43

Petrik

Back at the house, the tension was suffocating. Lia sat on the couch, her arms crossed and her jaw tight as she stared at the small encrypted device resting on the coffee table. It felt like a bomb waiting to detonate, and we both knew it held the answers we’d been searching for—or the final nail in our coffin.

I leaned against the wall, my arms folded, watching her. Lia was stubborn, fierce, and everything Diana had underestimated. But this war wasn’t just about strength. It was about control, manipulation, and secrets. And Diana was a master at all three.

“This feels too easy,” Lia said finally, breaking the silence.

“It wasn’t easy,” I replied, my tone sharper than I intended. “We almost didn’t make it out of there.”

She shot me a look, her frustration evident. “That’s not what I mean, Petrik. I mean Diana. She let us go. She walked away. That’s not her style.”

I hated how right she was. Diana didn’t retreat unless she had already set the next trap. Letting us walk out of that warehouse unscathed wasn’t a loss for her—it was a calculated move.

“She wanted us to have this,” I admitted, nodding toward the device. “Whatever’s on it, it’s part of her plan.”

Lia’s expression hardened. “Then why take it? Why give her what she wants?”

“Because we don’t have a choice,” I said, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. “If we don’t play her game, she’ll find another way to control us. At least this way, we’re on the board.”

Lia let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through her hair. “And what happens when we open that thing and it blows everything up in our faces?”

“We’ll deal with it,” I said, though the words felt hollow even as I spoke them. “We have to.”

She didn’t respond, her gaze dropping to the device again. I could see the conflict in her eyes, the doubt Diana had planted. It was working, and that terrified me.

“Lia,” I said softly, sitting beside her. “We can’t let her win. Not like this.”

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. “I’m not afraid of her, Petrik. I’m afraid of what this is going to cost us.”

The next day, I contacted Nikolai. If anyone could crack the encryption on the device, it was him. He arrived within an hour, his usual calm demeanor slightly frayed at the edges.

“This better be good,” he muttered, setting his laptop on the dining table. “Diana’s not someone you mess with lightly.”

“Trust me, we know,” Lia said, her tone dry.

Nikolai glanced at her, then at me. “What’s on this thing?”

“We’re not sure,” I admitted. “But whatever it is, Diana didn’t want us to have it—at least, not without a fight.”

Nikolai raised an eyebrow. “And you thought it was a good idea to bring it here?”

I ignored the question, gesturing for him to get started. “Can you open it or not?”

He sighed, plugging the device into his laptop. “Give me a few minutes.”

As Nikolai worked, Lia and I hovered nearby, the tension in the room growing thicker with every passing second. Finally, he leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

“Well?” I asked.

“It’s not just files,” Nikolai said, turning the laptop to face us. “It’s a tracker. And whoever set it up knows exactly where we are.”

The blood drained from my face as I processed his words. A tracker. Diana hadn’t just let us take the device—she’d wanted us to bring it home, to lead her straight to us.

“We need to move,” I said, already grabbing my coat. “Now.”

But before we could even leave the room, the sound of shattering glass echoed through the house. Lia’s eyes widened, and Nikolai cursed under his breath.

“They’re here,” I said, my voice low and deadly.

The attack was swift and brutal. Diana’s men stormed the house, their movements calculated and precise. Lia and I fought back as best we could, but it was clear they weren’t here to kill us. They were here to send a message.

“Stop!” Lia shouted as one of the men grabbed Nikolai, pinning him against the wall.

The leader of the group stepped forward, his expression cold. “Diana sends her regards,” he said, his voice calm. “And her warning: Stop digging. Or next time, we won’t be so merciful.”

With that, they withdrew as quickly as they had come, leaving the house in shambles. I stood there, breathing heavily, my fists clenched at my sides. This was exactly what Diana wanted—to make us feel powerless, trapped.

Lia sank onto the couch, her face pale. “She’s not playing games anymore.”

“No,” I said, my voice tight. “She’s declaring war.”

Nikolai groaned, rubbing his shoulder as he stood. “You two are insane, you know that? This woman is dangerous.”

“We don’t need the reminder,” Lia snapped, her eyes flashing.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to steady her. “We need to regroup. If Diana’s willing to go this far, it means we’re getting close to something important.”

“Or she’s just enjoying watching us squirm,” Nikolai muttered.

“Either way,” I said, my voice firm, “we’re not backing down. She wanted a war. She’s going to get one.”

As I spoke, I saw a spark reignite in Lia’s eyes. She wasn’t backing down either. Whatever Diana threw at us next, we would face it together.

But deep down, I couldn’t ignore the gnawing fear that this war would cost us more than we were prepared to lose.