Him

Finally, they spent the days at his house and were back to their lovely abode. Evalena and Barak spoke about his family all the way back home and Adam listened to them. Their rants were not ready to end and it all amused him. He has never seen them this lively before.

After coming back home, Barak plops on their bed and falls asleep after the long journey. Evalena lets him sleep, going to take a shower and Adam goes downstairs to get suitcases. Though he has servants, a butler, and who not? But still, most of the things he enjoys doing by himself.

He tells Liam, his butler, that he does not need to appoint the servants very soon. First, because he is disappointed with them, still keeping in mind what they think about Evalena in their heads and how they talk nonsense behind her back, and second because he wants peace in his house at least for two days before appointing them.

He so desperately wants to recruit someone else in their places from their very near so they may be jealous and realize their mistakes.

Evalena was right. It is a human tendency to judge but one should not even forget his respective limits. From a king to a slave, no one. If one comes to control, he can do it but they do not want to, and in the end, they say it is human nature.

Adam is pissed off. Does not even want to see their faces but then, Evalena comes to his mind. He has given her his word and he cannot step back from it so he is ready to give them a chance but he never said that he will appoint them for the services as soon as he is home with his family.

He is the lord of the house and he knows how to handle the lordship.

Coming back to the present, he enters his room and takes the suitcases to the closet to arrange their clothes. Starting from Barak, as he decides in his mind.

As soon as the door is pushed, he sees Evalena inside. Dressed in a robe, she is standing in front of the row of clothes, wondering what she should wear.

Adam, knowing in heart what goes in her mind, smiles to himself. Woman.

"Hey, you've brought it. Thank you so much!" She says, taking the bag and emptying it. She arranges the dresses while Adam does his task, opposite to her.

He then arranges his clothes when she calls him from behind, showing him two sweaters and asking, "Which one is better."

"Both are pretty," he answers, turning back to do his work.

She giggles, saying, "But I can't wear both at the same time, can I?"

He hums and turns around. He folds his arms on his chest after he has arranged the clothes successfully and slides the door. He eyes the sweaters and after a few seconds pass, he says, "This one."

"Okay!" She nods and puts it aside. While she turns to take out the pants and her undergarments, Adam leans against the door behind, watching her select clothes.

Once done, she turns around and finds Adam still there. Confusion masks her face and she looks down at the bag which is empty. There is nothing inside to arrange so why does he stand there still?

"You have arranged the clothes."

He hums.

"Then you should go out."

He hums again.

"So..." She trails off, glancing at the main door. Adam's lips curl into a knowing smirk.

"So what?"

"So what?" she repeats, "Go. I have to change."

"Then do it. Who's stopping you?" He shrugs innocently and her eyes widen. What a naughty husband she has gotten, she marvels inside.

"Adam!" She asserts.

He laughs, unable to hold it anymore. "Oh, Eva! You're so adorable when you blush." She purses her lips, not even realizing that she just blushed. But to his amusement, her cheeks are still pink which makes him laugh harder.

She glares at him silently, loving him in her heart.

He stops, takes a deep breath, and surrenders, "Okay, I'm leaving."

She smiles instantly. How obedient he is! He walks away, leaving the bags on the couch nearby while Evalena watches him, standing there still. But as he twists the doorknob, he looks at her over his shoulder and says, "But I won't let you go once you're in my arms again. Doesn't matter even if you beg."

The door gets closed after he leaves and she has to palm her heart to calm it down. His words are enough to kindle a fire inside her heart, how much more his touch would be, she has experienced it. But blessed be the situation every time that led to their intense moments.

The day passes normally but the following day's afternoon is not something pleasant to Adam.

Barak is in his school while Evalena is on her work hours, and Adam is in their room, handling some academic work. He still has two hours to pick up Barak and he consumes the time, enshrouded by silence. There is no one with him in the huge house.

The doorbell of his house breaks the silence and he wonders who would be at the door. However, he goes downstairs to check and is not very surprised to see Nicole at the door.

Adam cannot help but scan her pale face. Her eyes are puffy red and her skin has lost its rosiness and life. Her long hair is tied into a bun and she has not even put effort in her dressing style this time like she has done before every time.

While his eyes are still on her pale face, she says, "I need to talk to you, Adam."

"Come in," he says, stepping aside.

He feels in his heart that what happened in the hospital was not a proper goodbye and maybe, offended by it, she is here to discuss the matter so he lets her in.

He closes the door behind himself and goes to her. To his confusion, she has not even made herself comfortable on the couch. She just stands near the couch, folding her arms on her chest and staring at him blankly.

"Make yourself comfortable," he says, coming to her, "And what is it that you want to talk about?"

She does not listen to the first statement, answering the second one, "What she has told you?"

He frowns at her bitter tone, knowing very well that it is for his wife. However, he answers her calmly, "The truth."

"Oh, and what's the truth?" She air quotes the last word sarcastically, her voice becoming loud and sharp, way too loud in that silence, hitting the walls around.

"That you were telling lies to my son. That you were comparing Eva with Nora, filling that kid's mind with dirt."

Yeah, he is very straightforward because he does not want to waste his time pleasing people. Whoever is by God will be welcomed by him but those who are living as an enemy of his family, he cannot be a gentleman to them and please them like his life depends on them.

She inhales deeply, beginning with, "Listen, Adam, I was just telling him the truth."

"They were lies," he says with malice, his eyes beginning to reflect the rage burning in his heart just at the mention of his innocent kid.

"Oh, they are not! Eva has tried to snatch Nora's place and Barak is an innocent pawn in this dirty game of hers."

"I wonder if you are talking about her or yourself, Nicole." That shuts her up and he adds, "Don't try to act innocently. Don't I know your lies? Barak has told me everything so that you won't keep on accusing my wife of your lies. Eva is innocent while you are—"

"Adam, believe me!"

"How can I?" He is loud in voice, tired of her playing innocent when the truth has been unveiled already. "How can I believe you? You have targeted my son straight. Don't you have even a bit of shame?"

Tears well up in her bright brown eyes as she listens to him. With so much disgust he has said those words and Nicole's heart is cut by the sharpest edge of the sword. The look in his eyes is enough. Her body shudders with the venom that drips from his words. She has fallen silent out of awe and hurt.

"He is my son, Nicole. And how could you even imagine I would tolerate this deed of yours if I came to know about it? Weren't you afraid even a bit? Shouldn't you have considered our relationship before doing this all?"

He sighs, stepping back. He watches her, being vulnerable in his eyes as well as ashamed and there is so much regret bubbling inside her.

Adam can see through so easily but he cannot be merciful already. Barak is the apple of his eye which she has tried to put her hands on.

"I wonder what you have gotten from it. What made you approach my Barak and poison his mind? Do you even know how he was affected? He kept questioning Eva for nights if he was a boy lovable enough to be adored by his mother. He even questioned if he was the reason for Nora's death, can you believe this!" He uttered the last statement, making her shudder in her place and cry even more bitterly.

Anger is bubbling inside him, remembering the impact on his son's mental health. She should not have made him remember those moments. She should not have come and scratched the ugly wounds but now it is the time to regret.

"What made you do all this? What made you?" He grabs her shoulders, urging her to spill out everything.

She gets scared, heart palpitating inside her chest and tears falling from her eyes. His loud voice booms again and she just wants to hide somewhere from the rageful look in his amber eyes. If possible, dig a grave and lie in it to conceal herself from his rage.

She tried to form words. Any word, but nothing comes out as he keeps forcing her to tell him the reason and finally, getting utterly oppressed and scared, she screams, "You!"

Her answer halts him. His grip loosens gradually as he steps back, utterly shocked to find the answer. That was unexpected!

"It was you, Adam! I did this all because I wanted to get you; because I was jealous of Evalena that she got you but I couldn't!"

He stands utterly amazed, listening to her as she reveals the truth, "She, after breaking your trust, is now your wife—why?" She screams the last word in frustration, "Why she? A betrayer, a naive girl, a girl being obsessed with you while it was I who loved you purely, keeping everything in my heart and adoring you like crazy! Why a heartbreaker like her? She doesn't deserve you, not even a bit but still why?"

She breaks into tears, face red from all the shouting in frustration. Her knees give up as she falls to the floor, weeping like a bleeding heart. It is like she has kept this in her heart for a long ago.

"You loved Nora and I loved you. Evalena was just obsessed with you. She was a naive girl. It should be me after Nora. It was my right to be your wife but she got you! So unfair, Adam, so unfair!" She cries, letting the truth come out of her which she was keeping from the moment her path crossed with Adam and she found that she could never get him.

Adam looks down at her and he has no word to answer her. He has nothing to say because he is utterly shocked to know the truth.

"But still she is with you because of your mother. She suggested you, didn't she? She wanted Evalena to be her daughter-in-law, right? Why? What was lacking in me? Am I not good enough?" She asks desperately, striding to him and holding his hands. "Tell me, Adam. Am I not beautiful, skilled, or educated?"

He does not answer her but releases himself, stepping back. "You should leave," he suggests, looking away. His heart is beating crazy while listening to Nicole and he does not know what he should answer her.

"No! I won't!" She affirms, "I won't leave until you tell me what's there in Evalena that's not in me!"

"It doesn't matter, Nicole."

"It does! Because I love you."

"And I'm married!"

Breathing rashly, she fists the hem of her jacket, burning in rage. The truth pierces her heart and she is on the verge of losing her sanity.

"That's the issue, right?" She mutters, tilting her head. Adam stares at her blankly. "Yeah, that's the only issue. Let's solve it..." She trails off and starts searching for something. Anything.

Adam watches her, perplexed.

"Of course, let's start with her." She bends and grips the knife from the fruit bowl, having Adam amazed at her craziness.

"You're crazy, Nicole." He goes to snatch the knife from her but she steps back, escaping his clutch. Her foot stumbles but she doesn't care, taking the immediate support of the couch behind her.

"Whatever. I can end her game and we can make a new start, Adam." She rounds the couch to go upstairs, thinking that Evalena is in the room.

Adam goes to her and grips her wrist. "Leave this, Nicole." He tries to get the knife but Nicole, being full of rage and determination, does not let him. She twists her arm to escape his grip, not caring about anything if the thing would harm any of them but Adam has to keep this in mind.

"No, I won't, Adam! I want her out of your life!"

"You'll harm yourself, Nicole!"

"Let it be, but I won't sit peacefully before I kill her!" She snatches her wrist, staggering back, and makes her way to the stairs when he comes in her way.

"Away, Adam!"

"Nicole, you need to calm down. Give this knife to me. You'll harm yourself."

"I don't care!" She screams, tears straining her face. "I don't care about anything now! But I'm surely hurt to see you care so much about her. Why, Adam? Please, go away. I want you, I need you."

He does not answer her, calling it folly in his heart. He steps ahead to grab her when she warns him that she will harm herself if he tries to be near her. She threatens him that she will cut her wrist, and seeing how insane she is at the very moment, he is afraid of doing anything.

"Nicole, don't do this. Please?" He requests, genuinely worried about her.

She shakes her head, keeping the edge on her wrist. "It's either Evalena or me today. At least I wouldn't have to keep living this miserably without you if I couldn't get you. But why am I even thinking this? It should be Evalena, not me, who is going to die. Just like I removed Nora from the way, today I will remove Evalena also, and after that, you will be only mine."

Another truth spills and Adam is aghast to hear her. Is she honest or speaking anything, he wonders, watching her silently while chaos is brewing up inside him.

"What did you do to Nora?" Words come out of him automatically.

"I can't tell you, Adam," she cries to herself and rushes to reach the stairs when Adam grabs her, holding her wrist to get the knife. She wriggles wildly, screaming and kicking in the air. Her arm moves, cutting the air and the rash movements injure Adam in the middle of this all.

He groans, getting her quick attention and that's the moment he snatches the knife and throws it to the other end of the living room.

Nicole turns around. "Adam!" She gasps, holding his arm that bleeds now. Her eyes frantically run over the long cut that expands as he moves, keeping Nicole in his grip. He does not want her to get the knife again and threaten him with her life.

"Oh, no! I'm so sorry, Adam," she whimpers, wanting to touch it but cannot.

He purses his lips, looking down at the damage but has to keep shut his mouth. He immediately brings out his cell and calls her parents. Nicole protests but he shuts her up with a roar.

"At least, let me treat your wound," she murmurs, sitting next to him on the couch.

"I don't even want you to touch me." Then he does not care if the blood keeps oozing out of the cut and stains the entire side of his shirt. He is disgusted to discover another side of Nicole which is this lethal. He can't leave her, keeping her mental pressure in mind, nor can he move around with her. So he waits for her parents and hands her over to them. He does not say anything to them and shuts the door.

He then goes to the bathroom and takes out the first-aid kit. He discards the ruined shirt and starts treating the wound. It stretches long from his chest to the side of his rib, going deeper and wider. There is another long and narrow cut on his arm, very near to where his veins can be seen but he got saved from severe damage.

It hurts very bad and the loss of blood makes him breathe audibly. He has to lean back to keep going.

However, he is done with the treatment and goes to pick up Barak. On the way, he receives a call from Evalena as she tells him that her shift is over. So on the way back home, he has to pick her up, too.

Keeping the deep wound in mind, he makes Barak sit in the waiting section on the ground floor of the hospital and goes to Evalena.

She is pleased to see him. "You could've called me, Adam. I was just wrapping up."

"Can you treat a wound here?" He asks instead, walking up to her.

Her smile leaves her face while she mumbles, "Yeah." And the very next moment, realization hits her mind when she gets to know that he just asked about himself.

"Are you hurt? Where?!"

❥⁠˙⁠๑

Yeah, Nicole is crazy.

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