Sunset At Sarsen Stones (What Dreams Are Made Of)

Chapter 40

The meeting with Richard made it clear to Chrissy that she had to severe all her ties with Hotel Le Swaroski. She knew she was not at fault but she didn't want to struggle to prove her innocence any more.

Her team did not know what had happened between her and Nikloi but they could sense some problem. There were quite a many calls from them asking her to come to the hotel but she had declined all requests citing some reason or the other. It had already been more than two weeks since she stopped going to the hotel and she knew she couldn't go on avoiding the situation forever.

A part of her had cried to go back to Nikloi and tell him everything Richard had told her but she had lost her energy. Nikloi had not believed her earlier. He wouldn't her now. Nor he would believe Richard, especially after knowing Richard's original plan. He would assume that this was their joint plan to fool him again.

Then there was the Susan's issue. Richard had stressed that she should stay as far away from Susan as possible. He was worried that there was no knowing if Susan would still attack her even after her fall out with Nikloi. And if Susan came to know that Chrissy knew of her hideous plans, she may get even more violent.

To help Chrissy start afresh, he had offered to help her find another job or even help her set up her business independently again. Chrissy didn't want to take his help and had immediately refused but Richard didn't give up.

Chrissy knew she had to decide quickly as her team was bound to make speculations about her weird behaviour. They knew she was highly dedicated to her work and would not neglect it for so long without a reason.

She had to come to a conclusion.

Finally, even though she was not fully convinced, she decided to accept Richard's help as there was no other option. But she refused to take money from him. Richard promised to speak to some people he knew to help her find a new job.

Chrissy send in a letter to end her contract to Swaroski House. She knew it was a mere formality and as expected, it was immediately accepted without any meeting or questions. As per her contract, her shop and all its items were the property of the hotel and hence it was an absolutely unprofitable deal for Chrissy. Especially in her business, it would be next to impossible to gather the collection she had made acquired after so many months of hard work. But she had to make a clean start. There was no way she would be able to get it from Nikloi to change the contract terms considering the way things stood between the two of them. Also it was essential for her own good to leave all of that behind. It was no longer a choice, but a necessity for her own stability. She had to move on.

Only thing left for her to completely severe all connections with Swaroski House was the collection of her personal belongings from her office at the hotel. There wasn't much, just a few of her things she used in office. And a picture of her family, one of the rare ones where all four of them, her parents, Alice and herself, had been together. One from their happier days.

Chrissy didn't want to put foot in Le Swaroski hotel again. She didn't think she would be able to face the place which had given her so much and later snatched it all away. She thought about it for a long time. She could ask one of the staff to collect all her things and send it to her or she could even ask Linda to get her stuff for her. But in both the cases, she was not comfortable asking them to do it her. It included things that may not mean much to others but for her, they were memories of a time that would never return.

She didn't want anyone going through those things and asking uncomfortable questions. Already Linda was shocked with Chrissy's decision and had been questioning her continuously. Chrissy had told her that it was for her mother. Doctor had advised them to move away from London to help her recuperate faster.