THE CONSORTIUM HEIR'S RECKONING

CHAPTER 9

The receptionist froze on the spot. Blood drained from her face.

The hotel owner?

She itched to turn in Nicolas direction and give him one last look, but she couldn't. She wouldn't even be able to look him in the eye.

She had completely forgotten about the black card. During their orientation, they had gotten long explanations for the holders of gold, silver and bronze cards. The orientation for the black card had been a whole topic on its own. There was just one black card.

In her entire year working there, all card colors have been used except for the black one. It was easy for her to just tuck it at the back of her mind such that when it finally came, she couldn't remember that it was the revered black card that they had always looked out for.

But…

Nicolas hadn't looked like someone who could own such a distinguished card.

She turned to Nicolas’ direction, her head bowed down in shame as she pleaded. She couldn't mess up her job. “I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to treat you the way I did. It was just a precaution to protect the hotel. I didn't want riffraffs occupying the space. I deeply apologize for how I treated you.”

“So you mean I look like a riffraff,” Nicolas pointed out.

“Not at all, sir," she shook her head rigorously. "I didn't mean…" 

Nicolas knew she meant it. They always did.. But hers was a bit understandable. He had been in the same clothes since the day began and it hadn't been a normal day. It had been filled with vomits and him waking up in a bush and a fight. He must still treat everyone you meet with utmost respect, every human deserves it unless they prove otherwise with their behaviour.

“Please, forgive me, sir. This will never repeat itself.”

Nicolas shook his head. “Look, just give me the card to a suite. She needs to rest.”

Ofcourse, sir.

The bank manager scrambled to his feet and rushed behind the counter to prepare a suite for Nicolas.

He arranged for him to stay in the most luxurious suite. “This suite is never available for public booking and is exclusively reserved for the black cardholder,” he explained to Nicolas.

Nicolas' merely nodded, uninterested. He took the card from him. A room is a room. As long as Natalie could get adequate rest in it, it was okay.

“I could send you an escort,” the manager suggested.

Nicolas shook his head, ignoring the vomit on Natalie's body as he carried her bridal style and headed toward the luxurious suite that the manager had described for him.

The room did not disappoint. In fact, it looked much more luxurious than the word luxurious. It was a beautiful room but Nicolas didn't have the time to admire the suite.

Natalie had just let out a painful moan and murmured that her head hurt.

When Nicolas stepped into the room with the clean white beddings, he knew he couldn't just dump Natalie in it. She was covered in filth.

He had no choice but to head to the bathroom where he undressed her and gave her a quick bath to clean her up.

After cleaning her up, he managed to tie one of the oversized robes around her and took her to the bedroom where he placed her on the bed.

He got cold water, soaked a towel in it and placed it on her forehead.

Nicolas left her to sleep and went to clean up the little mess he had been unable to avoid. From the murky footprints to the splash in the bathroom to his own body. When he was done, he was beyond exhausted. He went to change the towel on Natalie's forehead.

That where he fell asleep rested by the bedside.

Nicolas, having fell asleep had lost track of time. He awoke to a loud shriek.

He glanced up from where he'd fallen asleep on the floor. Natalie was staring around her in panic.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Natalie finally turned in his direction. Almost immediately, her widened eyes returned to their normal sizes. Her shoulders slumped as she pressed a palm to her chest and released a sigh of relief.

“I knew my brother-in-law would come to my rescue,” were her first words.

Nicolas, reclined against the bed, shook his head. “I no longer go by that title. I'm divorcing your sister,” he said. He intentionally omitted the why or that Sarah and her lover, Alex had plotted to kill him. After the hellish night she had, the last thing he wanted was for her to worry about him or what her sister could be up to.

To his surprise, Natalie was not disappointed or saddened for her sister as he'd expected. Instead, she appeared even happier. 

Nicolas was caught off guard when she hugged him tight.

She grinned. “No matter what, I’d always see you as my best friend.” 

Sitting stiffly, Nicolas felt like she was consoling him and he wondered why it was him instead of her sister.

Natalie's smile dimmed when she noticed how still Nicolas was. Usually, he'd hug her back and share a joke. 

It was only then she noticed the effort Nicolas was putting in to keep his gaze on her face. She looked down and her eyes widened, her mouth let out a loud scream as she pulled away from him.

She had an oversized robe on but the rope had loosened and it had fallen off her shoulders. She realized that under the robe that was barely on her body, she was stark naked.

“Your clothes got ruined by your own vomit,” Nicolas babbled.

After Natalie tied the robe tighter around her, she looked up at Nicolas' embarrassed expression and she couldn't help herself. She burst into a fit of laughter.

Nicolas looked, surprised. Natalie will never cease to marvel at him.

She wiggled her brows, “Were you the one that changed my clothes last night?”