Chapter 368 - Stressed or not?

Nicklaus was puzzled. How did she fall asleep all of a sudden, had she not been sleeping enough?

Staring at a face, he shook her a little more but she didnt budge, sighing, he hugged close to him and arranged her dress, letting her sleep on his shoulders.

…

Gwen's steps faltered when her eyes caught the familiar manly frame, as he stared at the beautiful city lights.

She watched at his back for a moment then proceeded towards him.

That night was really messed up, although she was mad and very angry she didn't intend to take it out on Stephen.

She would apologize and make it clear to him that she liked someone else.

"Stephen…"

She called, he didn't turn around but she felt his back tense.

Walking closer, she stopped when she was standing behind him.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I was not myself, something happened."

He didn't reply her but Gwen knew he heard her. She stayed quiet as she waited for him to reply.

She was surprised that he was still persisting even after turning him down severally.

Maybe that was why she felt bad after what she did to him earlier.

But that did not mean that she liked him…

Finally he turned to look at her,

Gwen swallowed as his eyes stayed fixed on hers, she felt small under his intense gaze.

"Have you changed your mind yet?"

Gwen's eyes fluttered. She was surprised at his question, she didn't expect that he would hit the nail on the head.

"Stephen, I…" she paused, looking at him,

"I'm sorry, I like someone else and I cannot accept your proposal."

She exhaled. He was staring at her now, but a little too relaxed, she expected him to be surprised by her revelation, but he wasn't.

"Is the person perhaps your sister's husband?"

All color drained from Gwen's face.

She was speechless.

How did he know? Was it obvious? Who else knew?

A thousand question ran through her mind as she stared at him dumbfoundedly.

Stephen walked towards her and stopped inches away from her,

"I'm sorry I looked through your phone a few days ago."

Gwen remembered leaving her phone on his table whilst she used the restroom in his office a few days ago, she didn't remember shutting the screen. She had a few pictures of him, we'll a dozen or more, most of which she had taken unawares.

Her teeth dug into her lower lip tightly.

She felt so ashamed in front of him.

"Gwen, you're too beautiful to fall for another woman's man."

Gwen looked towards her feet,

"It's not any of your business." she spoke, trying to sound confident "and I didn't think you were one to go through other people's phones!"

"He's your sister's husband, Gwen, do you know what you're doing? How could you stoop so low? "

Gwen gritted her teeth as she stared at him,

If anything happened to Tiana, he would suspect her immediately, how could she be so careless?

Stephen sighed,

"I like you but there's a limit my love can go and this here, is my limit."

Gwen looked at him now, she didn't have any feelings for him but hearing him say he was giving up on her made her feel strange.

"I pray you get to your senses and realize how low you've reduced yourself to. Goodbye Gwen and have a good life."

With that he walked past her. Gwen's eyes fluttered as she breathed in sharply.

How did things get so messy?

She groaned pulling at her hair. What would she do now?

…

Nicklaus carried Tiana into the house, she was still sleeping.

When he reached their room, he placed her gently on the bed.

Nudging her lightly, he tried to wake her but she lay numb.

Even if she had been having sleepless nights, she should be able to wake up when shaken, shy was she still asleep?

He thought but decided to ask her when she woke up.

Taking off her shoes, he helped her get out of her clothes, then he wore her, her nightie and cleaned her makeup then covered her with the duvet, hugging her close.

The next day, he woke up before her, she was still sleeping by half past eleven. Nicklaus brought his fingers close to her nose to be sure she was still breathing because he was getting scared.

He propped his head up with his elbow as he waited patiently for her to wake. By a few minutes past twelve, her eyes fluttered open weakly.

"Good afternoon." Nicklaus greeted jokingly as he stared at her as though trying to remind her that she had slept for almost fifteen hours.

Tiana squeezed her brows.

"what happened?"

"I should be asking you that, you just passed out on top of me last night."

"Yeah, I can remember, I was weak last night but I wasn't sick or anything. It was strange because I couldn't control my body, my eyes just closed on its own."

"You haven't been having sleepless nights?"

"No, not at all."

"You didn't take any pills?"

"No, I didn't." Tiana was worried now, "Is it normal? Can it happen sometimes?"

Nicklaus thought, "I don't know, maybe if you've been stressed or over thinking then it might happen."

"I've been doing none of that. Well I thought of you a few times but that doesn't pass as overthinking."

"Or you took some pills mistakenly…"

He said and as the words left his lips, his eyes widened,

"Where you drugged?"

Tiana turned to him in shock.

"What are you talking about?" she laughed,

"who would want to drug me, every person capable of that is dead."

Nicklaus was quiet as he thought,

What if she was drugged? There was no explanation to her sleeping off like that.

What if she was indeed drugged and he had stopped the culprit by coming at that time.

His eyes turned to her as he stared at her jealously.

What where they planning to do to her?

Nicklaus heart raged as he thought about another man's hand on his woman.

He pulled her close and hugged her, kissing her forehead.

"Don't go to parties without me again, okay?"

Tiana nodded in his chest. She was surprised he was already thinking too much of it.

"Don't worry, maybe I was stressed and I didn't know. No-one would want to drug me when I'm with Gwen… I mean, how would they possibly do anything to me when everyone is watching?"

Nicklaus paused as he listened to what she said,

"What did you take at the party?"

"You see I didn't take any alcohol, it was just a glass of fruit juice and I only took a few sips before you came."

"who gave that to you?"

Tiana was tired of his questions, she sighed,

"A waiter, see? How would he waiter know that I won't take alcohol and drug the fruit juice before time?"

It wasn't even making sense at all.

"who else knew you wouldn't take alcohol?"

Tiana groaned,

"Baby, can we stop already. Maybe it was stress, things like this happen sometimes."

Nicklaus caressed her back,

"I just want you to be safe. I want to be sure no-one is planning to hurt you, so answer me, who else did you tell you weren't taking alcohol?"

Tiana sighed, "No-one, I didn't tell nobody. Well Gwen knew I wasn't going to take any because you weren't there but then, what motive would she have to drug me, she's out of the equation."

Nicklaus thought. He didn't want to make her mad by asking more questions about Gwen but he couldn't help but worry about her reply.

Gwen was the only one who knew Tiana well enough that she wouldn't take alcohol, but she didn't have any motive to want to drug her,

Nicklaus sighed,

"Okay, just don't drink outside in places you aren't sure of, without me, okay?"

Tiana nodded,

"I missed you." She hugged him close, a smile appearing on her chin.

Nicklaus kissed her forehead.

"Missed you too, love."

"Lets go to the shower and continue from where we stopped last night, uh?"

He smirked, this woman was getting naughtier by the day,

"As long as you aren't going to sleep off again."

Tiana laughed as she felt him lift her off from the bed and carry her to the bathroom.

When they came out, her legs were shaky, and cheeks red.

She tied a towel loosely around her chest as she walked to the table to call Gwen, she had slept off last night, so she didn't call to ask if she had returned.

…

Gwen lay with disheveled hair in a thoroughly scattered room. She was still putting on her party dress and shoes as she lay on the bed.

The piercing ringing tone of her phone roused her from sleep and she picked it.

Her eyes met the caller ID and all the events of last night came rushing to her again, not answering the call, she tossed the phone aside.