The cool feeling of a metal pressed to her side alarmed her. She looked down and confirmed it.
This man had a gun!!
Everything about him screamed danger. Panic exploded within her. Her mind was telling her to run but her body stayed glued to her seat.
"The food is nice." Nico complimented.
Nika went bizarre. How could he sit back there and pretend like he didn't threaten her life two seconds ago?
She picked up her fork slowly and began to eat. Her eyes remained solely focused on her food. Discussions arose and deals were discussed throughout the dinner.
Nico glanced at her occasionally but she never looked up. Tears slipped down her cheeks without warning but she wiped them off as quickly as they came. Luckily, the dinner came to an end.
Her parents escorted him back to his car, where they spent a few extra minutes discussing a few things. She stood by the side, hugging her self for warmth as the cool breeze gave her chills.
After a few minutes, Nico and his men departed. She ran back to her room as fast as she could, locking the door behind her. Annoyed, she slipped out of her heels and threw them on the wall.
She tore the dress off her body impatiently like it burned her skin.
"Nika, open the door!" Her mother knocked outside.
Nika ignored her as she continued thrashing her room. Boxes went flying, dresses thrown to the floor. She was a mess.
"Don't think of anything stupid or else I'll break this door down!"
Nika slumped on her bed. All night, she had been holding back the urge to cry. She was humiliated right in front of her parents and no one did anything about it.
They were supposed to protect her.
Her pillow was soaked with her tears. Her throat was dry and her eyes were swollen. She wanted to keep crying but she couldn't go on. Her chest was heavy and her head ached.
She stood up and searched her dresser for her painkillers. The black card on the dresser caught her attention and she paused.
Picking the card up, she walked back to her bed and sat up. She took in a few deep breaths. She finally made up her mind. She was going to call first.
"I just need someone to talk to." She sobbed.
She typed the digits on the card in her call pad and clicked on the dial button. She bit her lips nervously as the call rang through.
************
Vadim was startled by the sound of the locks on the gate being opened. It had only been three days here. He hurriedly sat up and moved back a bit, anticipating a guard to walk in with a whip or an ice bath.
To his greatest surprise, the person at the gate was his own mother. She stood at the gate holding out a phone for him. Her gaze was indifferent.
"You have a call. It better be who I think it is." She passed the phone to him.
Collecting the phone from her, he stared at the screen. There was no caller ID. He said a few silent prayers before answering the call.
"Vadim Severin, who's speaking?" He pressed the phone to his ear.
The line was silent for a few seconds. Yelena exchanged looks with him.
"It's me. Anika Vertrova." The voice sounded stressed. "We met at the airport a few days ago." She added.
Vadim's face lit up instantly. His prayers had been answered. He held the phone down quickly, the phone nearly slipping out of his hand.
"It's her." He whispered to his mother. Yelena waved her fingers at him, signalling him to keep the conversation going.
"Anika! It's so nice to hear from you. I didn't think you'd call."
"Yeah, same." She sniffled. "I just needed someone to talk to.....that's if you don't mind." She said, nervously.
"Sure thing. I'm here if you need company." He glanced at his mother. "You sound stressed. Are you okay?" He faked concern.
"No. No, I'm not. I've been through a lot lately actually." Her voice cracked a bit.
"That's bad. Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
"Yes. I just got back home after being away for so long and I..." She broke down in tears. Her sobs were loud enough to hear on the other line.
For a moment, Vadim felt sad for her. She was hurting and all he could do was fake concern. She actually needed someone to talk to, someone that'll listen to her.
Why would she call someone she barely knew, to talk about her problems?
"Hey, hey. It's alright. Now take a deep breath." He tried to calm her down.
"I'm getting engaged! I don't even know who he is. It's just...It feels so wrong!" She yelled angrily.
Vadim paused for a second. He needed to think of something to tell her. Maybe something that'll make her feel better even if it's for a second.
"That's horrible. No one deserves that. Have you thought of a way out?"
"He has me in a chokehold. This man, he's dangerous." She lowered her voice.
Vadim had a feeling he knew who she was talking about. It could only be one person. Nicholas Della Torre —the notorious italian mafia don and drugs and weapon dealer.
According to his mother's sources, he was spotted in Russia a few days ago. Nika getting engaged within the same timeline, was definitely not a coincidence.
"She's getting engaged to Nico." He said to his mother, moving the phone away a bit.
"That sly bastard!!" Yelena cursed, slamming her fists on the gate. "He's on to something and we need to beat him at his own game."
Vadim brought the phone back to his ear. "Do you have anybody you can trust? Maybe someone who can get you out of the country?" He suggested.
"I can't get out of here. He'll find me."
"I wish there was a way I could help. If you ever need company, just know I'm one dial away." He sighed.
"Thank you." She lightened up a bit. "I'll call another time."
The call ended. Vadim passed the phone back to his mother, waiting for her reaction. She was definitely planning something.
"Get up. Follow me." She turned on her heels and walked straight out of the basement with Vadim leaping after her.
*******************************
"How did it go?" A cool feminine voice said from the other line.
"I don't like her. She's trouble." Nico sighed. He had been replaying how the dinner went all night. Nika might not only be a solution but also a problem.
"Daddy's girl. She'll get used to it." The voice said bitterly.
He rubbed his forehead slowly, sighing in exhaustion. "How's everything back there?" He asked.
"Everyone is doing good. I'm missing you." Her tone became flirty.
Nico adjusted on his seat and looked out through the window, watching the lights of city below, lit up like a thousand stars.
"And what are you doing about it?" A small smile crept on his lips.
"I made your bed. I'm lying on it right now. Can you picture what I'm wearing?" She hinted.
"I'm sure it's something nice." He dismissed. His head felt light for being on the jet for long hours. He leaned back on the seat, spreading his legs apart.
"Fuck you!" She cursed, playfully.
"You'll say that to me when I'm back." His voice lowered.
"Can't wait." She ended the call.
Nico remained still for a moment after the call ended, the faint echo of her voice lingering in his ears before it faded into nothing.
The jet hummed quietly around him, steady and controlled, unlike the storm brewing in his head. He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face.
Nika Vertrova. A problem.
He had met girls like her before—spoiled, sheltered, convinced the world would bend for them if they pushed hard enough.
But Nika… she was different.
She didn't plead or beg. She burned.
He noticed it when he had his gun pressed to her side. That resistance. It was quiet and dangerous. Even her silence wasn't submission.
His jaw tightened slightly. That kind of stubbornness didn't break easily. And if it didn't break, it became unpredictable.
Unpredictable things ruined plans.
His plans.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, eyes darkening as her tear-streaked face flashed through his mind. The way she refused to look at him. The way she held herself together just enough not to shatter in front of him.
Pride.
That was going to be a problem because pride made people do stupid things—like running.
Like fighting back.
Like thinking they had a choice.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips. She would learn one way or another.
He always got what he wanted. Always.
And Nika? She wasn't an exception.
She was a challenge. And Nico had never walked away from a challenge.
He leaned back into his seat, eyes closing briefly as if sealing the thought into place. "I'll break her," he muttered under his breath, almost thoughtfully.