The Hot Tycoon's Ex Wife
Eleven

Astra went up the stairs without pausing for an instant, letting her feet walk the familiar path to the music room, where the door was slightly ajar. Astra was grateful that there were no instruments playing there because she wasn't sure she could handle the atmosphere. She was already replaceing it difficult to even be in the same room as Nicholas. The walls she'd let down were coming back up again, and she was powerless to stop them.

Astra opened the door and saw Nicholas seated on a plush and comfortable-looking sky blue bean bag, with papers sprawled around him. He looked deeply focused, and Astra appreciated the fact that he'd started without her. "Are you going to keep on standing there or come over here?" The tone with which the words were uttered was not harsh; rather, they were mild, playful even. She gulped.

"Was the butler welcoming me really necessary?" She asked. Her tone had a bit of bitterness in it. Nicholas looked genuinely confused, his head tilting a little to the side as he made sense of her sentence.

"That's his job, Astra. I pay him to take people's bags and usher them in. "There was no special service for you," he said before lowering his head to look at the files in front of him. Astra numbly nodded, taking a seat opposite him. As Astra had predicted, the bean bag was extremely soft, threatening to swallow and envelop her in its comfort. Astra steadied herself before noticing the glass of what she assumed was mineral water next to her.

She clenched her teeth, but she let it go, mumbling thanks as she took out her own files.

"Let's get to work," she said, and a tense silence descended upon them.

****

Barely three minutes after they'd started to work, Nicholas dropped his files and started to talk with a resigned sigh.

"The reason I called you over wasn't to sort out the paperwork with me. "Maybe if I'd known there would be so much work to settle, I would not have gone with legal action," he said, sounding like he actually meant it. Astra rolled her eyes at the joke.

"I actually called you here so I could talk to you." He finally said, wearing a grave look on his face.

Astra paused in midair, her eyes instantly alert and her mind moving at light speed. What was it he wanted to talk about? She hoped it wasn't about the past because she would get up and walk away. The past would stay where it belonged, in the past.

"I wanted to talk to you about the case. "It's been on my mind for some days now and I feel like I should share it with you," Nicholas said, much to her shock. Was there more to the case?

"I don't understand," she slowly said, and he nodded, like she'd answered the million dollar question.

I want to make you understand better now. Will you hear me out?" He asked, and she wondered if she was the only one who spotted the irony. From the quirk of his mouth, she could see he understood it as well. "Fine," she replied, leaning back into the bean chair.

For starters, you know who my lawsuit is against. You know it's against Thompson and you know why. I sued him for theft and unlawful breach of contract." "Nick," said Nicholas without mincing words. Astra nodded.

He was a bad business partner, a bad friend, and overall, a terrible person, but I guess it took me seeing so many checks signed without my knowledge before I finally accepted what he was. "He was a bloody thief," Nicholas angrily said. Astra was well aware of all these. She knew who Thompson was and what he was playing at. She just didn't understand what made him that way or what had happened to require sueing. She was quite curious about the back story and wanted to know the part where she came into this.

"Well, I didn't replace out he was a horrible person until..." Whatever Nicholas was saying was lost in that moment because the door to the music room, which Astra had closed behind herself, had been pushed open with enough force to rattle it on its hinges and slam the handle on the wall it now rested against.

To say the least, it was more than a rude interruption.

The person responsible for the interruption, however, walked through the doorway until she was standing in the middle of the room, some meters away from them.

As they stared at her, she stared back at them rather bashfully and shyly.

As Astra struggled to contain the shock, still bodly splattered on her features, the stranger in the room spoke in an airy, slightly baritone British accent.

"Mr. Nicholas," she said, and Astra's eyes widened. Whoever she was, she definitely knew Nicholas. Shit was about to get real.

***

A few seconds ticked by, one that involved Nicholas gaping like a fish out of water and the woman in the room awkwardly fiddling with her fingers.

The tension was enough to be cut with a knife and an axe if needed. That was how thick the air in the room was, and the akwardness just made everything more choked.

Astra studied the woman, who looked like she was in her late twenties, had a good head of blonde locks and was dressed in the skimpiest outfit Astra had ever seen, and that was saying a lot. Whoever had taught her to barge into places had also not taught her to not wear clothes that are see-through and damn short. At least, Astra thought, she's got a nice rack. Something worth looking at.

"Mr. Nicholas," the young woman said again, this time sultrily, and she walked a few steps forward before stopping.

"I have an appointment with you, I believe," she slowly said, picking her words gently, probably noticing Astra, who was definitely glaring at the woman. So Nicholas had an "appointment", eh? She bitterly thought. Was it not enough that she was seated in a room she'd shared with the man opposite her? Did he have to shame her more by inviting another woman over when she was there?

An unfamiliar feeling burned its way down Astra's throat until her eyes stood with unshed tears.

"An appointment?" Nicholas finally got out. "Why do you have an appointment with me?" It seemed like either Nicholas was feigning confusion or was actually confused. Either way, Astra's walls were already up.

She had to get out of here, otherwise she would have a mental breakdown here. She had to get out of this house.

Gripping her purse tighter, Astra flashed the fakest smile in the history of fake smiles as she rode to her feet.

"I should get going," she said, feigning a glance at her watch.

"Going? We were having a conversation, "Nick stared, and Astra gave another smile. The more she stayed here, the more she looked at him and his new girlfriend. She just wanted to get away.

Well, too bad I have a meeting with Trevor right now. If you encounter any difficulty with the documents, you know the number to call." Astra said, hurriedly brushing past Nicholas and the strange woman.

Astra couldn't help but notice the woman's perfume, though it didn't smell like what she'd imagined. It was something calmer, softer. A mixture of lilies and honey I was not passionate, but I was sure Nicholas would make do with it.

She closed the door behind her, walking down the stairs and out of the house. As she left, she couldn't help but wonder why she was suddenly jealous. This wasn't good.

****

What the hell had just happened? The vacant space in the room and in the air spoke volumes and answered his question as well. Astra had left in a hurry, not even proffering a goodbye or reason, because between the two of us, we both knew that Trevor wouldn't call her into his office. There was absolutely no need to have lied, a flimsy lie at that, but what would have prompted her to say it in the first place?

He didn't want to think she was jealous, but she hadn't said anything except run off the moment she saw the still standing stranger. He would deal with Astra later, but for now, he needed to deal with the half-naked woman in his music room. "What exactly is your problem?" He rudely asked.

"I... I... don't know," she stuttered, but I wasn't hearing any of it.

Did you not learn how to knock? Or does your brain capacity not comprehend how to use common etiquette?" He asked again, the annoyance creeping into his voice.

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I didn't know you were busy, sir. I was told to come today to have an interview for the post of assistant chef, "she apologetically said."

"Well you would've known if you'd just knocked!" I retorted, eyeing her form up and down. She mistook my disgust for interest and moved even closer. I openly frowned and moved away. Whatever she thought she was, it was not sexy because I was repulsed by her right now.

"What did you say you were applying for again?" I asked, watching a light blush coat her cheeks. Dear God, the things I had to go through because I was a celebrity.

"Assistant chef," she said, and I nodded.

"You didn't think it proper to put on some clothes before you thought of coming here?" I asked, watching her instinctively going to cover whatever ten fingers could cover. "I..." she was stuttering again.

"You think those things on your back are clothes? I have a better thought coming. There's no need though; I won't hire you. I don't know why you thought coming here dressed like a whore who crawled up from the slumps would get you a position here. I'm not interested in the likes of you and I don't even want such a lousy person on my staff list. "I 'curtly' said. The girl pathetically nodded.

"Do yourself a favor; learn how to knock next time, wear some clothes, and close the door behind you when you leave." I dismissed her with a wave of my hand. Scrambling embarrassedly, the girl screamed faster than I could say jack. That was easier than I thought, I said to myself.

The door closed behind her, softer this time, and I chuckled a bit. It was quite amusing to see.

She served her right for barging in here and thinking she could just take control of the situation because she was dressed in clothes she considered sexy. The annoying part was the fact that she hadn't even apologized for the interruption. Tongue lashing was always an amusing sight to see. Especially for people like her.

Now that my meeting with Astra was ruined, I needed to plan a new one with her. There were things she needed to know, but dear heavens, I wasn't sure when I'd have time with her again.

Reaching for my phone, I dialed her number. As the dial tone beeped, I thought back to the events of today. She couldn't have been affected by the presence of another person in my house, right? I mean, she's moved on with her life. I was only overthinking things, I thought.

The dial tone ended, signifying the call had ended without her answering it.

I called again and got another ignored call. I was sure she was on her way to the meeting she'd spoken about. Maybe a meeting was happening after all.

I would have to believe her because the woman I used to know did not lie.

As I listened to the third dial tone, this one going to voicemail, I couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, the woman I used to know died in the downpour that day.