Chapter 37 SOMETHIN BENEATH THE SURFACE
JASMINE:
Something was wrong with Nikolai, and I just couldn’t figure out what.
At first I thought I was imagining it. After everything that had happened between us, our fight, the things he said, the way we made up, it would be easy for my mind to start inventing problems where there were none.
But the feeling wouldn’t go away. It sat in my chest like a quiet warning. Nikolai wasn’t angry. He wasn’t distant. He still touched me, still kissed me, still held me like I was something precious.
But something beneath the surface had shifted. His eyes lingered on me longer than usual, but not with desire, though that was still there, but with something else, something heavier. Like he was trying to understand me… or measure me. It made my stomach twist.
But if Nikolai had somehow actually discovered the truth, about who kidnapped me, about Dante, about the lie I had told him, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. He wouldn’t be watching me with complicated eyes.
He would have hurt me… or worse. He would have killed me. And yet… something was wrong.
I finally decided I couldn’t ignore it anymore. I walked down the hallway toward his room. The door was slightly open.
Inside, Nikolai stood near the dresser, buttoning up a dark shirt, with his broad back facing me. The sleeves were rolled to his forearms, the ink of his tattoos peeking out against his skin.
“You’re going somewhere?” I asked.
He glanced at me through the mirror.
“Yes.”
Without me. That alone surprised me. Usually, if there was an event, a meeting, or even something small, he would at least mention it.
“Where?” I asked.
“Work.”
That was it. Just one word.
I crossed my arms slightly.
“You’re going without me?”
His eyes met mine in the mirror again.
“It’s nothing important.”
Something in his tone felt rehearsed. Too calm and controlled.
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” I asked carefully.
He finished fastening his watch and turned to face me. Everything about him looked normal.
“Everything’s fine,” he said.
But it didn’t feel like it. He walked toward me and brushed a light kiss against my forehead.
“I won’t be long.”
Then he left.
And I stood there in the doorway long after the sound of his footsteps disappeared.
I tried to ignore the feeling. I really did. I walked through the house, talked to Ana, sat in the garden for a while.
But the uneasiness kept growing. Finally, I gave in. If Nikolai wasn’t going to tell me what was wrong… I would find out myself.
My heart beat a little faster as I pushed open the door to his study. I had only been inside once. And we both would never forget the time we had.
I moved carefully, scanning the room. I checked the drawers, the shelves. There was nothing obvious. I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for. Maybe some clue, some hint. Anything.
Then something caught my eye on the edge of the desk.
A key.
A heavy metal key attached to a small tag that said “Warehouse”. My fingers hovered over it for a second before I picked it up.
Why would Nikolai leave something like this out? I turned it over in my hand, studying it.
Then I heard the door open behind me. My heart nearly stopped. I turned around slowly only to see Nikolai standing in the doorway.
His expression was quite unreadable.
“I forgot something,” he said calmly.
The key suddenly felt like it weighed a hundred pounds in my hand. I quickly set it back on the desk.
“I—”
My voice caught slightly.
“You’re snooping.”
It wasn’t a question. I swallowed.
“You’ve been acting strange,” I said quickly. “You won’t tell me what’s wrong.”
He walked toward me slowly. Every step made the air feel heavier.
“I wanted to know why.”
He stopped right in front of me. For a moment he just looked at me. Then he reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
“There’s nothing wrong principessa,” he said quietly.
But his eyes were sharp.
“You just shouldn’t go snooping through my things.”
The warning in his voice was sudden. Cold. It caught me off guard.
I nodded quickly.
“I’m sorry.”
His gaze lingered on me for another moment.
Then his expression softened slightly.
“There’s an event tomorrow,” he said.
His tone was normal again.
“We’ll go together if you want.”
That surprised me.
“Oh... I’d like that.”
He turned and walked back toward the door.
“I’ll see you later.”
Then he was gone again.
I stood alone in the study, staring at the closed door. The uneasiness in my chest grew stronger. Something was definitely wrong. And for the first time since I arrived here… I was starting to wonder if Nikolai knew more than he was letting on.