“Dad, promise me that no one is going to hurt Nick again.” Victoria pleaded with her father. She brushed the tears away as she never waver her look to her father. “I already told him that I’ll leave him because I don’t want anything more to happen to him, or to anyone of his friends. Dad, please. Nick has nothing to do with this. We can trust him. He will never squeal the secret to anyone. Don’t let things come to worst. His friends have families of their own. Don’t let this thing happen again.”
Martin drew a deep breath as he finally turned to his daughter. “Stand up, Victoria.”
Victoria shakes her head. She is kneeling in front of her father, literally begging him to leave Nick and his friends alone and away from harm. “Daddy…”
“You don’t realize that this is a very complicated situation, Victoria. This is an international concern.”
“Dad, I know that. As a political man, you know that he is a threat to the secrecy of the cover-up but as a father, can you just be happy for me and support me on this one? All I ask is Nick’s safety, along with the friends surrounding him. That’s all.” She cried. Martin pulled her up. “I love him, Daddy. I’m willing to sacrifice the only man who can make me happy if only I can assure from you that he won’t be harmed again.” She stood face to face with her father. She hugged him.
“Do you really love him that much?”
Victoria nodded. “I’ve always envied the love that you had for my mother and I always prayed to experience that kind of love. Now that I have, I will do everything in my power to keep him safe, Dad. If you’re not going to grant me this very simple request, I don’t have any choice but to stand beside him. I left him because I only care about his safety. It’s my fault why he was shot. But if you won’t stop the threats of the underground society towards Nick, I will stand beside him. I don’t care about death threats anymore. I will die beside him if that’s what it takes.”
Martin drew a deep breath and stared at his daughter. He can see the determination on Victoria’s face to do what she told him. He will not doubt that she will stand by her words. She’s just like her mother.
~~~
“How is she? Mum?” William asked his mother as he was sitting alone under the tree near Balmoral Castle. His security was somewhere nearby. He doesn’t care. He’s calling his mother on his cellphone and he is very much worried about Victoria right now. He chose this place to be away from the people in the castle and to avoid from getting heard of.
“She broke up with Nick. She thinks that’s the only way to keep him from harm.” Alice replied on the other line.
“No way, Mum. She loves him. I can feel that she loves him.”
“Your sister is willing to sacrifice for the sake of the one she loves.”
“Oh, Victoria. Where is she?”
“In her room. She refused to talk to anyone after she spoke with her father last night. She insisted to talk with Dodi as soon as he arrived from the airport. My husband told me that Victoria requested to leave Nick alone and away from harm, including his friends. She made a bargain that she will never see Nick again as long as she was assured that there’ll be no more death threats to him again.” Alice sighed. “It’s hard, Wills. I can’t look at your sister being depressed and all that. She’s crying a lot and she barely eats.”
William rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I think that she should get back to Nick.”
“Maybe there’s another way.”
“Mum, this is the only way. Victoria cannot be happy and she will be devastated for the rest of her life if she can’t be with Nick. She suffered a lot since we were young. She never had the chance to be happy and be with someone who loves her so much. It was Nick who made her feel that, and more.”
“What is on your mind?”
William sighed as he finally made his decision. “I’m going there to see Nick.” He needs Harry’s help to be able to go to US without arousing suspicion.
~~~
Nick drew a deep breath as his hands gripped the railings of the tall gate. Biting his lower lip, he looked out through the large house he can see from the distance. “Victoria…”
The guards looked at each other as they watched him stood there for a long while now. There were orders that he shouldn’t be allowed to go in and see Mr. Martin Montague’s daughter, Victoria. It wondered them why since they can see that this is a good man and they have no problems with him. “Sir, you’re not just really allowed to go inside.” One of the security guars told Nick.
Nick nodded. He felt his brother’s hand on his shoulders.
“Maybe we can try again tomorrow, Nick.” Aaron said. He pitied his brother, seeing him so desperate to see Victoria but he couldn’t stop Nick on this. He tried once but his brother is too stubborn. And so, all he can do is to accompany Nick outside Victoria’s family estate and take his chances on see her. But they always failed. They have been doing this for three days now since Nick was relieved from the hospital. They went to Victoria’s house first but she wasn’t there. They went next to Victoria’s family estate and according to the guards, she is there but there were strict orders that he is not allowed to go inside and see her.
Nick turned to go back to their car. “They’re keeping her from me, Aaron.” He sadly said. “This is unfair.” He went inside the car just in time for Aaron to sit behind the wheel.
“Are we going back tomorrow, Nick?”
“No.” Nick sighed. “I’m going to take some time but I won’t give up. I will never give up on her. I have to talk to her and set things straight.”
