Chapter 74~ Mutual Acquaintance

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• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 136~ Fucking Peaceful

  Chapter 136⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾The house was too fucking peaceful.I stood at the kitchen window, watching Maeve chase butterflies in the backyard while Sylvia read on the patio. Manuel was teaching her some card game at the outdoor table, their laughter drifting through the open door. Luigi hummed while he prepared a snack, and I could hear the faint sound of Stacy and Vincenzo talking upstairs.Domestic bliss.It made my skin crawl.Not because I didn’t want it—Christ, part of me wanted it so badly it physically hurt. But because I knew better. Peace like this didn’t last in this world. It was the calm before the storm, and the longer it stretched, the worse the storm would be when it finally hit.I’d been in this too long to believe in fairy tale endings.“With that look, I’m guessing you’re as fucked as I am,” Vincenzo said, appearing in the kitchen doorway. He looked as restless as I felt, his latest easy demeanor replaced by the same coiled tension that had been eating at me for

• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 135~ Stop Apologizing

  Chapter 135 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ We spent the next twenty minutes arranging plates and napkins. Maeve chattered the entire time about the proper way to fold napkins (which Manuel had apparently taught her) and how important it was that everyone had the right utensils. “Daddy doesn’t like his food to touch on his plate,” she informed me seriously. “So I always make sure there’s enough space between everything.” “That’s very thoughtful of you.” “Manuel says paying attention to what people like is how you show them you care.” Such wisdom from such a small person. I glanced toward the kitchen, where Nikolai was reluctantly helping Luigi with something involving the stove, and felt a pang of gratitude so strong it was almost painful. By the time we all sat down to eat, the sun was setting and the house was filled with the warm smell of home-cooked food and the sound of contentment. I found myself seated between Maeve and Manuel, with Nikolai directly across from me. “This is nice,” Mae

• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 134~ Our Family

  Chapter 134⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾The sound of a car pulling up the driveway made my heart skip. Through the kitchen window, I watched as Manuel stepped out of a black SUV, then turned to help someone from the backseat.Maeve.My breath caught as I saw her. She was taller than I remembered—which was not surprising considering the last time I saw her, she was lying on a sick bed. Her hair was longer and braided neatly down her back. She wore a pretty purple dress that was clearly new, and she moved with an elegance I’d never seen before. But even from a distance, I could see the hesitation in her posture as she looked toward the house.“There they are,” Stacy announced, bouncing Leone gently. “Vincenzo, go help them with their bags.”“Why me?” Vincenzo protested from his spot at the counter. “I’m holding your son.”“Our son,” Stacy corrected, “and you can multitask.”Nikolai had already moved toward the front door without a word. I found myself frozen in place, suddenly terrified. What if s

• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 133~ His doom

  Chapter 133 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ I opened my eyes to the soft sound of Dr. Martinez’s voice speaking in hushed tones just outside the bedroom door. The light filtering through the curtains felt too bright, making my head throb with a dull ache that had become my constant companion. “…this medication will help with the physical healing,” I heard her say, “but the psychological trauma… that’s going to take time and proper therapeutic intervention.” A few minutes later, she entered with her usual gentle smile and a small paper cup containing my daily pills. “Good morning, Sylvia. How are you feeling today?” “Tired,” I admitted, accepting the medication and the glass of water she offered. “And confused. Everything feels… foggy.” “That’s completely normal given how rough your recent days have been,” she said, settling into the chair beside the bed. “The good news is that someone is here to see you today. Dr. Elena Vasquez. She’s a therapist who specializes in trauma recovery.” My stoma

• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 132~ Maybe Not Ever

  Chapter 132⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾“Oliver,” I repeated slowly. “Your brother.”She nodded, trying to wipe her face but failing as fresh tears kept coming. “I… I don’t remember everything about him. But I remember us growing up together, and then the fire happened, and we were separated. That was the last time I saw him.”“What fire?” “I think… I think I ran away from Kaine before,” she continued, her voice breaking. “I must have taken something of his when I left, though I can’t remember what. And then there were men, and they set fire to wherever I was hiding, and Oliver was trapped inside. I thought he was dead. I thought we were both dead.”She was talking frantically now, the words tumbling out between sobs. “But Kaine told me he saved Oliver. He said Oliver was alive, and he had him, and if I didn’t do exactly what he said, he would hurt him. He would kill him.”A brother. She had a fucking brother, and Kaine had been using him as leverage all this time.“He told me that if I…if I tol

• Nikolai’s Tainted Nun    Chapter 131~ Brother

  Chapter 131 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ After spending the last hour being forced to hold Leone while Vincenzo showered off baby vomit and Stacy caught up on sleep, all I wanted was to grab a few things from the master bedroom and crash in one of the guest rooms. Same old plan—maybe get six hours of unconsciousness before I had to figure out what the hell to do next. The plan was still to slip in, grab some clothes, and slip out. Avoid any conversation, any eye contact, any reminder that she was indeed there. But when I opened the bedroom door, there she was. Fuck, I hadn’t expected her to be awake. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap, like she’d been waiting for me. Her now almost brunette hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, and she was wearing one of the oversized t-shirts Luigi must have found for her. She looked small still, fragile, but there was a quiet determination in her posture that I recognized. I paused in the doorway, my hand still on