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Chapter 149 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ “Hello there,” He said. His voice was deeper than I remembered, rougher. “Long time no see.” “You recognize her?” Giancarlo asked, sounding surprised. “Her?” Oliver laughed, but there was no humor in it. “She’s my sister. The one who abandoned me.” “That’s right!” Giancarlo snarled. “The one who abandoned you! And now she’s here with her criminal boyfriend to kill me—the only man who ever gave you life. Hope. Dreams. A future.” He laughed. “Can you believe that? Well, there’ll be no need for that. Go ahead and shoot them!” Abandoned. The words made my heart shatter completely. Abandoned? I’d been looking for him ever since I learnt of his existence, had never stopped searching, had come here tonight specifically to find him. “Oliver, I didn’t abandon you,” I said, taking a step toward him. “I’ve been looking for you. I never stopped looking.” “Stay back!” he snapped, and I froze. “You left me. You left me with him.” Him. Our father. Flashes o
Chapter 148⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾I watched as panic began to ripple through the room like wildfire. These wealthy monsters who had been so comfortable discussing human trafficking moments before were now looking toward the exits, calculating their chances of escape.But Nikolai stood perfectly still, his hand firm on my waist, radiating a calm that was more terrifying than any rage I’d ever witnessed. He was in complete control, and everyone in the room knew it.“You have about three minutes,” he said conversationally to the room, “before my men surround this building. I suggest you use that time wisely.”Some of the guests began moving toward the doors, but Nikolai’s voice cut through their panic like a blade.“Where do you think you’re going?”They froze.“You see, everyone in this room has participated in something that offends me deeply. You’ve all sat here, eating fine food, drinking expensive wine, and casually discussing the buying and selling of human beings. That makes you complic
Chapter 147 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ That was it. Sylvia’s carefully constructed mask shattered like glass. She made a sound that was part gasp, part whimper, and suddenly she was that terrified girl again, the one who had been broken and brutalized and left to die. “No,” she breathed, backing away from him. “No, I didn’t. You can’t—” “Oh, but I can,” Kaine said, following her retreat. “And you have no idea how long I’ve been looking for you. How much trouble you’ve caused me. How much I’ve missed our little sessions together.” I moved then, stepping between them with fluid grace. “That’s enough.” “Is it?” Kaine’s eyes glittered with malevolent delight. “Tell me, Mr. Kozlov, how much did you pay for her? Because I have to say, you got quite a bargain. She’s been very ill trained.” The words must have taken the air right out of Sylvia’s lungs. I could hear her breathing becoming ragged, could feel her slipping into panic behind me. “Stay away from her,” I said, my voice dropping to
Chapter 146⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾The moment Kaine’s eyes locked onto Sylvia’s face, I knew we were fucked. Twenty years of carefully honed instincts screamed at me to get her out of there before everything went to hell.But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not with dozens of armed men surrounding us, not with Giancarlo’s security detail positioned at every exit, not with Sylvia frozen in terror beside me.So I did what I’d been trained to do since I was fifteen years old: I smiled.“Magnificent auction,” I said loudly enough for my voice to carry, raising my wine glass toward Giancarlo. “Two million for such exquisite quality. You truly know how to showcase your finest assets.”The words tasted like poison in my mouth, but they had the desired effect. Several heads turned toward me, including Kaine’s, and I saw his attention shift slightly away from Sylvia.Thanks to the mask, they couldn’t tell who I was. “Mr. Kozlov,” Giancarlo beamed, clearly pleased with the evening’s success. “I’m so glad you c
Chapter 145⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾Nikolai’s hand found mine under the table, his fingers intertwining with mine and squeezing tight. “Yes, you can. Look at me.”I forced myself to turn away from Kaine, who for some reason hadn’t noticed me yet, and met Nikolai’s eyes. In them, I saw strength, determination, and something that looked like fierce protectiveness.“You are not that scared woman anymore,” he said quietly. “You are strong. You are brave. And you are not alone.”I nodded, trying to calm my racing heart by repeating the new mantra. But every time I glanced toward the head of the table, I felt that familiar panic clawing at my throat.The dinner progressed with course after course of exquisite food that I couldn’t taste. My mouth was too dry, my stomach too knotted with anxiety. I pushed the food around my plate, trying to look normal while my entire world spun around me.The conversation around the table grew more explicit as the evening wore on. The men discussed their ‘acquisition
Chapter 144 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ The building looked like it was about to collapse. Standing before the crumbling brick facade, I couldn’t believe this was where we were supposed to be. Broken windows had been boarded up with rotting wood, graffiti covered every available surface, and the whole structure seemed to lean precariously to one side. “Are you sure this is the right place?” I whispered to Nikolai, my hand trembling slightly in his. He squeezed my fingers reassuringly. “Trust me.” Manuel and Luigi flanked us as we approached what appeared to be a condemned entrance. The heavy metal door was rusted and covered in warning signs that screamed “DANGER - DO NOT ENTER.” “Stick to the plan,” Luigi muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the surrounding area. “We’ll be waiting.” Manuel confirmed and Nikolai nodded before Manuel and Luigi returned to the car. I turned to Nikolai, my heart racing. “What plan? What are you talking about?” “Later,” he said softl