Chapter 117 Another Kidnap
Lila POV
I woke to the unsettling emptiness beside me.
The bed was cold and for a moment, I lay still, staring into the darkness, trying to piece together how I got here. The faint glow from the bathroom spilled into the room, cutting through the shadows like a silent warning. My head felt heavy and my thoughts sluggish.
Then I realized, I was still wearing my cocktail dress. A dull ache settled behind my eyes. I must have fallen asleep in the car.
Slowly, I pushed myself upright, the fabric of the dress clinging uncomfortably to my skin.
My movements felt off, like my body hadn’t fully caught up with my mind. I glanced toward the bathroom, expecting to see Nico there but the light was on and the space was silent.
A small knot twisted in my stomach.
It wasn’t unusual for Nico to be awake at odd hours. In the beginning, I used to hate it waking up alone, reaching out only to find cold sheets where he should have been. It made everything feel temporary, uncertain but over time, I had adjusted.
The more I began to feel safe in this house, the more I trusted him and I told myself that his absence didn’t mean anything but tonight felt different.
Something wasn’t right. I swallowed hard and stood, grabbing my nightgown and slipping it over my dress. The soft fabric did little to calm the unease settling deep in my chest.
I needed to find him. It was the only way to quiet the growing paranoia clawing at my thoughts.
The hallway was dim, the low lighting casting long shadows that stretched across the marble floors. My footsteps were soft, almost hesitant, as I made my way toward the study.
That was always the first place to check.
More often than not, I would find Nico there seated behind his uncle’s desk, handling business like the world rested on his shoulders even in the dead of night, he carried himself with the same authority but tonight the study was empty.
I paused at the doorway, my heart sinking slightly as my eyes scanned the untouched desk, the stillness of the room pressing in around me. “Okay…” I whispered under my breath, more to reassure myself than anything else.
I moved on the dining hall empty and the kitchen was silent.
The living room was dark, the large windows reflecting nothing but shadows. I even stepped closer, glancing toward the deck outside, half-expecting to see him standing there, staring into the night like he sometimes did but there was nothing and then it hit me.
The house was too quiet and empty. My chest tightened as the realization settled in, where were the guards?
There was always security men stationed at every corner, every entrance, every possible weak point. You could feel their presence even when you didn’t see them but now, nothing.
A cold wave of dread washed over me, starting deep in my stomach and rising slowly, suffocatingly, to my throat.
Something was wrong, terribly wrong.
Instinctively, I turned back toward the stairs.
The bedroom suddenly felt like the safest place in the house and the only place where I might be able to think, to breathe but just as I reached the top step, something caught my eye.
A faint glow coming from beneath the door of my studio.
My heart skipped, he wouldn’t not after he promised and swearing that no one would enter that room without my permission.
My steps slowed as I approached the door, each one heavier than the last. The closer I got, the clearer it became that the door wasn’t fully closed.
It was slightly ajar and a thin line of light spilling out into the hallway like an invitation… or a trap.
My fingers brushed the door, pushing it open slowly. The hinges let out a low, eerie creak that seemed too loud in the suffocating silence and then I saw him.
Nico stood inside, his back to me, positioned in front of the table, the dim glow of a single lamp in the corner barely illuminated the room, leaving most of it drowned in shadow.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, closing the door behind me, my voice quieter than I intended but he didn’t move nor even acknowledge me at first.
The air in the room felt heavy, thick with something I couldn’t quite name but I could feel it pressing against my skin, sinking into my bones.
“Nico?” I tried again, taking a cautious step forward. “Is everything okay?”
A soft, humorless sound left him. “That’s a funny question.”
My brows furrowed. “Why is it funny?”
I moved closer, my heartbeat beginning to pick up, unease twisting tighter in my chest but just as I reached him, he stepped forward, creating distance between us, his gaze fixed out the window into the dark abyss beyond.
“I just think it’s funny,” he said slowly, his voice low, “to ask that when you already know everything is not okay.”
My stomach dropped. “Is this about what happened at the club?” I asked carefully.
His shoulders rose and fell in a subtle shrug, the white fabric of his dress shirt shifting with the motion. “It’s about everything,” he said. “You. Me. Us. My family.”
A sense of dread curled tightly around my ribs.
“Nico…” I whispered, my voice barely holding steady.
He turned slightly, just enough to glance at me over his shoulder and the look in his eyes made my blood run cold.
“Nothing has been okay,” he said, his voice devoid of warmth, “since you walked into my life.”
My heart slammed painfully against my chest.
“What are you saying?” Panic surged, rising fast, choking the air from my lungs.
He turned fully this time and the moment I saw his face, I knew that everything was about to change.
Shadows carved harsh lines across his features, his expression cold, colder than I had ever seen it. His eyes were hard, distant, like I was looking at a stranger wearing Nico’s face.
Even the scar near his eye looked sharper, more defined and almost like it carried its own anger.
“What is going on?” My voice trembled now, my body instinctively tensing as unease turned into fear. He slipped his hands into his pockets, standing tall, unmoving, completely in control.
“I’m sorry, Lila,” he said quietly and my breath caught. “It has to be done.”
My mind struggled to catch up. “What are you...”
Before I could finish, strong arms suddenly wrapped around me from behind, everything happened too fast.
A piece of fabric was forced against my face, the scent sharp and overwhelming.
My body jerked, panic exploding through me as I tried to fight, to scream but the strength drained from my limbs almost instantly.
The room began to spin and the last thing I saw was Nico standing there… watching.
Darkness swallowed me whole and I passed out.