Unfortunately for Kaija, the moment she finished the shoot and stepped out of the studio with Juho was also the moment Niklas walked out of the room next to hers.
Marja was in that room now for her cover shoot, and apparently, a restless Niklas wasn’t feeling like sticking around to wait for his pregnant supermodel girlfriend.
Kaija was still wearing the final outfit for her photoshoot, a stunning bridal minidress with feathers and flowers adorning her waist. The deep plunge of the neckline ensured the curves of her soft breasts were showcased in all their glory.
She hadn’t noticed Niklas’s presence in the corridor yet, her attention fixed on Juho walking out of the room beside her.
Having been with Kaija for four years, Niklas had known well enough how his girlfriend could effortlessly mesmerize a man with just a glance of her large blue eyes. That was precisely why he’d completely lost his mind the moment Kaija had decided to become a stewardess for an airline as esteemed as Starlight Airlines.
Now, with her new shimmering honey-blonde hair and that gorgeous bridal dress she was wearing, Niklas could bet the handsome green-eyed young man was already hopelessly smitten with her.
Even he himself could never imagine that the girl he’d once grown bored of could look as magnificent as she did today. The jealousy he once felt burning through his veins came crashing back at once.
Without wasting another second, the amber-eyed young man stormed toward the girl he still assumed to be his girlfriend and shot his hand straight for her wrist.
Little did Niklas expect that just as his hand was inches away from touching her skin, a painful punch landed squarely against his face.
Kaija’s face went blank, first at how Juho suddenly leaned so close to her that his green eyes were a breath away from hers, then at how clearly she’d heard a dull thud sound behind her.
Juho’s arm had shot over her shoulder, and whoever stood behind her must have taken the full impact.
"How dare you hit me, you fucking bastard!" Niklas’s agonized scream rang out as he struggled on the floor, one hand clutching his face.
Upon recognizing the voice, a deep sigh slipped out of Kaija. Even so, she could be momentarily glad that Juho wasn’t suddenly trying to kiss her in the middle of the corridor as she’d thought, but merely punching her ex-boyfriend.
"So, is this that spineless ex-boyfriend of yours?" Juho asked in a whisper, his breath brushing warmly against Kaija’s face.
"Um... unfortunately, yes," Kaija confirmed, her cheeks suddenly burning faintly red at the proximity.
Just as she was about to turn around to take a good look at what miserable state Niklas was in after earning that hit, Juho’s hand cupped her face, stopping her.
"Didn’t you say you had no desire to see him today?" Juho said softly. "Then don’t, or you’ll just ruin your mood." The corner of his mouth curved slightly upon feeling how heated Kaija’s skin was under his palm.
Baffled by their quiet whispered exchange, Niklas’s voice rang out once more, now sharp and edged with rage. "Fucking son of a bitch! I’m still right here, and I heard every single filthy word you spilled!"
Around them, the staff had already noticed the commotion thanks to Niklas’s shouting; a few of them gasped, hands flying to their mouths as they stood watching the drama unfold.
"Um... not that I disapprove, but did you really have to punch him like that?" Kaija asked, glancing nervously at the people gathering not very far from them.
"He was going to touch you," Juho replied, unruffled. "I had no other option."
"Kaija, talk to me!" Niklas yelled, his tone already sounding like he was begging for her attention. "Who’s this bastard?! Is he your new boyfriend? How could you be with someone as violent as him?!"
"I am her new boyfriend, indeed," Juho replied at once, his tone as cold as the way he was glaring down at the young man still crawling on the floor. "Just so you know, I could be way more violent than this if you dare overstep yourself in front of my girlfriend, you son of a bitch."
Uh-oh. Kaija sighed yet again, her head spinning. The way Juho was playing the boyfriend role for her sake... his acting was actually getting a little too convincing. She could already feel heat rushing to her face from hearing the firm way he called her his girlfriend just now.
"Ahem, Juho," she called out to him nervously. "We’re standing right inside a magazine building. The PR people at KE wouldn’t like it if this little incident somehow earned an article. Plus, you can’t just declare out loud that you’re my boyfriend like that. That’d surely earn another article..."
"Oh, right. Sorry, sometimes I just forget that you’re famous now," Juho replied softly, though he actually meant every single word, merely borrowing the situation to declare it. His arm wrapped around Kaija’s shoulders, nudging her forward. "Let’s get you to the dressing room, then."
Behind them, Niklas was only scrambling to his feet now, the pain from the hit still searing one side of his face.
"Stop right there!" Niklas shouted, unwilling to give up so easily. "You’re not going anywhere unless you explain to me right now why you kept your singing a secret from me throughout all the years we were together, Kaija!"
Kaija’s footsteps stalled, and that was enough to bring a flicker of hope to Niklas’s contorted face.
"First of all," Kaija’s voice came, her face still turned away from Niklas. "It was always a hobby to me, not something I ever imagined I’d make a career out of like I do now.
"Secondly, you never asked me about my hobbies, so I didn’t see any point in bringing it up. You were always more interested in talking about yourself and the things you liked, weren’t you?
"Thirdly, didn’t you say yourself that people working in show business were all living on a thin rope? Singers, actors, models... all unstable careers. Unlike you, an honorable future doctor.
"You even thought so little of Marja when I first mentioned my best friend was a model, saying she’d be outdated the moment her youth was over. Only after I told you she was the only daughter of the House of Ralpha did you start being open to the idea of meeting her.
"What was I supposed to do? Telling you how much I love singing, how I wouldn’t mind becoming a singer, after hearing all that?"
Niklas’s jaw clenched shut immediately. There was nothing he could say to defend himself or blame Kaija further, for every single word she said was the truth.
He straightened fully, wobbling toward Kaija as his mind scrambled to make excuses. He needed to make her stay a little longer, to make her turn her gaze toward him, even if just once.
Before he could, a familiar voice came from behind him, already thin and fragile with hurt.
"Niklas... Is... is it true what Kaija just said?"
Niklas froze, and so did Kaija, who was now ready to sigh for the umpteenth time.
Great. What was Kaija even expecting, with Niklas swinging his loud voice around this entire time? Of course Marja must have heard and come out to check the moment she recognized her man’s voice echoing down the corridor.