Chapter 17
Whether or not Nadia agreed to stand in for Abby, CP Stitch Studio still had a professional obligation as a consultant for Director Rex Males‘ film. As a result, Nadia had arranged a visit to the museum to prepare for the upcoming shoot.
When she arrived at the museum’s entrance, the queue was already snaking around the block.
As she inched forward under the blazing sun, Ash messaged her a photo of a damaged garment a client wanted restored. Nadia replied, half–distracted, tapping her response as sweat trickled down her neck.
She had just reached a sliver of shade when someone stepped directly into her path.
“Nadia, what a coincidence,” came that cloyingly sweet voice that always made her skin crawl. “The sun’s brutal back there. Mind if I join you?”
Nadia looked up and saw it was Abby Pauley, standing there with that same insufferable smile.
Draped in a black designer jumpsuit, she shielded her flawless face from the sun with her hands. Oversized sunglasses obscured her expression, but the glittering diamond necklace at her throat spoke volumes–loud, desperate, and determined jo be envied.
Nadia couldn’t decide if fate had a twisted sense of humor, but they somehow ended up in the same colors and styles whenever they crossed paths. Yet, despite her lack of jewelry, Nadia still outshone Abby effortlessly, as if presence alone was her most expensive accessory.
“Please respect the people behind you,” Nadia said coolly, her voice sharp with a warning.
Abby slid beside her as the line moved without a second thought.
“You’re a public figure now. Wouldn’t want a queue–jumping scandal in your hands, would you?” Nadia added, elbowing her sideways without missing a beat.
Unfazed, Abby inched closer. “Sorry about the other night. I didn’t mean to interrupt you and Jason. I just panicked. Didn’t expect him to rush over so late.”
Nadia kept walking, treating her like static. “If you’re going to feign innocence, at least make it less nauseating.”
Nadia had already made it clear that the conversation was over, but if Abby kept pushing, then the only one being insufferable was her.
Abby blinked, her lips twitching into something between a smirk and a pout. “But you’re filing for divorce over it. Why pretend it doesn’t bother you?”
Nadia wasn’t surprised that Abby knew the details between her and Jason.
What was pathetic was how Jason kept postponing the divorce while whispering vows of eternal devotion to his so–called true love.
“I’m not pretending,” Nadia said as she swept the damp hair strands from her neck. “I honestly don’t care anymore. After all those years of him pining for you, I figured he’d dump me the second you showed up. But it turns out he’s playing you, too.”
Abby’s face drained of color. Her manicured fingers clenched around her designer purse so tightly she didn’t even notice when one of her nails snapped.
Watching Abby choke on the truth gave Nadia a flicker of satisfaction. She turned and said icily, “Please go to the back of the line, Ms. Pauley. You lingering beside me made it look like I’m the one trying to cut in line.”
Nadia pulled out her phone to scan her ticket.
Just as she stepped toward the turnstile, Abby leaned in, her voice a venomous whisper.“Are you filing for divorce to get Jason’s attention, or is it because Leland Hancock is coming back?”
Leland was a name she hadn’t heard in three years. Nadia’s hand froze, her finger trembling over her phone screen, nearly canceling the ticket.
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Leland was due to return, but even Jason, once bonded to him by fire and blood, hadn’t uttered a single word about it.
Sensing her hesitation, Abby pressed on. “If you’d just been a little braver and smarter, you wouldn’t have ended up in the wrong bed. Tell me, were you imagining it was Leland whenever Jason touched you…”
Before Abby could finish her sentence, Nadia flung iced coffee straight into her face.
Abby shrieked as the cold liquid streamed down her designer outfit, dousing her front and wiping the smugness clean off her
face.
The tourist, whose drink had just been weaponized, could only gape in stunned silence.
Nadia’s heart pounded against her chest. She hadn’t planned it, but she didn’t regret it either.
“Nadia Woodward,” Jason’s voice sliced through the air, sharp and furious.
Before she could react, he was at Abby’s side, thrusting a tissue into her hands like some self–appointed savior. “Are you insane?” he shouted, his glare sliced into Nadia like cold steel.
With backup in place, Abby’s tears flowed on cue. She trembled into Jason’s shoulder, playing the perfect victim.
“I wasn’t trying to cut the line,” Abby sniffled. “I just wanted to say hello. I didn’t know she’d be so sensitive about Leland.” Jason’s expression darkened like thunderclouds rolling in. His fists curled tightly in his pockets.
Three years, he thought. ‘And she still hadn’t let Leland go!’
“Apologize,” Jason ordered, his tone cold and commanding.
He never questioned her or offered her the benefit of the doubt. Nadia knew he’d always side with the other woman before her.
Though upset, Nadia kept a straight face. “That’s not happening.”
‘Apologize? To Abby Pauley?‘ she thought, her lip curling. ‘Over my dead body, or maybe when pigs start flying!
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” Jason‘ said through gritted teeth.
Every word was icily cold. The anger in the man’s eyes blazed like a roaring fire, threatening to consume everything in its path.
This was the first time Nadia had seen him so enraged. She thought it was because he was concerned about Abby, but little did she know, the real trigger was her reaction to Leland’s name.
“You can say it a thousand times, and I still won’t apologize to her,” Nadia shot back, her patience completely spent. She turned to leave, her plans for the museum now forgotten.
But Jason grabbed her arm before she could get far, yanking her back with a force that made her stumble. “So this is all just an act to push for the divorce, huh? Fine. You’ll get what you want!”
Nadia was caught off guard by his sudden change in attitude. Though his agreement to the divorce should have felt like a victory, she only felt a hollow emptiness.
“Deal,” she said flatly, flashing a brilliant, yet entirely fake smile, before walking away without a second glance.
Finally, she could focus on her career without the weight of Jason’s manipulations. But of course, fate had a cruel sense of
humor.
Her phone rang just as she found a parking space at Skyline Trade Plaza. Clive’s voice came through, delivering news that someone had pressured the team to cut her from the studio.
It wasn’t exactly a shock. Jason had always been the type to do anything to appease his lover.
Not wanting the industry to lose such a talent, Clive offered to refer her to another studio to soften the blow. But losing the opportunity to work with Rex Males was still hard to swallow.
Distracted by the call. Nadia accidentally scraped her car while parking.
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She didn’t drive much and knew little about vehicles. With no experience in car repairs, she had to find a shop.
What she thought was a simple surface scratch quickly turned into a nightmare when the mechanic rattled off a list of supposed issues—filters, fluids, and repairs totaling thousands.
“You sure there’s that much wrong with it?” Nadia asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.
“If you don’t fix it, it’ll cause an accident,” the mechanic said gravely. “So, what’s it gonna be? Your life or your money?”
Nadia caught the knowing look exchanged between the mechanic and his colleague. Clearly, they were trying to scam her, but leaving now would likely lead to more of the same at any other shop.
As she turned to walk away, a tall figure suddenly appeared beside her, his presence cold and imposing. “You going to take responsibility for that bullshit?” he asked, his voice low and dangerously calm.
AD
