•Evangeline•╌─═❁═─╌"Do you remember anything?" Nikolai asked with a deep frown etched on his forehead. I touched the back of my neck and gave my head a shake. "No, I passed out a few times while I was in Ignacio's captivity; maybe, he planted something when I was unconscious.""You didn't feel anything?" "Nope, I was in so much pain physically and mentally; I don't think I could have remembered such a tiny incision on the back of my neck." He ran his teeth over his bottom lip and raked a hand through his hair frustratedly. "I'm going to call our surgeon, and he will safely remove it from your back, alright, baby girl?" I nodded, I felt a little uneasy, but Nikolai was going to be there. I again touched the back of my neck, trying to feel something, but there was nothing. "It's gonna be fine, alright?" "Okay..." Nikolai left the bedroom, probably to call his surgeon—the one that removes bullets from his or his men's bodies without even asking a question. I looked around our be

•Nikolai•╌═❁═╌I wasn't scared of much, but feelings—love terrified me. When she asked me if I loved her, said the words out loud; fuck, that was scarier than having a ticking bomb attached to your chest. I stood in front of her like a fucking idiot. I had never been speechless before anyone, I always get the last word but Evangeline has managed to do that as well. I grabbed my fifth glass of whiskey and downed it. I couldn't say it, I don't fucking know what I feel for her. I wanted her, I liked being around her, sleeping in the same bed as hers but love was out of the question. I told her, I fucking told her that I won't love her. She fucking said she had no problem with it. She said she was fine with me not loving her. She fucking said that she won't ask me to love her. Didn't she? I picked up the bottle of whiskey and tossed it on the wall. I placed my hands over the desk and hung my head. "Fuck!" When I first met her—the day her father had died, I'd never imagined that the

•Nikolai•╌═❁═╌"I take Evangeline with me forever" he declared. I let out a dry laugh. He had balls, I gotta hand it to him but he was also stupid. Courage and stupidity don't go well together, not in my world anyway. "You really thought that I'd just hand Evangeline to you because you asked me to?" I raised an eyebrow. Mark's eyes dropped to the floor, most men can't handle looking me straight in the eyes. "Respectfully, Don Niko, she is of no use to you. She didn't know anything about her parents, the girl had lived in isolation her whole life. I know you have taken care of her after her parents' death but it's my responsibility. She is my goddaughter. I'd like to take her with me" I brushed my thumb over my lower lip as I heard him rambling on and on about Evangeline. "Do you even know who she is?" "Don Niko, I have cared for that girl my entire life. I can take better care of her" "That's an impossible feat considering that Evangeline is my wife now" A look of pure shock an

•Evangeline•╌─═❁═─╌I woke up to an empty bed. Frowning, I looked to my side and saw that his side was still perfectly made, showing that he never came to bed last night, not even for a few hours. Disappointment filled my body, making me sag my shoulders.I waited for him last night for hours. He went out with his uncle and came back later at night. When I went to his study to talk to him, Scott didn't let me enter, he told me that Nikolai was busy and didn't have time. Scott also sounded so brusque, for a second there, he felt like a stranger, a cold stranger that I don't know anything about. I caught a glimpse of him from the half-opened door, he was reclining back in his seat smoking a cigar. He had time for a smoke but didn't have a few seconds to spare to see me? How can he be so busy that he doesn't even have a few seconds to talk to his wife? A knock on the door resounded in the room, I tossed aside the duvet and made my way to it. A maid stood outside, she was one of the cl

•Evangeline•╌─═❁═─╌Marco was waiting for me in the exact same spot he dropped me at this morning. I don't think he left. I said goodbye to Layla and settled in the backseat as the car's engine came to life. Marco kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror as if he was expecting me to talk incessantly like I used to do before. I wasn't feeling like it anymore. I used to feel happy and so damn lucky for everything Nikolai did for me before but now; with him behaving the way he is doing, everything feels wrong. I feel like I have married a complete stranger and we never knew each other and now here we are bound in a loveless marriage. Everything felt like a lie. "Evangeline, we're here" Marco announced. I looked to my side and saw the front door. I mumbled a quick thanks and stepped out of the car, heading inside. I went straight upstairs and changed into some comfortable clothes. I sat on the bed and pulled my books out of the bag and started studying. I wanted to busy myself