MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

Much to Nathan's surprise, Crystal picked up her piece of Cupid's Arrow, popped it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. His eyes lit up when she opened her mouth to show that it was empty, and the crowd stood up to give her a standing ovation.

****

Nancy was now standing by the windowsill. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the sun's glow was reflected off the snow in a way that implied that everything was right with the world. From her perspective, though, it seemed that nothing was right with the world. She had just learned that Paul had poisoned Noah. That was what caused his heart problem, and it was unlikely that they would find an antidote.

At this point, Crystal was her only hope. Crystal had a way of making the impossible possible. Nancy did not know how she did it, and she was always amazed by how she managed to turn things around. Unfortunately, she had no idea where Crystal was.

Crystal had gone out earlier that morning, and she had not returned. Now it was the middle of the afternoon, time was of the essence, and she had no way of reaching her.

Crystal had recently changed her phone number, and Nancy did not have the new number programmed into her phone yet. Thus, all she could do was wait. The longer she waited, the more anxious she became.

The doctor said that Noah did not have much time left, and Nancy feared that he would die while she waited.

Wolf stepped out of his doghouse, and when he saw her, he barked and wagged his tail. She called his name and said, "Good boy!" It was good to have a distraction. If Crystal did not show up soon, she would be forced to call Paul and beg for the antidote, and that thought terrified her.

****

The next morning - Eric was wearing a white fencing suit. He had his sword in his hand, and he was practicing a variety of jabs and stances. His victim lay defeated nearby. 

Finally, he stuck his weapon in the ground and took off his mask to reveal a wicked grin. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and then he offered his opponent a hand up. The other man scowled and pushed his hand away.

Eric had been interested in fencing for a few years, but no one had expected that he would one day defeat his fencing coach, who was a fencing champion: A world champion.

Eric tossed his mask to one of the servants, and then he walked to the table with water on it. He poured himself a glass, sat down, and as he took his first sip, a servant rushed in. He had a yellow envelope in his hand, and after putting it on the table, he said, "Master Bush, this is from Master Davis."

Eric rolled his eyes as he opened the envelope. "I can't imagine what this is," he muttered.

Inside the envelope, there were pictures from the auction and a short description of what had taken place, and as Eric scanned the images, his ire began to rise. Finally, he crumpled the photos into a ball and threw them on the ground. He thought- Nathan Davis... If it is a war that you want, then it is the war that you shall get!

He looked at the photos with scorn. Even crumpled and ruined, they seemed to taunt him. Along with the pictures and the short descriptions, there were media clippings, and many of them featured Nathan and Crystal.

From these clippings, Eric could tell that they had been the talk of the town. By sending them, Nathan had sent a clear message: "You may as well give up. Crystal belongs to me now!"

****

When Crystal woke up, it was nearly noon, so she was not surprised to find Nathan was not by her side. He seldom slept in. Clark had taken his spot, and he was staring at her. Finally, he smiled and said, "Good morning, Aunt Crystal."

She ruffled his hair and said, "Good morning, sweety. How long have you been here?"

"So long," Clark replied. "Forever, I think. Aunt Crystal, where's my Mommy?"

Crystal frowned. "You don't know where your Mommy is?"

Clark shook his head sadly. "Mommy's gone."

"Where could she be?" Crystal wondered. She was having a hard time thinking straight, and she had to give her head a shake to get her thoughts in order. When she returned from the auction with Nathan the day before, he had brought her upstairs and f****d her until midnight, and now her whole body was numb.

"Did she leave any clues?" Crystal wondered. "After all, she has to be somewhere, right!"

"There's a paper on the table," Clark replied hopefully. "But I can't read... Here, I'll go get it."

Without waiting for a reply, the boy dashed off, and he was back in no time. He had a piece of paper in his hand and a giant grin on his face.

Crystal took over the note, and as she read it, she began to panic. It said, "Crystal, I have gone to look for Paul. I will be back as soon as I can. Take care of Clark while I am gone. Love, Nancy. P.s. I know what I am doing, so don't worry." 

"Don't worry!" Crystal exclaimed. She thought - How can I not worry? Nancy didn't even say why she was looking for Paul. And even if she has a good reason, wouldn't her time be better spent looking for a cure for Noah?!?!

"Where's my Mommy?" Clark asked again.

"I don't know," Crystal admitted. "I'm sorry."

"I want my Mommy," Clark whined, and he began to cry. "I'm scared..."

"I know." Crystal gave him a big hug and rubbed his back. "There, there," she said. "I'm sure that she won't be gone for long." 

For a long time, Clark did not say anything. He cried into her bosom and crutched his sleeves tightly in his tiny fists. Finally, he began to settle, and it seemed to Crystal that he was on the verge of falling asleep, but then the front door open and his eyes

opened wide. "Is that Mommy?" he asked hopefully. "It must be her!"

"Let's go find out," Crystal replied hopefully.

It was not his Mommy, though. It was Nathan, and when the boy saw him, he curled up on the couch and began to suck his thumb. It was a habit that he had broken almost a year ago, and it hurt Crystal's heart to see him like this. Nancy had better have a good reason for abandoning him like this - she thought angrily. 

Nathan frowned. He looked at Crystal and asked what was going on. She explained everything, and he was as disconcerted by Nancy's actions as she was. "I don't know what to do..." she cried. "And I don't like seeing Clark like this."

"Don't worry." Nathan gave her a big hug and said, "We will find her. I will arrange for a search party, and the fact that you know what she likes will help."

Crystal kissed him hard on the mouth and said, "Thank you so much. I do not know what I would do without you. Clark and I will get ready, and then we can go."

"Hold your horses." Nathan chuckled. "I don't want to go off half-cocked. If we are going to find your friend, we need to be smart. So, while I get things in order, you have some time. Have a shower, eat, and do whatever else you might need to do."

"Crystal nodded. "Alright. You are right.. It is best that we keep our wits about us."