— Kicked Out —
Viviana blinked her eyes open to the loud thud on her door. She forced herself to sit up on the bed, pulling her legs to her chest, her hair pouring over as she buried her face in her knees.
She didn't have the strength to leave this bed, still groggy from sleep. But someone was banging on the door and ringing the doorbell over and over again.
Not to mention she'd given the maids days off.
Taking a deep breath, she proceeded to settle her feet on the floor, but then she found herself unable to move, prompting her to lower her gaze to her waist, where she had an arm thrown over her.
Wait…
The last she recalled was hitting the floor with Nikolas's weight. What had happened after?
Slowly, her gaze dragged over to Nikolas. He was fast asleep, a few strands of his tousled black hair falling over his forehead to his closed eyes. His lips were slightly parted where he breathed in and out in a measured way.
Viviana had seen plenty of handsome men, but she never even gave it a second thought.
This man though… He was handsome in a way that hurts to look at. It was almost as if he wasn't real. Like he wasn't human. Which made her think that had he been someone very known like her family or Fernando, women would die to have a chance with him.
'Not me, though'
She almost chuckled but instantly grew pale with dilated eyes. "Wait a minute."
Nikolas was shirtless. Completely shirtless with nothing but his slacks on.
She was quick to touch herself all over, panic emerging on her face. She pulled at her dress, wondering and trying to remember if they had somehow done what they shouldn't have done.
"No way. There is absolutely no way. Surely, we didn't—"
The loud banging against the door grabbed her attention again, and she threw off Nikolas's hand to jump off the bed.
Who was at the door this early in the morning?
Viviana rushed her way over to the entrance door of her apartment. She peeked through the hole, finding not one, but two men in black, people she'd never seen before.
That made her frown. Still, she pressed her palm against the door, letting it read her palmprint.
"May I ask who you are?" She lifted her gaze to the two broad men.
They handed her a paper.
"We were sent by Mr. Di-grass. You have to move out of this apartment right now."
Viviana scanned through the paper, the information taking a few seconds to settle in her head. She scowled. "What is the meaning of this?"
"You either move out, ma'am, or you make us make you. Ms. Serena is moving in here today."
"My stepsister?" She glared at them. "Have you lost your mind? This is my apartment. Wait a second."
Rushing back inside, she looked around for her phone. Where had she tossed it yesterday?—
Oh!
She picked it up near the couch, proceeding to immediately call her father.
[What are you calling me for, Viviana?]
"What is the meaning of this, Pa?" Viviana asked, ambling back to the door. "Who are these men and what are they talking about?"
Amadeo Di-grassi grunted on the other side of the phone. [Didn't you decide to be a rebel?]
"What?"
[Every action has a consequence, and this is one of them. I paid and bought that apartment for you, and I can send you out of it whenever I feel like it. Your actions have told me you're not worthy to live there, so your sister will have it. Pack up your things and leave. Two hours is all you have, or they'll help you throw them out]
"This… this makes no sense! You can't just do that! PA!—"
He hung up on her.
Viviana lowered her gaze to the screen, flickering her eyes at it.
"Well?" one of the men pressured. "Are you going to move, or should we help you do it?"
She shot them a glare. "Don't you dare step into this—"
"What's happening?"
Nikolas.
Vivian turned so abruptly her face smashed into his chest. She grunted and took a step back, pausing at his bareness. "Why are you still shirtless?"
The gazes of the two men ping-ponged between the both of them. Only the heavens knew what they were thinking.
Nikolas, on the other hand, couldn't care less. His eyes were hooded, his hair a tousled mess, and he was clearly just waking up from his sleep.
He lowered his head to avoid hitting the edge of the doorframe and looked at the two. "I just woke up. What's happening? Who are these men?"
Viviana waved him down.
Complying, he hunched to her height, letting her whisper to him, "My father wants me to move out."
"Huh?"
"He's the one who purchased this apartment for me. And—"
"Is this because you married me?" Nikolas raised a brow.
She nodded.
"He—"
"Ma'am, we don't have that much time to watch you two chit-chat."
Nikolas leveled them with an intent stare, eyes narrowing vehemently. "Can you two shut the fuck up?"
"What?" they scowled at him in unison.
"Do you have something to say?" he asked, brow arched in a daring manner. His nails that had lengthened dug across the wall.
An exasperated sigh left Vivian's lips. "Nikolas."
"Yes?" He looked at her, the sharp length of his nails quickily recoiling back.
"We have to move out."
"And where do we go?"
"I have no idea!" She began pacing around, biting her finger. She stopped suddenly and looked at him, asking, "What about your apartment?"
Nikolas blinked. "My… apartment?"
"Yes?"
"Well, that's…" He glanced around them. What would she think if he took her to the hundredth floor of the penthouse? Or maybe to one of his manors?
She'd know he'd lied. And then what would happen?
"The landlord made me move out. I couldn't pay my rent."
"What…?" Viviana screwed up her face. "Are you joking? This is—"
"But I know somewhere we can go," he added.
She stiffened. "You do?"