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P.O.V Nicolas
I constantly felt like I had to check up on her, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from her, but I had to. Levi had called me and told me he needed me to come to work. Initially, I had planned to stay at home the entire day, partly because I had to send some of my guards home, so she doesn't feel 'suffocated' and partly because I wanted to stay with her for the whole day.
The day when she accused me of trying to kill her, I felt... hurt. I couldn't believe she would even think that, besides I don't even make breakfast. But when she made a joke with me I finally felt like we were getting somewhere, all I needed was a place to start.
And then she smiled a pretty little smile, tinged with a bit uncertainty, but as her eyes met mine, her smile softened into something more genuine and warm.
I hadn't been with anyone since her, I couldn't even look at any other women. Every time I did, I only saw her face, Angelina's face, and it fucking scared me.
As I parked my car, I reached for my phone. Exiting the vehicle, each step just carried questions on why I had to be here and not at home.
As I step into the office everyone was looking at me. This had been my the second time I'd showed up here in a whole year.
"Nicolas! Come, I have some good news," Levi shouted from the other side of the room, walking to the table I watched him as he pulled up something on his computer. Sighing, I made I took a seat at the side of him.
"Come on what is it," I snapped, my mood remaining unchanged even at the mention of good news. I found myself here instead of where I should have been - at home with Angelina.
Used to my harsh voice, he also took a seat next to me.
"Okay well I have good news and bad news, the good news is that we know how to catch the person Dimitri hired to take us down." He paused.
"But the bad news is, we believe that the person has some kind of connection to Angelina. And she may know who it is." He said the last sentence as if he knew he said something wrong.
It's like my heart sinks, and my eyes can't help but narrow in disbelief.
"I can't believe this," I exclaimed in disbelief, my voice tinged with frustration. "We spent a whole year searching for her, and now you want me to repeat the same mistake I made last time!"
"No, I'm ju-"
"I didn't hire you for nothing, Levi," I interjected sharply. "You're supposed to know how to get this shit done!" The tension in the room was palpable as I confronted him about the situation.
He's suggesting I make the same error as before. Levi has been by my side for six years, he should know how to handle things. It's baffling why he's struggling with this now.
And now he's suggesting I involve Angelina again. The mere thought of dragging her into this mess once more sends a wave of reluctance through me.
"Nicolas I get it, but we have to know who it is ever since Angelina came back here we've been getting a lot of warnings. Even when she was here last time we'd gotten more attacks than we had in a year. And it seems whoever it is wants Angelina back. So all we have to know is who she was with in Sweden." He explained.
This was either between breaking her again, or figuring out something I spent years trying to find.
I took a deep breath, and decided to make my decision.
~~~
"I don't want to talk to you. Not now."
"Do you know what it's like to stay in a house with you. If you didn't know I'll tell because it hurts."
"Because you're going to try and use me again and I'm not falling for it!"
"I feel... suffocated."
Angelina's words repeated in my mind, and the weight of my decision hung heavy in the air as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white.
The road ahead seemed to stretch on forever. With each passing mile, the speed intensified, matching the anger within me. The engine's growl echoed my determination as I hurtled down the road, the wind carrying my thoughts far behind me.
I rolled into the driveway, my gaze fixed on the front door swinging open, unguarded.
Where the fuck was Maksim?
As I killed the engine and swung open my car door, a piercing scream sliced through the air from within. The sound of my name echoing from Angelina's lips hit me like a ton of bricks, sending my heart plummeting into my stomach.
Without a moment's hesitation, I snatched my gun and bolted up the stairs to her room, the echoes of a struggle reverberating through the house.
"Angelina!" I called out.
As I swung her bedroom door open, my eyes locked on the sight of the gardener pinning Angelina down, his hands wrapped around her throat, choking her.
