"...there is a reason why storms

are named after people..."

N

ick's POV

I have been sitting in my car for almost an hour. I'm yet to confront what is waiting for me in the house. My ex wife. She's back and according to my housekeeper Lupe, she arrived with enough bags of clothing to dress an entire town. Why now? Why now when my finalizing our divorce and pursuing Kei? What does she want?

She's like a nightmare I'll never wake up from.

I cursed quietly when I saw her standing at my doorstep. She's smocking a cigarette.

Could this evening be any worse?

"Who won?"

"What are you taking about?"

"I'm talking about the fight between you and Cole. Who won?"

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

I walked past her. Like the dark plague she is, she followed me. "It is my business!" Her steps are quickening. I hate how she wears shoes in my house. "You are still my husband and brawling over another woman is disrespectful!"

I stopped suddenly to look into the ferocious dark Brown eyes. "Why don't you crawl back to the hell you came from?"

"Who is she Nickolas!" She yelled after me.

I continued walking knowing very well the perfect way to handle her. I just need to ignore her and keep my calm. Maybe then, she will go away.

But that calm kind of eroded when something sharp hit my back.

I stopped walking and slowly turned to see her six inch heel on the floor.

Dropping my back pack on the floor, I tucked my hands into the pockets of my pants as some sort of restraint measure.

"Well?"

"Margaux this is my house. My freaking house and I will not tolerate your insolence. I will come and go as I please. I will do as I please. Piss off!"

"It's my house too!"

"You lost your place here when you packed up and left. So stop demanding what you gave up. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Please leave."

When I turned she threw her other heel at me this time hitting the back of my head. It took all I had for me not to rush over to her, grab her by the neck and squeeze the life out of her. I counted to ten as quietly as I could and that's how I managed to make it to my bedroom.

But what I thought would be my personal fortress of solitude turned out to be a disaster zone with shattered photograph frames, broken lamps, ripped pillows, torn bed sheets and basically my clothes sprawled all over on the floor. My perfectly neat bedroom is a mess. The words "cheating bastard" are boldly written on the white wall with the shade of lipstick she wears.

My trusted housekeeper is down on the floor picking up shattered pieces of glass. Another maid is scrubbing the wall.

"Lupe, what happened?"

"Signor, she went loco and came in here with a golf club. She started smashing and breaking everything and I was too scared to stop her. I'm sorry, but I'll clean this up."

"It's okay, I'd rather you stay with Madeline tonight. Make sure she's okay. I'll clean this mess up.

She agreed with me and right after she and the other maid left, I slowly started cleaning my room. After a long day of work I had hoped I would come home to my daughter and some peace of mind. It's a steady routine. Instead it is a deranged woman and a room that looks like a tornado has swept through.

It took hours for me to even see the floor of my bedroom before I was almost halfway through the mess.

All along I kept myself sane by reminding myself that she is Madeline's mother and for that I have to restrain myself from reacting to her violent nature.

At around three in the morning my room is almost back to perfection. The wall needs a fresh coat of paint. I need new locks for my bedroom door and this house. I'll be going to the hardware tomorrow.

My eyes lids are heavy with sleep. I decided to check on my daughter. I haven't gotten a chance since I got home. The hallways are quiet. Pin drop silence is comfortable for me but not when she's around because then it's a silent hell.

Maddie is sound asleep looking peaceful and unaware of how crazy things are between her mom and I. Lupe is sleeping next to her. I don't know what I would do without Lupe.

I kissed Maddie's cheek gently careful not to wake her.

I hope she won't be anything like her mother once she grows up. Margaux is a vain vindictive monstrous woman. I hope on everything good and pure that she won't turn out like that. This was why I think it is necessary to take her away from Margaux before her wicked influence started to sink in.

Children are moulded by the person they spend time with the most and Maddie us mostly with her, not me. That is a problem.

*

I love Saturdays. I get to sleep in till 8am. I'm just coming do n for breakfast. My heart sank when the unsightly view of my wicked wife smiling at me like last night hadn't happened met my eyes.

"Bonjour mon cherie!"

I ignored her and instead enveloped my daughter with hugs and kisses. Her adorable face lit up when I gazed at her.

"Buongiorno mia piccola mia!"

Madeline smiled and she wanted to respond but Margaux cut her short.

"Stop confusing her Nick. I'm trying to teach her French."

"She'll learn whatever language once she's ready." I told her taking a seat as Lupe served me a cup of strong black coffee without sugar.

I liked it that way.

We ate in silence none of us talking. Whenever it is just Madeline and I, we turn into chatter boxes and talk forever but with her mother in the room the girl seems tense. I don't blame her. Margaux is like a dark cloud hovering above our heads.

Margaux and I have a sharing arrangement for our daughter mandated by the court. She has full custody. But I get to spend the weekends with her and her mother has her all week. I worry about how she is treated back in Paris considering the Deverauxs aren't exactly the warmest bunch. I want full custody, something that will be a challenge to get.

"Aren't you eating any bacon today?" I asked touching the top of her head.

She gave me a sad look.

"I like the salad more."

"Then let Lupe make you some of those chocolate muffins you like."

"Guten is bad for me. I don't want to be fat."

She must have meant gluten.That doesn't sound like a three year old speaking but rather her mother. How would Madeline even know what gluten is? It infuriates me that she makes my daughter self conscious at such a tender age.

"Margaux can I have a word with you in private?" I asked in the most friendly way possible. "In the kitchen."

I stood up first and she followed.

Once we were away from ear shot, I narrowed my eyes at her.

"What crap have you been telling my daughter?"

"Your daughter?" She scoffed. "Last time I checked I did all the heavy lifting. She's mine."

"So you got yourself pregnant?" I asked her.

"Don't start a fight that you'll be too cowardly to finish. I am simply making sure our daughter turns out perfect!"

"Perfectly twisted you mean? Like you? Vain, selfish, conceited, mean, vulgar, rude, insane and hateful? Is that the perfection you want to mold my child into?" I whispered angrily.

She isn't pleased that I have just listed a few of her monstrous traits. She doesn't like it when someone call her out on her shit.

"I know who she is. I have eyes on you. I will gut her throat open if you keep seeing her!"

"You need not involve her in our mess. Besides, it's you we are talking about not her."

"I don't know why you're being so defensive of that home wrecker!"

"I don't see how she can be a home wrecker when there is no home to wreck in the first place!"

Out of the blue she slapped me. I bit away my words, I held back my response because at the corner of my eye, I can see my daughter watching us right before Lupe pulled her away. "She's a better woman than you. Don't ever go near her."

"You don't tell me what to do. I'm daring you to see her again and I'll ruin her."

"Margaux I'm tired of this and I can't wait to be free from you."

"So that you can bring her here? This is my house!"

"I have reached a point where I really don't care. You want the house, keep it."

"Keep deluding yourself Nickolas." She told me before she picked her bag and left.

As soon as she was gone I felt like I am breathing for the very first time. That woman will be the death of me.

Margaux's POV

Love is the last thing that holds Nick and I together. He said it was Madeline, the daughter I never wanted but for me, it was the wealth, the power and influence that kept me close. I am also supposed to stay close and this divorce is not an option. Mancini expects me to work miracles and deter him from a divorced.

Being Mrs Bale afforded me many opportunities.Fashion labels wanted to dress me, people hold me in high regard, paparazzi stalk me and the best part is what I stand to gain if Nick agrees to work for Mancini. I will get away with anything I want thanks to that dark power.

But something heavier than the fact that we don't get along is weighing on me... the woman in the photograph. Keira makes me feel insecure. Her innocent doe eyes make me look the villain. It's not that I mind but she is the reason Nick is more determined than ever to give her my title: Mrs Bale. I have contended with beautiful women before for Nick's attention and I have won. I have to be the only one wearing the wedding ring. But if I am not going to be happy neither is Nick.

Grabbing a lighter, I held up one of the photographs Russo gave me. Damn this woman and her foolish innocence. When I'm done with her, nothing will be left but a shell that cannot reciprocate Nick's stupid feelings!

"I'm going to burn you Keira. I will burn you until you are ashes." I whispered setting the photograph ablaze and watching it burn until it was ashes. I burned the rest of them one by one.

Keira deserves to be ashes.

I will destroy her like a storm leaves nothing but destruction in it's wake.