“My
Prince?”
His
private secretary’s smooth voice pulled Nikolas’ thoughts away from the
tedious paperwork before him. He glanced over at the doorway and nodded for the man to
enter the room. “What is it,
pavel?”
Pavel
had been hand-selected by Stefan Cassadine to serve as Nikolas’ secretary once
the young man took on the mantle of prince of the Cassadine family.
He was only three years older than Nikolas himself.
This fact was a deliberate factor in his selection.
Stefan hoped that Nikolas would be able to enjoy a long association with
a Cassadine servant whose loyalty he could depend upon.
“There
is a very angry gentleman,” pavel replied softly, “who does not have an
appointment but demands to speak with you.
He is quite insistent.”
Nikolas
made a calming gesture. “did this
angry gentleman say what he wishes to speak with me about?”
Pavel
shook his head. “He would not
discuss it with me. He said it was
a matter between the two of you.”
“Very
well,” Nikolas replied. “Let him in.” there
was no danger from the stranger. He
had unknowingly passed through several levels of unseen security devices before
even reaching nikolas’ office.
It
seemed that As soon as pavel exited the office, nikolas’ door flew open once
more. A husky, weather-beaten man
stormed into the room, his face red with anger.
“I
suggest you get a hold of your anger,” Nikolas demanded softly.
He stood up behind his large wooden desk and met the other man’s
intensity with a quiet intensity of his own.
“You
are a fine one to give instructions on proper behavior!” the stranger railed.
He took a long look at the young prince, all of twenty-six years old and
already possessing more power and wealth than he would ever know in his
lifetime. It only made his anger
and determination greater.
“Am
I to assume that you believe you have some quarrel with me?”
The
stranger’s chest heaved with the effort required not to punch the arrogant pup
square in the face. He wheeled about and stalked out of nikolas’ office.
“Here
is my quarrel with you!” he yelled. The
stranger held a frightened teenaged girl by the collar of her dress and dragged
her to stand in front of nikolas’ desk. “My
pregnant daughter!” he spat out.
“Let
go of her!” Nikolas commanded. “No
true father would treat his daughter so roughly.”
The
men stared each other down in a battle of wills.
The stranger might have been older, but Nikolas had the weight of his
convictions to bolster him. Reluctantly,
after several moments, the stranger released his daughter’s collar.
“We will see if your concern is as true when it comes time to make an
honest woman of my daughter.”
Nikolas
almost hated to dispel the man’s misconceptions.
If he was this angry about his daughter’s unplanned pregnancy, he would
no doubt be furious to learn that the young woman had lied about Nikolas’ part
in the entire affair.
“I
regret to say this,” Nikolas began, “but I have never seen your daughter
before. If she is pregnant, It is
not possible that the child is mine.”
“We
are not claiming that the child is yours,” the stranger huffed.
Nikolas
was nonplussed. “Then I am afraid
that I do not understand the purpose of your visit.”
“The
baby she’s having,” the stranger announced without hesitation, “is your
younger brother’s.”