Chapter 89 MY NAME.
\~~~RAINA.
The door to my office flew open with a bang that made me jump, and my heart slammed against my ribs. Alessia rushed in, her face twisted in panic, and her eyes wide like she'd seen a ghost.
“Luciano called me!” she cried, dropping to her knees right in front of me. Her hands reached out, grabbing my free one, the one not clutching the cursed doll.
Before I could even process it, the commotion must have drawn others. My secretary burst in next, followed by a couple of workers from nearby offices. They froze in the doorway, staring at me like I was some kind of freak show. The secretary's eyes locked on the doll in my lap, the red timer glowing like a devil's eye: 21:12.
She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, color draining from her face as realization hit her.
Alessia whipped around, her voice sharp and commanding. “Clear out the company! Ring the alarm!” she hollered, pointing at the door.
My secretary fidgeted, her body shaking, words stumbling out in stutters. “B-but... what... I…”
“Now!” Alessia yelled again, her tone leaving no room for argument.
My secretary bolted, her heels clicking frantically down the hall. I heard her voice echo as she shouted into the intercom, the alarm blaring to life moments later, and a piercing wail that filled the building.
Footsteps pounded outside, and voices rose in confusion and fear as people evacuated.
Alessia turned back to me and squeezed my hand tighter. She stayed right there, kneeling, and refusing to leave.
“He will be here soon, okay? He will be here soon,” she said softly, her other hand patting my thigh in gentle strokes.
It was meant to comfort, but my body felt numb, locked in place by the weight of the doll.
We sat like that in the quiet office, the alarm fading into a distant hum as the building emptied. Sirens wailed outside, growing louder, and cutting through the city noise. I could hear the ruckus of shouts, car doors slamming, and the low rumble of emergency vehicles pulling up.
“You should leave too. You should…”I sniffed, shaking my head.
No more tears came. I bet I had none left in fact. My face felt stiff, and I just stared at the doll, pleading inwardly for the time to stop.
“Just shut up and hold on tightly, okay?” Alessia said firmly, her eyes locked on mine.
We both glanced at the timer again and there were only twenty minutes left.
The numbers blinked mockingly. “He's running late,” I breathed out, my voice barely a whisper.
“What if he never…”
“Shhh,” Alessia cut me off, squeezing my hand harder.
“I have so much to tell him. He needs to know a lot of things. I can't just die witho-” My words choked off as the door barged open again, nearly flying off its hinges this time.
It slammed against the wall, and in two long strides, Luciano was there, filling the space in front of me. Viktor and Gabriel rushed in behind him, their faces set in grim determination, along with a few other men I didn't recognize.
My eyes dropped to him first, Luciano, and relief instantly hit me like a wave, crashing over the panic, making my chest loosen for the first time since this nightmare started.
I'd never felt anything like it, this pure, overwhelming wash of hope. “You are here,” I whispered, my voice cracking.
Alessia squeezed my hand one last time before moving aside, giving him space. Luciano knelt in front of me, his dark eyes searching mine.
He took my free hand in his, his thumb fondling the back of it gently, warm and steady. “You're holding on so well. I'm so proud of you,” he said, his voice low and rough, but laced with something soft I had never heard from him.
“Well, I am not. I think I'm going to pee myself in fact,” I admitted, a weak laugh bubbling up through the fear.
“Then, do that,” he replied simply, no judgment, just fact.
And I swear, I could really pee right there.
“Am I going to die?” I pressed my lips together, forcing the question out.
“I've brought the best bomb squad with me. They will defuse it,” he assured me, scooting to the side just enough to make room.
A man in a tactical vest stepped forward, his movements careful and precise. He bowed slightly, then knelt beside the doll.
“I am going to check now. Please, don't let go, madam,” he said gently, his voice calm despite the tension in the air. I nodded, swallowing hard.
I closed my eyes, tightening my grip on Luciano's hand. His presence grounded me, like an anchor in a storm. The solid warmth of his fingers intertwined with mine made the shaking in my body ease, just a little.
I didn't know I could feel this much relief from him being close to me, not after all our fights, and everything between us.
“You said you received a message,” Luciano asked, his tone steady as the expert started examining the doll, his gloved hands moving ever so carefully, like it was a fragile egg.
“Y... yes. My phone…” I looked around the desk, spotting it on the floor where I'd dropped it earlier.
“Here it is,” Gabriel said, picking it up and handing it over.
“Yes, it is,” I murmured, watching as Luciano took it with his free hand. He turned the screen to me. “What's the password?” he asked.
I told him, my voice small. He unlocked it, his brows pulling together as he scrolled to the message. His jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes. He raised his head to look at Viktor, who stood nearby, his sole attention fixed on the bomb in my hands.
Viktor's face was pale, his usual stoic mask was cracked and his eyes were wide, and his fists were clenched at his sides.
He looked like his whole world was collapsing, uncollected and raw.
Huh, so much for the man who'd hated me with a passion. I'd always thought he saw me as a nuisance, but now? This fear in him was for me, too.
Luciano handed the phone to Viktor without a word. Viktor glanced at it, nodded once, understanding immediately. “I will get on it right away,” he said, his voice tight, then moved to the corner of the room, already dialing a number.
The expert pulled back slightly, and that's when my gaze dropped to the doll. He'd carefully ripped off most of its clothing, exposing the bomb underneath.
A tangle of wires, circuits, and that blinking timer and it looked even more real, and more deadly, up close. My stomach turned, nausea rising as I shook harder.
Luciano's grip tightened on my hand, steadying me.
“What is it?” he asked.
The man pressed his lips together, bowing again. “It looks like it has been detonated already. Her hand pressed the switch the moment she picked it up, so it might set off regardless. It is... a kind I have never worked on before,” he said, his words careful, and laced with fear as he chose them.
My whole world crashed down in that instant, the air sucking out of the room. But Luciano didn't flinch, his expression hardened into that unyielding resolve I knew so well.
“You think I care about such shit?” he growled low, his voice a rumble that cut through my panic.
“We have less than fifteen minutes now," the cry tore from me suddenly, fresh tears burning my eyes.
“Calm down, Solnyshko, calm down,” he said, his tone softening just for me again.
“You said he was the best?! If he can't do it, then I am cooked! Just... just leave me, everyone. Vacate the whole vicinity too, and…”
“Calm down!” he snapped, his eyes flashing.
But I couldn't stop, the words tumbled out in a ramble. “Or better still, you can just drive me to the nearest garden or ocean... a place with no one. That way, there will be no casualties. I can't afford to cause other people harm also. So, just take me somewhere…”
“Fuck, shut up, Raina!” he snapped so loud that I flinched, my body jerking.
The room went silent, everyone staring. “How could you worry about other people right now? Just… shut up, and hold on tight!”
“I am try…”
Wait...
He said my… name, Raina.
No way. I must have heard wrong. My mind was playing tricks, and the stress was messing with me.
My breath hitched violently.
“What… did you just c… call me?” I stuttered.
Luciano didn’t hesitate. He released my hand briefly, then placed it firmly back over the one holding the bomb.
“Raina Marielle Monroe,” he said clearly, and fiercely. “Get your head straight.”
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs.
He knows.
God, he… knows.
And somehow… even with a bomb ticking in my hands, that terrified me just as much.