4. Runaway Princess

I paced back and forth in my room, biting my nails, waiting for my father and brother to return so that I could tell them about my encounter with Nikolai at the college.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the dangerous obsession I saw in his eyes. It is terrifying me to the core.

The silence in my own home felt suffocating. Each tick of the clock only intensified my anxiety. There was this deep feeling in my stomach that something was about to happen. Something that would change everything.

The soft knock on the door broke the chain of my thoughts.

"Come in," I whispered.

"Princess, the master is calling you to his study," the maid informed me.

"Father’s back?" I asked, surprised.

She nodded.

Without waiting for her to leave, I walked past her, heading straight to my father’s study. I just wanted to hug him, cry in his arms, and tell him how that man tried to scare me.

People call me "Princess," but it’s not just for the title. I am, in every sense, my father and brother’s princess. They’ve always protected and fought for me in the past, and I knew they would do so again if needed.

I didn’t need permission to enter my father’s study. I just pushed the door open, only to be surprised to see my brother, Marco, and my fiancé, Dimitri, already there. The three of them were seated around the large oak desk with grave expressions on their faces. The room fell silent the moment I entered.

"My Princess," my father’s calm yet firm voice broke the stillness. "Come in."

His eyes, usually cold and threatening to the world, were always warm and comforting to me. In his presence, I forgot all my worries.

But this time, his eyes held something else — something that made my stomach tighten: Stress. Tiredness. And… defeat? Something troubled him. My gaze flicked to Marco; he tried to smile at me but I could tell it was forced. Dimitri, too, looked tense, his shoulders stiff.

The tension in the air and seriousness on their faces indicated that obviously something was wrong.

"Sit down, Alessia," Marco said, his voice low but firm.

Slowly, I lowered myself into the chair, my eyes flickering between the three men. I longed to tell them everything about my encounter with Nikolai, but the unease in the room held me back.

I felt a warm, rough palm settle over mine, and though the hand belonged to my fiancé, my first instinct was to pull away.

‘You are in trouble Princess, if you let that bastard touch you.’ Nikolia’s words rang in my head.

Dimitri was chosen for me by my father. He believed Dimitri was the best for me, that he was dependable, strong, and would offer me the security I needed. I was promised to him the day I turned eighteen. But I have never felt at ease around him.

I believe this is due to the age difference between us. I wasn't sure if it was just me, but we seemed to be on opposite sides of the world at times.

"What happened, Dad?" I broke the silence when it became too much for me. "Why are you so stressed?"

"Nikolai is back," Marco answered, his gaze hardening.

My stomach churned, and my heart skipped a beat.

They know. They know Nikolai is back.

"And he’s already making moves against us." Marco looked away, his jaw clenching and fists tightening "He has sabotaged that shipment, which was about to bring us a lot of fortune. He paid off the dock workers to change the cargo manifest and sent our goods elsewhere."

My heart sank and my fists tightened as I could feel the hatred building inside him.

Yes, he is our rival but I didn't think of him steeping so low. There were rules—a code that even he should have respected.

"But more than anything else, right now we are concerned about you." Marco added.

"This could have been avoided if you had married her to me sooner," Dimitri said, his jaw ticking under the tension.

My father's gaze remained fixed on me. I knew what he wanted to say.

All of them wanted me to get married two years ago, but it was my wish to complete my studies first so instead they engaged me.

"The damage has already been done. We need to look forward to what we can do now," my father said in his sharp and crisp voice.

"Alessia, we are sure that in return for that shipment, Nikolai will ask for you."

My body turned stiff. I am not some object that he could have in barter.

"And I will never let him lay a single finger on my princess."

I let out a breath of relief.

"So I, along with Damitri and Marco, have decided something that seems like the best for you."

My heart started drumming in my chest as I waited for Dad to continue. The tension grew heavier as silence stretched between us.

"We have decided to move you to a safer place." Marco finally broke the silence.

"What do you mean?" I asked in complete surprise. My eyebrows knitted together.

Silence.

No one said a single word.

"Dad! I am asking something!" I stood up "What do you mean?"

"Alessia, it's not easy for me as well," he gulped as if swallowing his emotions "You know that you are my heart. I couldn't sleep without seeing your face. I eat only after you have taken the first But..." He looked away. "But now keeping away from all this chaos is the only option to keep you safe from that monster."

My words caught in my throat. I have never seen my dad so helpless. I know how hard he worked for that shipment. But he is ready to let go of everything for me.

"I’ve already arranged for you to stay at an estate in the countryside." Dimitri added, "It’s far from the city, and it’s secure. You’ll stay there until everything is resolved. No one can know your whereabouts. Not even us."

I licked my lips, my throat going dry.

"Marco... I don’t want to be hidden away like some... prisoner."

"Alessia," Marco came to me. "You need to be staying strong. Nikolia is planning to attack us tonight and before that, you would have to leave."

My eyes dilated when the words of Nikolai rang in my head: 'I would take you with me, right in front of your father's eyes.'

They are right. Nikolai is a man of his word. He would surely come to hunt me.

"We’re doing this to protect you, Alessia. Don’t think for a moment it’s easy for us either." Marco placed his hand on my shoulder.

Unable to hold myself, I wrapped my arms around him and started crying. Dad also came to me, stroking my head. Turning around, I hugged him as well.

"When will I see you again?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

My father's expression hardened. After my mother died, he started loving me more than ever before. I know this decision is the hardest for him but he is not letting it show on his face because he knows that I can't see him in pain.

"I can’t promise when, but I need you to be strong. We’ll be in touch once things are resolved. In the meantime, you stay there, and you keep quiet. Understand?"

I nodded, though my heart felt like it was breaking.