Gently, Adira turned to look at him, and their eyes locked for a few seconds. "Yes?" She raised her brows. Surprisingly, Nikolai stood up and began walking towards her. This made Adira a little nervous. What was he trying to do? She doesn't associate so well with Nikolai, so movements like that were bound to get her really nervous. She stood like a frozen statue until he got to where she was and stood behind her. Then, the next thing Adira felt were his hands on her dress. Huh? Her palms became sweaty as she felt him work on her zip, pulling it up. It was obvious it wasn't completely zipped up before. She didn't even notice, and neither did Yvonne. But Nikolai getting it done for her stunned her. She never expected him to show concern, talk more about zipping her dress. When he was done, she lowered her head as he walked back to his cushion. "Thank you," she uttered. Nikolai simply nodded and took up his glass of wine, and at that moment, Adira wondered if she was to say more. Perhaps she should thank him for what he did the other day - fighting his brother because he hurt her. She was about to say the words when his phone rang, interrupting the moment. And swiftly, Nikolai picked it up. "Yes?" He spoke into the phone as he stood up and started towards the staircase. Adira heaved heavily. Will a time ever come when they'll have the opportunity to talk like people who know each other? Maybe, not. Her countenance fell as she turned away and left the house. **** Arriving at the venue for the dinner, Adira found Lancelot already waiting. Well, it was only right that he waited.He had booked the VIP section in a secluded garden. So, it was just the both of them. Lancelot's eyes beamed the moment they caught sight of Adira. She was so gorgeous that he almost blamed himself for divorcing her in the first place. "Hi," she smiled lightly as she took her seat. "Hi, Adira. I'm glad you could make it." Lancelot went ahead to place their orders, and in no time, they were served and began eating. They talked about little, unimportant things for a while until Lancelot brought up a big question. "I've been wondering, Adira; how did you meet a man like Nikolai?" Adira, who had been trying to eat some of her steak, didn't say anything until she was done and took a chunk into her mouth. "Well," She took out a serviette and dabbed the sides of her lips with it."It was on that night—the night of your wedding. Do you remember?" She dropped the serviette and crossed her hands on the table. "That very day, I had come to the church, trying to see if I could stop you. But unfortunately, your mother-in-law and sister-in-law kicked me out and even ended up hitting me." She paused and smiled. "I was so devastated, I just wanted to end my life. So, I had gone to a bar to get my last drink, and... yeah! That was where I met Nikolai." Lancelot felt a little guilty. He had to gulp some wine to relieve himself. "So," he sighed. "He just walked up to you, or what?" "Exactly. You know, I'm a little grateful to you and Jardine for wrecking my life. That's the only way Nikolai was able to find me." There was a little silence. "So, are you happy with him?" Adira chuckled. "What're you talking about?" "Who the hell wouldn't be happy when she's married to a man like Nikolai?" Lancelot felt a sting in his heart. Hearing Adira speak about another man in that manner hurt him—he never thought it would. He took some chunks of meat and rice, allowing silence to ensue between them for a while. Then he said: "I'm sorry, Adira, for hurting you back then. I was just under a lot of pressure from my parents to..." "Get a better wife?" She interrupted him with a coy smile on her lips. Lancelot cringed again, his eyes dropping to the table. "I don't really see a need to apologize. The divorce did me more good than harm. I actually hope you're happy with Jardine." Few more minutes, and Adira stood up with her bag. "I'm afraid I have to leave now. You should take care.""Huh? B... But we're not done yet," Lancelot stuttered. "Well, I am. I've gotten what I wanted." She smiled and began walking away. Lancelot was tongue-tied. What the hell did she mean by that? ****†****†****† When Adira arrived home and was getting out of the car, she found Nikolai on the balcony, staring down at her. There was a certain look in his eyes that didn't sit well with her; it made her a little cringy. She returned the stare for a few seconds, and seeing that he wouldn't look away, she broke the eye contact and went into the house. **** The next day was Saturday, so Adira had all morning to herself to rest. But by evening, she had to get ready to go to a party with Nikolai. It was the anniversary party of a prominent businessman and his wife in the country, and of course, Nikolai and herself were invited. Nikolai rarely honored invitations, but Mr. Vanderbilt was a man of great importance and also an important business partner. So, it was paramount that they attend. Yvonne assisted her with her dress and makeup, and after a while, she was done and ready to leave. She got hold of her designer purse and gave herself one final look in the mirror before walking out of the room. "You look amazing, ma'am," Yvonne beamed as she walked out the door. "Thank you." Adira got out and met Nikolai in the living room on a call. He was obviously set for the party, as he looked dashing in his all-white attire. A diamond chain, wristwatch, and ring glittered around him, and Adira couldn't help but drool. By the time she got close to him,he had rounded up his call. "Good eve..." Before she could finish her words, Nikolai walked out on her. Her breath froze as her brows furrowed in confusion. What the... What was going on? Why the hell did he walk out on her like that? For almost a minute, she was completely still and didn't know how to react. Since they got married, Nikolai has never ignored her like that before. Did she do something wrong? She forced her legs to move and proceeded to meet him in the car. She felt so jittery as she sat next to him and fiddled with her nails. He wasn't even looking at her but had his gaze on his phone instead. This got Adira really worried. In a short while, the car began moving out. It was a long, tense ride for Adira. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop being worried over the fact that Nikolai ignored her for the first time since they'd been married. What could she possibly have done that warranted that? Or was he trying to push her away since their marriage was close to termination?So many conflicting thoughts ran through her mind. After a long time, they drove into the event center, and the car pulled over in the middle of the compound. The guards stepped down to open the door for them, but when Adira was about to leave, Nikolai's words halted her: "Next time you need to go see your ex-husband, go with some guards, at least." His words were a punch to the gut, making Adira's heart jump into her throat. What?! Her eyes widened in shock, and her lips moved to say something to him, but Nikolai didn't give her the chance as he stepped out of the car immediately. Perplexity washed over Adira. What?! How did he know of her dinner with Lancelot? And was that the reason he ignored her earlier on?