Keira's POV

The apology Theo pushed for was given late in the evening. He still thinks we should scare them with a lawsuit. I'm starting to learn that Theo doesn't back away from a confrontation. He lives for it! It excites him! But the most attractive quality I find in him is how he gets things done. When he says it will be done, it is done.

But as much as I was happy to be cleared from the murder charges, the apology cannot remove the stain on my name. I may not have killed Jason, but I did have an affair with a married man. That will stay with me for a long time to come.

I'm packing up my mother's and father's things. They wanted their clothing to go to charity in case anything ever happened to them. My father's clothes are uneventful. Blue, White and grey shirts are pretty much it. The most adventurous shirt is a red and white flannel mom bought him. He wore it once. As for my mom, she wore nothing but designer labels. I have picked out a few of her clothes that I'll keep to myself. Some of them are $2000 cashmere sweaters. I love those. I can still smell her scent in them. I have cried for each sweater I smelt, each dress that held a memory and now I'm winding up.

If I choose to stay, I won't stay in this house long. I'll move to Austin, Texas and get an apartment. It Will be a nice change. But I'm also considering Theo's offer. Marseille is far far away from my troubles. Something is nudging me in that direction. But before I decide, I want to try and speak to Nick. If the conversation goes well, I'll tell him about the baby. I still want to tell him but I will also not accept to be taken back out of pity or responsibility.

"Mademoiselle. Visitor." Theo assigned me two maids to help me pack up my parents and Keith's belongings. She is the one who talks like she's singing. She has a beautiful voice a smile to match it. Her name is Margarit.

"Who is it?"

"It's just me." Marianna beamed at me. "Can you talk?"

"Yes." I got up to receive a hug from her. "Have a seat. I'm sorry about the mess. I'm packing."

"Are you going somewhere?"

I have three options. To stay here with Nick if he wants me. To move to Texas and give life a try on my own. To explore what Theo has to offer in Marseille.

"Probably. But the rest are my parents and brother's. I'm giving them away."

She sat on the edge of the bed. I sat beside her, partly on the sweaters I'm keeping.

"I didn't know your mother that well but I'm so sorry for what has happened. When I lost my mother, I wasn't even aware if it. I was far from home and when my father told me I just didn't know what to feel. I know it hurt but I couldn't express myself. We used to fight like cats. Shout and scream at each other. But at the last moments, I felt her love. We're you close to your mother?"

"Yes. But I was closer to my father."

"Daddy's girl!" She exclaimed in infectious laughter. "Me too! I love my padre! We are tight. I can't imagine losing him." See he sighed deeply.

I want to ask her how Nick is.

"How is Nick?"

She made a face and shook her head. "I keep going back to what Nick has done to you and I ask myself where I went wrong as a mother. I didn't teach him to pursue married women. I didn't. So where did he learn that? I blame myself for not sending you home when you showed up at the villa. I should have been firm and said no to theme relationship. But who am I kidding? When he wants something he chases it to the ends of the earth. There's a lot that shouldn't have happened. But it did and now we are... here. He's an alcoholic, you have lost everything and now you are... leaving."

"An alcoholic?"

"Nick never does anything half heartedly. He is passionate about what he wants to do and as passionately as he chased after you is just how passionately he is drinking. As soon as he came from prison he started drinking right away. It doesn't help that when he is drunk his rage simmers ready to go off. He has a potential to be violent when he is drunk. I won't lie to you Keira. He's a mess. I'm not here to ask you to be there for him. I'm here to ask you to leave him."

I didn't expect her to say this.

"I don't understand."

"He has a lot to work on. He needs to focus on himself. Only then will he have something to offer you. Right now, if you two try to get together, he will hurt you. Do you understand what I mean?" I nodded. She took my hands. "I like you for him but I also wouldn't want to see you suffer just go get some love."

"I understand. Thank you for being honest."

She reached out and wiped my tears. "For what it's worth, you are the best he has ever had. I was never a fan of any of the women he liked. Buy you... I love you. Heal. He patient with yourself. I have to go. Bye Keira. Take care." She kissed my cheek.

I watched her walking in her six inch heels like she's wearing flats. I bet she can run in them.

Nick is an alcoholic?

That's not good. Addictions are dangerous. That won't be good for the baby. But will tell him about the baby help him to recover? My father used to volunteer at AA meetings. He chaired a few. He wasn't a drunk in his career as a sailor but earlier in his teenage years, he used to drink too much. He cleaned himself up and joined the navy. He used to say that overcoming an addiction should come from the person and it sticks if they are doing it for themselves and not an exterior reason. Nick should overcome this for himself. Not for me and not for a baby he doesn't know about. If he's like this and he is a father, how will he clean himself up for this baby? Poor Maddie.

"Mademoiselle, should we take the boxes away?"

"Yes please. I'm done."

I picked up the sweaters and slipped them into a carrier bag. I gave the room one last look and left them to carry out the boxes. Theo is picking me up in a few minutes. I will stay in his hotel suite like we have been doing. Then I have to tell him what I have decided.

When I opened the front door, I came face to face with Nick. Did. he run into his mother or not? The look in his eyes, hostile.

"Hi." I greeted him.

"Step out. I want to talk you." He told me firmly and moved away towards the driveway. My feet felt hesitant to follow because I can sense this won't end well.

"What is-"

"When did you start fucking Sinclair?" He questioned harshly.

"Excuse me?"

"When Kei?"

That rage Marianna talked about is true. His eyes are wild with it.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this today. Let's talk when you have calmed down." He grabbed hold of my arm, yanking me back close to him. He smells like whiskey! Is he drunk? "Nick stop it!"

"Mademoiselle! Are you all right?" Margarit and the other maid have come running. "Let her go monsieur! You're hurting her!"

"So now you even have french maids at your beck and calling!"

"Let me go Nickolas." I told him firmly by his grip tightened around my arm.

"Is it because he is richer? Is it about the money Kei? He has more to offer you? You ruined my life and you're moving on like nothing happened!"

Tears started to sting my eyes and when they fell he let go and I stumbled back. Margarit steqdied ne at once. "I'm fine." I assured the two maids watching on with concerned faces. They walked away but didn't take their eyes off us. "You don't have to keep reminding me that I'm a mistake and that I ruined your life. I'm not sorry for meeting you that day. I needed to. My life was frozen in time and the clock started ticking when we met. Because if you I realized that I deserved better. Because of you the last moments of my parents' lives were not riddled in the worries of debt. Thank you. But you forget that I almost lost my life twice in the name of this relationship. Your wife and my husband both tried to kill me. Did you forget that?"

"Ex wife. We are divorced."

And I'm a widow. This is what we wanted, to be free from our spouses so that we can be together but now that it's so, we are far from being together. We are like the sky and the sea.

"You are clearly not okay. I'm sorry that things played out like this. It was never my intention to harm you in any way."

"Why are you with Sinclair?"

"Because he has always been there when I needed him the most." I answered.

He scoffed. "You know something Kei? You have the kind of face that can manipulate a man into anything. You used me to take care of your family's financial issues. You used me Kei.!"

"If the money is such an issue I'll pay you back."

"How? Sinclair's money? Is that what you are now? Putting out for money?"

I slapped him without remorse. There are things I won't tolerate. "You should leave."

"I gave you everything Kei! You don't understand what I have lost! You never will understand the sacrifices I have made for you!" He took a deep breath, sighing out in frustration. "I foolishly loved you and you lied." He persisted. "You lied that you couldn't get pregnant and I now I hear you are." Ferrer told him. "Was the plan to get a baby from me? To use that child to leverage me into doing your bidding?"

"I understand that what you are saying you have actually lived through but I am not Margaux. I don't owe you any explanation about the choices I have made. You said you needed space and then you dumped me in a jail cell when I was at my lowest! I have tried to understand what was going on with you but I will not keep lingering around those thoughts! You left my life when you dumped me in a jail cell! How low can it get? So please, leave me alone! Go away! I dint want to see you or hear from you ever again!"

I stormed off in a fit, tears blurring my vision. Margarit quickly reviewed me. Nick stayed there for a while before he also walked away towards a waiting car. When it disappeared down the driveway, I though I would cry bitterly but no tears fell. They vanished, hot as they threatened to be. Am I at a point where I have been hurt too much to cry?

Two options left. Austin, Texas or Marseille.

"Monsieur will be here at any minute." Margarit assured me.

True to her words, the black Rolls Royce cane up the driveway. They will stay behind and lock up after the boxes are picked up. It feels good to have help.

"You look troubled." He cupped my face at once. "What is it ma chérie? What troubles you?"

"Nick was here. You just missed him. We argued a little. He left."

"What was it about?"

"He found out I'm pregnant and he was accusing me of... using him and uh... being with you for your money."

"Keira, he's a man who lost his status for an illicit relationship with you and much if his wealth to a woman who has used him all through their marriage. He is bitter and in bitterness people say things that hurt others. I'm sorry you had to be his object of frustration today." He paused to study me. "Did you tell him the baby is his?"

"He came here with his own conclusions. I couldn't clarify anything because I didn't want to. He's a mess. It won't work. The baby will complicate things. So no. I didn't say anything."

Austin, Texas is out.

"You need a hot cup of tea... chamomile with some honey... that is how you like it." He smiled. "And a good night's sleep. We can talk later."

"Are you leaving tomorrow?" We looped our arms together walking side by side.

"Oui ma chérie. Work awaits me. Piles and piles of it." He chuckled.

"Is it all right if I come with you?" We paused outside the car.

His blue eyes brightened. "You mean..."

"I accept your offer. I need to start over, far away from this madness. I accept your offer Theo."

He wrapped his arms around me with haste, holding me tightly. "I promise you that I will take care of both of you!"

"I know you will. I will take care of you too." I assured him and looked back at the house. When we permanently moved here I was little and I hated it. I grew find of it and now I'm saying goodbye to it.

It's not a new chapter of my life I'm opening but a whole new book because this one is concluded.