Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 181 - Chapitre 190

The scent of seawater and the biting cold of the wind finally forced me to give up staying outside. My head was throbbing slightly, the boat rocking harder as the waves grew rougher at night. I went inside the cabin, hoping to find some warm water or anything that might ease the headache. Then, suddenly, the boat stopped.I glanced out the window. We were motionless in the middle of the sea. There was nothing out there, only endless darkness that sent a chill up my spine. What was Alexei really trying to do by bringing me here? Seriously… what if he actually planned to kill me?My eyes darted to the pistol on the table, and I grabbed it at once. It felt lighter than it should. When I checked the chamber, my breath caught. It was empty. Damn it. So Alexei had pointed an unloaded gun at me earlier?“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath.There was nothing helpful inside the boat, no tools, no equipment. It had been left completely bare, and I couldn’t find anything that could double as a

NATHANIEL POV“Your recovery is progressing well. You can go home this afternoon,” the doctor said.“It’s about time.”I was deeply grateful. Ten days after I regained consciousness, I was finally allowed to leave. Not because I was bored with the healthy food or watching TV all day, but because of something else—I felt useless.I wasn’t lonely. Dimitri and Gabriel took turns visiting me. Still, I missed Anna. I’d only seen her twice, and after that… I didn’t know where she went.It felt like Anna was avoiding me, even though I knew that wasn’t her intention. She was busy finishing weapon development with Isolde, traveling to several cities to track down Alexei. As the head of the Nightshade division, Anna was under immense pressure.She never failed to reply to my messages or send me one first. But I knew it was more out of obligation, as if she felt responsible for reminding me I hadn’t been forgotten. And that realization hit me hard during my stay at the hospital.The doctor excus

I could no longer fool Isolde and Tisha. I had no choice but to tell them everything, about my meeting with Alexei at the harbor. Both of them looked furious and shocked at the same time. They never expected Alexei to act that extremely.What they regretted most was how I went off on my own without thinking about the risks. They were terrified that if Katerina ever found out, I would be finished. I knew I had been reckless and impulsive, but my reasons were clear.Alexei knew the truth, even though his memories had not returned. I never expected him to love me again. In fact, I wanted him to leave as soon as possible, but he ignored my advice.“So why does he want to meet you this time?” Isolde asked sharply. Her irritation was written clearly on her face. “He could drag you into something far worse, Anna.”“And our goal is to take down Vlad, not pointless secret meetings with Alexei,” Tisha added.I didn’t answer right away. I processed their words, which were not wrong. Still, meeti

NATHANIEL POVMy nerves were on edge. Gabriel was busy reading in front of me, while Dimitri was absorbed in whatever he was watching on his phone. I watched the two of them in boredom, my thoughts drifting everywhere. I was worried about Anna. There was something she was hiding, and I knew it.“You haven’t heard from Anna?” I asked Gabriel.Every time I mentioned Anna’s name, Gabriel always glared at me with apparent wariness. What was his problem? Did he think he had some kind of claim over her?Gabriel shook his head. “Not today. I’ve been too busy at the office.”Dimitri snickered. I thought he was laughing at Gabriel, but apparently, it was at his video. The longer I watched him, the more grateful I was that Anna didn’t have some deep, long-standing bond with him. Honestly, Dimitri just seemed too clueless to me.“What about you?” Gabriel asked.I nodded quickly. “We exchanged a few messages this afternoon.”“Oh. Is she okay?”“Yeah. She’s busy with Tisha and Isolde.”At least, t

“Just please, stay with me,” I said.Alexei went quiet for a moment, looking at me intently. That look, I knew it well. It felt like I was with the Alexei who had once sworn he would come back to me.A teasing smile curved on his lips. “Don’t blame me if something happens between us.”“What could possibly happen between you and me?” I tilted my head slightly. “We’re just on the same boat, right?”Suddenly, Alexei grabbed both of my hands. His body pressed forward until our chests met. My breath caught. I hadn’t expected this, but I knew I wouldn’t refuse him if he wanted me. Even if, for him, this would be nothing more than a one-night story he might forget.Or not. Maybe Alexei would remember that he had once been with me, as a beautiful memory. That would be enough.“Do you realize how much attention you draw from men?” Alexei said.I tried to stay calm, to behave the way Katerina had taught me. Mystery was power. A powerful woman did not look easily broken. She looked tameable, eve