His Toxic Addiction
Chapter 47: Complicated.

Chapter 47: Complicated.

"Arissa," her name rolled off his lips calmly as he stared down at her, and then, with a little walk, he sat down on the couch.

Arissa frowned. She asked him to get her water and not this so why is he sitting beside her?

"Hmm," she replied to her name, still not turning to face him.

"Did you agree to this marriage based on the benefits alone?" Nicklaus asked looking at the nude drawing on the farthest wall where the piano was based at.

Arissa almost jumped off her skin hearing his question and in an instant, her headache was gone, "What do you mean?" she asked sitting up. What kind of life-threatening question did he just ask her?

Nicklaus turned his face to her, "Don’t play that game Arissa. Was there an inner threat before you agreed to this marriage?" he asked and unlike the earlier calm tune he used in calling her name, this one was gravely stern.

A sweat broke out from Arissa’s forehead because of his tune and for the first time, she do not know how to dodge a question, or was it because she knows she was about to lie?

"Klaus,"

"Don’t call me that," Nicklaus hissed, cutting her off as the shortened name surfaced a glimpse of a buried dark memory.

Arissa bit her inner gum as she endured him. He’s a smart person, yes! And now if she makes a hole, no matter where Adele would be hidden next, her parents would not rest until they find her.

"Nicklaus," she took an unnoticed breath, "I don’t know what you are talking about," she lied as she tightened her legs together.

Nicklaus’s eyes caught that little lying gesture of hers and then, he took his eyes back to the wall portrait, "Really?" Nicklaus asked as his eyes peeled away from the nude pics and landed on her face, "You don’t know what I’m talking about?"

"Yes," Arissa replied straight as she looked at the pills in her hand with thoughts on how to stand up from here.

Nicklaus looked at her and studied the air around her. Her actions show she was lying and his search team found out only the plain truth.

The living room was just as he liked it. Not bright with only reflections of golden and coffee-brown lights that the kitchen and dining provided but still, he was able to see her expression.

Arissa on the other hand was having a hard time with the nightmare and now with this question, both hands holding the pills trembled with uncertain fear.

The space between them on the couch can fit a toddler to lie down with no issues but even with the space, Arissa felt suffocated by him.

"Then why is Adele in a hospital?" he dropped the question a bit irritated with her attempt to label him a fool.

Arissa swiped her head at him. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat tripled. She almost jumped off her skin with fear of the unknown. ’How did he..?’

Recovering her normal nonchalant composure quickly, she scoffed, "Adele went abroad," she lied again. Adele going abroad was what her parents made the media believe.

And guess what? It worked out perfectly because just like her, Adele was no media person, "I would like to go to my room right_"

"Patient 110, room 308 going on by the identity Racheal Morrene, at Evergreen Hospital hidden down the valley" he cut her off with a warning in his voice for her to end her lies.

Arissa’s shoulder trembled as she listened to him. Does he track her life? Was he the one behind the followed feeling she always has when outside the house?

"Look Nicklaus, for the last time. I ain’t know what you are talking about," she yelled at him with fear and unknown to her, her voice was trembling.

Nicklaus stilled. No way! He knows women lie but never, not even in his wildest dreams, he would never have tamed Arissa as someone who would lie.

He does not know her that well but from her straightforwardness, he never thought he would add lying to her list of personalities.

"Hey, look at me," he snapped her head back to him when she was about to take her face back to her hand.

Arissa paused as she turned back to him obediently for the first time. Those words were simple, but the emotions slipping out of them said otherwise.

The air between them became thick and Arissa froze for the first time under his cold gaze. She was never afraid of him even when he shows his dangerous air but now, she does not know if her guilt feeling was attached, she only wants to look away.

Holding her gaze, "Would you tell me that Adele is well fit and strong?" he asked.

Arissa said nothing but just sat there blinking at him with little sweat on her face.

"Speak up Arissa," he demanded as his eyes remained on her unblinking.

Arissa swallowed a lump of her saliva to calm down from screaming the truth out. All her life, she had never been a good liar but now, she has to lie to survive, "Yes,"

Nicklaus raised his brows at her, "Yes what?"

Arissa exhaled audibly, "Yes, Adele is well and okay," she said like a genuine confession holding his black eyes with her brown ones.

Nicklaus gritted his teeth as he tried to get mad at her but strangely, he couldn’t.

He does not let lies pass and even when they lied behind him, he still makes sure they prefer hell to earth when he’s done with them but... now here she is.

Looking directly into his eyes, and lying to him with no fear. He parted his thin lips to say something but shut them back again as he still found no anger in him.

"Okay,"

Arissa blinked. She was waiting for him to outrageously call her a liar since by his speech, he has all the full evidence to rightfully call her names and force words out of her mouth but rather than that, he only said ’okay’. Does that mean he believes her and would take her words for words and stop sending men to follow her in secret?

"Okay?" she repeated but Nicklaus said nothing and only watched her. Recovering her scenes back, she stood up to leave.

"Sit," Nicklaus ordered looking up at her as she stood up.

Arissa paused as she gaped at him. She was sure she heard wrongly but looking at his dominant and demanding expression, she knew she had heard well.

"Why?" she asked still standing. She wants to go back to her room now. She does not care if the nightmare comes again all she wants to do right now is to step away from him.

Nicklaus looked at her hand and back to her face, "You haven’t taken the pills," he reminded.

Arissa’s eyes looked at the pills that she unconsciously still held and before she would say anything, Nicklaus stood up and walked away but not to the staircase. He went directly to the kitchen.

Arissa blinked looking at his back and right before her, he came out with a glass of water.

She took a quiet deep breath as she stood frozen to a spot. It felt as if at the moment, she was morden days Lot, sculpture wife.

’Lord! Was this the feeling Lot’s wife felt after turning to a pillar of salt?’ she asked herself as she studied him standing still unable to tear even her eyes away.

Finally, she blinked when he stood before her, "Here," he said as he passed the water over to her.

"Go back to your room and make sure you take a nap. Let me know in the morning if your head still hurts when you are awake," he ordered her with his voice both icy and caring at the same time.

Arissa nodded her head and then, her eyes passed to his sexy Adam’s apple and she gulped noticing it for the first time. It was so manly and sexy.

Seeing she was now in a world of her own while using his chest as a portal, Nicklaus turned away and went up the staircase without waiting to know if she drank the pills or not.

Arissa traced his back with her eyes until he exited her sight and then with a tired drop, she sat on the couch with a few drops of water slipping off the glass.

If you ask her, he’s complicated... sexily complicated.

The conversation just now almost tore her brain open but ended with only for him to say okay at the end and also got her a glass of water also as maybe compensation for the stress.

*sigh* she took the pills.