CHAPTER 4

Nancy’s POV

“Watch over me,” I repeated slowly. “You mean… following me?”

“Protecting you,” my father corrected.

“Following me,” I said again. “Watching me. Stalking me.”

My father didn’t argue.

Didn’t deny it.

My stomach turned.

“For three weeks?” My voice rose again. “For three weeks this man has been following me and I didn’t know?”

“That was the point,” Zade said.

I snapped my head toward him.

It was the first time he’d spoken directly to me since my father arrived.

“You weren’t supposed to know,” he continued calmly. “I was meant to stay invisible unless there was a threat.”

“And tonight?” I demanded.

“Tonight there was a threat.”

“So you killed them.”

“Yes.”

Just one word.

Yes.

Like it meant nothing.

Like three lives were nothing.

I turned back to my father, my chest tight. “I already have bodyguards. Roberto. Marco. Tony. The others. Why do I need another one? Why do I need him?” I pointed at Zade.

“Because Roberto and the others failed,” my father said, his voice turning cold. “They let you walk out of that gallery alone. They lost track of you for fifteen minutes.”

He stepped closer.

“Fifteen minutes, Nancy. That’s all it took for the Russos to make their move.”

“I told you I didn’t want Roberto to drive me home!” I shouted. “I wanted to walk to my car by myself! That’s not his fault!”

“It is his fault for losing you.”

The sharpness in my father’s voice made me take a step back.

“So what?” I said. “You’re replacing all of them? With him?” I gestured at Zade, who still hadn’t moved. Still covered in blood. Still empty-faced.

“No,” my father said.

My heart started pounding.

“I’m sending you away.”

I froze.

“Somewhere safe,” he continued. “Somewhere the Russos can’t find you. And Zade will be the only security you need.”

The world tilted.

My heart stopped.

"What do you mean, sending me away?"

"I have a private island. Off the coast of Greece. Completely secure. No one knows about it except my most trusted people." My father's tone was final. "You'll stay there until this situation with the Russos is resolved."

"No." The word burst out of me. "No, I'm not going to some island! I have school, I have my thesis, I have—"

"You have your life," my father interrupted. "Which you won't have if you stay here."

"You can't just ship me off to Greece!"

"Yes, Nancy. I can. And I am."

"With him?" I pointed at Zade again. "With a man who just traumatized me? Who I don't know, don't trust—"

"You don't have to trust him," my father said. "You just have to let him do his job."

"Which is what? Kidnapping me? Scaring me half to death?"

"Keeping you alive," my father said. Each word was like a hammer. "That's his job. That's the only thing that matters right now."

I stared at him, feeling everything I'd feared my whole life coming true. My father wasn't just controlling my life anymore. He was taking it away completely.

"When?" I asked, my voice small now. Defeated.

"Tonight. You'll go to the estate, pack what you need, and leave in the morning."

"I don't get any say in this?"

"No."

Just like that. No apologies, no explanation, no room for argument.

I looked at Zade, really looked at him. At the blood on his face and clothes. At those empty silver eyes. At the complete lack of emotion.

This was the man I'd be trapped with. On an island. In the middle of nowhere. For who knows how long.

"What if I refuse?" I asked my father, even though I already knew the answer.

"Then Zade will carry you to the car, to the plane, and to the island. Just like he carried you tonight." My father's voice softened slightly. "Please don't make this harder than it needs to be, fiore mio. I'm trying to keep you safe."

"By making me a prisoner."

"By keeping you alive."

I wanted to scream. Wanted to cry. Wanted to run.

But I just stood there, trembling, looking at my father's implacable face and Zade's empty eyes.

"Fine," I said finally. "But I want it on record that this is kidnapping. Legal kidnapping maybe, but still kidnapping."

"Noted," my father said dryly.

He gestured to one of the black SUVs parked nearby, its engine still running.

“Zade, take her to the estate. I’ll meet you there in an hour. We need to discuss security protocols and the timeline.”

His voice was calm. Too calm. Like this was just another meeting. Another problem to solve.

“Yes, sir.”

Zade’s eyes shifted to me. “Miss Valentino. Please.”

He stepped aside and motioned toward the SUV.

I didn’t move.

The night air felt heavy on my skin. My chest was tight, my hands curled into fists at my sides. Everything inside me screamed no. I didn’t want to be touched. I didn’t want to be moved. I didn’t want him near me.

“Nancy,” my father said. There it was. That warning tone. The one that meant I was already on thin ice.

I still didn’t move.

I knew I was being childish. Bratty, even. But I didn’t care.

Zade shifted, clearly done waiting. He took a step toward me.

My heart jumped.

I remembered the last time he got that close. How fast it happened. How his hands had grabbed me and lifted me like I weighed nothing. How the ground disappeared beneath my feet as he threw me over his shoulder like I was luggage. Like I didn’t matter.

“I’m going,” I blurted out quickly.

The words rushed out of me before he could touch me.

I turned and walked toward the SUV, forcing my legs to move even though they felt weak. Each step was unsteady. My knees shook, and I hated that he could probably see it. Hated that he could see how scared I was.

By the time I reached the car, Zade was already there. Of course he was. He opened the door for me, one large hand gripping the handle.

I stopped just long enough to look up at him.

His face was splattered with blood. Dark stains across his cheek and jaw, some already drying. It didn’t look like his blood. That made it worse. His eyes were cold. Empty. Like nothing that had happened tonight had touched him at all.

Something ugly twisted in my chest.

“I hate you,” I said quietly.

The words barely sounded like my own.

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. His expression didn’t change.

“I don’t care,” he replied, his voice flat. Emotionless.