"I don't care what you all think but that girl...she's sick. She's not okay." Giana folded her arms across her chest, leaning against the wall.
"This is not the time for this!" Theo snapped.
Giana rolled her eyes. "You don't get it, do you? She's going to ruin everything. One minute she's kidnapped and then another minute...she tries to kill herself." She paused, her eyes darting towards Nico.
"That bitch has gone crazy." Bitterness dripped from every syllable.
Nico slammed his fists on the table. "Enough!" Giana was startled. Why was he reacting like this? He hadn't said anything the whole time.
"She has a point though." Scarlett's cool voice cut through the tension. Nico and Theo glanced at her simultaneously.
"What do you mean?" He leaned back on the swivel chair.
"I'm not taking sides but... I think something needs to be done. It's very clear our plans depends on her. We can't let her play games on us." She straightened up on her seat.
"What do you think, Nico?"
The room fell into silence. Everyone lost in their own thoughts. Nico folded his arms and sat up. The decision was up to him. He stared at the door blankly, trying to come up with something.
"Let's get started with the engagement." Giana broke the silence. Nico's gaze snapped towards her.
"Once you're engaged and fully wedded, we can get all this done with. Right?" She tilted her head slightly.
"That's actually not a bad idea..." Theo added.
Nico sighed. "I'll fix a date then. Once she gets better, we'll get it done." Giana squealed excitedly. She rushed to his side and placed a small kiss on his lips.
"I knew you'd do it." She cupped his face in her palms, gently. She straddled him, her hands rooted in his hair. "After all this, we'll get rid of her." Her tone was dangerously calm.
Nico felt uneasy. All this didn't sit right with him. He remained silent as Giana drew lazy circles on his chest. The thought of killing Nika was impossible.
There had to be another way.
****************************************
Her eyes fluttered open slowly. The warm sun rays seeping into the room through the window blinds forced her eyes shut. The stale smell of antiseptic filled her nostrils.
She opened her eyes again. Her head throbbed and her body felt heavy. She slowly sat up on her bed drawing the nurse's attention.
"Miss Della Torre!" The nurse beamed. She stood up from the sidechair and adjusted her pillow. "Let me help you."
"Why am I here?" Her brows knitted together slightly.
"You had an accident but you're doing great now. You just need some time and rest," she smiled at her.
"I'm going out now...I need you to stay still. I'll be right back." The nurse left the room. The door clicked shut behind the nurse.
Nika sat there quietly, her fingers gripping the sheets lightly. Her mind felt foggy. Nothing was clear. Just bits and pieces that didn't make sense.
An accident? That didn't feel right.
Before she could think further, the door opened again. This time, it wasn't the nurse.
Nico walked in. His steps were quick, almost rushed, but he stopped the moment his eyes landed on her.
Awake.
For a second, neither of them spoke. Nika watched him carefully. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his hair slightly messy like he hadn't bothered fixing it.
There was something tense about him. Something off.
"You're awake," he said finally, his voice low.
She swallowed. "What happened?" The question came out softer than she intended.
Nico's jaw tightened slightly. He walked closer, stopping beside the bed. "You fainted," he said. A lie.
She could feel it. Her brows pulled together. "That's not true."
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he reached for the glass of water on the table and handed it to her. "Drink."
She didn't take it. "I asked you a question."
His gaze hardened just a little. "And I answered."
Silence settled between them. Nika looked away first, her fingers tightening on the sheets. Her head still hurt, but not as much as the feeling sitting in her chest.
"You're hiding something," she muttered.
Nico exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. "You don't need to worry about that right now."
That only made it worse.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "It's about me. I think I should know."
"You're safe. That's all that matters."
She let out a small, dry laugh. "Safe?" she repeated. "In this place?"
That hit something.
Nico's expression shifted slightly, but he didn't argue. Instead, he changed the topic. "We'll be going to Russia soon."
Nika froze.
Her head snapped towards him. "What?"
"To see your parents," he continued calmly. "It's been a while."
Her stomach dropped.
"No." The word came out instantly.
Nico frowned. "What do you mean no?"
"I'm not going," she said, her voice firmer now. "I don't want to see them."
"That's not your decision."
"It is," she shot back. "I don't have anything to do with them anymore."
The room grew tense again. Nico studied her face, like he was trying to understand something she wasn't saying. "Why?" he asked.
She looked away. "I just don't."
"That's not an answer." He pushed.
"It's enough."
Her tone shut him up for a second. He didn't push further but he didn't let it go either. "Whether you like it or not," he said quietly, "you're still tied to them."
Her chest tightened.
"Not anymore," she whispered.
Nico watched her for a long moment before speaking again. "Then we'll give them a reason."
She frowned slightly. "What does that mean?"
He straightened up. "Our engagement."
The words landed heavy.
Nika blinked. "What about it?"
"We're moving it forward," he said. "Soon."
Her expression changed instantly. "No."
Nico's gaze darkened. "It's not up for discussion."
"You don't get to decide that," she snapped, her voice rising slightly despite her weak state. "You can't just—"
"I can." The interruption was sharp. Cold. "You're already involved, Nika," he continued, his voice low but firm. "Whether you like it or not."
Her breathing became uneven. "This isn't real," she said, shaking her head slightly. "None of this is real," she said, shaking her head slightly, trying to convince herself.
"It will be."
Silence hung between them. The way he said it made her uneasy. Nika stared at him like she didn't recognize him anymore—not like she ever knew him.
"I don't want this," she said quietly.
Nico didn't respond immediately. For a second, something flickered in his eyes. Then it was gone.
"You don't have a choice."
That did it.
Nika leaned back slowly against the bed, her energy draining again. She turned her face away from him. "Then get out," she muttered.
Nico didn't move.
"Get out." This time, her voice was softer. But it carried more weight.
He stood there for a few seconds longer… then turned and walked out without another word. The door closed behind him.
And the room felt colder than before.