Victoria was sure her head is going to break off from her body any time now just to make it easier, that way one each does something else separately; the shop is in frenzy, because of the coming holidays just like every year it they are bombarded with an avalanche of orders and since they come from their regular clients they can’t refuse. No matter how they plan the end result is always the same, too many things to do with so little time.

She was not complaining though, she needs this right now, she still has to hear from Nichkhun today and so far her calls remain unanswered, she had been thinking of calling his assistant, but she doesn’t want to come off clingy, so she left it at that, the work was taking her mind off it.

She sighs tiredly at the ringing of the shops phones, both their main line and her office line had been ringing non-stop all day. She smiles before picking up the receiver and greets the caller cheerfully. She was slightly annoyed when one of her staff opened her office door and calls out her name to get her attention, without looking up from her order sheet she puts up one finger to signal her staff to wait.

“Yes, yes, Mrs. Lim. We’ll take care of it. Of course you’re one of our very important clients, there is nothing to it.” She paused and suddenly chuckles, “I’m sure your nephew is a great guy, Ma’am, only I am not available.” She giggles, “No don’t be sorry. Yes you too. Bye.” She hangs up and takes a deep breath, “Okay, what is it?” she says to her staff before looking up. Her eyes widened at the sight of Nichkhun staring at her from the doorway.

“Babe?!” she exclaims, she stands up from her chair and walks around towards him, she stops in front of him, he was still staring at her, “Nichkhun, why are you here? You are supposed to be in Tokyo.” She searched his face but he was still staring, she brings up her hands and rubs his arms, “Babe, what’s going on, did something bad happen?”

He shakes his head slowly, with his eyes never leaving her face he pulls her closer and wraps his arms around her. Her arms automatically went around his back and her hands latches to his shoulders; she buries her face in his neck. She hears him sigh and pressed his face in her hair and squeezes her tighter to him.

“I love you.” He says to her hair, “I love you so much.” He presses kisses on her temple and forehead and then tucks her back into his chest.

She melts in his arms, “I love you too.” She tells him, her voice muffled because he wouldn’t let her move away from him, if it was even possible he presses himself closer at her reply. She hears him groan as if he is in pain.

She pushes at him until he allows a bit of space between them; her hands went up to cup his face. Her eyes worried as she searched his face, “Babe, what’s wrong? You are scaring me.” He looks down at her and she saw agony in his eyes. “Tell me, I promise I will listen.” She tells him sincerely.

He looked hesitant as he continued to stare at her, as if taking note of her every feature, he slowly nods. “Come with me, I need to talk to you in private.”

She did not think twice, “Okay, let me get my coat and purse.” She had to extract herself from his embrace, she squeezed his hand before she turns to collect her things, she ran out to the kitchen and urgently told a surprised Miranda that she was stepping out with Nichkhun for a bit, she pleaded with her eyes and although Miranda narrowed her eyes at her for a warning, she nods her permission. Victoria hurriedly hugs he cousin goodbye and runs out of the busy kitchen. She found him waiting for her by the door. The moment she was within reach he grabs hold of her hand and leads her out. She was still greatly confused by what’s happening but she allows him to take her away from the chaos that was her shop.

Nichkhun was not sure of what he is going to say or do but seeing her was the first thing he wanted to do as soon as the plane landed in Seoul. After a maddening time thinking in his hotel suite he decided he was going home, he needs to be with Victoria and nothing else matters. He calls Ga-In to arrange their check out and flights home, he understood when his assistant did not talk to him at all. He could feel her anger from the time she saw her in the hotel lobby up to their flight home. She left the airport after his instructions without even a goodbye, he wanted to ask her for help but it looks like she was willing to see him hang instead.

He drove to the shop knowing that the love of his life will be there. The guilt he was feeling was filling his chest with a pressure so great he was sure he was going to explode any second and he knows it will be painful, but even then he would be thankful if he died on the spot because he knows he deserves it, without a ounce of doubt. His mind was punishing him every second he was getting nearer towards her, a scenario where she was going to break up with him and cut all possible ties and that he will never be able to see her again was playing non-stop in his mind he was ready to scream in agony.

The minute he walks into the shop he felt himself shake and break into cold sweats. He took deep breaths to calm down and focus. One of her staff recognized him and when he asked where Victoria was she leads him to her office. He nods a thank you when the staff left him alone standing by the door. He thought his heart was going to burst at the sight of her, she was talking to someone on the phone, and she was smiling and being cheerful to her caller. Her laugh was soothing him; he lets out a small smile when she informed her client that she was no longer available for her nephew. He took a deep breath at the piercing pain he felt in his chest, she was telling everyone she was with him and he wasn’t sure he still deserves her.

He knows he is going to get in deep trouble with his family and friends if he hurts her in any way, they are going to thoroughly hurt him for hurting her.

He kept his eyes focused on her face, he wants to memorize all of her just in case this will be the last day he sees her. she was surprised at seeing him there, she walks towards him and he knows she was talking to him but he couldn’t hear a word, his mind was only functioning at seeing her, drinking all of her in.

She runs her hands on his arms and that prompted his hearing to start working. He shakes his head slowly at her question, his eyes never leaving her face he pulls her closer and wraps his arms around her. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt her softness and breathes in her scent. Her arms automatically went around his back and she buries her face in his neck. He sighs and pressed his face in her hair and squeezes her tighter to him. He choked back a sob that he successfully swallows down,

“I love you.” He tells her, pain piercing his heart at every word, he endured it. “I love you so much.” He pressed kisses on her temple and forehead and then tucks her back into his chest. He doesn’t want to let her go, he feels that he would rather be struck dead right this moment with her knowing how much he loves her.

He feels her melt in his arms, “I love you too.” He hears it loud and clear even when her voice was muffled because he had pressed her closer to him and he groans in desperation.

“Babe, what’s wrong? You are scaring me.” She asks worriedly. “Tell me, I promise I will listen.” She tells him sincerely.

He can’t do this to her, he scolds himself. Even at his heart's protest he opens his mouth, “Come with me, I need to talk to you in private.”

“Where are we going?” her question pierced at his thoughts. He was now driving on the freeway, he already decided where they will go the moment he lead her out of the shop.

Nichkhun turns to Victoria, “My place, I want us to be able to talk comfortably.” She nods silently. He had kept her hand in his gentle grip, he refuses to let go, he won’t let go.

“You didn’t call this morning.” She says quietly, she was looking at him, gauging his expression.

“I’m sorry.” He says, “I overslept, Noona had to come and wake me up.” He sighs heavily, his grip on her hand getting firmer, he squeezes her delicate hand bring it up to his lips for a kiss, “I’m really sorry, Babe.”

Victoria saw how uncomfortable he was, fear slowly creeps to her heart, and she immediately stops asking questions.  She was suddenly regretting having readily agreeing to this “talk”. She leans back on her seat and closed her eyes to calm her heart.

“I don’t know why I didn’t hear your calls,” he says to her quietly, “I had my phone with me the whole time, I’m so sorry, Babe.”

There was something in his voice that alerted Victoria. She felt something unsettling in her stomach, why does it feel like he is apologizing for something much more than her missed calls? She kept shut and her eyes looking straight up front.

In no time they arrived at his place, she had kept quiet during the rest of the drive. She stood silently next to him in their ride up the elevator, his arms were secured around her waist and he kept her pressed close to him.

They walk into his condo unit and he leads her to the living room, she perched on the couch and he sits beside her, for some reason she felt her heart beating so fast that it was getting really uncomfortable.

“What are we going to talk about?” she finally asks after a long silence between them. Her palms were getting sweaty.

Nichkhun pulled all his courage together and turns his body to face him and he pulls her to him, she had turned in her seat as well.

“I want you to know that I love you. You mean more to me than my life and all that matters to me. I want you to believe that.” He paused and searched her face, pleading her to trust him. She nods.

“I promised that I will never lie to you, so I will not.” He felt dizzy, his mind was rejecting his actions; he takes a deep breath. At another nod from her, he starts telling her what happened the night he took Tiffany out for dinner up to the part where he goes to her room to shar