NEW GUY?

"THANK you for bringing me home, Appa."

Nikolai was a little flustered when Neoma bowed to him. "You don't have to be overly polite about it, Neoma. I should be the one thanking you for spending the day with me."

"I had fun, Appa," Neoma said, then she raised the two paper bags in her hands. Each paper bag had ten albums inside. "Thank you for buying me these even though you didn't have to."

His daughter had her mother's card.

Of course, he didn't let Neoma pay for anything.

"Neoma, you should take advantage of your chaebol father at times like this," Nikolai said, and he was being serious. "But don't misunderstand. I'm not trying to buy your love and forgiveness, Neoma." He scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "It's just that… I'm good at spending my money."

Neoma giggled as if she found his awkwardness cute. "I know, Appa. Eomma said that your love language is gift giving."

"I thought your mother feels burdened by the gifts I often give her…"

Nikolai and Mona had different standards when it came to what was 'expensive.' What he considered a 'reasonable price' was already 'luxurious' to his wife.

Hence, that started some of their little fights in the past.

"Eomma said that she often finds your gifts overwhelming," Neoma said, nodding. "Nevertheless, Eomma said she appreciates the time and effort that you put into the gifts."

Nikolai was touched to hear that.

However, he didn't get the chance to savor the moment because something else caught his attention.

Nikolai saw Mona getting out of a car while holding a bouquet of red roses…

… and the driver of the said car was a man.

"Ah, it's Uncle Bin," Neoma said excitedly while looking at the same car. "Did Eomma and Uncle Bin hang out without me?"

"'Uncle Binnie?'" Nikolai asked curiously. "May I know who that gentleman is, Neoma?"

"Uncle Binnie is Eomma's…" Neoma trailed off as if she suddenly realized her mistake. Then she slowly avoided his gaze. "He's Eomma's close friend, Appa."

["Close friend."]

Nikolai felt like a bucket of cold water was poured over his head while watching Mona smile and wave at the guy driving the car.

[Is it too late for me to win Mona back?]

***

"I WAS just about to call you, Nikolai."

After making sure that his daughter got home safe, Nikolai immediately called Glenn and asked him to meet him at their usual hang-out place– the cocktail lounge of 'Fletcher.' It was an upscale bar owned by Wyatt and Warren– his twin hoobaes back in college.

He called Glenn there as a friend and not as a secretary, so they were speaking informally to each other.

"But I only have an hour or else my wife will make me sleep on the couch again," Glenn said as he took the seat next to him, then he smiled at the bartender before giving his order. "One Long Island Iced Tea, please. Thank you."

Nikolai scoffed at Glenn's choice of drink. "You always order the same thing."

"I don't want to hear that from someone who always orders whisky on the rocks," Glenn retorted while looking at the glass in Nikolai's hand, then he met his gaze. "The intruders who thrashed Mona-ssi's café have been caught already. Dion Shin is already taking care of it."

Dion Shin was Nikolai's lawyer whom he sent to help Mona.

"Do you want to hear the details?" Glenn asked, then he thanked the bartender when his drink arrived before he faced him again. "Or do you want to hear something else?"

[As expected, Glenn already knew why I called him.]

Nikolai took the remaining whiskey in his glass in one gulp before he asked Glenn the dreaded question: "I asked you to bring Mona home after going to the police station. But when I drove Neoma home, I saw Mona with another man."

"That's exactly why I was about to call you earlier, Nikolai. You know that person."

"Who is it then?"

"Gavin Kim."

***

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CREATORS' THOUGHTS
sola_cola

Hi! Reviews, comments, and power stones are badly needed and highly appreciated. Please let me know your thoughts if you enjoyed the story. Thank you. T_T <3

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