CHAPTER 833. MY LITTLE BELOVED. The Answer to EverythingVan Beek was an intelligent man, more than capable of picking up on hints, though next to Niko, the young woman seemed absurdly oblivious to what her boss had just implied—to the point that she hadn’t even blushed. That was either extreme innocence or an excellent performance, and in either case, he liked it.“Well… I hope Miss Favre gets at least one day to herself on this trip. It would be terribly rude of her boss not to let her see Amsterdam,” the man said, and Niko forced a smile.“Don’t worry. In fact, since the weekend is starting, it’s not a good time to discuss business. Let’s take these days to review the new contract, and on Monday, we can sign it. Does that sound good to you?”That tone wasn’t exactly open for debate, so Van Beek had no choice but to reluctantly agree while Niko led Gigi to say her goodbyes.He left in a foul mood—frustrated, uncomfortable—and whether he liked it or not, the cause of his whole state
CHAPTER 834. MY LITTLE BELOVED. A Little Bit of Everything, Unintentionally"Go to sleep, Gigi, go to sleep!" Niko sighed, using the same tone any father would use to send his daughter to bed. But the truth was, he himself barely managed to sleep all night.The scene at the club with Van Beek haunted him. Gigi telling him she was an Aquarius almost broke his heart, so he ended up turning over in bed with a groan before dawn.How could Gigi be so… innocent? No, more than innocent—odd, lost, like she had just been plucked from a tulip in the garden. She hadn't even noticed the advances of a man as experienced as Van Beek, so she hadn’t been confused in the slightest.But unfortunately, that didn’t make his own attraction to her diminish. On the contrary, her tenderness and naivety drove him to the brink of desperation.After tossing and turning ten times, he got up heavily, glanced at the clock, and decided it was time for coffee. He had been too harsh the night before, and though he di
CHAPTER 835. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Truths at DuskGigi heard the shower running as she reached for a bottle of water, sighing as she thought about her boss. Nothing bad, of course, because nothing bad could possibly cross that little head of hers. She simply felt good because he had been less gruff that day than usual.She had taken a short nap after their outing, and the sound of the running water in Niko’s room was a clear sign that she should get ready too. However, before she could enter her own room, she noticed a box sitting on a nearby table—a box with her name on it.Gigi carried it into her room and opened it, left speechless: inside was a casual yet elegant dress, light and beautiful, with puffed sleeves down to her elbows and a high waist. It was far too lovely to turn down, so she searched for her best-matching shoes and put it on after taking a shower.“Well, Gigi… let’s try out that lipstick.”She tried not to look at herself too much while applying it, unaware that the mom
CHAPTER 836. MY LITTLE BELOVED. A Girl on the Verge of RebellionNiko wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole—first him, and then everything left of Amsterdam’s Red Light District.Gigi’s expression was shaken, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just seen. Though to be honest, her boss had no idea what exactly was going through that little head of hers at that moment.“You shouldn’t have seen that!” Niko muttered, helping her up, visibly uncomfortable. “You weren’t supposed to see any of that, damn it!”But even though he kept her close while they hurried through the rest of the district, trying to get out of there as fast as possible, and even though she never looked anywhere but at the ground in front of her shoes, it was obvious that what she had seen had affected her deeply.Still, as she was used to doing, she said nothing. She kept her gaze down, almost as if lost in thought. And as they moved farther from the neon lights and the suggestive shadows, Niko started
CHAPTER 837. MY LITTLE BELOVED. "This"Niko opened his mouth, completely baffled by what he had just heard. What kind of question was that? Was she implying…? No, it couldn’t be, but… the idea of Gigi undressing flashed through his mind, and he quickly shoved it away with a huff.He had no idea how they had gotten to this point. Of all the conversations he had imagined having with Gigi, this was the last one he would have ever expected. So no, absolutely not!"Gigi, what you saw in those windows isn’t what it seems. It’s just fine lingerie, okay?" he said, trying to sound as calm as possible, even though he felt like he was walking a tightrope.Gigi looked at him expectantly, arms crossed, her brows furrowed in a way that demanded a more convincing explanation."Fine lingerie?" she repeated bitterly. "So, are you telling me that if I wear the same thing, I’ll look just as… as… 'fine'?"Niko swallowed hard. Careful with what you say, Niko. Be very careful."I’m not saying that exactly,
CHAPTER 838. MY LITTLE BELOVED. Between TemptationsNiko couldn't sleep. The disaster from a few hours ago, though somewhat comical in retrospect, had left him more unsettled than he cared to admit. He tried not to think about Gigi, but his mind kept returning to the image of her lifting her dress, revealing that black lace negligee that, to be honest, had completely knocked the air out of his lungs.It wasn’t even that revealing—it's not like she had been standing there in just her bra and panties. In fact, it covered quite a bit… but whether it covered a lot or a little, the effect was the same. Now Niko understood his own words: it wasn’t the clothes—it was her.After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, he finally forced himself to sleep. But it wasn’t long before something stirred him awake. He felt a weight on the bed next to him—no, on top of him—and, still groggy, he slowly opened his eyes."What the…?" The inappropriate word got stuck in his throat when he saw her th
CHAPTER 839. MY LITTLE BELOVED. The Price of a DealNiko walked into Mr. Van Beek’s office with firm steps, determined to finalize the contract once and for all so he could go home. The previous day had been an emotional mess, but now he was a little clearer on things: he had to focus on closing the deal and not let personal matters get in the way. After all, securing this contract would be another step forward in expanding his company.Van Beek was waiting behind his desk with a sly smile that Niko had never liked."Too polite to be sincere," he thought. "Especially lately."Niko took a seat and made it clear he wanted to get straight to the point by skipping the usual coffee and premature celebration formalities."Mr. Keller, the lawyers have made the small adjustments to the contract that we agreed upon," Van Beek said, sliding the document toward him. "Just to make everything as fair as possible. You know… minor things."Niko raised an eyebrow, opened the document, and began readi
CHAPTER 840. MY LITTLE BELOVED. TrustNiko closed the hotel room door with a soft click and found Gigi sitting on the edge of the couch, nervously fidgeting with her hands. Her face reflected a mix of anxiety and exhaustion, probably wondering how the meeting with Van Beek had gone or thinking about everything that had happened—or hadn't happened—between them in the past few days.As soon as she saw him arrive, she jumped to her feet and rushed toward him.“Well?” she asked in a trembling voice before he could say anything. “Did you sign the contract?”Niko let out a long sigh, allowing the tension to leave his body.“No, I didn’t sign it.”Gigi looked at him with wide eyes, filled with surprise and a hint of fear.“Why?” she asked softly. “Was it because of me? I know I shouldn’t have said anything, and maybe… maybe I ruined something…”“No, you didn’t ruin anything, believe me,” Niko assured her. “I just think you were right about Van Beek. Maybe doing business with him wasn’t such