way when she was alone and could not go out.

"I will just try to come back soon, Cassie. I don't like it when my brother is dropping by unannounced. I don't think he is snooping around, but I don't want him to suspect anything." Jacob once again explained to her why he could not stay. 

Still, he did not want her to get alarmed when there was no reason yet to be. He still believed it was just a coincidence that his brother came to his home when he was about to visit her.

As much as he enjoyed her company and watching a movie with her, it was just not possible tonight. He still felt uneasy and a bit nervous the entire time they were together.

Maybe he was just paranoid, shocked to see his brother at his front step. Maybe, it was nothing at all. But he just did not want to throw caution in the wind. Not when her safety was involved.

"Fine." She responded with a wide pout on her lips, feeling sad and disappointed. She turned around and folded her arms across her chest as she stared at the window outside.

She knew she was acting like a child or a spoiled brat who did not get her way, but she was tired of her life. She was lonely and depressed. This was not the life she had envisioned for herself.

But there was another thing, she did not want him to leave just yet. She wanted him to stay for as long as possible. Although she did not want to admit it to herself, she liked him. 

As much as she fought her feelings for him, she could not deny it anymore. She was attracted to him. She liked the brother of her ex-lover. But she knew she could not act on it. They should only remain as friends.

"Hey, don't be like that." Jacob walked toward her side and stood behind her. 

He wished he could read what was going through her mind, but he could only sense that she was unhappy about her situation. However, he agreed with Alex. She was not safe until his brother was still roaming the streets.

He only hoped that Alex had more to work on against his brother so he could put him behind a prison cell to pay for his crimes. He might be his brother, but he was not condoning any of his wrongdoings.

He did not have a close relationship with Nick. Whatever help he got from Nick, he knew it came from their father and not him. Just like earlier. Nick only approached him because he needed something from him. Not because Nick wanted to bond with him.

He would not care if his brother rotted in jail since he believed Nick deserved it after all the crimes he had committed. They might have a few percentages of the same blood, but he still firmly believed they were completely different.

"I am sorry. You did not deserve that." She suddenly turned around, ashamed of her behavior. "Of course, you are right."

Jacob had already done so much for her. She should not punish him for her misery. He did not bring her these problems. She was only reaping what she sowed.

"Hey, I promise I will make it up to you once my brother has laid low again." Jacob placed his fingers on her chin and tilted her face, making her look into his eyes. "Am I forgiven?" He asked.

He could not leave her when she was in this mood. He understood what she was going through. It could not have been easy for her to be in this situation.

But instead of answering with words, she tiptoed towards him until her lips were aligned with his. Without any warning, she closed the gap and kissed him.

She closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his soft lips against hers. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her, so she could deepen the kiss. 

She knew she should not have done that, but she was transfixed by his eyes. It was like it was calling to her. She believed she saw what she wanted to see in them.

Suddenly her dreams finally came true, and he stood in front of her, waiting for her kiss, just like what she had imagined it would be in her head. She liked kissing him. She was excited to feel his body pressed against hers.

But when he did not kiss her back, she knew that she had made a mistake. She suddenly felt like her dreams shattered in front of her. She concluded that he did not feel the same way as her. 

She suddenly felt foolish for kissing him. Allowing her emotions to get the best of her.. Now, she had put herself in an awkward situation, feeling like she had just stolen a kiss from him.