Chapter 2

Aria's Pov**

The bar was dimly lit, the air thick with smoke from cigarettes and the low hum of conversation. 

Neon lights flickered above the counter, casting a bluish glow over the polished wood. The scent of whiskey, leather, and something faintly metallic lingered in the air, mixing with the bass-heavy music pulsing through the speakers.

It wasn’t the kind of place I ever imagined myself in, but here I was—sitting in a worn leather booth across from Viktor.

"Is this the place you said father can't control me?" I asked, looking straight at my brother. "This is a bar, Viktor. Why would you bring me here?"

He slid a glass toward me, the amber liquid swirling inside. "To shake up your mood? Here, Drink," he added, his voice calm but firm.

"I'm not drinking that, I don't even know what it is," I leaned back from the table, eyeing the glass. 

"It's just whiskey. You'll need it." He leaned against the booth, his sharp gaze scanning the room before settling on me. "You trust me, right?"

I sighed, picking up the glass. "Unfortunately for me, I do… but what do you mean I'll need it?"

"Just to take your mind of what happened earlier. Nothing much,"

"I see," I glanced around the bar, taking in the sight of visitors pouring in and out, some having fun in the dance floor as the music boomed heavily, while others like us, sat in one place or the other having little conversation.

"I have a deal in motion, Aria," Viktor called out, pulling back my attention. "If it goes the way I want, you won't have to marry Vincenzo." He took a sip from his own drink before exhaling slowly.

My grip on the glass tightened as I listened. "What kind of deal?"

Viktor’s expression darkened slightly. "It's something I've been working on, that's all you should know for now,"

"You won't tell me more?" I asked, not liking how little I knew of it. "If I'm going to trust you, cover for you... I should know more."

"The less you know, the safer and better it will be for you,"

A strange mix of relief and anxiety settled in my chest. "But what if it doesn’t work? Have you thought about that?"

His jaw clenched, but he kept his voice steady. "Then things will get really complicated."

I drew in a sharp breath, glancing down at my drink before taking a cautious sip. The burn of the whiskey was sharp, but it took my mind off the unease settling in my stomach. ""Viktor, are you in danger?"

He exhaled, setting his drink down before putting on a smile I couldn't tell it genuineuty. "Nahhh, why would I be?" 

That answer didn’t satisfy me, but before I could press him further, his phone vibrated against the table. He glanced at the screen and muttered a curse under his breath. "I need to take this." He stood, sliding out of the booth. "Stay here, Aria. Don't talk to anyone you don't know."

And with that, he walked out of the bar, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I leaned back against the booth. 

I started to feel the effect of the whiskey, slowly calming my nerves and reducing the number of thoughts on my mind.

The bar was a different world from the one I was used to—loud, unrestrained, filled with the scent of smoke and liquor. 

But as my eyes wandered around, they landed on the one person I wouldn't pray to meet—Nikolai Petrov, the cold blooded heir to the Petrov family.

Walking into the bar with his dark hair that was neatly styled to the back, his sharp features lighting up with the neon lights, and his eyes that held a quiet but unmistakable authority. 

He wore an all black outfit, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up revealing his toned forearm. From the minute I saw him to when he was fully blended in, there was something about him—something dangerous but magnetic.

And then he looked around, his gaze catching mine with an intensity that took my breath away. He didn't look away, and neither did I.

Curiosity flickered in his expression before he finally walked up to me.

My pulse quickened as he slid into Viktor's seat, setting his glass down with a soft clink. "You don't look like you belong here,"

His first words came out smooth. I swallowed, unsure how to respond. "And you do?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in the faintest smirk. "Fair enough." He leaned back, studying me with those sharp blue eyes. "First time in a place like this?"

I hesitated before nodding. "Maybe."

"You don't strike me as the type who'd drink alone."

"Who said I am?"

His gaze flickered toward the bar's before returning to me. "Waiting for someone?"

I didn’t know why, but something about him made me feel uneasy. He was way too calm for someone known to be a cold blooded killer, too perceptive. Before I could answer, my brother's fist crashed violently in the table, startling both of us.

"Aria, let's go."

Viktor's voice was sharp, but it wasn't just his tone that sent a chill down my spine—it was his glare, the tension in his stance and the subtle shift in his expression when he saw the man sitting across from me.

The air between them changed quickly, a spark that came with an unspoken hostility settling thick between them.

"Well... If it isn't Viktor himself," Nikolai acknowledged as his gaze shifted to meet my brother's, his voice calm, but there was something almost amused in it. "I didn't know she was yours."

"She's not yours to talk to, Nikolai. So why don't you back off." Viktor added, his tone daring.

"Viktor..." I called out, trying to ease up the tension between them, unaware of the man who had been lingering nearby.

He suddenly stepped forward, his hand slipping beneath his coat as everyone's attention turned to him.

Before I could react, he pulled out a gun and aimed at

Nikolai's head, his eyes glaring with hate and immediately, the bar erupted into chaos.