Chapter 39

“I came undone,
not because I lost her,
but because I remembered
she was never meant to be free of me.“

Nathan’s POV

I don’t know what the fuck that was.

No, seriously, I’m contemplating faking my own death and changing my name again.

One minute I was minding my business, repressing everything like a champion, and the next I was…apologizing, out loud, with feelings, multiple ones, in sequence.

Disgusting.

I should’ve stopped myself, but no, my mouth betrayed me—the ungrateful asshole. I’ve spent years training it to be a weapon, not to go rogue and start spewing emotional nonsense like that.

God, I don’t even know why the words came out. They weren’t planned. They didn’t line up neatly in my head first like they usually do. They just…fell out of me, tripped over each other.

And the worst part?

They felt true.

That’s the real offense here.

I hated truths like that, the kind you can’t stab your way out of, and now I get to live with it.

Fantastic.

Congratulations to me. I’ve officially sentenced myself to a lifetime of Natalie and her stupid empathy and sappy emotions.

I am going to suffer.

Also, there was this annoying, traitorous thing happening in my chest, right where the pain usually sits. That tight, angry knot I’ve kept alive for years, it was…much looser, now.

Not fully gone, though, don’t get excited. I’m not healed. God forbid I start processing things like a functioning human being.

But it’s like someone cracked a window in a room that’s been suffocating for decades, just a little, enough air to remind me that I’ve been choking this whole time.

I don’t like it.

I also don’t hate it.

Which is unsettling.

One month without my princess did this to me. I blame her entirely. I’m adding this to her punishment as well. She shouldn’t have left me to my own devices.

Natalie, meanwhile, tugged me into her house, dragging me inside. Apparently, I’m not being released anytime soon. Fuck.

I pulled my arm back from her touch before she could get any ideas. “Look,” I said, slipping back into the version of myself that actually fits, “just because we had a…moment back there, doesn’t mean we’re doing the whole bonding, healing, sharing bullshit.”

“You need to keep annoying me, and I’ll keep annoying you back. That’s the natural order of things. That’s balance.” I added, re-establishing boundaries, “If we start being normal about this, the universe will implode, or I will, and believe me, I’m much messier.”

Her lips twitched, smiling, actually smiling, like I was being adorable or something. Then she urged me to sit down, nearly pushing me into the couch. I plopped down because fighting her would require effort, and I’d already committed the crime of feeling, so my day was full.

“Yeah, yeah, sure, don’t worry,” She said dismissively, as if just to shut me up, before she brought her hand and wiped the tears from under her eyes.

She sat beside me, way too close, consuming my personal space. I tried to push her away with my elbow, but she didn’t budge. Her eyes flickered to my face, and her lips curved up higher, like she was genuinely happy.

That should’ve irritated me more.

It did irritate me, it just also did something else I wouldn’t name.

“Stop smiling,” I grumbled.

She shook her head, “You don’t hate me,” She said it like it was a newly concluded fact, an accomplishment she didn’t think she’d ever get. Her head tilted, her smile dipping into something fragile. “I really thought you hated me, but you don’t.”

My eyebrow lifted, “Aren’t you a therapist? Shouldn’t you be smart and figure these things out on your own?”

“Yeah, but you’re just very hard to read,” she said, sighing, “and here I used to think Nik was hard to read.”

My brows knit together, “Wait…is that how you two met?”

“Yeah, didn’t you know?” She said, “From his therapist to his wife,” She added with a wink.

I shot her a glare, “That’s so unprofessional, you’re apparently very bad at this.” My lips curled up in annoyance, “I don’t want you treating Aylin.”

She playfully slapped my arm, “Will you stop complaining about that?”

“Never,” I grumbled.

My eyes drifted back to her face despite myself. “Does she talk about me?” I asked, trying to sound casual and failing spectacularly. I’d love to dig around in my princess’s head myself, but no, Natalie gets front-row seats. Such a nuisance she is, this sister of mine.

Natalie nodded, “Yeah, she does, sometimes.“

My lips twitched. “All good things, I hope?”

She shrugged. “Meh. That’s…debatable.”

My smile fell, and I shot her a glare. She just chuckled, completely unfazed, and lifted her hand, brushing the few strands of hair away from my temple like she’d done it a thousand times before, smoothing them back, her fingers lingering longer than necessary.

“You really do love her, don’t you?” She asked, her voice softening.

“That’s none of your business.”

Her eyebrow raised, “Well, she apparently loves you, so you better not hurt her.”

“What the—” I started, then scowled. “She’s the one who keeps hurting me. I didn’t do anything. She sentenced me to a month without her, a whole fucking month.” I shook my head. “That’s a death sentence right there. Where exactly is the…love in that?”

“Didn’t do anything,” she repeated, very unimpressed, “You’re sure about that? You kidnapped her mother, for god’s sake.”

I felt myself sink even further into the cushion. “So,” I mumbled, my voice low, “she told you about that, huh?” I shot her another glare, narrowing my eyes. “See? This is exactly why I don’t want you talking to her. I’m finding her another therapist.”

“You can’t fire me,” Natalie said, rather confidently. “Aylin and I clicked, she is getting more comfortable, and she’d want to stay with me,” She winked, “You don’t get a say in her choices.”

The fuck.

“Hate to break it to you,” I grumbled, “but yes, I do. She’ll listen to me.”

She shook her head, “That’s not how a relationship works.”

“That’s how it works in my world.”

“In your world,” she said mockingly, “people also die when they inconvenience you.”

“Yeah, correct, it’s called being efficient.”

She stared at me for a long second, then leaned in and poked the side of my head, “I’d really like to dig into this brain of yours one day and see what goes on in there.”

I frowned and slapped her hand away. “Keep your hands off my brain.”

She laughed under her breath and leaned into my arm anyway. I nudged her off again, but she’s stubborn like that and didn’t budge. I glanced down at her, then around the room. “Where’s Maria?”

“Asleep,” she said softly. “She has school tomorrow.”

My lips twitched, missing that little bundle of joy way too much.

My gaze drifted back to the crazy woman next to me, “Natalie,” I said, and something in my serious tone made her lift her head and look at me.

My fingers twitched against my thigh before I curled them into a fist. “I do…regret it, by the way,” I muttered. The words felt wrong in my mouth, a language I had never bothered to learn. “What I did to him, I mean.”

I exhaled through my nose. “I know that I shouldn’t have brought him into this. He’s just a kid,” I said. “I even care about the little punk now. I’d kill anyone who even thought about hurting him.”

The joking lines faded from her face. Sadness creased between her brows, the memory replaying itself in her head.

“I know that I can’t change what already happened, but I would never hurt him in any way, you know that, right?”

She nodded, emotion pulling tight behind her eyes, “I know.”

The silence that followed sat heavy for half a second too long.

So naturally, I ruined it.

“Anyway,” I said, waving a hand casually, “I should’ve just stabbed Nikolas and thrown him down that hill, not little Nathan.” I leaned back and smiled, “Or taken his kidney directly instead of Max’s. Really poor planning on my part.”

Her eyes widened as she scooted back, only to punch my arm hard, ever protective of her dear husband. “Don’t say that!”

I barely flinched. “Ow,” I lied flatly.

She hit me again. “Nathan.”

I rolled my eyes. “God, what do you see in him, seriously?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Shut up, I know that you care about him too.”

“I can barely tolerate him,” I shot back instantly, my face twisting in disgust at the words care and Nikolas in the same sentence.

“Yeah, sure,” she scoffed. “Before, I used to think you loved him but hated me. You were always closer to Nik than you were to me,” Her lips tugged into a pout, “I used to get so jealous.”

“Me?” I shot out incredulously, “Natalie, I’m not close to anyone, not to you, and definitely not to him. I’m a lone wolf.”

“No, you are an idiot.”

“Shut up.”

“Anyway,” she said, her lips twitching again in a giddy manner, “it doesn’t matter, now I know that you don’t hate me.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, the defensive reflex kicking in, “I don’t love you either, so don’t get any ideas.”

She chuckled softly as she ruffled my hair, and I shoved her hand away, “It’s okay, I’ll love you for both of us.”

“That sounds exhausting.”

“It is, but I’m a professional.” She bumped her shoulder into mine. “You’re stuck with me till forever, Nathan. Deal with it.”

I grimaced and sank deep into the cushion, groaning out loud, “I did this to myself,” I grumbled in annoyance. “I deserve this torture, it’s all my fault. This is my punishment.”

She chuckled softly and brushed my hair again, something she does far too often for someone who values her fingers, and, for reasons I refuse to examine, I didn’t push her away.

“I’ll go make us something warm to drink,” she said after a moment.

She had just stood up when footsteps echoed closer down the hall.

Little Nathan walked in with headphones over his ears, a gym bag slung over his shoulder, wearing shorts and a fitted black tee. His eyes stayed glued to his phone until he slowed nearby, then they lifted and landed on me.

His brows drew together immediately at the sight of me. He slid his headphones down around his neck as Natalie passed him. “Hey, Mom,” he said, smiling.

She leaned in and sweetly pecked his cheek. “Hey, baby.”

“Where’s Dad?”

“He went to pick up your aunt,” she answered. “She just got here.”

He nodded, then his eyes returned to me, his eyebrow lifting slowly. “What are you doing here?”

“Didn’t you hear?” I said, “I am moving in here. I’ll be staying in your room, and they’re kicking you out.” I jerked my chin toward the stairs, “Go pack your things, come on. Try not to cry on my new pillows, though.”

Natalie chuckled, shook her head at me, then ruffled her boy’s hair softly before disappearing down the hallway.

Little Nathan’s eyes flickered back to me, and I gave him a wink. His lips betrayed him, twitching just slightly before he dropped his gym bag with a heavy thud and plopped down on the couch next to me.

Naturally, I ruffled his hair just because he hates it.

He groaned and shoved my hand away. “Stop.”

“Make me.”

He shot me a look that said one day, I will, then lifted his hand to fix what his mother and I had just ruined.

That’s when I noticed it, a fresh new cut over his arm, right above his elbow, and near his bicep. It looked recent, even slightly bleeding still. My eyebrows pulled closer as my fingers wrapped over his forearm, bringing it closer to inspect it, “What happened?”

He shook his head like it was nothing, “Got it during practice today.”

My eyes flicked up to his face, narrowed slightly, “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

His eyebrow raised, “Do you think I care enough about you to lie?” He taunted back, this little shit. He takes after me, I swear.

I brushed my thumb lightly over the cut, testing how tender it was. He didn’t flinch, a good sign. It didn’t look too serious.

“You’re not punching people twice your size again, are you?”

He sighed like I was exhausting him and shook his head. “No.”

My gaze moved over his face slowly, assessing him more closely. There was something about him, something beneath the good boy packaging, something familiar enough to itch under my skin.

“You know, there is something about you…that feels suspicious. I still haven’t figured it out yet, though.

His eyebrow shot up. “Me?” he echoed, incredulous.

I nodded, “Yup, you pull off the normal-boy act really well.” I leaned a little closer, lowering my voice, meeting his eyes…eyes that carried something familiar, something tuned to the same frequency as the monster in me.

“But I can feel it, deep down,” I tapped two fingers lightly against his temple. “There’s a mess in there, a very dark one.”

“You take after your father,” I added, and I winked. “Unfortunately.”

He edged his head closer and playfully headbutted me, “Don’t talk about my dad,” He said, defensive as always.

My lips twitched. He shot me an unimpressed look before collapsing back against the cushion, his energy drained. Whatever he did at practice clearly took it out of him, assuming it was actually practice and not something else.

His phone buzzed. He checked it, eyes dropping back to the screen.

“So,” I said casually, folding my hands behind my head, “how is your boyfriend?”

His head whipped toward me, his eyebrows pulling closer, “My what?”

I shrugged, “Well, you didn’t tell me whether it is a girlfriend or a boyfriend, so I am sticking with boyfriend till you provide me further information.”

He sucked in a slow breath like he was bargaining with his last shred of patience. He shot me a glare, “Why do I even bother,” he muttered under his breath, pushing himself up like he’d decided talking to me was no longer worth the effort.

I chuckled. God, I love doing this to him.

“Is he at least hot?” I asked, teasing him some more.

He rolled his eyes, grabbed his gym bag, and started walking away like disengaging from me would save him the headache.

I craned my neck, “Tell me, during sex, do you top him, or is it the other way arou—” The words barely left me as he paused, picked up some plastic toy of Maria’s, and hurled it at me.

It smacked me square in the forehead, and I chuckled.

“You are such an asshole,” he grumbled as he headed for the stairs.

“I’m still your uncle,” I called after him, loud enough to echo. “Have some respect.”

Just as little Nathan disappeared into his room, I heard the main door open and faint voices echoed, those that belonged to Nikolas and probably…Emma? Awesome, let’s make it a full-blown family reunion while at it.

“What did he tell you, I alr—” Nikolas cut himself off mid-sentence, his steps slowing when his eyes landed on me, when his brain registered that I was in his house, on his couch, breathing his air.

Whatever softness he’d been wearing fell away so fast it barely existed. Then he was already moving. Fuck, not again.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he shot out, grabbing my collar and yanking me up. Great, my shirt wrinkled again. I am guessing this is his love-language.

“I can get up on my own,” I grumbled, steadying myself even as he hauled me like a rag doll. “You could use your words, you know.” I scoffed and muttered under my breath, “And they dare say I’m the violent one.”

“Didn’t I fucking tell you if you ever come near Natalie again, I’d kill you?” he grated, fist still tight in my collar as his other hand moved. I felt it before I looked, the cold kiss of metal sliding under my chin.

“She wouldn’t tell me what happened, just to protect you. But don’t worry,” he shoved the barrel harder, his jaw ticking, “I have my ways.”

I glanced down at the gun pressed into me, then sighed. “You really need new hobbies.”

“Oh my god,” behind him, Emma gasped. “Are we back to wanting to kill him?” I could swear she perked up, fist pumping the air, “Fucking-finally!”

Then, before I could even blink, she swooped in, far too giddy as she pulled out her gun. Her fingers curled into my sleeve, pinning me in place as she pressed the barrel to my temple.

Whoa. Talk about being wanted.

My gaze flickered to her, at the way she glared at me, “I want a piece of him too,” She said, her voice lethal. You see, Nikolas might not kill me, but she would, she really, really would.

“Emma—” Nikolas warned, his fingers tightening over my collar, yanking me closer to his side. She tugged at my sleeve in response, her fingers curling around my arm like she was calling dibs. Wow, they are really fighting over me.

I smiled, “This is the most affection I’ve gotten all month, honestly.”

Emma responded by lightly slamming the edge of her gun into my temple, and by lightly, I mean I saw stars briefly rearrange themselves in my head, “You shut up,” She grumbled.

“Emma,” Nikolas grated out in warning, “let him go.”

“Nik,” Emma said, “you’re my brother, and I love you, but my god, you drove me insane over the past year by taking this insolent bastard’s side.” She pressed the gun deeper into my temple. “Thank god you finally came back to your senses.”

She tilted her head, considering me like a chore she’d been waiting years to cross off. “Now leave him to me. I’ll even take care of the body and the cleaning, I promise. Pinky promise.“

“Uh,” I looked down at the gun below my chin, then to my right, the one pressed to my temple, and my throat bobbed, “Natalie?” I called out, “Help.”

Thankfully, she was just walking into the room. I heard her loud gasp before I saw her.

“Nikolas, put that goddamn gun down!” Natalie shouted as she rushed in. Cups clinked violently as she set them down somewhere behind her, then shoved herself between us without hesitation. Instinctively, Nikolas’s gun-wielding hand dropped.

Her wide eyes flicked to Emma, and she swatted her arm away. “Emma!”

Emma huffed loudly. “Natalie, you used to be the best sister-in-law, truly,” she said, exasperated. “But your family drives me insane. You know how much I hate your brother, and just so you know, if you ever die, I am killing him right away. You won’t be here to prote—”

She couldn’t finish her words because Nikolas smacked the back of her head. She gasped and spun on him, glaring. He glared right back, probably not liking the whole death statement.

Natalie used herself as a shield, covering me and extending her arms, “No one is touching Nathan on my watch,” She shot out, ever so protectively.

My gaze flicked to her, standing in front of me, so small, stubborn, and aggressive, and I smiled.

Man, I should’ve played this card a long time ago. Who knew this sister of mine could be so helpful, huh?

My eyes slid to Nikolas, who was still staring at me like he wanted to set me on fire and watch the ashes gather. I wiggled my eyebrows, ever so delighted. I had his wife’s protection now, and he never refuses her a thing.

Natalie swung all that rage back onto him. Yay. She stepped up and smacked his gun hand away. “Put that thing away,” she hissed. “Didn’t I tell you, if you insist on carrying it around, you’re not allowed to pull it out in the house?”

He sighed loudly like a man being denied his favourite hobby.

My grin widened. This was fun, watching Nikolas get scolded was almost therapeutic.

He shoved the gun into his waistband, cursing under his breath, but his attention snagged hard on Natalie’s neck, on the little band-aid she placed there to cover up the faint nick of the knife, and he froze.

The lines on his forehead tightened instantly.

His hand lifted, fingers brushing the bandage with a gentleness that had no business belonging to him. “That wasn’t there before,” he said, his eyes flicking to hers, then snapping back to me, a fire igniting, as if everything wrong with the world was my fault.

“You fucki—”

Natalie’s fingers curled over his sleeve and yanked him back. “Hey—hey,” she cut in fast, her eyes wide, voice warning. “What did I say?” She said, clutching at his arm with all of her might, “Nathan didn’t do anything. I just got…uh—his cat scratched me. That’s all.”

Nikolas’ anger shifted, redirecting into an annoyed glare aimed straight at my face. “Nothing good ever comes from you.”

I rolled my eyes at his drama.

His jaw ticked.

He looked back at Natalie, his thumb running gently over the bandage again like he was trying to erase the mark with sheer will. Natalie tiptoed and pecked his cheek. “Nothing happened, really,” she soothed. “Come on. You and Emma sit there…far away from him,” she added pointedly, then hauled him toward the couch farthest from me. “Come on.”

Nikolas grumbled under his breath the whole way.

Emma rolled her eyes and plopped down too, but not before she shot me a long, slow glare that promised she’d finish the job later if given the chance.

For once, I was really grateful for Natalie’s protection.

I fixed my collar with an annoyed huff and sat down. Natalie came back, picked up one of the cups, and handed it to me.

“Here,” she said. “I made you tea.”

I smiled and took it from her. Then I leaned in, lowering my voice. “My cat scratched you?”

She sighed and shoved me back with a palm to my chest. “Shush. If he knew what actually happened, he’d kill you on the spot.” Her eyes sharpened. “Even I wouldn’t be able to stop him.”

I took my first sip and shrugged.

Her gaze flicked to them, then back to me. “I’m going to get them something to drink,” she said, already moving. “Stay put, don’t do anything.” She warned, her eyes narrowing, “Don’t go out of your way to trigger him, you hear me?”

I took my second sip, relaxing into the cushion, “When did I ever,” I said ever so innocently.

She shot me one last warning look before she slipped away. I pretended to focus on my cup of tea like the well-behaved guest I am. My attention, however, slid right back to them the moment they started talking again, resuming whatever conversation they’d been having before they decided to make me the evening’s entertainment.

Emma groaned, pressing the back of her head into the cushion and closing her eyes. “I’m just so tired, you know,” she muttered. “I want to retire and go live on a faraway island where no one can ever reach me.”

Nikolas’ lips twitched. “You really should.”

Her eyes cracked open, eyebrow lifting. “And who’s going to take care of all of this?” she grumbled.

Nikolas shrugged like it was nothing. “We’ll figure out a way.”

Huh. Interesting.

She shook her head, “It’s just one mess after another. It’s easier when you’re fighting someone on the outside,” she said, her voice dulling. “But when people inside the family start killing each other…” She sighed, “That’s the bigger problem.”

I took another sip as I casually pulled out my phone to check on my princess while I listened, trying to piece together whatever they weren’t saying out loud.

“What did Riccardo say about this?” he asked. “He’s the one who started this fight between the two families after all.”

Emma groaned like the name itself gave her a migraine. “He suggested the century-old solution…marriage,” she said, full of disgust. “Join the two families, stop the bloodshed, blah blah,” She rolled her eyes, “He has a daughter in her twenties, and he’s ready to marry her off to someone from the other family and call it a truce.”

“Okay then. Do that. If he’s willing, why are we still talking?”

“Well, here is the problem, there isn’t anyone in the Armone family to marry her off to,” Emma said, making my head snap toward them at the mention of that specific last name…my mother’s last name, well, you don’t hear it very often.

“They’re either too old, too young, or too married,” she added with a roll of her eyes, mockery dripping. “There isn’t an eligible bachelor.”

Nikolas’ eyes flickered to me, catching the way I was staring, and something wicked flashed there. Fuck, that’s never a good sign.

His lips twitched when the idea landed, and he turned back to Emma, “How could you say that?” he tsked. “We have an eligible bachelor right here,” He added, jerking his chin at me.

My eyes widened…what?

Nikolas lifted a brow, flashing me that I can’t shoot you in front of my wife, but I can ruin your life creatively look.

“He has Armone blood in him, afterall,” he said smoothly, “thanks to his mother.” Then, because he’s a bastard, he winked at me. “Let’s marry him off and get rid of him. Two birds, one stone.”

Emma’s head snapped toward me, her eyes narrowing, “In his fucking dreams will I let him join the family.”

I rolled my eyes at her meaningless threats, “Relax, if I wanted your crown, I’d have taken it already.” My smile sharpened, “Lucky for you, I am not interested.”

She shot me another glare, then turned to Nikolas, “You know what…you’re right,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “He’d probably trigger Riccardo so badly the man would kill him himself in the end.” She nodded again, like she’d just figured out the solution to all of her problems. “Let’s marry him off.”

My eyes widened. “Hey,” I waved a hand. “I’m still right here…and I will not be marrying anyone.” Except my princess, of course.

“Who is marrying whom?” Natalie asked as she walked back in, two cups in her hands. Her brows pulled together as she looked between Nikolas and Emma, instantly suspicious.

She handed them the drinks. Nikolas took his, brushing her hand, his mouth twitching into something resembling a soft smile as he looked up at her and murmured a low thank you. Natalie scrunched her nose at him in that annoyingly adorable way, then leaned in and pecked his cheek.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes so hard I’d black out. Why are they so disgustingly domestic, too? I was surrounded by couples like it was a fucking curse. I forwned. I want my Aylin back, for god’s sake.

Natalie came back to my side, picking up her cup.

“Tell them,” I grumbled, pointing my mug at her twat of a husband. “They’re trying to marry me off like I’m some trophy husband.”

Her eyebrow pinched deeper as she sat beside me. “What…” Then she turned to them, shaking her head, “No, absolutely not. Nathan is taken.”

I nodded, satisfied. “Yeah, exactly that.”

“You told me they broke up,” Nikolas said, and my glare snapped straight to this sister of mine. Why were they discussing my romantic life, or the lack thereof?

Natalie flashed me a sheepish, apologetic smile.

“We didn’t break up,” I shot back, “We are just taking a…break,” I mumbled, “A one-month break that I’m ending tomorrow,” I grumbled under my breath, because I was done pretending I respected her little rules. She had her space. She had her time.

It was fucking enough.

The rest of the evening resumed almost…peacefully. I mean, Natalie did elbow me every time I opened my mouth, but no one tried to execute me again, so I’d call that progress.

After an hour-ish, Emma left, after making a very clear knife-across-the-throat gesture at me, just so I wouldn’t get too comfortable. Nikolas disappeared somewhere shortly after, and so did Natalie. I stayed on the couch, texting Aylin back. Damn her, she turned me into a damn teenager.

I hated phones. I hated texting. I hated the fact that I was staring at my screen and not her pretty face, but it was my only way to reach her without breaking her rules outright, because technically, she hadn’t banned this, and I am nothing if not a man who takes advantage of technicalities.

I was ready to get up and leave, having had enough of people for a year, when I heard very soft shuffling footsteps getting closer. I turned my head, and my eyes fell on Maria.

Her hair was an adorable mess, like she’d been tossing in her sleep. Her lids hung heavy, half-mast, her cheeks still puffy with that warm, sleepy softness. She dragged a teddy bear behind her by one arm like it was a wounded soldier, while the other hand rubbed at her eye slowly.

“Uncle Nathan?” she whispered, her voice so small it nearly cracked me open.

A smile broke into my face, and I leaned forward, “Come here,” I murmured.

She shuffled closer, wobbling clumsily. When she reached me, I scooped her up easily and settled her in my lap.

She immediately melted into me with a low sigh like I was the safest place in the world, which was objectively ridiculous, but we weren’t going to ruin the moment with logic.

I gently brushed the hair away from her cheeks, smoothing it back with my fingers.

“What woke you up?” I asked.

She lifted her head, blinking at me like even forming words was tough work. Her little brows pulled together. “I saw a…bad dream.”

I frowned and brushed my thumb over her cheek. “Who dares to put a bad dream in this pretty little head,” I muttered, annoyed at the universe, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her temple.

I pulled her closer, tucking her into me.

Her head drooped against my chest. The teddy bear ended up wedged between us. She yawned as her little hand found my shirt and started fiddling with it, her tiny fingers grabbing, releasing, grabbing again.

I wrapped her tighter, cradling the back of her head, brushing her hair slowly as her lids sank shut and she slipped back under, her breathing evening out against me.

I gazed down at her for what felt like a long while, something annoyingly warm tugging at my chest.

Then…maybe it was exhaustion, maybe it was the fact I hadn’t slept properly in days, maybe it was the weird, peaceful softness of holding her, but my head tipped slowly to the side, and I think…I think I fell asleep too.

Not fully, though. That in-between place where you’re not awake enough to move and not asleep enough to disappear. The kind where your guard is down because you’re too tired to lift it back up. Eyes heavy, mind fogged, and body refusing orders.

I’m pretty sure I felt it when someone gently lifted Maria from my arms.

I remember wanting to protest, maybe even whining a little in my head, because her warmth vanished all at once, leaving this cold space behind.

Then a hand cupped the side of my neck, careful and gentle, guiding my head onto something soft…a pillow, I guess.

“You know, he is only tolerable when he is fast asleep,” It was Nikolas’s voice, I think. Am I dreaming? Why can’t I open my eyes?

Natalie chuckled softly, and I felt something soft brush under my chin, like a blanket or something.

“I just love him,” she said quietly, and I felt fingers brush my hair back, “To me, he’s still that little kid, you know.”

“No, that kid was adorable, he is not,” Nikolas said back.

“Oh, shut up, you love him too, I know,” She said, to which he groaned and refused.

“Do you ever wonder how different it would’ve been,” she murmured, softer now, “if he’d stayed with us?”

“Yeah, always.”

Natalie sighed, her hand brushing my hair again, “I used to think I’d never hate your father more than I already do, but god, I wish he were alive so we could kill him all over again,” She grumbled, so defensive, “I have no idea what he put him through all these years.”

After a short moment of silence, “Do you…know?” She asked him.

“Kind of,” He answered.

“Tell me,” She said, her voice a mixture of sadness and anger.

I think he steered her away after that, because their voices drifted, further and further, until they disappeared completely.

Yeah.

I’m probably dreaming.

⊹˚₊‧────────────‧₊˚⊹

If you’d told me yesterday morning that I’d wake up in Natalie’s house, on her couch, no less, I would’ve laughed in your face and possibly called you names. Yet, here we are.

I even slept through the whole night. The only thing that managed to wake me was something soft brushing my face.

I blinked my eyes open to meet big green ones, two pigtails, and a big, wide grin. “Hi!” Maria chirped, entirely too cheerful for the hour.

I smiled despite myself, and she immediately giggled. “You’re here!” she said, genuinely astonished, like I’d materialized out of thin air.

Yeah. Same here, little girl.

I pushed myself upright, dragging a hand down my face, blinking the haze away as my brain reluctantly booted up. My gaze landed on her properly this time. She was already dressed in her little school uniform, a grey skirt, blue sweatshirt, white shirt underneath, the collar peeking out, and god help me, she was wearing little white Nike sneakers.

I leaned forward and snagged her, pulling her into me before she could escape. She squealed and tried to wriggle free as I tickled her side, her laughter filling the room.

“Why are you so damn cute?” I muttered, to which she laughed harder and shoved at me with all her tiny strength.

I loosened my grip just enough to look at her properly, “So this is what Nikolas wakes up to every day, huh?” I scoffed. “Lucky bastard.”

The universe immediately punished me for that thought as a hard smack landed on the back of my head. I groaned loudly, “Fuck—” My curse got interrupted by another smack. I whipped my head, glaring at the headache in human form.

Nikolas stared back at me, entirely unfazed. His eyes flicked past me to his daughter, and just like that, his face softened, his lips curling into a smile that did not belong on the same man who held a gun under my chin last night.

“Come here,” he said.

Maria climbed up instantly, leaning forward. He picked her up with ease and kissed the top of her head.

“Uncle Nathan said a bad word,” she whispered to him, snitching on me, the little traitor.

“Yeah,” Nikolas said flatly, not even looking at me, “never mind him.”

I pushed myself up, ran a hand through my hair, and tracked them as he grabbed Maria’s little blue backpack, “Are you dropping her off?” I asked.

He turned and shot me a confused look. “Yeah.”

“Are you coming back here?” I pressed.

His eyebrow lifted because apparently, my sudden interest in his schedule was the eighth wonder of the world. “No. I’ve got a few things to do at the office,” he muttered. “Why?”

I nodded like this was casual, “Okay. I’ll drop by there.”

His brows pulled together. “Why?”

I sighed and waved him off. “I just want to talk about…something.”

He stared at me for a beat, then exhaled hard and shook his head like he’d just been reminded I wasn’t worth the thought.

After that, Natalie forced me to have breakfast with her. Only then was I able to escape her shackles. Preferably, I wouldn’t see her again for two or three months. We’d had enough interaction to cover a year’s worth of sibling bonding.

I went back home, showered, checked in with Adam, and ran a few errands. By afternoon, I found myself outside Nikolas’s office.

I considered knocking, then decided I wasn’t in the mood for permission and pushed the door open.

He was leaning against his desk with his phone to his ear, mid-call. His words died the second his eyes landed on me. A muscle in his jaw ticked before he ended the call with the kind of calm that usually precedes violence.

“What do you want?” he asked.

I walked in, “I need your help with something.”

His eyebrows pinched, then he sighed, straightened, pulled out his gun, and checked the bullets. “Okay,” he said, bored. “Who am I killing?”

My brows furrowed. “What—no.” I waved a hand. “Not that. Killing, I can do.” I paused. “Although I might need your help with that later on if good old Charles keeps sending men after me, but that’s a problem for another time.”

I stepped closer, “This is more important,” I said. “Listen.”

He set the gun down on the desk like I’d ruined his fun, then crossed his arms. “What, then?”

I hesitated, just long enough to hate myself.

“So you’re more like…me, right? You know,” I gestured vaguely, “on the ‘not very normal’ side of humanity,” I added, “But Natalie’s normal, like super normal.” My brows drew together. “Sometimes she’s even extra normal. It’s horrifying…anyway, so, how do you exactly make it work?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been together for years, that’s absurd, and you’re not exactly tolerable.” I studied him like he was a puzzle I wanted to solve and then burn later on. “So there has to be a trick.”

He stared at me blankly and ever so confused.

“Do you just pretend to be normal?” I asked, “Or is there some other technique I am not aware of?”

His confusion only intensified. “What…what are you asking me right now?”

I exhaled, irritated. “You and Natalie are a long-term disaster that somehow didn’t explode. I’m trying to figure out how.”

He eyed me for a long moment, baffled, then, “Are you seriously asking me for…relationship advice?” he said, as if the words tasted wrong.

My jaw tightened. “Don’t phrase it like that.”

Tonight I was getting my princess back, and apparently, this goddamn break she forced on me meant I’d been doing something wrong.

I didn’t want to be another trigger in her fragile head. I didn’t want to…hurt her again. Somehow I do, I think.

I don’t even know how, which is the most insulting part. I’m not used to causing damage that I can’t map and control. So I needed to figure it out before she decided I’d earned another time-out. Because the next time, I wouldn’t accept it. I’d snap. I’d lock her in, and she’d hate me, so in order not to reach there, here I am.

“Did you seriously leave everyone you know and come to me?” he asked, like the concept offended him, “Me…for a relationship advice?”

I nodded, “Yeah, well, I could’ve asked Christian, but you got the girl. Clearly, you know something I don’t.”

Nikolas pinched the bridge of his nose like he was physically trying to escape this conversation. Then, his eyes flickered to the gun resting over his desk, “Can we go back to the killing part?” He asked, his jaw clenching, “This is…uncomfortable.”

I shot him a glare. “Are you seriously not going to help me?”

He didn’t even answer. His head turned slightly toward the door at a faint sound outside, and relief flooded his face so fast, “Ronald,” he called out, “Come here.”

He called again, louder. Footsteps approached, and Ronald appeared in the doorway not long after.

“What—” he started, then stopped when he saw me. “Nathan? What are you doing here?”

Nikolas didn’t let him retreat. He waved him in like he was summoning a sacrifice. “Get in.”

Ronald stepped inside, confused, his eyes flicking between us.

Nikolas pointed at me like I was a problem he’d like to transfer. “Your brother needs you,” he said. “Help him.”

I rolled my eyes, crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned back against the cabinet behind me.

Ronald blinked. “Help him with what?”

“He wants…relationship advice, so go on, do your part.”

Ronald’s gaze snapped to me. He stared for one long second, processing, then his eyes widened a fraction.

“Hold on,” he said slowly, like he was making sure he heard right. “You came to him for relationship advice?” His voice rose with genuine outrage. “Are you fucking kidding me? He’s like…the least normal person on earth to ask that.”

Nikolas nodded immediately, relieved to have an ally. “Yeah. Exactly what I’ve been saying.”

I hate my life, sometimes.

Ronald looked extra annoyed, offended, even. “I can’t believe you’d come to him and not to me,” he muttered, sulky like a child. I had the sudden urge to punch him.

His disgusted gaze flickered between us. “Seriously, what is this…weird father-son thing you two have going on?” he demanded. “I don’t like it.”

Then his eyes locked on mine. “Is this some Isaac daddy issue you have left?” he asked, narrowing his eyes. “Because Nikolas looks like him, is that it?”

Nikolas quickly punched the back of Ronald’s shoulder, hard enough to shut him up for half a second. It warmed my soul, really.

“I don’t look like Isaac,” Nikolas grumbled.

Ronald rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

“This is my fault, really,” I muttered, rubbing my face. “Why did I even bother coming here?”

Ronald shot me a glare, “I can’t believe you sometimes,” He grumbled, still salty that I didn’t ask for his help.

A knock on the door cut through the tension. Ronald’s wife peeked inside, all apologetic at the interruption, “Uh, sorry,” she said quietly and looked at him, whispering, “I was looking for you.“

Ronald immediately softened, “Celia, babe, come here,” he said, ushering her in. She stepped inside, her confused eyes flickering to me, and she flashed me a tight smile, not sure how to interact with me. She paused beside Ronald, clearly sensing something was off.

He rested his hand near her waist and nodded ahead at me, “We need to help Nathan,” He said, “He probably sucks at this relationship thing, mainly because he took Nikolas as his role model, and not me.” He rolled his eyes, and I looked around for things to throw at his face.

“Anyway, since you are the only female in here, help him out,” He said, transferring me yet to another person.

“I’m leaving,” I said immediately, straightening. I’d had enough humiliation for one lifetime.

“No, no, wait,” Ronald said quickly. “Come on.”

“Uh…yeah, sure,” Celia added, still visibly confused about why she’d walked into what looked like a hostage negotiation. She offered me another polite smile. “What can I help with?”

I sighed out loud, debating whether it was socially acceptable to pull out my knife and fight my way out of here. I turned to Nikolas, who looked faintly relieved I was no longer his problem.

He shrugged, leaning back against his desk like this was premium entertainment.

“Come on,” he said. “Humour her.”

Celia nodded, warming into it. “Okay…uh, is there something she doesn’t like you doing?” She shrugged. “Maybe we can start there.”

I wanted to say almost everything I do ticks her off, but I shrugged, “I mean, she does get annoyed when I get jealous and slightly possessive, just slightly.”

Celia’s eyebrow raised, “Well, to be honest, we do like it when the man gets possesive but he shouldn’t overdo it. If it becomes like you controlling us, that’s where we draw the line.”

Ronald immediately turned to her, wounded pride in his eyes. “I don’t control you, do I?”

Celia looked up at him, smiling like he was a golden retriever, “No,” she said sweetly. “Because you’re the best hubby in the world.”

His smile spread wider, and he leaned down to peck her lips. I grimaced, so did Nikolas, “Get a fucking room,” He grumbled, to which Ronald flipped him off.

Nikolas shot him a glare, then looked toward the door and mumbled lowly, almost resentfully, “I want my Natalie.”

“Okay, you people are not helpful, not at all,” I shot out.

Nikolas exhaled like he’d had enough of the circus and pushed off his desk. “They won’t help you,” he said, stepping forward. “You want my advice? Fine. It’s one thing only and believe me, it does wonders.”

I nodded, interested despite myself.

He lifted a brow. “When something happens, you know that first instinct you get?”

“Yeah,” I said immediately. The urge to burn everything down. Familiar.

“Good,” he said. “Do the exact opposite of it.”

My brows drew together. “That’s—”

“It works,” he cut in, completely serious. “Trust me.”

My eyebrows pulled closer, and to demonstrate, Nikolas turned to Ronald and grabbed the back of his neck, a little harsher than necessary. “For example,” Nikolas said calmly, squeezing just enough to make Ronald wince, “when I see Ronald, my first instinct is to kill him.”

Ronald hissed, offended.

Nikolas released him and clapped a hand on his shoulder like they were buddies. “But it’s been years,” he continued, deadpan, “and I haven’t killed him yet, so yeah, it works.”

Fight my first instincts? Hmm, that’s interesting.

⊹˚₊‧────────────‧₊˚⊹

Aylin’s POV

I smiled at Grandpa as he stepped out first and extended his hand. I took it, letting him help me out of the car like he always did, like he’d taught me a gentleman should.

The valet closed the door behind us, and Grandpa offered his arm. I slipped mine through it as he guided us forward toward the big hall.

“Thank you for not letting your old man attend this thing alone,” he said. “It’s going to be terribly boring, and I know you hate these kinds of events.”

I laughed softly. “What? No,” I said. “It gave me an excuse to dress up and feel beautiful. I’m not complaining.” I flipped my hair playfully.

Tonight it fell in soft waves down my back, pinned just enough to look effortless. I’d chosen a simple, elegant black dress with a slightly open back, nothing excessive. I didn’t want to overdo it, especially since it was my first time here. I didn’t want to invite unwanted attention.

His smile softened instantly. “You’re always beautiful, sweetheart,” he said, squeezing my hand. “And you know, it meant a lot to me, having you around this past month.”

Something warm settled in my chest.

I nodded. “I loved spending more time with you, too,” I said, leaning my head gently against his arm as we walked. Even in heels, he was still taller than me.

For someone his age, Grandpa carried himself with quiet grace. His posture was always straight, his suit always tailored perfectly, his hair neatly silvered. He took care of himself, of his health, his appearance, and his presence. Honestly, I was convinced he was even healthier than I was.

“And,” he added gently, hope slipping into his voice, “it feels like this past month gave you and your mother a chance to get a bit closer, right?”

I didn’t have it in me to tell him otherwise. He’d always wanted us to be closer, to mend whatever damage lived between us. So I nodded, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “Uh, yeah. It did,” I said.

He must’ve sensed the tension in my shoulders, because he slowed near the entrance and turned to face me. “I know your relationship with her has always been rocky,” he said carefully, head tilting. “But your mother…she’s been through a lot, too. It’s really hard for her to show real emotion, or be vulnerable.”

I’d seen her real emotions when they talked. So his reassurance didn’t quite land.

He rubbed his hand over my arm, “Just, don’t ever fully close that door on her, okay?” Soft lines etched his forehead, worry settling there. “She needs you more than you can imagine.”

It didn’t sound like that, though.

I nodded anyway.

“You two are all that I have,” he added quietly. Then his mouth twitched, trying to lighten the moment. “Well, mostly you. She and I never really agree on anything,” he said with a playful sigh. “She loves contradicting me on just about everything.”

I smiled. That part was true.

He reached forward and gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I just can’t help thinking that when I’m no longer here, she’ll be all you have left,” He rolled his eyes slightly. “I don’t have much hope when it comes to Adrian,” he added, referring to my dad.

My brows pulled together, my heart dropping straight to my stomach. “Don’t say that,” I muttered. “You’re not going anywhere.” The thought alone tilted my world the wrong way.

He smiled softly. “Sweetheart, that’s just how life works,” he said. “The old ones die, and the young ones go on to live their lives to the fullest.” He reached up and pinched my cheek gently, trying to make it lighter.

I shook my head immediately. “No,” I said as I stepped closer and wrapped my arms around his waist, clinging to him like the idea itself could be kept at bay. “I won’t let that happen. You’re staying here forever,” I mumbled, my fingers curling into the back of his jacket.

He chuckled softly and hugged me back, “Okay,” he murmured, indulging me. “As you say.”

When I pulled back, I shot him a warning look that said don’t ever bring this up again. He smiled and shook his head, conceding.

“Anyway,” he said, smoothly changing the subject, “speaking of that excuse of a father I never liked,” his brows drew together, “I haven’t seen you go visit him. Or even mention it.”

I shrugged. “I call him every once in a while,” I said. “And whenever I tell him I want to visit, he just…comes up with excuses for why I shouldn’t.” I hesitated. “Maybe he doesn’t want me to see him like this.” Or maybe he was just avoiding me, like my mother did.

Grandpa’s expression hardened. He let out a breath through his nose. “God. Never mind,” he muttered, then offered me his arm again. “Let’s get this over with.”

I slipped my arm through his, and we walked into the hall together.

People immediately started greeting him. He introduced me to most of them, and I nodded politely, forgetting every single name the moment we moved on.

He was right. I’d always hated these kinds of events, these charity balls, polished conversations, and the whole networking…they were his world, my mother’s too.

I was merely visiting.

The man from yesterday, Eli was his name, approached us, cutting through the crowd as if he belonged to it. When his gaze landed on Grandpa, it was respectful. When it flicked to me first, it held for half a beat too long before he turned to business.

“Charles,” he greeted, his voice smooth and low. “Sebastian’s been asking for you.” He added, “I think it’s about the latest deal. I tried to soften it, but he wants to hear it from you.”

Grandpa nodded once, already shifting into that calm, commanding version of himself. Then his gaze flicked to me. “Why don’t you go sit, have a drink,” he said gently. “I don’t want to keep dragging you around.” His hand patted mine. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

He walked off toward the other side of the hall, and the second he was gone, Eli’s attention settled on me again, in that quiet, unwavering way.

I gave him a polite smile.

He returned it easily. “Let me take you to our table,” he said, and extended his hand, not pushing, just offering, like it was a habit. Like women took his hand all the time.

I stared at it for a second.

Then I ignored it.

“Uh, thanks,” I said lightly, already turning in the direction he’d indicated. “You really don’t have to. I don’t want to hold you back.”

I took two steps.

He fell into stride beside me anyway, perfectly paced, not crowding me, not trailing behind. Just…there.

My jaw tightened.

I never believed girls who said they couldn’t tell when a man was into them. You can always tell. It’s not in what they say, it’s in the way the air shifts around you. In how your skin registers something before your mind bothers to translate it. A sixth sense of sorts.

And I felt it now, folded into every quiet movement he made.

We reached the table, and before I could pull out a chair, he moved, sliding one out for me with an ease that made it look effortless. I hesitated, then sat, because causing a scene would only feed the kind of attention I didn’t want.

He took the one beside me, close enough to be personal, but far enough to be polite.

A waiter drifted by with a tray, and Eli lifted two fingers. The waiter stopped immediately, his gaze on us.

“What can I get you?” Eli asked, his eyes drifting mine, his voice softening just a fraction.

“Just water, please.”

“Water,” he repeated to the waiter, then added without looking away from me, “And for me, whiskey, neat.”

The waiter nodded before he disappeared.

Eli leaned back slightly, one arm resting along the chair like he owned the space around him. He had that kind of presence, quiet confidence, the kind that didn’t need to announce itself. Dirty-blond hair slicked back neatly. Dark blue eyes. A sharp jaw. On any other day, I might’ve called him handsome without thinking twice.

But my brain was compromised.

Infected.

Because it had developed this infuriating habit of comparing every man I met to Nathan, and no matter how unfair it was, no one ever measured up. No one spoke like he did. No one looked at me the way he did. No one smiled with that crooked confidence that felt like a promise and a threat all at once.

He was a singular, one of a kind, one and only…my one and only.

The realization hit harder than I expected, tightening something deep in my chest. God, I missed him, missed the way he took up space beside me. The way his hands were always finding me, my hands, my shoulder, my thighs, like touching me was the only way he knew how to breathe.

I pulled out my phone, refreshed my notifications once, then twice.

I frowned at the lack of any messages from him today.

Eli leaned slightly closer, “So,” he said smoothly, “how come we’ve never met before?” His tone was light, “Feels like Charles has been hiding you,” he added, lips tilting into something playful.

“He wasn’t hiding me,”  I smiled back, politely but also trying to draw a line, “I don’t step into his professional life often, and that’s the only place our paths would overlap.”

His lips twitched, like he’d caught the boundary, and decided to test how solid it was.

“Fair,” he said smoothly, leaning back just enough to give me space. “Though I’d argue that’s a shame. Some worlds deserve to overlap.”

I held his gaze, unbothered. “Not all of them.”

A corner of his mouth lifted, if anything, amused. “You’re careful,” he observed. “I kind of like that, respect it even.”

The waiter returned just then, saving me the effort of responding and falling into whatever game he had going on. He set Eli’s whiskey down first, then, just as he turned to me with the water, something happened.

I didn’t understand it till the cold spilled down my forearm, soaking into the fabric of my dress as the glass tilted too far. Droplets slid along my skin, darkening silk in their wake.

“Oh…I’m so sorry,” the waiter blurted, flustered. “I’m so sorry, miss—”

“It’s okay,” I said automatically, offering a small smile.

Eli moved before the waiter could even finish apologizing again. He grabbed a napkin from the table, then another, and leaned in, closer than necessary, dabbing gently at my arm.

His fingers brushed my skin, and the proximity tightened something in my chest. It got me so uncomfottable so I pulled my arm back, my motion quick, instinctive.

He paused, the napkin still in his hand, reading the shift in my body language immediately.

“I should—” I said. “Excuse me. I’ll just go to the restroom.”

“Of course,” he said at once, stepping back.

I asked the waiter for directions and followed them up the stairs, my heels clicking softly against marble. My pulse hadn’t slowed by the time I reached the corridor. All I wanted was out of here, to go home, be in my bed, and text Nathan. I’d rather argue with him than breathe the same air as this place.

I turned right toward the corridor leading to the restroom, but a…hand caught my arm.

I didn’t even get a full breath in before I was yanked back and slammed against the wall, the impact knocking the air from my lungs as stone met my spine.

I knew it was him before my eyes caught up, before logic, before sense. He hit me like a storm breaking indoors. His presence swallowed everything…the space, the sound, the moment.

The corridor shrank around him, bent to his gravity.

His scent wrapped around me, so familiar and dangerous, dragging me straight back into the chaos I’d never truly wanted to escape.

Nathan’s body caged mine in, one arm braced beside my head, the other still gripping my wrist like letting go wasn’t an option anymore. Rage rolled off him in controlled waves, far more terrifying than violence ever was.

His eyes found mine, so dark, endless, and possessive in a way that stole the air straight from my lungs.

“One month away from me, princess…and you already forgot who you belong to.”

⊹˚₊‧────────────────────‧₊˚⊹

Author’s Note:

Hello!

So, what do you think will happen next? xD

The update came earlier because I have a trip tonight and wouldn’t be able to update during the weekend. So, I hope you liked the chapter 🙂

See ya soon 🩶