CHAPTER 44: A little vulnerability Nico stood outside the door of Olivia’s room waiting silently. He had stepped out as soon as the doctor arrived. This afforded him time, space,and a clear mind to go over what had been going on. Multiple attempts had been made on the life of Nero’s wife in such a short space of time.There was one thing that was clear to him. The culprit was relentless. He had an objective which he or she wanted to achieve by taking out the pregnant girl. He was frustrated that he could not seem to find the link or pattern immediately.The door to Olivia’s room clicked softly behind him, and he turned to see Nero standing in front of the door. His shoulders were stiff, his steps quiet but seething with restrained fury. He paused at the end of the hallway, eyes meeting Nico’s.“She’s asleep,” he muttered, voice low and rough like gravel grinding under pressure. “The doctor said she’s stable.”Nico nodded, arms folded as he glanced toward the door. “And the baby?”Ner
CHAPTER 43: Bitter aftertasteOlivia sat alone at the long table in the cast dining hall. The sunlight filtering through the tall gilded windows did little to lift the heaviness pressing down on her chest. Neither did it chase away the chill that was wrapping its arms around her. She sat rigid at the long mahogany table, the breakfast laid out elegantly before her—silver cutlery glinting, porcelain plates arranged with clinical perfection. But none of it registered. None of it appealed to her. Elena had advised her to eat even when she did not have an appetite for the child's sake. But she still couldn't find it in her.Her fingers toyed with the handle of her teacup, her appetite absent, her mind tangled in the events of the previous night. The necklace. The note. Nero’s outburst. The shattered diamonds that were swept away by the maids this morning still haunted her, as did the look in his eyes. It was so full of rage and that she was still baffled and confused about it.And then, t
CHAPTER 42: Shattered diamondsThe soft click of the door echoed in Olivia’s mind as she closed it behind her. The corridor was quiet, almost eerily so, as she slowly made her way into her new bedroom that she had all to herself. Though it afforded her privacy, It wasn’t her sanctuary—no place in the mansion was, but at least there, she could breathe without being under the scrutiny of Nero's hawk-like gaze.Just moments ago, she had handed Lulu over to Elena. The cat had recovered well, and was already back to her usual energetic, and playful self. The feline had meowed in protest, its small face pressing into Olivia’s trembling hand as if sensing its mistress's unrest, before she was taken away. Elena had given her a look, soft, knowing—but hadn’t asked questions. She suspected that Olivia’s trip to her husband’s office to request her freedom had not gone as planned. She decided not to ask the younger woman; she already had so much on her hands, coupled with the last attack on her—
CHAPTER 41: Snake in the WaterThe sun spilt gold across the rippling surface of the pool, dancing like flames upon the water. Luigi leaned back against the edge, his elbows hooked lazily over the smooth marble. The dark sunglasses perched on his nose hid the calculating gleam in his eyes. Two female escorts that he had gotten from his nightclub laughed beside him. Each one flanked him on both sides, sucking the skin of his neck and making lewd noises in his ear—both their hands, trailing up his thigh like a silent question.He didn’t answer. Didn’t need to. Power didn’t respond. It commanded. Besides, he loved the feel of that question.The girls were nothing more than decoration, really. Like the sculptures or the hand-painted ceiling of his palatial estate outside Barcelona. Pretty distractions. Necessary illusions. The kind that whispered he had everything under control. They were merely there for his pleasure and his amusement, for even as they administered to him, his mind wand
CHAPTER 40: A mother's awakening The silence in Olivia’s room was strange. It was not the peaceful type. It was anything but peaceful. It was heavy, just like the air held its breath with her.The walls which were an off white colour— though elegantly designed, felt like they were closing in on her, tighter than ever before. The chandelier above, dimmed to a golden glow, cast lingering shadows that shifted with every breath she took. Nero had let her go to another room surprisingly after she had requested so upon regaining consciousness. He’d given her space—without raising any objections.Her body still ached from the fall. Her body was painted in bruises that bloomed beneath her skin like violets—but it wasn’t the pain that held her still.It was the thought. The one she could no longer push away. It had been a few days since the incident, and she was beginning to come to terms with one reality she had been ignoring.She was pregnant.No longer was it just a word from the doctor's
CHAPTER 39: Down she came Olivia barely felt the echo of her own footsteps as she lifelessly descended the grand staircase in a trance like a zombie. Her hands trembled against the cool smooth banister. But it wasn’t from physical weakness, or exhaustion. No. Rather, It was from the storm that was brewing within her—the thunderclap of Nero’s cold voice still ringing in her head like a timeless loop. “You’re mine.” “This is your reality now.” Those words repeated in an endless loop like a broken record, branding her mind like a curse. Divorce wasn’t an option, he’d said. This was her life now. A life built on chains and shadows. She had thought with the appearance of his beloved chip, that he was going to let her go—her and her cat. But she had been wrong. In her excitement, she had forgotten about the unspoken reality nestling within her.Olivia felt like she was sleepwalking. It seemed like she was walking in an endless corridor in a nightmare of her own making. Each step down