Midnight Bride The CEO’s Temptation

When Crystal got into the car, the first thing she did was check her phone for any missed messages, and she was shocked to see dozens of texts from Carlos - and to her dismay, the first one said: "Crystal, I still love you, and I miss you very much." Crystal felt like throwing her phone out of the window when she read that, but she managed to stay composed. What is he thinking? - she wondered - Surely, he must know that we are not getting back together!

Crystal closed her eyes for a moment to gather her strength, and when she opened them, she started to read the rest of the messages.

Carlos: "The sun is shining brightly today. I am sitting under a large maple tree, shaded by dappled trees, and thinking of you. I am thinking about the day you walked into the classroom. I looked up. There you were, and in less than a second before we'd even spoken - you'd taken my heart captive."

Carlos: "There is a church here, and every day, when the bell rings at noon, I remember the promise I made to you. The promise I did not keep..."

Carlos: "I have countless regrets, but that is my biggest, I shouldn't have let you go. I regret not cherishing you. I loved you, but I gave you up to appease my family, and that was wrong."

Carlos: "Without you, I am a walking corpse with no soul and no tears.

Carlos: "I repent. I blame myself. And I even think about hurting myself. But none of this could make up for the harm I have done to you. And I know that now."

Carlos: "I'm sorry. I still love you, even though you don't love me anymore. I'm longing for your love again,"

Carlos: "One day, if I grow into the kind of man that is worthy of you, would you give me a second chance?"

As Crystal read the messages, she felt as if she had entered an alternate reality, where only she and Carlos existed. For a moment, he was there, whispering those sweet words into her ear. They were teenagers again, and she could smell the cherry blossoms in the air - but then she remembered the pain.

Crystal sneered. "Nice try," she muttered. "But, we are never getting back together."

The driver asked where she wanted to go, and she gave him directions to the airport, where Nathan was waiting for her with the helicopter. Then she leaned her head against the window and did her best to shut the world out.

They passed the mall, and she saw several enormous posters promoting different movies. One of them was for a film starring Elena, and seeing it made her think of the actress's daughter. For some reason, Crystal had always felt like she had a connection to Christine.

Her mind began to wander, and she began to think about Beverly Villa. When she was a child, she had thought that such places were for rich people to spend their holidays. There was lots of grass, trees, birds, and flowers. The first time she'd visited the place, though, she'd seen the truth: Villas weren't just for holidays. They were also for living in.

Of course, Nathan was rich, and he had many other places that he called home - and as lovely as Beverly villa was, it was the oldest and least kept of all the places he called home—knowing that Crystal didn't understand why he wanted them to live there.

****

At the Beverly villa - Helen was practically glowing. She had successfully manipulated Nathan into moving her into the minor mansion, and she was excited to see what the future had in store for her. After all, the estate was a small place, and now that it was packed with people, the house was pregnant with possibilities.

She was sitting in the living room when she heard the sound of Nathan's helicopter approaching, and she ran to the window. Although the helipad was almost a mile away from the villa, she knew the terrain well, and it was easy for her to imagine what was going on.

Nathan owned the world's most advanced commercial helicopter. It could comfortably carry up to 20 people. It had several luxurious bedrooms, bathrooms, and a dining room. It was like a mobile palace, complete with red carpets and fantastic tapestries on the walls.

Nathan would be the first to step out of the helicopter, and with the sun shining behind him, he would look like a king. Helen could see it all in her mind's eye, and it made her smile.

It wasn't long before the object of her obsession appeared on the horizon, and as she had imagined, his entourage followed behind him.

Helen felt a hand on her back, and when she turned, she saw her nanny, Elma, and she was taken aback. This was the first time she'd seen the older woman out of bed since Nathan had ordered the skin stripped from her back, from the nape of her neck to just above her ankles.

"Do you know why Nathan chose this place to stay?" Elma asked.

Helen shrugged and said, "I don't know. I guess I never really thought about it..."

Elma: "This villa was chosen by Mr. Davis for you so that you could have the baby in peace. The scenery here is so beautiful. It's warm in winter and cool in summer. It's a perfect place to raise a fetus, don't you think?"

Helen began to nod her head, but she saw who was beside Nathan, she froze. "No matter how close I get to him," she muttered, "Crystal is always there to keep me from getting closer..."

Elma sighed and said, "Have patience... Things will be different once the baby is here. I'm sure Master Nathan will choose you over that woman,"

Helen hung her head hopelessly, and she said, "I hope you're right, Nanny Elma.... I hope you're right…."