Chapter 48 Chapter 48
I smirked internally. If I told him, he’d think he had some insight into me, some advantage. He had none; I had to play this smart. “I’d make you regret waking up this morning,” I said calmly, my voice steady, almost bored.
He laughed, low and dangerous. “You think you can handle me?” he asked.
I didn’t answer; I just shifted slightly, feeling the ropes against my skin. They weren’t as tight as they looked; a few movements and I could work them loose. I’d given myself a few options before he even entered the room. That was the difference; he thought he had me trapped, but he had no clue. He was the one trapped with me.
He stepped closer again, trying to intimidate me, to force some kind of reaction. I didn’t flinch; instead, I flexed my fingers, subtly testing the ropes. He didn’t notice; he was too busy glaring at me with that stupid overconfident expression.
“I can ask nicely, or we can do it my way,” he said, leaning in close enough that I could smell the cheap cologne he thought made him irresistible. “Where is he? Where’s Nikolai?” he asked.
I didn’t flinch; I didn’t answer. I met his eyes calmly. “You’re asking the wrong questions,” I said lightly.
He frowned, confused by my lack of fear. “Don’t play games with me. I have your word now…tell me," he yelled.
“I didn’t come here to talk,” I said, tilting my head. “You came here to make a mistake.”
That seemed to ignite something in him. He suddenly lunged, trying to grab my arms, thinking he could overpower me. I twisted, feeling the ropes shift just enough to give me leverage. My foot shot out, hitting him square in the knee. He stumbled back, surprised, and I felt that rush of control, that sweet moment of knowing he wasn’t untouchable after all. I threw myself backward; the ropes were gone, and I was on my feet, smirking at him.
He recovered quickly, growling, swinging at me, and trying to hit me. I ducked, weaving under his arm, landing a kick to his side that made him grunt and stagger. Every movement was precise and measured, and he didn’t see it coming. I wasn’t just defending myself; I was controlling the fight.
“You’re fast,” he said, trying to mask the surprise in his voice. “But you’re still going to fail," he spat.
I smiled, tilting my head. “You should’ve checked before assuming.”
I kicked again, this time hitting his shoulder, forcing him back into a crate that cracked under his weight. He stumbled, clutching his side. I felt a rush of adrenaline, my heart pounding in my chest, but I stayed calm. Every second I stayed focused was a second closer to freeing myself.
“You’re going to regret this,” he hissed, trying to get at me again.
“Try me,” I said, ducking under another swing.
The fight went on like that, him swinging wildly at me and me calculating each step, each kick, each dodge. He thought he had control, thought he could intimidate me into weakness. I didn’t give him a hint of it. Not one.
At one point, he stumbled back, hitting a metal shelf, and I saw blood starting to seep from a cut on his arm. He was still dangerous, still capable, but now he was off balance. I pressed the advantage, slipping free from the ropes completely, moving behind him, and landing a solid strike to his back. He stumbled forward, groaning in frustration and pain.
“Do you give up?” he spat, turning to face me, breathing hard, his confidence cracking.
I didn’t answer. I just moved fast and precisely and kicked him in the chest again, sending him sprawling. I stood there, watching him struggle to get up, realizing he wasn’t used to losing, especially not to someone he thought was weak.
“Where’s Nikolai?” he asked again, voice shaking slightly now.
“You’re asking the wrong questions,” I repeated, calm as ever.
He tried to grab me again, but I twisted out of his reach, sending a sharp elbow into his side. He grunted, staggering back, holding himself, and I saw it the moment he realized he couldn’t take me. He had underestimated me completely.
“You think this is over?” he hissed, breathing heavily.
I shook my head slowly, keeping my stance ready. “It’s never over until I say it’s over,” I said lightly, and he backed up again, looking around, clearly trying to find some escape.
I knew he had nowhere to go. I could see every move he made and predict every strike. I wasn’t reckless; I was precise. I used his momentum against him, forcing him into crates, making him stumble over loose debris. Every step, every kick, every movement was controlled. This is what Oris trained me for; all the hours I spent in pain on that tarmac were now worth it.
And then it happened. His pride, his ego, and the sheer fact that he couldn’t take me forced him to make a mistake. He staggered toward the exit, clutching his injuries, blood seeping from cuts along his side. He wasn’t leaving gracefully. He was running and limping, and I watched him go, breathing hard, standing there victorious, still wary.
I didn’t celebrate. Not yet. I took a moment to catch my breath, wiped the sweat from my forehead, and flexed my fingers, checking the ropes I’d used to manipulate him. He wasn’t gone for good, and I knew it. But for now, I’d made him retreat, made him realize he wasn’t untouchable.
“Not bad for a soft little thing,” I muttered under my breath, mocking the expression he probably imagined in my face. I didn’t say it aloud, of course; I just let the thought stay in my head. He thought he had me, but he was the one limping out of here, beaten, humiliated, and alive only because he got scared.
I moved quickly then, checking the warehouse, making sure he was really gone. I needed to be ready in case he came back, but for now, I was safe. My breathing slowed, my heart still racing from the fight. I wasn’t just surviving. I was in control. I always had been.
And when Nikolai finally got here, he’d see it too. He’d see that I wasn’t a girl to be underestimated, that I could handle myself, and that Lorenzo had made the biggest mistake of his life underestimating me.
For now, though, I took a deep breath, glanced at the door Lorenzo had fled through, and prepared myself for whatever came next. Because I wasn’t done, and neither was he. But I’d won this round, and that was enough for now.
Nikolai
The cameras I had on the warehouse weren’t perfect, but they were enough. Enough to see Isla, enough to see her move, enough to see Lorenzo moving around like he thought he was untouchable. He wasn’t. I knew it. I could feel it. But I also knew one wrong move, one small misstep, and it could all go to hell.