LOGINChapter 329Nina’s POVI choked violently, coughing so hard my eyes watered as a thick, foul taste filled the back of my throat. I dropped the burning cigar into a silver ash tray, swatting the smoke away from my face with a pathetic wave of my hand while the heavy vintage telephone buzzed against my ear.A low, dry sound cut through the heavy silence of the bedroom from the doorway.I whipped around, my heart hammering against my ribs, expecting to see Enzo or Dante. Instead, Nikolai was leaning lazily against the carved wooden doorframe. His dark hair fell slightly across his forehead, and his sharp eyes watched me with a quiet, devastating intensity that made my breath stall.Before I could try to wipe the ash off the vanity or pretend I wasn't standing there sounding like a dying cat, Nikolai pushed off the frame. He crossed the plush carpet in three long, silent strides, reaching me before I could even process his movement.He didn't yell. He didn't mock my miserable attempt to l
Chapter 328Nina’s POVNana pulled Athena into a tight, fierce hug right there on the shattered marble floor, shielding her daughter from the mess I had just created.Nikolai looked down at the ruined canvas with a dark, heavy scowl, his voice cold when he muttered that I had ruined the painting. Enzo stepped in, trying to diffuse the suffocating tension by murmuring that we would just get Athena another set of art supplies, but his words only made the hot knot of guilt in my chest tighten painfully.For the first time since I had met them, Nana looked at me with open, stinging anger.Dante crossed his arms, his dark gaze locking onto mine with a sharp edge. That is Nana’s daughter, he said, his voice hard.A defensive, bratty pride flared up in my throat, masking the deep shame burning inside me. I crossed my arms and snapped back, saying no one told me she was family.Nikolai didn't even look up from comforting Athena. You were obviously in your sleep, he retorted dryly, his tone dr
Chapter 327Nina’s POVThe young woman at the easel did not stop painting when I asked my question. Instead, a soft, melodic hum slipped past her lips, sweet and effortless like birdsong in a quiet forest. Her paintbrush glided across the canvas with smooth, practiced strokes, ignoring me completely as if I were nothing more than a passing shadow in the grand hallway.Frustration pricked at my skin. I took a few slow steps closer, my bare feet making no sound against the polished marble floor.Then my chest seized so hard I forgot how to breathe.I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes locking onto the massive canvas resting on the wooden stand. It was not a landscape of the green hills outside. It was a portrait.Painted in rich, vibrant colors that seemed to almost breathe, the picture showed all of us. Dante stood tall and commanding in the center with his arms crossed over his chest. Enzo was leaning against him with a wide, teasing grin on his face. Nikolai stood just slightly behin
Chapter 326 Nina’s POVWhen my eyes opened, the heavy thrum of the helicopter was gone.I was lying on a massive king-sized bed in the center of a room so large and opulent it looked like it belonged to ancient royalty. High arched ceilings carved from polished white stone curved far above my head, illuminated by warm light cascading from a massive crystal chandelier. Silk curtains hung over floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows, framing a panoramic view of lush green hills stretching into the horizon.Dante must have carried me up here while I was completely passed out.My chest rose and fell in rapid, uneven breaths as the lingering heat of my dream slowly faded from my skin.It had felt so real.In the dream I was back in warm water. Steam rose around us. The three of them were already there, close enough that I could feel their body heat even before anyone touched me.Dante stood behind me. His big hands settled on my hips like they belonged there. He pulled me back against his c
Chapter 325Nina’s POVNikolai let out a heavy, dragging sigh. He rubbed his face with both hands, the sand on his palms scraping against his jawline before he looked back at me."I did not get us rescued because I wanted to spend more time with you," he confessed, his voice dropping into a low, rough murmur. "I and the guys have an emergency tracking chip in us that can make us locate each other wherever in the world. And because I created it, I knew how to turn it off."I stared at him, my mouth slightly open as his words settled over the quiet beach."I am deeply sorry, Nina," he continued, his dark eyes searching my face with a raw, almost desperate honesty. "I just wanted to spend a little time out of the real busy world. Plus, I miss nature, and I love being around you."I let out a long, slow sigh of my own. I did not say a single word.The quiet between us stretched wide and uncomfortable, filled only by the rhythmic crashing of the waves against the shore. Nikolai watched my
Chapter 324Stefan's POVThe heavy oak doors of my father's red room creaked loudly as I shoved them open with both hands.The air inside smelled of old leather, cigar smoke, and decades of quiet corruption. Rows of dark mahogany bookshelves lined the walls, filled with thick leather-bound ledgers, encrypted hard drives, and private financial files that had been kept hidden from the public eye for over thirty years.Two state department officers stepped into the doorway behind me, their hands resting on their sidearms."Sir, you cannot be in here," the senior officer said, his voice tense. "The Prime Minister's private office is off-limits to unauthorized personnel."I turned on my heel, my cold eyes locking onto the officer with a look of pure, burning rage."I am the Prime Minister's son," I snarled, stepping directly into the officer's space until our chests almost touched. "Move."The authority in my voice made both men freeze. They exchanged a brief, uneasy look, slowly backed ou
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