A slow, cruel, excruciating kind of pain lodged inside as I felt my breath get knocked out of me. The pain and betrayal fast making its way into my brain and heart. Tears stung my eyes, streaming down my cheeks.

"Hayley" I heard Emilie call out.

At the sound of her voice, I saw Nicholas and Alex turn towards us. My eyes focused on Nicholas'. His eyes widened at the sight of me. He took a step towards me as I staggered back. My head shaking vigorously as if my mind was not ready to accept Nicholas' betrayal. I turned around and started running towards the exit, my eyes blinded by tears. It was comparatively quieter outside the club. I could hear the frantic footsteps chasing me, the footsteps closing in. I felt a strong arm grab my elbow swirling me around. I looked up only to make eye contact with the grey eyes that I had come to love. 

"Please.. Listen to me.. I can explain" I could hear the desperation in his voice. 

"Explain what?" I felt the pain turn into a searing fury. "Explain how you planned to use me to get to my father? How you toyed with my feelings to get your revenge? I am a fool to have believed that maybe just maybe you liked me." I say running my hands through my hair. "Was everything that we did a part of your elaborate plan? Tell me the truth Nicholas."

He sighed. "At the start yes. When I first met you at your restaurant, you getting the catering contract and the accident...."

"What accident?" I interrupted him. Please don't let it be the almost accident of Mr Mathews. Nicholas couldn't be this cruel to get what he wants. I closed my eyes waiting for his answer.

"The accident that led to spilling of Linguine all'Aragosta o all'Astice." No No No.  I opened my eyes only to see remorse in his. I took a step back, not wanting to be close to him. He could see that he was close to losing me and there was nothing he could do. In an attempt to salvage what was left, He took a step towards me, his hands making its way towards my face.

"Don't. Don't you dare touch me." His face scrunched up in pain at my words. "How could you? How could you attempt to hurt an innocent man in your thirst for revenge? How could you be so cruel Nicholas?" I asked exasperated. It suddenly felt like I didn't know the real Nicholas.

"The car wasn't supposed to hit Mr Mathews, It was just meant to scare him into dropping the dish. Believe me, you have to. I just needed you to find me so that I got a chance to get close to you. So that I could get you to be my date." I could see it on his face, he truly didn't mean to hurt Mr Mathews but that did not make his crime any less.

"And that's exactly what happened. You did your research well." I sighed, looking up at the sky. Suddenly a thought crossed my mind. "The press conference, you claiming me as your girlfriend was part of your plan? Did you give those pictures to the media? Did you ask them to degrade me the way they did?" A searing pain made its way into me making me stagger back. My thoughts running wild.

"No. No." He shook his head frantically. "Yes claiming you as my girlfriend was a part of my plan, yes I did provide them with the pictures however I didn't expect them to write such a deplorable article about you. When I read it, I felt guilty. I was furious at myself." He whispered.

"Did you even send that filthy man to violate me? So that you could save me?" I accused him, my fists clenched at that thought. My heart pounding. Nicolas couldn't do this to me, he couldn't hurt me in the worst way possible but I had to confirm. 

His eyes steeled against my accusations. He took a threatening step forward. "How could you? Is that what you think of me? That I would send a man to harass you or any woman for that matter?" His lips curling in disgust. 

"I don't know what to think of you anymore. The Nicholas I know seems like a facade. Your thirst for revenge seems to cloud your decisions," I sighed. 

"I know where are you coming from, I guess. No I didn't send that filthy man to violate you. When I saw that man touching you," A shudder ran through his body at that thought, "Something in me snapped that day. I felt rage like no other. Somewhere in my heart I knew that you were innocent. I felt a strong urge to protect you. That was when I realized you meant something to me. I initially did plan to use you but that was before I got to know you. I saw the error in my ways. I started caring for you. I saw that you didn't deserve my wrath. You were the light in my darkness." His eyes softened at that. An overwhelming emotion came over me but I pushed it back down.

"You still played with my emotions Nicholas. That day when I was at your office, when we shared those intimate moments. The day I overheard you speak about your plan, when you said she is falling for it. You were still going to use me, weren't you?" I knew the truth but I just wanted to hear it from him. 

He looked down ashamed. We didn't speak for what seemed like hours when he finally whispered a yes. My heart clenched at his acceptance. Tears making its way to my eyes once again. 

"You have won Nicholas. You have got what you wanted. You destroyed me. Bask in your victory. I hope it was worth losing me," I said tears streaming down my face as I ran away from him, from the pain that he inflicted upon me.

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