As she made her way through the crowd, in the midst of meeting and greeting, Carly wound up colliding with a familiar face she'd not seen in far too long.

      "Hey, Nik! How do you like my club?"

      "I beg your pardon." A blank stare accompanied the dark, brooding young man's reply. "What did you address me as?"

      "Uh…Nik? Hello?" Carly laughed, playfully nudging his shoulder.

      "My name is Nikolas, Carly. If you cannot refer to me as such, perhaps it is best you do not refer to me at all, no?"

      'Holy shit! Do I need to bow and curtsy to your pompous ass as well?'

      Although a small, polite smile graced his features, there was no mistaking the cool, distant vibe Nikolas Cassadine was giving off. Deciding to keep any further curt comments to herself, Carly merely deflected Nikolas' stinging rebuke by offering up a smile and extending her wishes that he enjoy the remainder of his evening at the club.

      She was amazed at the transformation the heir to the Cassadine dynasty seemed to have undergone. In little under a month, it was as if any and all traces of the Nikolas that many in his family were loath to recognize had vanished and the Nikolas of 'old' had returned.