Chapter 24: The Dinner

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The doorbell rang twice by the time struck six in the evening. Through the peephole, Grant could see his parents standing just outside on their doorstep, impatiently tapping their feet onto the wooden floor.

He swung the door open and soon, the 'hello's' and 'hi's' filled the house when Patricia and Jerry trudged in with a bottle of wine and a plate of apple pie in their hands respectively. They both took turns, hugging their son before making their way to the dining room.

"Hey, sweetie. Need any hands?" Patricia questioned as she stopped beside Alexandra who was busy searing the steaks.

"Hi!" She greeted back. "Yes, actually. That salad over there needs some salt and pepper."

A few minutes later, Brent showed up at the door bringing his famous homemade tiramisu along with him. They greeted and embraced each other. Everything was ready and served on the table. Alexandra was pouring wine into each of the guests' glass when Brent spoke up.

"What are we waiting for? Let's dig in! My stomach literally growls at me." He said.

Grant stood up from his seat and grinned, "Not just yet. We have one more guest that has yet to arrive."

Just as his sentence ended, the doorbell rang and Grant rushed to the door immediately. When he opened it to reveal the person on the other side, Brent's eyes widened slightly as Nikolei walked in a few steps just to stop right in front of the living room with everyone's eyes on him.

"I'm sorry I am late. The traffic is brutal at this hour of the day. I brought some Merlot with me." He said, bowing his head slightly to everyone in the room.

Grant clapped his hand once and grinned, "Now that everyone is here, let's dig in!"

Nikolei's eyes wandered around after he had handed the bottle to Grant. At first, he was planning on bailing this dinner with some lame excuses he had come up with his son that afternoon, but to some unknown reasons, his heart was telling him to go and here he was standing in the middle of Grant's and Alexandra's living room.

Everyone approached the dining table and took a seat. Nikolei followed from behind and just as he took a seat right beside Grant, his eyes met Brent's scrutinizing ones. Cheerful laughter filled the room as everyone conversed with each other, but not Brent and him. He couldn't hear anything as everything was blocked out by his ears with his focus was solely on the man sitting opposite of him at the table.

Meeting Rosie's lawyer at Alexandra's house never crossed his mind, and yet, here he was sitting in front of him staring each other's faces off during a dinner party hosted by the woman he used to called wife back then. One question lingered in his mind during this time that had him became the curious cat he used to avoid becoming of.

What exactly is Brent Thompson's relationship with the Carson's and Alexandra?

"Could you pass me the olive oil, please?" Alexandra asked.

Nikolei broke the stare when he turned his head towards Alexandra, still oblivious to the current situation. He blinked repeatedly, looking at Alexandra's smiling face when she burst into fit of chuckles.

"What?" He asked, still clueless to the current situation.

Alexandra stop chuckling and repeated her question, "Could you pass me the olive oil, please?"

Nikolei's mouth turned into an 'O' and he quickly took the small bottle of olive oil before handing it to Grant. Patricia chuckled and put a forkful of salad into her mouth and chewed. His husband, Jerry, turned towards him and asked, "How's your father been doing lately? I really hope he cuts down on that drinking habit of his."

"He's okay but getting rid of his love towards whiskey and scotch would be a hard thing to do. However, he does take more precaution steps nowadays." He answered.

Patricia cut in, "Brent, you know Nikolei Machiavelli, the client I always tell you about. We go way back when he first started running his hotels worldwide."

"I do, apparently." Brent looked down and chewed his salad. "Mr. Machiavelli, you look much more... well kept than the last time we met."

"We didn't know both of you are acquainted with each other." Jerry spoke, looking at both Brent and Nikolei repeatedly.

"Mr. Thompson is-" Nikolei gulped invisibly, "my late wife's lawyer."

Silence filled the room as the feeling of awkward engulfed everyone in the room. Jerry cleared his throat while Patricia made an 'oh' sound as she stared at Nikolei for a few seconds before looking back down onto her plate. The deafening silence was excruciating, so Alexandra quickly rose from her seat to save the day.

"Okay!" She exclaimed cheerfully. "It's time for my famous grilled steak with black pepper sauce."

"I'll go and help." Grant joined in.

The dinner went smooth after that. Everyone was having conversation normally except for Nikolei who would only answered once or twice to the questions directed at him once in a while. He rather listened to others talking while swirling the fluid in his glass slowly. His eyes would stop at Alexandra for a few seconds too many times but looked away after that to avoid getting caught.

Patricia would also questioned him about his business some other time, promising herself and him to collaborate more in future with the new designs she had coming for his newly built hotel in South East Asia. Alexandra on the other hand would approached him and offer some more wine to him, which he gladly accepted by extending the glass in his hand towards her. Everytime he did so, the corner of his eyes would caught the glimpse of Brent silently staring and glaring at him from the other side of the room.

He let out a sigh, standing up from his seat as he excused himself from the crowd. Nikolei advanced towards the sliding door just by the huge glass window that was covered by the curtains, situated right behind the sofas that were facing the television. He slid the door carefully and squeezed himself through the opening of the door.

Leaning his torso onto the railing, Nikolei sipped his Merlot while enjoying the view of London as the night approached. The wind caressed his face, softly grazing his skin as his hair swayed to the movement of the lightly blown wind.

"Breathtaking, isn't it?" Grant said as he appeared from behind. He too, leaned against the railing while squinting his eyes as the chilly wind blew a bit stronger than before.

Nikolei nodded his head and remained silent. Grant who was hoping for Nikolei to talk continued the conversation, "I heard that you keep Alexandra company while I was away."

Nikolei tensed as the words left Grant's mouth. Millions of thoughts ambushed his mind that moment as the silence engulfed the both of them. No one spoke a word, it was like Grant was daring him to speak. He thought the tension became more harrowing by each seconds, but he was proven wrong when Grant chuckled lightly and grinned at him.

"Inthank you for that. I was worried at first that she would be bored to death while I was away. Plus, we hardly spent time together these past few weeks due to my work as a surgeon." He said in an honest voice.

Nikolei smiled in returned and mumbled softly, "You're welcome. My son really enjoyed her company as well."

As he finished the sentence, Nikolei came to realization about something. Something that bothered his mind instantly.

Alexandra had told Grant everything about their outings and trips for the whole week.

His worst enemy, jealousy, started to make presence in him as he let the thought bothered him to the maximum. He himself of all people should have known the type of person Alexandra was - a loyal lover and fiancée. The quality which he had overlooked back then when he was too blinded by jealousy, rage and revenge to even realize she was never that kind of person to begin with.

She used to be loyal towards with me, Nikolei thought bitterly.

She used to, and now all of that loyalty was directed to Grant who was her fiancé. Not him - a mere stranger in Alexandra's present life. That just proved more to Nikolei that winning Alexandra's heart back won't be an easy adventure he has to venture.

As he continued to be lost in his own world, Grant's voice reached out to him once again. The next sentence that came out of his mouth shocked Nikolei silently as he once again tensed in his stance.

"I know what you are trying to do, Nikolei. I know who you were in my Alexandra's past life." He said, the cheer in his voice vanished and could no longer be heard as they stood silently on the balcony.

"When did you found out?" Nikolei asked breathlessly.

"The day before I flew to States. Brent told me everything that night we hung out, unbeknown to Alexandra. He'd told me everything, particularly everything I needed to know about her past life that involves you." He sighed and looked at him with softened gaze, "Look, it is not my place to judge you and I understand why you did what you had to do back then. Brent might have hated you for treating Alexandra the way you did when she was married to you, but I know how it felt losing the love of our life from our grasp when it is not really our fault in first place. Now, the price you have to pay is to endure the jealousy in you when Alexandra shows her affections towards me. We all make mistakes, and by the time we'd realize about it, it would be too late to mend."

Nikolei stared wearily at Grant as he sipped his wine, "What's your point, Mr. Carson?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I will give you another chance. Another chance in winning Alexandra's heart. We will fight fair and square with each other and don't worry, I won't use her past memories against you just to earn her affection. Winning that easily doesn't guarantee that her heart belongs to me." He then continued as he exhaled, "However, do remember that your time is limited. Her memories are already trying to catch up with her and when they are fully recovered, I can't assure you that it would be easy for you. Best of luck, my rival."

Turning his back towards the stunned Nikolei, Grant was about to enter the apartment when Nikolei stopped him in his tracks. He glanced sideways, staring into the depth of Nikolei's eyes that held the new-found determination in them as they stared back at him in the middle of the cold Autumn night.

He breathed out slowly, "Why? Why would you give me a chance when you already have her in your hold, even after knowing what I did to her?"

"Simple." He smiled and chuckled. "Her love and affection are something precious and worth fighting for. Besides, knowing that she'd loved you before her memories lost had me thinking whether her love for me was only momentary and that after she gained her memories back, would her love diverge back to you?"

He continued with a permanent smile on his face, "I am not a selfish man, Mr. Machiavelli. Very far from it after my late fiancée's death taught me. Alexandra deserves to choose who she wants to be with, and I will not stop her from doing so because that would be just cruel of me to do so. Even if I did have her in my hold to love and cherish, knowing that her feelings and mind were strayed somewhere else from her body when she's by my side would be just as useless as keeping a dead body with me, because I know that she won't return the gesture back by loving me when her heart was already with someone else."

Stunned in his stance, he watched as Grant walked away from him back into the apartment. Alone he stood on the balcony, the cold breeze of the Autumn night swept through his slightly disheveled hair as he zeroed his stares into the dark skies of the night. If chasing after the woman he believed to be his soulmate and the one for him was called a selfish move, then so be it. He rather be called that than having to regret for the rest of his life for not trying.

Grant Carson's speech a few seconds ago did held the truth in it. Just let him be selfish in wanting to win Alexandra's heart back for now, but if Alexandra herself hadn't want anything to do with him and decided that she was better off without him, only then he would back down and leave her be. In the end, it's all up to her after every awful things he did to her. Heck, he wasn't sure anymore whether he deserved this second chance that was bestowed upon him.

Maybe he just needed this one more chance, just to see if Alexandra hadn't meant for him in this life. A closure perhaps what they called it. At least later after he had tried everything he could, if Alexandra was no longer his to love and cherish, only then he could back down in peace and accepted that she was not really meant for him.

Maybe this was God's punishment to torture him after everything he had done to her all along because if it was, then he sure did deserve everything that was thrown at him in life.

***

By the end of the night, everyone was leaving after desserts. It was almost nine and the night was getting colder as it reached midnight. Patricia and Jerry had left the house half an hour ago, leaving Nikolei and Brent alone in the living room as Grant went to help Alexandra cleaned up the plates and dining table.

From across of the room, Brent's eyes were watching him like a hawk preying on its preys, waiting for the right time to devour its the targeted food. Yet, Nikolei didn't flinch under his stern gaze as he already used to it from the harsh training his father and grandfather had given him before he stepped up as the leader of their company.

The answers to his curiosity were still left unattended, as he was getting thirsty and more curious in wanting to know what was his true relationship to Alexandra. He had watched the red head woman interacted very comfortably and lovingly with his late wife's attorney all night as he sipped his beverage in the corner of the room.

With his knowledge, he'd only remembered that the last time Brent Thompson met Alexandra was the week after their wedding day and Grant did mentioned that it was Brent who had told him everything about his past life with Alexandra. Only a few people would known about his marriage to Alexandra, and Brent Thompson was one of them. It had also came to his mind that perhaps the diary he'd found in her room that night had also been given to her by Brent who was a proxy to Rosie after her death.

Just as he gulped down the rest of the content in his glass, Brent stepped away from the wall breaking off their stare. He trudged into the kitchen and bid his goodbyes to tonight's dinner hosts. Nikolei eyes followed him as he put on his trench coat and exited the apartment through the front door, not sparing him even a glance. He chuckled to himself, swirling the sinful fluid carefully in his glass not to spill it.

Nikolei still remembered the day Brent threw him his disgusted stare after he had questioned him about being able to divorce Alexandra anytime he delighted to, only to regret it after everything caved in.

Sighing into the glass, Nikolei rose from the plush, elegant armchair and gulped down the rest of the alcoholic beverage hastily before making his way towards the kitchen. He was slightly tipsy, but still conscious and sober enough to know what was right and what was wrong.

As Grant and Alexandra came in view, he stopped and set the glass down onto the marble counter top. "Thank you for the lovely dinner. I guess I should be going now. It's getting late and I promised my son to tuck him to bed tonight."

"My pleasure." Grant answered as Alexandra smiled beside him. "I'll be looking forward in seeing you again, Mr. Machiavelli."

The smirk on Grant's face was all too knowing, with a slightly challenging look displayed in his eyes. They said the eyes are windows to your soul, and right now Nikolei could clearly see that Grant was all ready to challenge him.

He grunted in response and faked a smile. "As do I, Mr. Carson."

Walking leisurely to his car, Nikolei stopped halfway when Brent leaning against his car came into his view. Brent had his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat, as he breathed white puffs of breath into the cold air.

"You're lucky that he's kind enough to give you another chance." He muttered, looking at the slightly dampened pavement. "If I were him, you wouldn't stand even a chance to win her back. She deserves better."

Nikolei puffed, "You are right. She does deserve better than me but that doesn't mean I will not try my best to change that fact."

"Look, Mr. Machiavelli." He sighed into the scarf around his neck, "The only reason I'd agree to Carson's request is because you are not all to be blame of this mess. My client, your late wife, she told me what's her one last wish was before she dies. She wishes for you and Alexandra to have a happy life together with Gayle. That time, Grant hadn't been in the picture yet."

His heart was beating at fast rate as he listened to the man standing in front of him that moment. Not once did he spoke. The cold night didn't even manage to calm his nerves down.

Brent sniggered and continued, "I'm a lawyer, Mr. Machiavelli, and I am known for my reputation of not residing with clients who had done wrong, either in the eyes of the law or God. When Rosie came to my office with tear-stricken face and all disheveled look, I'd turned her down and requested for the guards to take her away... until she knelt on the floor of my office begging me to help her."

"She begged and begged like there was no tomorrow for her. I'm a strict and stern man when it comes to my work, but when she told me about everything that she had done to the both of you and had wished to mend things back before she dies, helping her has become my priority then." He sighed once again, standing up straight from his position. "Part of myself was blaming her during the times we discussed things together, but at least she'd realized the wrongs she had done and decided to correct it back."

"Why now? Why now that you would say all of this after everything I had done?" Nikolei's voice turned harsh as his eyes became hard and stern.

"You must be wondering what's my relationship with Alexandra? Well, I helped her the night you threw her out. She called me, sobbing into the phone and those brought back the pain I've never felt after my daughter's death. Alexandra is like a daughter to me and Rosie had specifically asked me to help Alexandra, so I agreed to it as a favour to my client whose story had struck me at heart. Maybe a part of me was biased the time you married her, and yes, I should've explained everything but then... the bias in me was telling me to let you ruin your own marriage. Surprisingly, it worked."

By then, Nikolei was clenching his hands repeatedly trying to not vent up all the anger bubbling inside of him right now. He had enough of this, enough of people playing with the matter of his heart and his family's life especially his life. Before he could leave, Brent stopped him once again and mumbled a sorry in between.

"Sorry is probably not worth it right now, but I did what I had to do. One thing you probably hadn't realize, but needed to is that... you needed to learn how to trust and not to let your feelings cloud your trust once you had it. You trusted Alexandra but looked past it when you saw her hugging Brandon DeCastiello. The trust you had for her vanished instantly after that without you confronting her trying to find out what's

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