Chapter 92⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾"Do you always rescue suicidal strangers?" I asked during the drive.Camille glanced at me, her lips curving into a half-smile. "Only the interesting ones."I looked down at my bandaged hand. The makeshift wrapping had soaked through completely now, the blood darkening to a rusty brown. "I'm not sure 'interesting' is the right word. 'Unstable' might be more accurate.""Unstable is just interesting with higher stakes," she replied, smoothly taking a turn. "Besides, I don't think you're unstable. Lost, maybe. But who isn't these days?"The casual way she dismissed my obvious mental break made me wonder about her own experiences. What had she seen or lived through that made my cliff-side breakdown seem unremarkable?We pulled into an underground parking garage beneath a sleek high-rise building."Home sweet home," Camille announced as she parked. "At least for now.""You don't sound particularly attached," I observed.She shrugged. "I move around a lot. Never be
Chapter 91⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾The sensation of falling was both terrifying and exhilarating. For a brief, suspended moment, I was weightless, free from all the constraints that had bound me. The convent, Nikolai, my own fractured sense of self. I was nothing but pure potential, unwritten and undefined, floating through gravity.Then something seized my hand and before I could grasp what, I was yanked backward with such force that I lost my balance. I crashed to the ground, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs. Gasping, I rolled onto my side. It took several minutes of hard breathing and panting by not just me, but whatever had yanked me up, for me to regain control of my senses. I looked up to see who had interrupted my desperate attempt.A woman stood over me, her expression a mixture of horror and disbelief. It took me several minutes to connect her face with a name and place. When I did, I gasped again. “What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her chest heavi
Chapter 90 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ The door closed behind him with a soft click that somehow felt more final than if he had slammed it. Viktor followed. I stood frozen in place, my hands trembling at my sides. My faith had taken something from me? My memories? How dare he weaponize my past—or lack thereof—against me? A scream built in my throat, but I swallowed it down. I wasn’t going to give him something he could use as further evidence of my instability. I moved to the bathroom like a woman possessed, yanking the sweater over my head with such force that I heard the fabric tear. My leggings followed, everything discarded in a trail across the floor as I positioned myself in front of the full-length mirror. The woman staring back at me was the same one I’d seen every other day, except with more emotions. Pale skin flushed with anger. Wild eyes rimmed with unshed tears. Messy bun from where his hand had been a few minutes ago when he’d kissed me like I was not the woman with no ‘c
Chapter 89 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Everything I'd feared was happening right in front of me, and I was powerless to stop it. My past and present were colliding violently, and the casualties were bound to be astronomical. Nikolai set the tablet down with careful precision. The control was so deliberate I could tell he was barely containing his rage. His jaw clenched so tight I could almost hear his teeth grinding. Even wounded and bedridden, he oozed danger like heat from fire. The silence was painfully loud until Viktor finally broke it. "She's bluffing," he declared, pacing the length of the room. "That stupid bitch is bluffing. What could she possibly have? Real evidence? Photographs? Recordings?" He shook his head dismissively. "People make empty threats all the time." I shook my head and met his eyes with certainty. "No. She knows. Agnes knows everything." Viktor looked to Nikolai, clearly hoping for his boss to contradict me, but Nikolai's expression had turned to granite, his
Chapter 88⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾"What does she want?" I asked Viktor, shelving the inevitable confrontation with Sylvia for later. If Agnes had Maria's phone, we had far more pressing concerns."She's demanding to speak with you directly," Viktor replied, his expression grim. "She says it's urgent and private.""Put her through," I said immediately, jaw set.Viktor pulled a tablet from his jacket and tapped the screen a few times before handing it to me. "She's waiting."I took the tablet and accepted the call, feeling Sylvia tense beside me.Agnes's bitchy voice filled the line. "Mr. Gianni," she purred, her voice as dry and brittle as dead leaves. "How kind of you to take my call. I do hope I'm not disturbing your convalescence.""Sister Agnes," I replied coolly. "This is an unexpected pleasure. To what do I owe this surprise?""Oh, I think you know exactly why I'm calling, Mr. Gianni. Or should I address you as Nikolai? We are, after all, about to become so much more... intimately acqua
Chapter 87 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ "We're not finished discussing—the stuff," I called after Luigi. He paused at the threshold, glancing nervously at Sylvia, who was setting the tray on a table by the window. "Later," he promised, and vanished. Sylvia turned to me, her expression curious. "What stuff?" "Later," I echoed Luigi, unwilling to dive into that particular hornets' nest just yet. "What've you got there?" She wheeled the table over to the bed. "Chicken soup," she announced, as though presenting a gourmet feast. "Homemade, not bought." Despite my dying pride, I felt a smile tugging at my lips. "Are you returning the favor?" She cocked her head innocently. "What favor?" "The soup. That night, I bought you chicken soup I promised to be a pro at making.” She laughed softly. "I hadn't even made that connection. But yes, I suppose I am. Though mine is better than that deli swill." "Bold claim," I remarked, eyeing the steaming bowl. It did smell incredible. Sylvia pulled up the
Chapter 86 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ Consciousness returned to me like a sledgehammer to the face. The first thing I noticed was the dryness in my mouth, like someone had stuffed it with cotton balls soaked in battery acid. The second thing was the throbbing in my shoulder—duller now, more of a persistent ache than the searing pain I remembered. The third thing was Sinatra playing softly in the background, which meant I was either in my bedroom or had died and gone to a very specific kind of hell. I pried my eyelids open against their vehement protests. Sunlight streamed through partially opened curtains, painting golden stripes across unfamiliar bedsheets. Not my bedroom, then. The medical suite. Recalibrating my expectations accordingly, I attempted to sit up. My body responded with all the enthusiasm of a cat being dragged to a bath. "Fuck," I muttered, falling back against the pillows. My voice sounded like it had been dragged behind a truck through a gravel quarry. "Ah, sleepi
Chapter 85 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ I could feel Sylvia's eyes burning into my back as I left the medical suite, but there was no time for further arguments. The situation had escalated beyond what I'd anticipated, and so had my headache. I pulled out my phone and dialed Viktor’s number as soon as I entered my study and closed the door behind me. He answered on the first ring. "I heard there were complications." "Word travels fast," I remarked dryly, pouring myself a glass of whiskey. It was too early for a drink, but fuck it. "The girl nearly died." "Is that why you're calling at four in the morning?" "No." I took a sip and let the burn steady my thoughts against the better judgment of my headache. "I need you to bring Maria over." A long pause. "Over there, like there?” “Yes.” I replied. “Here.” “Are you being serious?" "What do you think?” I scoffed. "What does this have to do with the girl?" Viktor's voice was cautious, probing. "Everything." I moved to the window and distr
Chapter 84 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ The shrill ring of my phone yanked me from a dreamless sleep. Fuck. "What is it?" I hissed, voice rough with sleep as I fumbled for the device on the nightstand. Beside me, Sylvia stirred but didn't wake. "Thank God you’re up." Luigi's voice was tight with barely controlled panic, something I barely heard from the unflappable man. I was instantly alert, sliding from the bed and moving to the window, I kept my voice low. "I thought I told you not to disturb me until—" "It's the girl," he cut me off. "She's convulsing. The doctors can't stabilize her." Every trace of slumber fell off my eyes. "What the hell happened? Kade said she had no serious complications." "They missed something. Cerebral edema, they're saying now. Pressure building in her skull." "Where is she?" I demanded, already pulling on yesterday's pants. "Medical suite, east wing. Dr. Weiss says if we don't get her to a hospital—" "No hospitals," I snapped. "Too exposed