Chapter 768 - Feeling Stupid

Meanwhile, in Darknet, Goose started to receive more jobs after she turned down jobs the whole month to take care of her ailing mother. But, now, she became very picky because she no longer really needed money to pay for her mother's hospital fees.

In the past, she wouldn't care about such things, she would take any jobs no matter how dirty as long as it paid well because she needed money badly.

Now, various assignments, which she considered to be too dirty or if she was asked to hurt a weak person, would be rejected outright. Many clients who had asked her to do their dirty work began to protest and get angry, but Goose did not budge. She did not care about them.

No one could tell Goose what jobs to do and how to do them! After confirming a task she liked, Goose immediately left Darknet and removed her tracks.

Her mind flew to the man who had always filled her head since yesterday. She repeatedly looked at her cellphone to see if Nicolae sent her a message to say goodbye before leaving for Italy. Sadly, she had to swallow her disappointment.

Ah ... apparently, she thought too highly of herself, thinking she held some meaning for the man just because they slept together. Now, her heart scolded her for thinking about the man often.

She looked at the wedding ring in her ring finger and sighed. Hmm, she must not forget to take care of their marriage annulment, as Nicolae requested.

Marie rose from her seat to close her flower shop and planned to go to ROM when her cellphone vibrated, and she saw an incoming SMS.

[The children and I are leaving for Italy in a minute. I don't know when I will return to Singapore. Take care of yourself. Marie, you are an amazing woman, and I hope you will find your happiness. Goodbye.]

Marie read the five sentences with a c.h.e.s.t that was suddenly filled with warmth. She didn't know why, but her heart was so happy and light. She almost felt like she had grown wings and could fly.

Was this how it felt to be in love?

Marie wondered to herself ... if this feeling she was having was indeed love. This was arguably a strange feeling for her because so far, she had never felt it for any man.

For some reason ... just getting an SMS from that man could make her heart flutter. She felt very touched because, as it turned out, Nicolae took the time to say goodbye to her. The man didn't just leave and forget about her like she was just a used item.

Marie sat back in her chair, and she recalled Nicolae's words when he said he was healing himself from a broken heart.

Marie now understood why Nicolae kept a distance from her. That's because the man did not want to use her as a rebound or a mere s.e.x object. The man was too kind that he didn't want to give her hope, so he chose to avoid her.

But at the last moment, Nicolae still took the time to say goodbye to Marie.

Actually, Marie understood him. She knew Nicolae had high regard for her and didn't want to use her. But the truth was... Marie didn't mind being used by him.

She wanted to tell Nicolae that she understood him, and she did not mind being his rebound. She wanted to be there for him, to accompany him during his recovery and cared for his broken heart.

Marie didn't mind picking up the pieces. She believed that deep inside his heart, Nicolae also had feelings for her. Maybe, at this moment, those feelings were still small and hidden under those layers of sadness ...

But Marie was convinced that if Nicolae was willing to give those small feelings a chance, he would realize someday that he, too, loved Marie.

"I ... I-I have to talk to him ..." Marie muttered in an unclear voice. She felt that she and Nicolae had to talk in person and resolve the feelings between them or at least say goodbye face to face, not by a text or a phone call.

She wanted Nicolae to give her a chance to talk ...

Marie reopened her laptop and checked all flight schedules for Rome. She did not know which flight they were taking, so she hurriedly hacked the data of all the airlines flying out from Changi airport today searched for that information.

Ahh .. Nicolae, Altair, and Vega Sorin will board on a plane to Rome at 2 pm.

It was too soon...

"I can't cancel only their flight so I can meet and talk to Nicolae ..." Marie muttered. She searched all flights to Italy on that day and then canceled all of them for technical reasons.

Instead of taking a detour by flying to another country and then going to Italy, Marie was sure, Nicolae would choose to wait until the next flight to Italy was available.

She hurriedly closed her flower shop and drove her car to the airport. She would give him an excuse that she was delivering some flowers to the airport, and then she could ask about Nicolae and the twins' flights. She would pretend to sympathize about their canceled flight and ask to meet Nicolae to talk to him in person...

"What? All flights to Italy have been canceled?" Nicolae was very surprised to hear the explanation from the airline staff who looked as confused as he was.

"We are trying to find alternatives for passengers who are very rushed, but for those who are not in a hurry, we will provide financial compensation and get you the next available flights. We apologize for the inconvenience." The staff repeatedly apologized.

Nicolae looked at his watch and shook his head. He wanted to arrive in Italy tomorrow morning so that his father could bring Altair and Vega to Grosetto to meet their parents.

"All right, I'll look for alternatives myself," Nicolae finally said. He took out his tablet and immediately checked various available flight schedules.

None of the airlines flew to Italy today. There were so many issues, from aircraft damage to the problems with the system. Many passengers began to protest and get angry.

"How is it, Dad?" Altair asked attentively.

Nicolae shook his head slowly. His eyes noticed a flight scheduled to Bucharest in one hour. His mind wandered to Aleksis and Alaric, who were waiting for them in Targu Mures.

Several days ago, Nicolae could not imagine himself meeting Aleksis ... but for some reason, now his heart was not as sad as before.

He then considered the possibility for them to fly directly to Bucharest and taking a helicopter or Alaric private plane to his castle in Targu Mures. Nicolae missed seeing his family like before. He also missed his brother, Alaric, and really wanted to see him.

Finally, Nicolae booked a flight to Bucharest. The flight was leaving shortly, so he immediately took Altair and Vega to the new departure gate. They will fly directly to Romania instead of Italy.

***

Marie arrived at the airport early, but she was still doubtful about texting Nicolae and giving him her excuse for being there. She paced nervously for ten minutes, trying to decide whether she could send an SMS to Nicolae, asking about their flight, and claimed to just happen to be there for delivering a bouquet.

Finally, after gathering her courage, Marie sent the message.

[Hey, what a coincidence, I got an order to send a flower bouquet to the airport. A man wants to surprise his girlfriend, who just returned from abroad. So romantic ... hahaha. By the way, what time is your flight?]

Marie waited for Nicolae's reply with a palpitating c.h.e.s.t. But the reply that came actually made her heartbroken.

[The number you have dialed is not active]

Marie frowned in surprise. Why wasn't his number active?

Did...

Where do you fly to? Didn't I cancel all flights to Italy? Marie thought.

Her c.h.e.s.t suddenly felt tight ...

Was... was that woman so important to Nicolae that he didn't want to wait? Did he choose to fly immediately and take a detour through another country just so that he could arrive at the woman's place on time??

Marie bit her lip with a disappointed face. She opened her cellphone and hacked today's flights leaving Singapore's Changi airport to anywhere in the world and searched for the name of the passenger Nicolae Sorin.

He found the man and his two children registered on a flight to Bucharest at 2.30 pm.

Marie looked at her watch. Tears dripped down her cheeks when she realized she was five minutes late. It was now 2.35 pm.

The girl then raised her face and looked at the sky, as if trying to find the plane that took Nicolae away from her to a faraway place, where he would meet another woman, the woman he loved but broke his heart.

Marie felt so stupid. She thought too highly of herself and believed she had a place in the man's heart just because they slept together.

Nicolae obviously loved that other woman very much. They certainly have a much deeper relationship than just s.e.x because they have two children together, Altair and Vega.

Subconsciously, Marie buried her head in her two hands and cried silently.