Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 95

A private jet touched down.

A woman dressed in a stylish trench coat and heels was at the Beldovian hangar, waiting for him.

A man stepped off the jet, looking worried and guilty. He had dazzling ocean-blue eyes, dark chestnut brown hair, a toned build; he looked stellar in a navy-blue sweater paired with a collared shirt underneath and casual khakis.

There was no doubt he was handsome, but they wouldn’t expect that he was a CEO of an empire.

He halted once he made it down the flight of stairs that led from the jet to the hangar floor.

“Windsor!” He called enthusiastically, giving her a hug.

“I came as soon as I heard,” he said.

“I’m so, so sorry,” he apologized.

Sophia patted him on the back.

“It’s fine,” she admitted.

“I’m just… surprised.”

“Who would’ve thought?” Sophia asked rhetorically.

“From heir to a self-made big shot, no, a CEO of an empire,” Sophia sounded proud.

Blaine looked at her smiling, thankful she didn’t have a preconceived opinion about him after what’d happened years ago.

“How I missed you,” he chuckled.

“I could say the same,” Sophia chuckled.

They entered the palace and met Louis while they were making their way to the conference room.

“You must be Louis,” Blaine smiled.

“And who’re you?” Louis asked.

“Blaine. Blaine Wilson.”

Louis’ eyes widened.

“Of Blaine Corporations?” He asked.

Blaine nodded.

“He was a classmate of mine,” Sophia explained.

“Ah.”

“And what are you doing, visiting here?” Louis then asked.

“An incident took place and I personally came here to fix things,” Blaine explained vaguely.

“An incident?” Louis raised his brow.

Blaine nodded.

Sophia took a sudden interest in the floor.

__

“Someone tried catcalling you?!” Louis exclaimed.

“And you didn’t tell me?”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I’m your brother, Soph, your brother!”

Blaine had told Louis what’d happened, and hence, Louis now knew why Sophia had called him.

Why else would she call him?

“Aren’t you supposed to still… oh, I don’t know, be mad at me?” Sophia asked, walking quickly beside him.

“I was until I heard what’d happened,” Louis admitted.

“Why’d I have to hear this from Nicholas and not you?” He said particularly loudly.

“And who’s the jerk that did it?” He demanded.

“Do you happen to know his name?” He asked next.

“Why do people make it a point to bombard me when they hear of what happened,” Sophia mumbled.

Louis narrowed his eyes, “Because, we’ve got to do something about it.”

Sophia turned to face Louis.

“I already did,” she answered.

He knitted his brows, “You did?”

“What did you do?”

“Put him in his place.”

“Probably got him fired too.”

“How–”

Clarisse poked Sophia.

“You contacted Wilson?!” She cried.

“Why would you even consider doing that?!”

“Why would you… after what he did to me… I’m hurt, Sophie. Really hurt!” Clarisse cried.

“For god’s sake, he’s–he’s–”

She stopped mid-sentence.

“Oh hey Louis,” she greeted.

‘Wait for it,’ Sophia thought to herself.

“Sophia got catcalled,” Louis said to Clarisse, who took a while to process things.

“Excuse me, what?” Clarisse asked.

“You got catcalled?”

“What does that have to do with Wilson?” She then asked.

Anger flared in Clarisse’s eyes.

“He wasn’t the one who did it now did he?” She demanded.

“If he was, I swear, just wait until I get my hands on him,” she cursed under her breath.

Sophia shook her head.

“He didn’t,” she debunked Clarisse’s thoughts.

“It was someone working under him,” she elucidated.

“Ahem,” Louis cleared his throat.

“Who’s Wilson again?”

Sophia stared at Clarisse who nodded slightly.

“CEO of Blaine Corporations.”

“He was also a classmate of ours in university,” Clarisse said bitterly.

She mumbled something else under her breath.

Louis was baffled.

“Mhm,” Clarisse muttered.

“Sounds like something out of a romance novel,” Louis laughed softly.

Clarisse frowned, “It does until you meet the man.”

“So he’s a CEO, no biggie.”

Sophia whispered something to Louis.

“That’s terrible,” Louis whispered back.

“Right? She could’ve done so much more without him,” Sophia said in return.

“You know I can hear you from here, right?” Clarisse swiveled her head.

Sophia feigned ignorance.

“So, care to explain what he does have to do with the man who catcalled you?” Clarisse asked.

“He works under Blaine Corporations,” Sophia said smugly.

Clarisse had an amused look on her face.

“Oh,” Clarisse said.

“So I called him,” Sophia elucidated.

She tried not to seem guilty.

She said she’d take Clarisse for a walk. Louis walked away.

“Why couldn’t you have told me that you called him beforehand?” Clarisse asked.

“He’s my ex, Soph, my ex!” She exclaimed.

“My ex-boyfriend’s now a CEO!” She cried.

“Louis is right, sounds like something out of a damn romance novel.”

She laughed.

“I date one guy, one guy, and then he becomes the CEO of a multi-billion dollar empire.”

“My luck,” she scoffed.

Sophia patted Clarisse’s back – just as she did Blaine’s.

“He’s a great guy,” she said to Clarisse.

“He really is,” she admitted.

Clarisse frowned.

“You can have him.”

“That’s not what I meant, Claire.”

“Besides, you know I only have eyes for Nicholas,” Sophia waved her hand dismissively.

__

“Your royal highness,” a butler bowed.

“What is it?” Nicholas asked.

“I have news of what you asked me,” the butler informed.

“Of the duchess.”

Nicholas looked up.

“What?” He asked.

“She was seen hugging someone in the palace hangar.”

Nicholas’ eyes widened.

It took him all his willpower not to jump out of his seat.

“She what?”

“Are you sure it wasn’t a family member, a distant family member, Alistair?” He asked.

“No, your royal highness.”

“It was neither.”

Nicholas took a deep breath.

“How did she hug him?” He demanded.

“Was it a friendly hug, a romantic hug, a stiff hug?” Nicholas asked his eyes a pit of rage.

“Show me how they hugged,” he ordered.

“Quick, show me,” he repeated, as though the poor butler hadn’t heard him already the first time.

The butler blinked. Was he hearing what he think he heard?

“Your royal highness?” He asked.

“Show me,” Nicholas insisted.

The butler neared him.

He hugged him as Sophia did Blaine.

Nicholas quickly moved away from him.

He needed to see things for himself.

He walked down the hallways, searching for Sophia.

By then, Sophia was with Blaine – giving him a tour of the palace, something that’d surprised him.

“You know, you could’ve always had someone else give me a tour,” Blaine reasoned.

“Are you saying you rather have someone else give you a tour, someone other than me…?” Sophia asked, blinking.

Blaine instantly shook his head, “Course not.”

“I’m just surprised you’re giving me a tour in the first place.”

“Where’s the cold, ruthless Sophia I got to know in university?”

“Oh screw you, I’ll have you know I was a delight,” Sophia narrowed her eyes.

Blaine laughed.

“Besides, you’re a step up from… what was that nickname?”

“Nerdy Wil.”

Sophia burst into laughter.

“Right.”

“The same Wil who couldn’t go a date without blurting out the percentage of relationships that fail.”

“Look at you now,” Sophia said finally.

“Living proof even the nerdiest people can change and turn into one of the world’s most powerful people, excluding royals,” Sophia gestured at him.

“Did you give me a tour just to insult my past self?” Blaine asked.

“I thought you’d be more ‘Great to see you again, Blaine,’ and less, ‘Oh you used to be an unlovable nerd,’” he admitted.

He studied her face.

“It’s not funny,” he raised his eyebrows.

He swacked her playfully, “It really isn’t.”

He cleared his throat.

“And… also, quick question that has nothing to do with this tour,” Blaine began.

“Shoot,” Sophia said.

“Is Clarisse seeing anyone at the current moment?” He asked her.

Sophia raised her brow.

“I don’t think so,” she admitted.

Nicholas walked towards them, and Sophia was so engrossed in thought she hadn’t seen him coming.

“Sophia,” Nicholas called.

Sophia’s eyes lit up.

“Nicholas!”

She smiled.

“And who’s Nicholas?” Blaine asked peculiarly.

Sophia pondered on it.

“Long story short, me and her are courting,” Nicholas quickly explained.

“Ah,” Blaine nodded.

“And you are?” Nicholas asked.

“Blaine Wilson, CEO of Blaine Corporations,” Blaine introduced, shaking Nicholas’ hand.

He purposely didn’t introduce himself as Sophia’s classmate or Clarisse’s ex for a reason.

Nicholas studied Blaine closely, occasionally looking at Sophia to see how she was looking at him.

Blaine wrapped his arm around Sophia’s neck.

Nicholas’ eyes twitched.

“Soph, why don’t you say…”

“You show me the palace gardens?”

Sophia knew what Blaine was trying to do.

She looked at Nicholas, who was fuming.

“Of course,” she answered.

“Just because you’re a CEO doesn’t mean you have permission to–”

Sophia decided to step in before this turned into a fight. The tension was already thick as it was.

“He forgot to mention he’s an old classmate of mine from university that’s visiting,” Sophia nudged Blaine

Nicholas glared at him before turning to look at her.

“He’s also Clarisse’s ex.”