The Royal Contract

"You have to excuse us, Nick, but we are about to leave," Dani said as politely as she could muster, hoping that Nick would take the hint.

She wanted to avoid an unnecessary confrontation with him in front of Alex's parents. But if she had her way, she would have told him to go back to the hell hole he came from because he did not belong with the living.

"It had been nice to see and meet you all." Nick gave her a satisfied smile and finally said his farewell and moved away. 

He could see that he already accomplished what he had come to do, so there was no more point in pushing his luck at the moment. There was still a lot of time to proceed with his plans.

"Well, it was nice to have a wonderful dinner with both of you. But don't let us keep you. I know you are still probably both tired from your long flight." Dani stood up from her seat, wanting the dinner to end and for everyone to leave. She did not need Alex's parents to start asking questions about Nick.

She did not like the sudden appearance of Nick. She could sense trouble that she did not want Alex's parents to witness. Besides, she could feel that Alex was already fuming with his presence alone.

What more if he started talking about his nonsense? She had no idea what would happen. Although, she knew that Alex could control his anger, just like the time with Troy. 

Still, she was apprehensive when it was Nick at the other end of his ire. Alex still had no idea of what Nick was capable of, and she did not want Alex involved in the mess that she got herself involved with during her past.

"Shall we go?" Alex said, but his eyes still followed the man that had caused Dani so much misery.

He still had no idea of the kind of relationship Dani had with Nick, but from the way he saw it, Dani was traumatized by it. He believed it was not just the cancellation of the wedding, but there is something more.

He could not ask Dani outright. He believed that he should wait until Dani was ready to tell him what truly happened between Nick and her.

"Sure," Dani said with a breathy sigh. 

Fortunately, to Dani's relief, Alex's parents did not ask anything about Nick. Alex and Dani, together with their parents, walked out of the restaurant with a smile. It was as if the incident with Nick did not happen. 

They eventually separated outside when their parents rode their vehicle, and they too went on theirs. As they sat on the backseat of the car, she felt Alex moved a little closer to her and cradled her head between his shoulder blades and chest.

"Are you alright?" He asked as they started moving towards the street.

He could feel that the encounter with Nick still affected Dani. She might show a strong front, but underneath all that shield that she built around her. She was just a too kind and trusting girl who could easily get hurt by abusive and cunning people that surround her. 

He should know since he had the first-hand experience. Dani quickly trusted him and agreed to his arrangement without knowing him that well. 

Fortunately for her, he was not as bad as some of them, who took advantage of people's weaknesses. His offer was legit. He made sure that she understood what she had signed when she entered their contract.

"Yes, I am. Don't worry. I can protect myself from the likes of Nick." She assured him as she slightly moved until she could look into his face. "I am just afraid that your parents might get caught in his games."

She tried to read his face for any reaction, but it remained blank. She still needed to learn his tiny telltale signs if she would read his thoughts. At the moment, it was hard for her since he seemed well-trained to keep his feelings to himself.

"Don't worry about them. My parents knew how to handle someone like him." He assured her. "Promise me that if he ever bothered you again, tell me." He took her hand in a protective gesture, gave it a soft kiss, and kept it rested near his heart.

He was not sure what Nick was planning. But whatever it was, he would be there to stop him. He was not going to allow him to get near Dani ever again.

He found himself wanting to protect her more from these kinds of people, like Nick. Then, he questioned his feeling. How deep was he into this relationship? He wondered as he asked himself if he was ready to settle down.

"What about you? Are you ok?" She could not help but be thrilled that he was ready to be her knight, but who was going to protect him from the likes of Nick.

She would never forgive herself if anything untoward happened to him because of her. She also had to keep an eye on him and Nick's activities. She did not trust Nick not to try his dirty tricks on Alex to get back at her.

"I am capable of taking care of myself. You need not worry about me." He assured her as he finally enveloped her in his embrace. 

Half of him wanted so much to keep her by his side. But the other half was telling him to let her go while he still could. Because presently, he was not sure where Dani would be safer, with him or without him.

Back inside the restaurant, when Nick moved away from the couple's table, he could not help the wide grin that spread across his face. He made sure not to look back because he guaranteed that Alex was watching him.

Nick knew he had accomplished what he came to do when he walked to Dani's table. Contented with himself, he continued to his reserved table, where several of his new investors were waiting for him.

"I hope I did not make you wait too long. I could not resist greeting some old friends on the other table." Nick boastfully informed them.

Seeing the faces of his guests, with satisfied smiles, indicated that they witnessed the show he just presented them. Attaching his name with the royal couple would give his name and company a boost in the eyes of these people.

"I did not know that you have finally settled your difference with your ex-fiancé." One of his younger clients, who probably heard of his past, expressed his opinion on what he had witnessed.

"Fortunately, we set aside our differences and remained friends. Now, the royal family also could not wait to schedule a meeting with me." He continued to say, letting the lies influenced their decisions.

It was like hitting two birds with one stone. Nick was able to gain the new clients' trust and, at the same time, get close to Dani even for a brief minute. 

If this deal pushed through, he was about to make a large amount of money. It seemed to be his lucky night. He suddenly felt like a million bucks.