Semua Bab Nikolai’s Tainted Nun : Bab 111 - Bab 120

Chapter 107⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾I couldn't stop shakingI hadn’t stopped shaking since we left Nikolai’s facility. Even in the back of Kaine's SUV, with the heat blasting and his jacket draped over my shoulders, I couldn't stop the tremors that had started the moment I saw Nikolai's face change. The moment he understood what I'd done to him."You did good, sweetheart," Kaine said from the seat beside me, his hand resting possessively on my thigh. "I know that was hard."Hard. Watching a man who had taught me what it meant to be alive and normal realize I'd been his destruction all along was just ‘hard.’ Seeing him break apart piece by piece in front of me was something I'd simply endured rather than something that had torn my soul in half.I pressed my face against the cold window and watched the city blur past. Somewhere behind us, Nikolai was alone in that concrete tomb, surrounded by the bodies of his men and the smoking ruins of what was a normal day minutes ago. Because of me. All b

Chapter 109⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾The house felt like a mausoleum when I walked through the door at three in the morning. Empty rooms, marble floors that echoed every footstep, and silence. Silence loud enough to make you want to put a gun to your head just to hear something other than your own breathing.I'd left Sicily with Russel's words ringing in my ears and Allesia's disappointed expression burned into my memory. The flight back had given me eight hours to think, which was about seven hours and fifty-nine minutes too many."Mr. Gianni?" I turned to find the housekeeper, standing in the doorway wearing a robe and slippers. She was sixty-something, gray-haired, and had been taking care of this place longer than I could remember."Sorry to wake you," I said, dropping my bag by the door. "Go back to bed.""The child is asleep," she said quietly. "She had nightmares again last night. Wouldn't eat much dinner either.""Thank you for staying with her."The woman nodded and turned to leave,

Chapter 111 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Few Weeks Ago ⟿❂⟾ It felt like my brain was imploding. Like watching myself from a large screen. I was reading a novel in the upstairs bedroom of a house I didn't recognize. The man who owned it had been kind to us, giving us shelter when we had nowhere else to go. We were to stay hidden when he wasn't there. “I have to go on an emergency business trip," he'd said, though I could never remember why we needed protection. Or what his name was. “Stay hidden and never leave the house.” Downstairs, I could hear the television. The boy—Oliver—was watching cartoons, completely absorbed in whatever was playing. The peace was shattered when the sound of car engines cut through the afternoon stillness. Multiple cars. Heavy engines. Definitely not our host. I dropped the book and ran downstairs. “We have to hide," I called out as I burst into the living room. "Now!" Oliver was exactly where I'd expected, lying on his stomach with his chin propped in hi

Chapter 113 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ Since most of the evening crowd was not due for another few hours, the main floor of Lussuria Nera was nearly empty when we walked in, just a few regulars nursing drinks and keeping their conversations low. Viktor was waiting at the bar, a piece of paper in his hand and a smug expression on his face, “I knew you were coming.” “Was growing bored watching those men,” I said with a shrug, “What were you saying?” "Nacho says this fucking thing showed up this morning," Viktor said, sliding the telegram across the bar's polished surface. "Courier delivered it straight to our front door." I picked up the paper, already knowing what I'd find. Agnes's handwriting was as sharp and bitter as her tongue: ⟿⟿ MR. GIANNI- YOUR SILENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES. MARIA FOOLISH HEART BREAKS AT YOUR ABANDONMENT BY THE DAY. MY PATIENCE WEARS THIN. CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY OR YOU AND THAT STUPID BITCH FACE CONSEQUENCES. - S.A. ⟿⟿ "Dramatic as always," I muttered, setting the tel

Chapter 115 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ The wedding ring was actually a shackle around my finger. I stared strangely at it as I sat at Kaine's huge dining table, the gold band caught the light from the crystal chandelier above. The ring was beautiful, I had to admit. An intricate design with small diamonds embedded in a Celtic knot pattern. Under different circumstances, with a different man, I might have loved it. But every time I looked at it, all I could think about was how weird it was that I was actually here, truly married. How naive I'd been to think I could ever truly escape. I never imagined I'd wear a wedding ring. During my years with the sisters, marriage had seemed like a distant concept—something for other people, not for someone who'd devoted her life to serving God. And even in my wildest dreams, if I had imagined wearing one, it certainly wouldn't have been with someone like Kaine. But I’d already owned one before then. The sound of his footsteps on the marble floor m