"Umm...I'm not supposed to be here. I'll just be on my way," Nika sat up on the bed, her feet dangling off the edge.
He didn't say anything.
She stood up slowly, holding the wall for support. Her head ached badly. She hadn't taken the pills yet.
"Take your pills." It wasn't a request, it was an order.
She glanced at the glass of water hesitantly before reaching for it. She popped two pills into her mouth and drank the whole glass in one gulp.
"I'll be in my room," she said awkwardly as she walked to the door. She could feel his deep stare behind her, drilling into her mind and thoughts.
Nika knew something had happened, but he wouldn't tell her anything. She couldn't remember anything yet. The last thing she remembered was going to the bathroom at the auction.
Nico doubled his security and surveillance after the previous night's events. He had her phone tapped and was monitoring all her social media accounts.
He cleared every trace of her on social media. Two guards were stationed outside her room door and he had a camera installed in her room for 'safety' purposes.
Nika didn't like the changes. Any ounce of freedom she had before was now gone. Her movements were strictly restricted. She couldn't make it out of her room except when necessary.
When would all this be over?
She tried talking to the maids who brought her meals every day but they never responded. They were simply obeying Nico's orders.
*********************************
A soft knock on the door drew his attention. Nico closed the laptop screen and pushed it aside. "Come in."
Rosa walked in and bowed slightly. She walked closer to the table, standing right in front of him. "She hasn't eaten," worry was written all over her expression.
Nico sighed. "I noticed," he glanced at the laptop. He had been watching her. He noticed her stubbornness and silent protest.
The untouched food trays. Her lights turned off. She remained curled up on her bed throughout the day.
"What can I do, sir?" She asked worriedly.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk. He opened the laptop and replayed the footage. His jaw tightened. "You can leave. I'll handle it."
She bowed slightly before turning on her heels.
Something didn't feel right. She wasn't on her bed today. His brows knitted together as he took in her surroundings. Her things were littered on the floor. Boxes unpacked, clothes dumped on the bed.
Was she trying to escape?
He stood up hastily, shutting the laptop as he left his study. He walked into the lift and pressed the button to her floor. His feet tapped the floor impatiently.
The lift came to a stop and the doors slid open. He quickened his steps as he reached her room. He knocked twice on the door and paused.
No response.
He repeated it twice. Still no response. "Nika, open the door right now!" He clenched his jaw. She was ignoring him. He moved back a bit and launched a kick at the door.
The door fell open. He froze. Trails of blood streaked across the floor. His chest tightened. "Nika?" He walked over her clothes slowly, taking in the situation.
Nico traced the blood to her bathroom. The sound of the shower running filled the room. The bathroom door was open. He shut his eyes tight.
"I'm coming in!"
A pause .
He walked into the bathroom. His whole body went still. Nika was floating in a pool of blood in the bathtub. He rushed to her side and held her head up gently.
"Nika..." His hands were shaky. She wasn't responding. His heart pounded violently against his chest. "I need help! Somebody get help!"
"Please stay with me," he tried to lift her out of the water. A knife was floating in the tub too. He looked at her wrists and his chest tightened.
She slit her wrists.
Two guards rushed in almost immediately. They froze for a split second at the sight before moving quickly.
"Careful," Nico snapped, his voice sharp and uneven.
One of them stepped into the tub, helping him lift her out. Blood and water spilled over the edge as they pulled her up. Her head lolled to the side, lifeless.
"Get Theo!" Nico barked.
"I'm already here," Theo's voice came from the doorway, breathless. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the scene. "I'll get the doctor." He turned and ran out without another word.
Nico didn't let go of her. His hands were stained red, gripping her tightly like she would disappear if he loosened his hold. "Stay with me," he muttered, his voice low, almost breaking.
The guards carried her out of the bathroom and laid her carefully on the bed. Blood soaked through the sheets almost instantly.
"Pressure," Nico said quickly. "Apply pressure!"
One of the guards grabbed a cloth, pressing it against her wrists. Theo returned a few minutes later with the doctor, rushing into the room. "Move," the doctor ordered, already pulling on gloves.
Nico stepped back, but not far. His eyes never left her.
The doctor worked quickly, wrapping her wrists, checking her pulse. "She's lost a lot of blood," he said, focused. "But she's still alive."
Nico exhaled sharply, like he had been holding his breath the entire time. "Will she make it?" Theo asked quietly.
The doctor didn't respond immediately. "If she gets treated now, yes."
"Do whatever it takes," Nico said, his voice firm again, but there was something off about it. Something strained.
From the doorway, Giana stood there—
Silent.
Her arms were crossed over her chest, her expression unreadable. Her eyes moved from Nika… to Nico.
To the blood on his hands.
To the way he hadn't looked away once.
Something about it didn't sit right with her. Her brows pulled together slightly. This didn't look like fear or obligation.
This looked like something else.
Something she didn't like.
Her gaze shifted back to Nika lying on the bed. Pale, weak, and fragile. Her lips pressed into a thin line. "…Pathetic," she muttered under her breath.
Theo glanced at her briefly but didn't say anything.
Giana pushed herself off the wall and stepped fully into the room, her heels clicking softly against the floor. "All this… for what?" she said, her tone flat. "Attention?"
No one responded.
Nico didn't even look at her.
That annoyed her more. "She knew exactly what she was doing," Giana continued, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're falling for it."
Still nothing.
Nico's jaw tightened, but he remained focused on the doctor.
"Save it, Gia," Theo said quietly. "Not now." Giana scoffed softly, shaking her head.
She didn't understand it. Why him? Why was he reacting like this?
Why did he care so much?
It didn't make sense.
Nika was nothing. Just a deal. A distraction.
So why did it feel like she was becoming more than that? Her gaze hardened.
Something was wrong—
And she was going to find out exactly what it was.