Chapter 4

The next day, I spent two hours stripping the primary suite down to bare concrete. Every silk dress, every piece of jewelry, and every ledger page detailing the shipping accounts I had built for him were packed into two scarred leather trunks. When I finished, the room held all the warmth of a freshly dug grave.

Dragging the trunks toward the private elevator, the doors slid open with a soft hiss, revealing Nikolai.

His eyes swept over the heavy luggage, an impatient, darkened edge settling over his sharp features.

"Maria," he said, his voice quiet, low, and dangerously controlled. "What is this?"

"I'm clearing out," I replied, my tone flat. "It’s not good for relationship morale if your Donna sees a ghost wandering your floor."

He took a step forward, his boot heavy against the marble floor, and slammed his palm down onto the handle of my lead trunk, pinning it in place.

"There are no 'Donna' on this floor," he growled. "This is our sanctuary. I told you—no matter which women I see, no one steps foot in this penthouse."

I let out a faint, humorless breath, ignoring his pathetic attempt at reassurance, and tried to move past him.

His fingers clamped around my wrist like an iron cuff.

"Maria." His voice dropped, thick with rising irritation. "Stop playing these games. Aren't we separated, okay? It’s just a little distraction. We’re simply allowing each other to see other people as well."

I stopped and slowly turned my head to meet his eyes. Save the diplomatic doublespeak for the council, Nikolai," I said coldly. "Unlike your new Donna, I lack the talent to understand your diplomacy, and I certainly do not understand your arrangements. For me, it's over."

His jaw tightened, a bitter smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as if I had just uttered something absurdly naive.

"Don't understand it?" He took a slow step toward me, leaning down until his dark hair brushed my temple, his breath smelling faintly of fine smoke and bourbon. "Then what about chasing Julian Vance?"

I held my ground, unblinking.

"Word travels fast, Maria," he whispered mockingly. "The rumor that you were interested in Julian Vance reached my desk two hours ago."

I paused for a fraction of a second, then looked him dead in the eye. "And what if I did?"

A low laugh vibrated in his chest.

"You're out of your mind," he sneered, straightening up and watching me like a predator observing a bird fluttering toward a trap. "You think using Julian’s name will make me panic and stop me from dating Steffy? Who in this city doesn't know that Julian has loathed your bloodline since we were kids?"

He stepped closer, his tone turning into a patronizing warning. "Did you forget the treaty map your father sent his family fifteen years ago—the one he personally shredded and mailed back soaked in gasoline? He despises your family name."

"That," I said softly, "is between Julian and me."

"He isn't a pawn you can play with, Maria," he warned, his eyes narrowing into slits. "He’s a monster who executes people for minor breaches of etiquette. Don't light a match just to see if you can handle the fire."

I grabbed the handles of my trunks and pushed past him.

He didn't grab me this time. He just stood in the arched doorway, his dark, vicious words echoing down the cold marble hallway after me.

"Do you really think Julian Vance would ever give you a seat at his table?" He called out, his voice dripping with cruel confidence. "Everyone in the underworld knows you've spent the last years bleeding yourself dry to build my empire, his only existing rival."

“Besides, his informants are everywhere. The fact that I have been ruining you since the time you came out of your age would have reached his ears long ago.” He sneered, “He must know there is nothing ‘fresh’ about you, Maria. And a man like him will never accept a second-hand thing.”

The temperature in the hallway plunged to absolute zero.

My blood roared in my ears for a single, blinding second before settling into a terrifying, icy stillness. Nikolai knew every weakness I possessed—he knew how hard I had fought to earn respect in a world dominated by ruthless men, and he had used that exact blade to carve away my dignity.

I turned around slowly.

I walked right back up to his smirking, arrogant face, pulled back my hand, and drove my open palm across his cheek with every ounce of force left in my body.

CRACK.

Silence stretched across the hallway, thick and suffocating.

Nikolai stayed frozen for several long seconds. Slowly, he brought his head back up. His eyes turned pitch black, dangerous and devoid of any lingering affection.

"You always did have too much pride for your own good," he murmured through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom. "Remember this moment, Maria. In this business, nobody gets a second chance to sit at the high table."

"I don't need a second chance," I replied, my voice disturbingly calm as I grabbed my trunks and stepped into the elevator. "I'm taking the whole table.”