MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

In less than a day, everything changed. All the negative press that Nancy had been getting had been redirected to Paul and Michelle, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, Nancy was able to breathe a little easier. Not only was Paul in the doghouse, but she and her son were on their way to safety.

Nancy would have been no surprise to know that Paul nearly had an aneurism the first time he saw the videos. And it would have pleased her.

What would have surprised her, though, was that he had never endorsed Michelle's behavior. Never in a million years would he have suspected that she was abusing his son, and he was shocked. He wanted to confront her, but all of the servants had fled the castle in fear of retribution, and Michelle had disappeared right along with them. He had not been able to reach her on her cell phone, and the company she worked for had not heard from her either.

****

"Inconceivable," Paul muttered as he used the remote control to turn off the television. There was nothing to watch, here or on the web. It seemed that wherever he looked, all anybody was reporting on was what had happened between him and Michelle. He understood that people got upset when they heard that a child had been abused, but this seemed over the top.

Paul suspected that he had been targeted and all the attention he was receiving as part of a conspiracy to bring him down.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang, and after checking the Caller ID, he accepted the call. "What's the news?" he asked.

"You were right," Eric replied. "You have been targeted - It's Nathan! He is behind all of this!"

"Nathan!" Paul gritted his teeth. "I thought it might be him. This is such bullshit! My reputation is ruined. My wife has run away, and I've lost my son."

Eric was silent for a moment, and then he said, "I can relate. I lost my wife and some of my men."

"I also lost a lover," Paul whined. "I don't know what will become of me now…."

****

When Nancy woke up the next morning, she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that something was wrong. She had dreamt that Paul had climbed out of Hell and that he was trying to drag her back with him. There had been flames everywhere, and she had kicked him back into them, and as he fell back, he shouted, "I'll be back."

Nancy shivered. She thought about the videos that they had released the day before, and she wondered what the repercussions for her actions would be.

When Crystal came out of her cabin for breakfast, she noticed that Nancy seemed out of sorts, and she asked her if there was a problem.

"I'm fine," Nancy replied.

Crystal sighed. She did not believe her friend, but she decided not to push it. "It's going to be a cold day," she said. "Make sure you and Clark are dressed warmly. You do not want to catch a cold... Where is that boy anyway?" The dog was curled up under the table, and Clark barely ever left his side.

"Clark and Noah are still in bed, Nancy replied."

"What?" Crystal was surprised.

"Last night Clark wanted Noah to play with him, and they fell asleep in his room," Nancy explained. "But I will bundle him up when he wakes up."

****

By the time they had reached the end of their journey, it had been decided that they would all live together, and Nathan bought a modest two-story apartment. Nancy, Noah, and Clark were given the first floor, Crystal and Nathan took the second floor, and there was a dog house in the backyard for Wolf.

Nathan kept his word to Nancy. Her father was transferred to a nearby hospital, and much to everyone's surprise, the media continued to follow Paul around. Nearly every day, he made front-page news.

One morning, Crystal showed Nancy an article in the newspaper. She pointed to a photograph and said, "Look! A waiter in Kuerto recognized Paul. He had also assaulted her, and she was so outraged that she took some leftover soup from the kitchen and poured it over his head."

Nancy's eyes went wide when she saw that. "No way!" she exclaimed.

Crystal smiled and said, "He deserves it!"

"Oh my gosh! He must be furious."

"Who cares?" Crystal's expression was cold. "That man deserves to be castrated and locked away. You have to know that he'll offend again!"

You are right," Nancy admitted. "Of course, you are. But I am getting sick of seeing his face everywhere. That chapter in my life is over, and I want to focus on the next one."

****

Shortly after the soup incident, Paul boarded a plane out of Kuerto. It had taken him longer than he had expected to find Nancy, but now that he knew where she was, he was determined, not only to retrieve her but to force her to clear his name and publicly apologize to him.

Even though he was seated in the first-class cabin, he still had to wear sunglasses and a scarf. If he were recognized, he knew that the flight crew would make his trip a living Hell - And all thanks to Nancy!

****

Crystal scowled at the bowl of medicine soup that had been placed in front of her. "The soup is ready," the servant said. "Drink it while it's hot."

Crystal wrinkled her nose. For three days straight, Nathan had made her drink this soup at least three times a day. He had delivered it to her personally the first few times, and when she had refused it, he had threatened to kill Nancy.

Now that the servants were delivering the soup, though, Crystal felt empowered to refuse it. "I don't want to drink this," she said.

"You must drink it." The servant frowned and said, "It is good for you, and it will be good for the baby."

"I don't even want a baby!" Crystal exclaimed. She was afraid that her heart would be shaken again if she had a child, and she would go back to her old ways. "Can't you just say that I drank it?"

"I cannot lie to my master!" The servant was aghast. "Anyway, there is nothing wrong with Mr. Davis. He is sweet to you. He even carefully arranged every aspect of your life for you."

Crystal folded her arms beneath her breasts and said, "That sounds like Hell!"

"Crystal Smith!" Nancy exclaimed. She had been standing at the doorway, and she said, "All you ever see is the negative! Most girls would be happy to be in your position, but all you do is complain!"

"Whatever.." Crystal sighed as she picked up the bowl and began to eat.