A Wife For Nico Vescari의 모든 챕터: 챕터 61 - 챕터 70

~CAKE~The drive to the event center was quiet, and my mind refused to stay in the present.Ever since we came back from Milan, Sienna had been avoiding me like I had suddenly developed a contagious disease. Every time I walked into a room she conveniently remembered something she needed to do somewhere else. The first two times I brushed it off, but by the fourth time it was obvious she was doing it on purpose.Which was frustrating because I had no idea what I had done wrong.The last time I tried to talk to her that morning, she had practically fled down the hallway with some excuse about checking something in the kitchen.So tonight I was going to this auction alone.Well, not technically alone. I had Frank, my bodyguard and the rest of Nico’s security team hovering somewhere within breathing distance, but socially speaking, I was on my own.Elianna was not coming either.Apparently her father had stormed into the hospital the night of the allergy incident and started yelling loud

~CAKE~My heels clicked against the marble like I owned the damn hallway, which—technically—I guess I did now. Mrs. Vescari. It still sounded ridiculous in my head. Half a billion euros I’d just dropped on a painting like it was a pair of Louboutins, and a husband who looked like he could start a war with a raised eyebrow. And I had just walked out on him after saying the one thing guaranteed to get under his skin.Bidding is fun. Especially with the enemy.God, the look on his face. I barely made it past the curve in the hallway before I heard footsteps behind me. Not the calm, measured kind Nico usually had. Faster. Purposeful.My pulse kicked up.Let him chase. I’d spent the whole night watching him watch me, pretending he wasn’t affected. Time to flip the script.I slowed slightly near one of those overly dramatic alcoves meant for “private conversations.” Velvet drapes, dim lighting, marble pillars. The kind of place rich men pretended they weren’t doing shady things in.Perfe

~CAKE~The moment I stepped into the arena, I could feel it.The energy wasn’t the usual kind that came with a good fight. It was fuller, louder, like the crowd had already decided what kind of show they were about to get. I adjusted my mask as I walked toward the ring, ignoring the voices that carried from the stands. They weren’t subtle about it either.Some of them were already placing bets out loud. Others were laughing like they had just been handed front-row seats to something humiliating. I didn’t need to hear every word to understand the general idea. They thought this was going to be easy. For him.I climbed into the ring without reacting, my focus already on my opponent. He was exactly what I expected—tall, broad, built like he relied on brute strength more than anything else. The kind of fighter who thought size alone was enough to win. Big for nothing, I thought, taking in the way he carried himself. His stance was relaxed, almost careless, like he didn’t see me as a rea

~NICO~I had not been able to focus for the past hour.Not on the reports Adriano left on my desk. Not on the numbers. Not even on the issue of the compromised office, which should have taken priority over everything else.Instead, my attention kept drifting back to one thing.Her.Which was exactly why I found myself standing outside her door instead of where I was supposed to be.I knocked once and pushed the door open without waiting for a response.She was in the middle of her room, clothes scattered across the bed, a suitcase open, half-packed. For a second, I didn’t say anything. My eyes moved over the scene, taking it in automatically before settling on her.She was wearing pink Mickey Mouse pajamas.I leaned against the doorframe slightly, folding my arms. “What are you doing?”She didn’t look up immediately. “Packing,” she said, like it was obvious. Then she glanced at me. “I’m leaving for Milan tomorrow. I have a shoot.”I watched her for a second longer. “A shoot.”She nodd

~NICO~By 8 a.m., I had Adriano round up every member of staff in my mansion and assemble them in the driveway. No one was left inside. Security swept the house twice to be certain.The women stood to the left. The men stood to the right.Order matters.So does fear.Cake had already left for Milan with Elianna. I called Javier aside before they drove out and gave him one instruction. Keep my wife safe. He did not need more than that.If anything happened to her, it would not be a discussion.It would be a war.Now my attention was here.I stood on the balcony overlooking the driveway, my hands resting lightly on the railing as I studied them. No rush. No wasted movement. My eyes moved from face to face, posture to posture.People reveal themselves when they think they are blending in.Enzo came to stand beside me. “Routine check?” he asked.“That’s what they think.”His gaze swept over them. “You see something?”“I see too much.”That was the problem.My eyes settled on a man in the