His Toxic Addiction
Chapter 49: With expectations.

Chapter 49: With expectations.

Collins stood up from his seat with a gentlemanly smile the moment he saw Arissa walking into the restaurant.

He never imagined she would one day accept lunch out with him. It’s almost two years since he requested a lunch out and finally, when he thought it would never happen, his blessing came his way just when he least expected.

Sadly, he would be leaving this country soon. He only came here because she needed help but also, at his private hospital, he’s now needed so every second he has to spend with her counts until he can break her restriction letters.

Arissa returned the smile with a wave.

"Hey," Arissa greeted as she finally stood before him. Stretching out her hand for a handshake, Collins’s face fell. They were still in the phase of handshakes? - when she accepted lunch out with him, he expected a green light but things were still the same.

Handshakes! There would never be a green light between both of them but also, there is nothing prayers and efforts can’t do - Right?

And with a stiff smile, he lifted his arm and took her hand in his. And when he felt her soft fragile hand in his, his heart swelled - at least, he still has the privilege to feel her hand in his.

They cut off the handshake and Arissa sat down. "So, to what do I owe this honor?" Arissa asked with a vibrant smile with all her dimples on display, resting her chin on her fist.

Collins watched her and he wondered if she was still ignorant about his feeling or if she was just acting ignorant and again, what’s with the thousand smiles in a minute?

Collins waved his thought off and smiled at her line, "I’m the honored one here," he clarified.

Arissa thinned her lips. She has smiled a lot today but at the same time, things are going well already, and soon, all these shits would end. So, these smiles naturally do not want to stop.

She finally has the third to last piece of her parent’s shit and she would forever be grateful to ’him’ for a lifetime when all these come to an end.

But for now, she has to focus on living life for a moment so she would not forget how to celebrate when the time comes.

"So, I guess you would be living soon," she hinted as she sat up straight and took her hands off the table.

Collins smiled as his heart trembled, "I guess," he affirmed.

Arissa bit her inner low lip. That’s the reason why she’s here, he has done a lot for her with just Adele and his departure somehow did not sit well with her when she imagined going to the hospital and his reserved self wasn’t there any longer.

"When would you come to visit?" she asked. She was not asking because of Adele but as a friend.

Collins smiled at her question. At least, she do care when she would see him again, and from her tone, he understood she was asking as a friend.

"I’m not sure about that,"

He isn’t sure but he would surely make a way to take her away from here and this frightening life she came back to find herself in. That’s a promise he’s giving to himself.

"But I would be here whenever you need me," he added and with this, Arissa smiled warmly hearing him. She can’t thank God enough for people like Adele, Jocelyn, Collins, and Richard in her life.

They complete her wholly no matter the circumstance she gets into and no matter the pieces of numbers she breaks into, they were there.

She would forever be grateful for real people like this in her life.

"Can I hug you?" she requested looking at him with gratitude, and Collins was over the moon as he stood up for the hug without wasting his moment answering.

Meanwhile,

Across the restaurant, inside a Lamborghini car, a figure sat there with dark eyes as he watched the scene before him.

Knowing Arissa as someone with an extreme love for freedom, Collins choose the first table close to the restaurant’s glass wall and from that spot, it was easy for Nicklaus to watch every scene. His blood boiled when he saw the warm hug she gave the man and also how the man hug was tight as if they had a history together.

It was hard watching her laugh freely with that man when she had never smiled at him. The urge to go there was strong and terrifying as he used all of his self-control to still keep an aloof expression.

Still, under his watch, they separated the hug and sat down. Carrying the menu, he watched them order.

"Are you sure that’s her doctor?" Nicklaus asked her tracker who drove him down her with doubt.

To be truthful, they looked like a couple and acted like one and the way Collins smiled and paid all of his attention to her was priceless.

"Yes, he is," Lucas, her secret bodyguard confirmed.

Nicklaus’s jaw tightened with unusual and unsure emotions, "Then why is she on a date with him?" he can’t believe she dared to leave his house to go on a date with another man when she was his woman by law.

Lucas swallowed a gallon of saliva with nervousness because right now, the air in the car was up to his neck strangling him.

"I do not know about that," Lucas answered stiffly as he turned to his boss and after a short glance at his boss’s expression, he turned back to the road.

Still, watching them, "Have you found out the identity of her illegal stalker?"

Lucas swallowed as he prepared himself for the outcome of what his reply would cause, "I haven’t Boss. He seems to have a strong backup backing him up,"

Seriously, Lucas does not understand what makes Nicklaus think they are the legal ones but he did not dare share his thought to protect himself.

Nicklaus frowned at the explanation. He turned away from the couples he has been watching and gave Lucas a hard stare.

Lucas also turned to him with inner prayers.

Nicklaus took in a deep breath to calm down. He of all people knows how tough it was to find her out. And for the fact she lied to his face this morning only made him want to go deeper and to the bottom end but until then, he now has a new task.

First, he has to make her split things with him.

He turned back to the couple he was watching earlier as he left Lucas hanging concerning their conversation.

But it seems like turning away from Lucas was a bad idea.

His ribcage almost exploded from fury when he saw Collins scoop a spoon of ice cream to Arissa’s lips but then, he relaxed. With expectations.

Knowing Arissa, he tried not to lash out as he waited for her to find the act petty and turn away. He was sure as his gender that she would not open her lips.

But Alas! Just like this mid-morning, she surprised him again. Just before his eyes, she parted her lips and took the ice cream and not only that, there was a wild smile on her lips when she did that.

Lucas who was back to comfortable when Nicklaus said nothing more suddenly froze again as the iciness in the car increased greatly.

And immediately, Nicklaus’s face distorted with anger, and without wasting a second, he walked out of the car.