FIVE

NIKOLAS__05

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*

Anger, pain, resentment, grief, and other millions of hurtful emotions ever known seared through his heart like the hot sharp curve of a blade.

His wife was dead. So was their child. 

Nikolas looked around as he inhaled deeply, puffing out the smoke of the cigarette dangling between his fingers. 

He was familiar with pain, but for the first time, he didn't know how to deal with it. 

The cigarette and alcohol could only provide relief for a short period and after that, all that would be left was emptiness. 

Nikolas couldn't help but blame himself, he should never have made that trip that night, he should have insisted Valentina went along with him, would she have been alive now? 

She had been so excited about the baby, wanting to give him the family he had always wanted. Just a day before her wrongful death, they had designed their son's nursery and did some little shopping for the baby.

He should have known that their little joy wouldn't last. Happiness just wasn't meant for him. 

He had failed his wife.  Failed their son who had been murdered before he could be born. Nikolas felt useless. Hopeless. 

He'd always sworn to protect them, even from his enemies. 

Nikolas tossed the almost finished cigarette to the hard concrete below. 

Who knew that the enemy that would turn his world so empty would come in the form of a brunette girl and her boyfriend? 

Because of their carelessness, his family was gone forever. 

His gaze shifted to his desk, where he stared at the ongoing footage on his laptop. 

How many times had he done so in the past few weeks? 

Watching Valentina and their baby die in the car, again and again. 

The video was inaudible, but he could almost hear their screams as the smoke suffocated them. 

At this point, Nikolas had already memorized every single feature of the people who claimed Valentina's life. 

The young woman's brown eyes met his from the laptop screen, her brunette hair was very curly, and a few freckles dusted her face. She had a pretty face that emitted an innocent aura, but Nikolas knew not to judge a book by its pretty cover, some people were just so rotten inside that it would be impossible to save them. 

In the first footage, the camera angle caught her being lovey-dovey with a young man that Nikolas presumed was her boyfriend, he was also the person driving. 

Nikolas' taut jaw hardened even further as he watched the clip of them diverting their car away after hitting Valentina.

They had managed to run off unscathed while Valentina's car had rammed into an electric pole which sparked a fire. 

Nikolas could imagine the horrifying experience, how she would suffocate, struggling with no way out. 

His heart pierced with a stormy emotion. 

Valentina was so kind, beautiful and delightful, she hadn't deserved the cruelty of this world.

Her eyes always filled with warmth, an ever-present gentle smile on her lips. Now, he would never see her again, never feel her touch, her words. 

Everything had been ruthlessly snatched from him.

Without a final goodbye. 

He could only make her killers suffer.  Slowly and agonizing, he decided that it was enough. 

The girl. 

She was tied up in one of the empty rooms in his mansion. 

From the camera in the room which was connected to his laptop, he knew the moment she awoke from the slumber Welder had put her. 

He walked out of his office, his strides filled with intent as he unlocked the door to the room he was currently keeping her prisoner. 

His eyes located her on the bed. Slowly, he approached where she lay helplessly tied with nowhere to move. 

He was standing exactly in front of her, his eyes flickered across her face.

Her tears were soaking the blindfold making the color of the material appear thicker. 

Her lower lips trembled, he could scent the fear emitting from her body. 

He liked it. 

Her terror and panic sent a surge of adrenaline pumping through his blood.

To know that he could do whatever he wanted to her! 

And she would be helpless to stop him.

When he had first been hit by Valentina's death, he had thought of several ways to punish her killers. He thought setting them on fire would make them feel the same thing Valentina had suffered. 

Now, staring at the girl, he decided there was no use destroying such a pretty face, there were so many things he could do with her, evil things that were even worse than what he had initially planned. She would make a perfect pawn. 

Nikolas touched her face and she jerked, a sob escaped her mouth, and she grew even more rigid under his fingers. 

For a second, Nikolas felt a twinge of sympathy, she looked so youthful and innocent. 

The feeling of pity didn't last for no more than a second before Nikolas' heart hardened with renewed rage, this woman above all didn't deserve any leniency. 

His large hands encircled her delicate neck and she started to struggle,  Nikolas wondered how much force would be needed to snap it.  

Killing her would be too easy, it would be such a waste, he thought with a sneer. 

The moment he loosened his grip, her sobs and pleas came, She was asking for mercy. 

And none would he give. 

Again Nikolas felt that surge of adrenaline pumping hard through his veins, the feeling was very exciting, and he decided he would have enough time to toy with her until he was satisfied. 

As he ripped off the blindfold, he could see the shock in her eyes shortly followed by a flare of recognition. 

He produced the pocket knife from his pocket and watched as her eyes widened in terror. 

A scream escaped her mouth and Nikolas snapped. 

"Shut up!"

"Please, it was a mistake! It wasn't even me_" She started to sob uncontrollably.  Her cries were starting to get on his nerves.  "I'm sorry your w_wife died, believe me, I had no idea__"

Nikolas didn't want to listen to her, it didn't matter what she said, his wife was already dead. 

Leaning closer to grab her chin painfully, he met her stare dead in the eyes. 

"You don't listen, do you? Make one more sound and I will ensure you never have a reason to speak again!" He hissed and watched her eyes flash with fear.

Bringing down the knife on her, he cut off the ropes on her wrists, he did the same to her feet. 

He watched as she jumped away from him to the very edge of the bed as though the small space between them could save her from his anger. 

*

FREYA

One look at this man, I could feel it already. He was going to do terrible things to me. 

He didn't want to listen that I was also a victim of the accident.

That I knew nothing about his wife's death until today.

The menace in his eyes told me that I could take his threats very seriously. 

 

I curled up in a ball at the very edge of the bed.  

I wanted to ask him but was too scared to open my mouth.

 

"Come down!" He ordered and I stared at him, unwilling to cooperate. 

What was he going to do to me? Kill me? Was Ethan even still alive? 

I met the irritation in his gaze as he marched towards me, a stifled sound of pain escaped my mouth when he suddenly yanked me by my hair. 

My eyes stung at the pain. 

"No! Please let me go!" I screamed.  

Without a word, he hauled me out of the bed.

"Your life might be a little easier if you obey, You need to be taught a lesson!" He effortlessly dragged me out of the room, I stumbled but he caught me by my shoulders. 

I looked around the hallway, it was large and magnificently designed in a modern way.  

Where was this place? 

I used my eyes, trying to search for any possible escape route. I didn't want to know what he meant by "Teaching me a lesson"

He led us to an isolated room and suddenly shoved the door open. 

He pushed me inward. 

There were two men already inside.  I recognized the man who had kidnapped me instantly, but what held my attention was the floor. 

There was so much blood, and there was Ethan.