Chapter 23 WHEN THE DARKNESS BEGINGS TO FLOOD
JASMINE:
The charity gala was hosted in a restored Beaux-Arts building overlooking the river, all marble staircases and cascading chandeliers. Cameras flashed at the entrance, paparazzi’s yelling out the names of prolific guests that were arriving.
I stepped out of the car first, Nikolai allowed it. A guard lingered discreetly behind us as we entered.
Nikolai Morreti stepped beside me, immaculate in black, effortlessly at that. Every inch the man this city feared and respected.
And then I saw her. She stood at the top of the staircase, greeting donors. She had on a sleek ivory gown with diamond studs.
Her eyes found Nikolai before they found me. And something in her expression softened, not for the cameras, but just for him.
She descended the stairs gracefully.
“Nikolai,” she said, warmth threading through her voice in a way I hadn’t heard before.
“Francesca.”
He inclined his head slightly, and she leaned in for an air kiss.
He allowed it.
Her hand lingered on his arm half a second longer than necessary. Then she turned to me.
“You look lovely,” she said smoothly. “He does have good taste.”
It sounded polite, but it wasn’t.
“Thank you,” I replied evenly.
Her gaze flickered between us before she gestured for all of us to enter the ballroom.
Inside, the ballroom pulsed with quiet wealth. There were politicians, CEO’s, celebrities, old money, new money. Mafia lords would probably be there, but just like Nikolai, they lay low. This wasn’t their type of setting.
Francesca on the other hand, floated through the room, orchestrating every interaction. She knew who to greet first, which donor required flattery, which guest needed reminding of past favours.
And she always circled back to Nikolai.
“Remember Milan?” she murmured once, brushing invisible lint from his sleeve. “You insisted on staying in that dreadful hotel.”
“You insisted on changing it,” he replied.
She smiled softly. “And you let me.”
There was no bitterness in her tone. Only nostalgia. She knew him in chapters I hadn’t read.
At one point, she even corrected a waiter before Nikolai spoke.
“He doesn’t drink that anymore,” she said gently, replacing the glass with something else.
He didn’t argue. He didn’t thank her either. He just accepted it.
All this shouldn’t have unsettled me. But it did, and it wasn’t because I thought they were together. It was because she knew the rhythm of him. And she moved within it easily.
Later that evening, she cornered me near the balcony later.
“I see you’re adjusting,” she said quietly.
“I am.”
She studied me.
“He’s quite difficult to love.”
I tilted my head slightly. “I don’t recall saying I loved him.”
A faint smile curved her lips. “You don’t have to.”
“I don’t… but you still do,” I said before I could stop myself.
Her composure flickered, just briefly. But I saw it.
“Yes,” she said confidently.
The honesty startled me more than manipulation would have.
“And he’ll be mine.” She continued, adamantly. Her eyes drifted toward him across the ballroom. He stood surrounded by men in tailored suits.
She watched him the way someone watches a storm they once survived.
“And he was different with me,” she added quietly. “Before he learned how to bury things.”
I didn’t know if that was meant to wound me. Or herself. Before I could respond, she straightened.
“It’s time,” she said.
It was time for the speeches. When they began, Francesca took the stage.
She thanked sponsors, spoke about the foundation’s mission, the importance of legacy. Then, she said something controversial.
“I would also like to acknowledge a man who helped build this initiative from its earliest days.”
Murmurs rippled softly. She extended her hand toward Nikolai.
“My former fiancé, Nikolai Morreti.”
The room shifted. She didn’t look embarrassed. She looked proud.
“He understands that power means nothing without purpose,” she continued. “And that legacy is built not just in business… but in who you stand beside.”
Her gaze flickered to me, assessing me as everyone began applauding.
She descended the stage, and instead of returning to the crowd, she walked directly to him.
“I meant what I said,” she murmured, low enough that I barely caught it.
“I know,” he replied.
Her fingers brushed his wrist.
“You don’t have to punish me forever.”
The words were soft.
Personal.
He stilled.
“I’m not punishing you,” he said evenly.
Her eyes searched his.
“You are.”
She leaned closer, voice barely audible. “She is a clear downgrade.”
That was it, the last straw. He looked at her and he gently removed her hand from his wrist.
“Francesca,” he said quietly, “this isn’t the place.”
Her composure returned instantly. Of course it did. Then she stepped away with elegance intact.
“Enjoy the evening,” she said smoothly before moving back toward the donors.
Now, I understood something clearly. Francesca wasn’t trying to destroy me. She was trying to remind him, of who she had been, of who he had been with her. And maybe, of who he might never be again.
The dangerous part wasn’t that she loved him. It was that she still believed she could get him back.
“She still loves you,” I said eventually, looking anywhere but at him.
He didn’t hesitate. “As clear as Crystal.”
The honesty was almost jarring.
“And you?” I asked, still not looking at him.
He evaded my question with another. “She wanted tonight to unsettle you. Did it?”
I turned to him. “It didn’t.”
He nodded. “Good.”
“We’re leaving," he continued firmly.
I was surprised. "Already?"
"Yes. This particularly isn’t my type of setting.” Then he reached for my hand. "Come."
We began walking out through the crowd of fancy dresses and music, when suddenly, a loud fire alarm screamed. The music stopped, and for a moment, everyone froze.
Then panic hit.
Red lights flashed against the walls, people started screaming and rushing for the doors as faint smoke drifted from a hallway, just enough to scare everyone.
"Stay behind me," Nikolai ordered, gripping my hand tight.
The crowd was a mess. People pushed and shoved, tripping over each other. I stumbled, and I could hear the fear in Nikolai’s voice as he called my name.
As we reached a side hallway, the crowd surged sideways. Someone slammed into me, and Nikolai’s hand slipped away.
"Nikolai!" I yelled.
"Jasmine! Stay where you are!" he shouted back, but I couldn't see him anymore. There were too many people in the way.
In that moment, a hand grabbed my arm. It didn’t feel like it was by accident, it felt firm and intentional. I turned to look, but something heavy hit the side of my head.
And just like that, the room blurred, his voice faded away, and everything went black.