You Left Me: The Finale

NIKOLAI

Nikolai felt sick to his stomach when he saw Coral punch Alice’s lights out on live television.

He wasn’t put off by the violence of it—hell—the bitch definitely had it coming for her role in destroying their marriage in the first place.

But what if Alice were to press charges?

What if she’s so jilted by the attack or emboldened by the media attention that she exposes Nikolai for hiring a hitman and framing his estranged brother for murder?

Louis had it coming after he intentionally destroyed Nikolai and Coral’s marriage in an attempt to sabotage him, but Alice, Chris, and that Coral lookalike all knew what Nikolai had done.

Sure, there’s no blood on his hands, and he was confident that he could just throw money at the legal repercussions and make them go away, but what would Coral think?

He didn’t know whether or not she’d see a difference between killing a man—a stranger no less—himself and hiring someone else to do it.

Would she call off the wedding if she found out? Or even worse…would she take the kids?

Fuck.

He couldn’t even blame her, could he?

He’s already threatened to take Nicole from her once; Coral may love him, but after everything he’s done to her, no amount of love would make her stay if she thought he was a threat to the children.

It was almost too much for him to stomach, and he had to sit down before looking up Alice’s number.

How much money would it take for her to disappear and start a new life? It didn’t matter.

He’d pay anything to ensure his family stayed together.

CORAL

Coral was never bothered by a nice, long flight on a private jet.

In fact, she usually enjoyed it, living in luxury high above the earth, but traveling by plane with two small children was tough, even flying private.

To say that Coral was relieved when she and the kids arrived at her parents’ house in Madrid would be an understatement.

With the new wedding fast approaching, Coral felt that it was only right that she bring the kids to spend a little time with their grandparents.

That, and she wanted to show her mom the sketches the designer had sent of the customer dresses she and Nicole were getting.

“Mija! Es muy bueno verte!” Darling! It’s so good to see you! Her mother threw her arms around Coral and baby Nicholas. “Mira a esa bebe!” ~Look at that baby!~

“Fácil, meu amor.” Easy, my love. Coral’s father chuckled as he shuffled into the room. “Dejalos pasar por la puerta.” ~Let them through the door~.

“Hola, Papa.” Hello, Dad. Coral smiled as her father ruffled Nicole’s hair.

Too few people in her life did that—Nicole was such a high-maintenance little girl that Coral figured it was easy to forget that she was still, in fact, a small child.

Children play, and children have their hair ruffled; the only difference between Nicole and other children is that Nicole’s clothing and hair cost more than Coral’s rent did in college.

Still, they could afford it.

There was no way in hell that Coral was going to deny her daughter a childhood just because they dressed her up in expensive things.

She was a little girl, after all, not a doll.

They were staying for the weekend, so Coral had brought a few bags.

Nothing dramatic, in comparison to how she and the kids were accustomed to living—but Coral’s parents didn’t exactly live in the most metropolitan area.

Coral imagined that Nicole would riot if she were forced to live without the luxuries she was used to for a full weekend.

Maybe she was spoiled, but Coral would much rather cater to her daughter than risk her not wanting to be around her grandparents just because they didn’t live in a mansion.

“Como estuvo vuelo?” How was your flight? Her father asked.

“Fue…desafiante.” It was…challenging. She admitted. “Fue el primer vuelo de Nicholas.” ~It was Nicholas’s first flight~.

He had done about as well as could be expected from a baby on an airplane, but Coral knew it would be difficult before she decided on the flight.

“Entonces, Mija.” So, my daughter. “De verdad golpeaste a esa mujer en la televisión o fue escrito?” ~Did you actually punch that woman on TV, or was it scripted?~

“Dios, Papa.” God, Dad. “Esa fue la perra que arruinó mi matrimonio.” ~That’s the bitch who ruined my marriage~.

“Buena para ti entonces.” Good for you, then. Her father grinned, but her mother’s face dropped into a frown.

“Realmente quieres que los niños estén expuestos a todo eso?” Do you really want the children exposed to all that? Her mother asked, her brow creased with worry.

“Qué quieres decir?” What do you mean? Coral was confused.

“Me preocupa que todo este drama mediático sea malo para los niños.” I’m worried that all of this media drama is bad for the children.

“Quizás deberías mantenerlos un poco más fuera de la vista del público.” Perhaps you should keep them out of the public eye a bit more. Her father agreed.

Coral shook her head, arguing, “Los medios son documentación.” Media is documentation.

She understood her parents’ concerns, but that didn’t mean she agreed with them.

“Siempre se puede mentir sobre lo que sucede fuera de cámara, pero los medios son la evidencia.” What happens off camera can always be lied about, but media is evidenced.

NIKOLAI

It wasn’t difficult for Nikolai to track down Chris’s new phone number.

He had changed his name and was living in a nice little neighborhood in Chile, but offering enough money to the right people tended to loosen lips.

“Hello?” Chris’s voice was timid, more so than Nikolai remembered him being…but who was he afraid of?

Chris had come back to Nikolai with his tail between his legs, seeking protection from Louis after he had betrayed Nikolai for him…he had a lot to fear from either brother.

That said, he was one of five people alive who knew about the frame job against Louis—himself and the hitman being two of them.

If Chris knew what the hell Alice was up to, Nikolai wanted to know.

If at all possible, he wanted a solution to this problem that didn’t result in more murder.

“Hello Chris,” Nikolai practically growled through the phone, low and dangerous, but still oddly personable.

“How did you get this number?” Nikolai could hear the fear in Chris’s voice.

“Better question—were you aware that Alice was going to try and apologize to Coral on live television?”

“What? N-no,” Chris stammered. “I haven’t spoken to Alice, or that other girl, since we finished that job for you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! We all agreed to go our separate ways and never see each other again—I held up my end of that bargain.”

“If I find out you’re lying to me…” Nikolai knew that he didn’t need to finish his threat for his intentions to be clear.

“I’m not,” Chris pleaded. “Whatever Alice is up to, it’s got nothing to do with me; I swear.”

“All right, Chris; I’ll trust you.” Nikolai wasn’t sure that he was completely convinced. “For now.”