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Chapter 50⟿❂⟾Nikolai⟿❂⟾I woke with a start, disoriented by the brightness streaming through the balcony. Checking my watch, I cursed under my breath. 9:17 AM.What the fuck? I never slept this late.Beside me, Sylvia was still deep in slumber, her chest rising and falling with each breath, hair splayed across the pillow like spilled ink. Now that I really had the time to look at the beautiful curls, I noticed her natural dark roots.Well, I found that beautiful.Her lips were slightly parted, and there was a faint mark on her neck that I didn't recall leaving there last night. And that brought back memories of the selfish things I’d done to her in just one night flooded and once again, I was left feeling like a jerk.No wonder she was still out cold.I studied her for a moment longer, surprised by how peaceful I felt just watching her sleep. This wasn't normal for me. Nothing about my reactions to this woman was normal. I should be eager to get her back to the convent, to not ruin
Chapter 51 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ “He was my friend, Nikolai." Stacy insisted. Vincenzo scoffed. "Well, I didn’t realize you were making friends with my soldiers." I reminded her. "He was more than just your soldier," she insisted. "He was one of the very few people in your entire organization who understood the concept of normal conversation. Do you recall how you both punished them for something I talked them into doing? He let me make smoothies when Vincenzo locked me up in your house and left me for days.” "I thought we were over that chapter already.” Vincenzo mumbled, momentarily distracted. She waved him off. "Not the point right now." He made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a sigh before returning his attention to the window. "I told her it wasn't worth the trip." "And yet here you are," I noted dryly. He shrugged, the movement barely disturbing the perfect lines of his tailored black suit. "She insisted. Said she'd come alone if I was too busy." His eyes met mine
Chapter 52 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ "Charity project?" Kegan repeated, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline as he took Sylvia's hand. Instead of shaking it, he brought it to his lips, maintaining eye contact with her the entire time. "How... philanthropic of my cousin." I took three long strides across the room, inserting myself between them. "Sylvia, why don't you go back upstairs? I'll bring you a toothbrush in a minute." She nodded quickly, her face still burning with embarrassment. As she turned to go, the vibrator slipped from behind her back and clattered to the floor with a sound that seemed to echo through the entire penthouse. For a moment, she froze. Then Kegan let out a delighted laugh that bordered on maniacal. "This is why I love this family," he gasped. "There’s always something to laugh about." Sylvia looked as though she might actually combust from shame. I bent down, scooped up the vibrator, and handed it to her with as much dignity as I could muster. "Upstairs,"
Chapter 53 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ "They know who I am," I whispered to my reflection. "They know everything." My hands shook as I fumbled with the plastic packaging of a new toothbrush. The voices from downstairs carried through the floor—not clearly enough to make out every word, but enough to know they were arguing. About me. About what I was doing here. What was I doing here? Six weeks ago, I was a novice at St. Catherine's, devoted to my path toward taking final vows. Now I was standing in a mafia boss's bathroom after spending the night in his bed, my body still humming from our fornicaton. The vibrator sat on the counter beside me, a humiliating reminder of what had just happened downstairs. The raised voices grew louder, and I caught fragments that made my stomach clench. "...future bride of Christ..." "...leading the poor girl to Hell..." "...the FBI hunts for her..." I abandoned the toothbrush and sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees. Mother Beatrice would
Chapter 54 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Kidnapped. Again. "There’s a blockade ahead." Someone announced. "Plan B." Nikolai pressed a button on his phone. "Kegan, we need the chopper. Twenty minutes." Chopper? My mouth went dry. Kegan, Vincenzo, and Stacy had taken a separate route, now I knew why. We emerged onto a wider street and Nikolai accelerated through traffic with terrifying precision. I gripped the door handle so tightly my knuckles turned white. "You know how to fly a helicopter?" I asked, trying to sound casual and failing miserably. "Among other things." He said, “But Kegan will fly us.” What couldn't this man do? We drove in tense silence for another fifteen minutes before pulling into what looked like an abandoned garage. Nikolai parked behind a rusted container and killed the engine. "We wait here," he said, checking his watch. "Five minutes." This was insane. "My life has turned into a Jason Bourne movie." He actually laughed at that. “Jason Bourne. You've seen those
Chapter 55 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Sleep eluded me, and by morning, I was exhausted and irritable. A knock on my door revealed Stacy, already dressed in a flowing sundress that accommodated her pregnant belly. "Rise and shine!" she chirped, far too cheerful for the early hour. "We're going shopping. You need some beach clothes." I looked down at my borrowed t-shirt and jeans. "I'm fine with what I have." Stacy laughed. "Honey, it's 85 degrees outside and you're dressed for a New England fall. Come on, I need the company." Somehow, two hours later, I found myself lying on a beach chair under a giant umbrella, wearing a modest black bikini that still showed more skin than I'd exposed in years. Beside me, Stacy lounged in a red two-piece, her pregnant belly gleaming with sunscreen. "This is the life, isn't it?" she sighed contentedly, sipping a virgin piña colada. "Sun, sand, and no FBI agents in sight." I couldn't help but smile at her irreverence. "Is this how you normally live? Runnin
Chapter 56 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ Entering the convent felt so wrong. A girl in a flowing white habit met me at the entrance, her face drawn with worry. "Mr. Gianni," She whispered urgently. "The FBI was here. They've been questioning everyone." "About Sylvia?" Her eyes darted nervously. "About you, too." Of course. "Mother Beatrice insisted on seeing you despite their... concerns," she continued, leading me through a side corridor. "She's quite distressed." She stopped outside Mother Beatrice’s office, crossing herself before opening the door. "Please be gentle with her. She's not been herself since—" She cut herself off, but I caught the implication. Since Sylvia disappeared. Since Maria disappeared. Both my doing, in different ways. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She shot me a look over her shoulder. “Are you?” I didn’t answer. What could I say? That I’d kidnapped their novice, seduced her, and now had her stashed on my private island while the FBI combed the city for her? That
Chapter 57 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ Travo and Sergei’s funeral was held in a cemetery. And just as expected, Chen was there, pretending to pay respects while watching me through dark sunglasses. The woman was convinced I was involved in Sylvia's disappearance. She wasn't wrong, but she'd never be able to prove it. "She's still on you," Viktor murmured, nodding subtly in her direction. "Let her look," I replied, adjusting my tie. "That's all she'll ever do." After making a sufficient appearance and leaving Vincenzo and Luigi to handle Sergei’s widow, Manuel and the rest, Viktor drove us to Leandro's shop in the older part of town, wedged between a pawn shop and a fortune teller's parlor. "I'll wait here," Viktor said as I exited the car. He hated Leandro, called him a charlatan. Maybe he was, but after what happened at Eclipse, the man knew better than anyone that he owed me his loyalty—and his life. "Gianni," Leandro's accented voice called from the back. "I knew you would
Chapter 75⟿❂⟾Sylvia⟿❂⟾Mrs. Alvarez turned out to be a godsend. By early afternoon, we'd ordered enough essentials to get me through a week—simple tops, two pairs of jeans, underwear, toiletries, and a pair of comfortable shoes. She didn't even blink when I gave her Nikolai's credit card information that I'd memorized from watching him use it."Mr. Gianni would have my head if I let his guest go without necessities," she said matter-of-factly when I expressed concern about the cost.We spent the day cooking, with Mrs. Alvarez sharing stories about her family—three grown children and five grandchildren—while carefully avoiding any mention of Nikolai beyond basic household preferences. Professional discretion, I realized. She knew her boundaries.As evening approached, she packaged half the lasagna in containers for the freezer."Luigi prefers protein shakes and grilled chicken," she explained. "But you should have proper food. Just heat this at 350 for twenty minutes when you're h
Chapter 74 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ I woke to sunlight and emptiness. For a moment, disorientation gripped me as I blinked at unfamiliar surroundings. This was certainly not the same room I slept in yesterday or the night before, and it sure as hell was nothing close to my room at the convent. Then memories of the night before and my life for the last three months rushed back: I left the convent, what we did at the club, the car, Nikolai... Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered the way I'd behaved, the wanton abandon with which I'd given myself to him. The risks we'd taken. My hand drifted unconsciously to my stomach, though I knew it was too soon for any physical manifestation of our recklessness. The bed beside me was empty, the sheets cool to the touch. How long had I been alone? I pushed myself up against the headboard, wincing at the soreness between my thighs. That was a very pleasant reminder of our sins. A glass of water sat on the nightstand, alongside two small pills and a h
Chapter 73 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ I woke before dawn, as I always did. Years of discipline had trained my body to need only five hours of sleep, and even with Sylvia warm against me, that hadn't changed. What had changed was my reluctance to leave the bed. She was curled against me like a cat, one hand splayed across my chest, her breathing deep and even. My t-shirt had ridden up during the night, exposing the curve of her hip and the length of her legs. In sleep, her face held none of the guarded wariness that sometimes crept into her expression when she thought I wasn't looking. My fingers caressed her back until they reached her neck, where the mark there burned against her skin like a brand. A crescent moon. The only thing I was very sure of right now after filtering the whole jargon of religious bullshit Luigi gathered was the fact that it was certainly not a birthmark, but a scar—deliberately placed. I allowed myself five more minutes of this strange peace before careful
Chapter 72 ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai ⟿❂⟾ There was something surreal about watching her sleep against my shoulder. After the raw, primal sex in the back of my car, the way she'd given herself to me completely, without reservation, she now looked impossibly innocent again. Her face relaxed in slumber, she could have been a painting of a sleeping angel, if not for the purple marks blooming on her throat and the disheveled state of her hair. The contradiction she embodied continued to fascinate me. Virgin and temptress. Innocent and wanton. Sacred and profane. I'd had countless women over the years, but none had captivated me the way she did, none had made me break my own rules. Like tonight, with the condom. I ran a hand over my face, suppressing a groan. What the hell had I been thinking? I prided myself on control, on discipline, on never taking unnecessary risks. Yet one pleading look from those doe eyes, and I'd thrown caution to the wind. She stirred against me, mumbling something inco
Chapter 71 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ His hands slid up my thighs, pushing my dress higher until it bunched around my waist. His fingers traced the edges of my panties—new ones he'd insisted I put on before leaving the club. He’d produced them from his jacket pocket and stuffed the one I had before in there, almost like he'd planned for everything. "Here?" he asked, though I could tell from the roughness in his voice that he was already convinced. "Here," I confirmed, reaching between us to fumble with his buttons. "Right now." He reached into his pocket and frowned when he came up empty. "I don't have another condom." I continued working on his buttons, undeterred. "We don't need one." His hands caught mine, stilling them. "Yes, we do." "But you promised," I reminded him. "After our first time, you said we won’t need a condom the next time." "Someday," he emphasized. "Not tonight, not in the back of a car." I pouted, knowing it was childish but unable to help myself. "Why not? I'm not
Chapter 70 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Nikolai's arm was a steady presence around my waist as he guarded me outside the club. The stars above seemed to swim in my vision, not from intoxication but from the lingering high of what I'd just experienced. Behind us, Manuel and another of Nikolai’s men followed at a respectful distance. I couldn't meet their eyes. Did they know where we'd been? What we'd done? Of course they did. The thought sent a rush of embarrassment through me. "Are you alright?" Nikolai enquired. I nodded, then reconsidered. "I don't know." He studied my face, concern etching lines around his eyes. "Regrets?" "No," I answered quickly, surprising myself with my conviction. "Not regrets. Just...thinking." Our ride waited at the curb, Nikolai went round to open the door for me. As we slid into the back seat, the privacy partition was already raised—a small mercy I was grateful for. Once the door closed, sealing us into our private cocoon, I felt the first tremors begin in m
Chapter 69 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ Without a word, he took my hand and pulled me to my feet, his grip firm but not painful. "Fix your dress," he ordered quietly. I did as he commanded, sliding the zipper back up just enough to keep the fabric in place, though it remained looser than before. The warmth of his hand radiated through the small of my back as he guided me away from the main dance floor. We moved past the VIP section, deeper into the club through a corridor I hadn't noticed before. Two of his security men fell in behind us, maintaining a respectful distance. Nikolai nodded to a bouncer stationed before an unmarked black door, who immediately stepped aside. "Are you feeling tipsy?" Nikolai asked, his voice was etched with concern. I turned to look at him, holding his gaze. "I'm not high, I’m horny." Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. "God damn it, Sylvia. You’ve really fallen from grace.” Nikolai nodded once to his security team, probably telling them to
Chapter 68 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ "What are you thinking about?" Nikolai asked, noticing my distant gaze as we drove through the country side. "St. Catherine's," I admitted. "You miss it?" "Parts of it," I said honestly. His expression turned serious. "I suspected.” “It’s just funny how everything’s suddenly changed.” “I don’t feel guilty and I want you to never feel bad.” He said. “The sisters at St. Catherine's were given specific instructions about your care. I've been trying to figure out why." "Do you think it has something to do with who I might be?" Nikolai considered his words carefully. "I think it's connected, yes. But I don't want to burden you with theories today. Today is about..." he paused, searching for the right words. "Normal life?" I suggested with a small smile. "As normal as possible," he agreed. "Speaking of which, if you want to talk to Maeve, I can arrange it." My heart leapt. "Really? You would do that?" "Of course. She's been worried about you. I spok
Chapter 67 ⟿❂⟾ Sylvia ⟿❂⟾ "Yes, a complete makeover. Mr. Gianni's instructions." The woman entered, wheeling in a trolley loaded with beauty supplies. "I'm Marcella, by the way. I handle styling for all of Mr. Gianni's special guests." I eyed the intimidating array of products and tools. "I've never had a makeover before." Marcella's eyes lit up. "Never? Then this will be extra special." She gestured to the bathroom. "Let's start with your hair, shall we?" I followed her reluctantly. At the convent, beauty routines were simple affairs; minimal soap, cold water, and Sister Margaret’s occasional trims. In the spacious bathroom, Marcella directed me to sit on a cushioned chair she'd positioned by the sink. "Lean back, let me wash your hair properly." As she worked the shampoo into my scalp with practiced fingers, I closed my eyes, surprised by how soothing it felt. The warm water and gentle massage were nothing like Sister Margaret’s efficient ministrations. "Your hai