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Chapter 17

Author: Nellie Downs
last update Last Updated: 2025-04-07 23:51:34

Skai’s POV

The LIAS company looked regal from the outside- Gothic design with intricate stone carving. Its facade is clad in sleek glass and steel. A towering skyscraper dominating the skyline with security men as if they were guarding the whole of Italy. Inside, is just a group of monsters cladded in polished suits with fake smiles.

The air inside felt heavy- as if secrets were stitched into the walls. The company went on a break after the event, it was my first appearance. I adjusted my blazers and entered. It felt like stepping into another world- the lion's den. My legs felt unsteady beneath me. My head held high.

Once I'm in the centre of the reception, the chit chat withers away and almost everyone’s attention zeroed on me.

‘She’s too forward for a new employee’

‘She’s beautiful and smart’

‘Carlo is always around her’

The last sentence hit me in the ribs. Carlo hovers over me like a looming danger, a force not to be reckoned with. His obsession increases by every sunrise. I'm here for revenge and justice- not love.

Feeling like a surveillance camera is everywhere. Restricted movements as if I was wearing an ankle monitor. Every move has to be calculated. Every step has to be revised. The wrong sentence could get me killed. A slight mistake could get me revealed. This is getting more difficult than I thought.

The networking event left me with more questions than answers. I won't just be taking down Tillard and Giovanni, I'll be taking down the whole company. The employees seem nice, how can I do this to them?

Walking into the elevator, I pressed the button as I closed my eyes feeling the silence. The elevator dropped me like a piece of shit.

Making my way through the quiet hallway, I came across Carlo, he held my hand. “Follow me”, he said as if he was expecting me to be there at the moment.

I trailed behind him like a lost puppy. My mind swirled with confusion and unanswered questions. Each step I took struggled to adjust to his pace. If not because his grip was soft, I would have thought he was going to kill me. I couldn’t see where we were heading to, his height blocked my view like a brick wall. He stopped and punched in the security code to his door. I tried to master his hand movement but my brain wasn't registering it.

It's my first time being here and it doesn't look like a working space.

The office looks more like a large space of room for resting, just the desk and chair makes it look like an office. No stack of documents on his table. Just a laptop. He has a personal business, I guess he only cross checks documents here.

He gave me a long, measuring look before settling in his chair

Are your nightmares always triggered?

The memories came rushing back, unbidden and unwelcome.

Flashback

Like being hauled from the depth of an ocean, I gasped and my eyes popped open. My vision was blurry and all I saw were dark shadows. My heartbeat doesn’t calm, thinking I’m at that place again- where my mother was crying and I was forcefully kidnapped. Furrowed dark features greet me. Strands of his dark hair fall on his forehead. I blink once. Twice. He doesn’t disappear. It was him. My voice is so hoarse, I barely manage to get the words out

However, the arms surrounding me aren’t scary. If anything, they’re soothing. It’s like an escape I couldn’t find back then. I blink the tears from my blurry vision. It’s okay.” He strokes my back in tiny circles. “You’re not alone. I’m here.” I don’t know if it’s because of his words or because of the nightmares I just had. I don’t care either. My fingers curl into his T-shirt, my forehead falls against the hardness of his chest, and I let the tears loose. Sobs wreck my chest, and I let it all out. I don’t even know what I’m crying about. They were only nightmares. My past . I've always handled my nightmares alone.

End of flashback

The silence of the room felt oppressive, heavy with unspoken truths. It was like we were both trying to play a game, and neither of us was willing to show our cards first.

“I couldn't leave you alone in a drunken state, and I witnessed your nightmare”, he paused.

“Who killed your parents? Who are you?”, there was an edge to it that made me feel uneasy

I must have spilled something. My throat itches.

“Why did you ask?”, the question hanging at the back of my tongue, I wouldn't want to raise more suspicions.

“They were killed by bad men..

Then his phone vibrated as he stood up, his face dropped. His jaw tightened, he dropped the call without saying anything to the caller. Funny how his mood can change in seconds, from an unreadable expression to obvious anger.

“Stay here”, I nodded.

I sat upright, as the door closed. I waited for seconds to see if he'd come back. My eyes scanned across the room. It didn't feel empty, it looked like there was nothing hidden. I opened the drawers by the desk. There was nothing.

Then, I came across a file labelled ‘CONFIDENTIAL’.

I hurriedly opened it, my eyes glued to the door. The first few pages were blank as the door creaked open, the person is yet to appear in view. I froze, still holding the file. Then, someone called his name and he went back. It was Carlo. I hurriedly resumed back to my seat as I arranged myself, acting as if nothing happened.

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