Chapter 41- Risky

Chapter 41- Risky
ARIA’S POV

The morning sun sliced through my curtains, sharp and unforgiving, like it was mocking me. I hadn’t slept. My eyes burned from staring at my laptop all night, piecing together Nikolai Volkov’s life, his routines, his weaknesses.

Every second I spent digging, my anger grew hotter, tighter, coiling inside me like a snake ready to strike. But my father’s words from last night—’good news’—kept clawing at the edges of my mind, distracting me, making my stomach twist with dread. In our world, good news was a lie wrapped in a fancy box, and I wasn’t stupid enough to trust it.

I threw off my blanket and got up, my bare feet cold against the hardwood floor. My room felt too small, the walls closing in, suffocating me with the weight of everything—Camilla’s death, Nikolai’s smug face, my father’s cryptic smirk.

I needed answers. I needed to know what he was playing at. I pulled on a simple black sweater and jeans, my hands shaking as I tied my hair back. My heart pounded, a steady drum of rage and fear, but I forced myself to breathe. I had to stay sharp. For Camilla. For the plan.

I left my room and headed downstairs, the mansion eerily quiet. The grand foyer echoed with my footsteps, the chandeliers above catching the sunlight and throwing fractured light across the marble. My father’s office was at the end of the hall, its heavy oak door looming like a warning. I didn’t knock. I never did. I pushed it open, expecting to see him behind his desk, that smug look on his face, ready to dangle his “good news” over me like a noose.

But the room was empty.

My heart stuttered. The desk was neat, like no one had been there in hours. Papers were stacked perfectly, the leather chair pushed in, the air stale. Where was he?

I turned and stormed out, my footsteps sharp against the floor. The mansion felt like a maze, every corner hiding something, someone watching.

I pushed open the front door and stepped outside, the morning air cold and biting against my skin. That’s when I saw him—my father, standing by a black SUV in the driveway, his back to me. One of his men, Marco, stood beside him, holding a suitcase. My stomach dropped. A suitcase. That meant one thing in our world—business. The kind that left blood on your hands.

I marched toward him, my heart pounding so hard I thought it might crack my ribs. “Father!” I called, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. He turned, his face calm, almost amused, like he’d been expecting me. Marco glanced at me, then away, his grip tightening on the suitcase. The air felt thick, charged, like a storm was about to break.

“Where are you going?” I asked, stopping a few feet away, my eyes locked on his.

He adjusted his cufflinks, slow and deliberate, like he had all the time in the world. “Mexico,” he said, his voice smooth as velvet. “Business.”

I didn’t need to ask what kind. I knew. Deals with cartels, shipments of drugs or weapons, maybe both. The kind of business that kept our family’s empire standing, built on lies and blood. I didn’t care about that right now. I cared about one thing. “What’s the good news you were talking about last night?” I asked, my voice steady despite the fire burning in my chest.

He smiled, that slow, dangerous smile that made my skin crawl. He stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne, sharp and expensive. His hand reached out, his fingers brushing my cheek, cold and possessive. “Patience, child,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper.

I jerked back, my jaw tight. “You can’t just say something like that and not explain!” My voice cracked, louder than I meant, but I didn’t care. “What is it, Father? What’s the good news?”

He chuckled, soft and dark, like I was a child throwing a tantrum. “Be patient, Aria. I’ll see you when I get back. Alessandro will take care of you.” He turned toward the SUV, dismissing me like I was nothing, like my questions were nothing.

“Dad!” I shouted, stepping forward, my hands trembling. “Dad, wait!”

But the car door was already open. He slid inside, smooth and unbothered, and the door slammed shut with a heavy thud. The engine roared to life, and the SUV pulled away, tires crunching on the gravel, leaving me standing there, my heart hammering, my breath ragged.

I stared after it, the taillights fading into the morning mist, my mind screaming. He was gone. Just like that. No answers, no explanation, just his damn smirk and that word—patience.

I wanted to scream, to run after the car, to demand he tell me what he was hiding. But I didn’t. I stood there, frozen, the cold air biting at my skin, my thoughts spiraling. Whatever he was planning, it wasn’t good. Not for me. In our world, good news was a trap, a cage dressed up as a gift. And I wasn’t going to sit around waiting to find out what it was.

I turned back toward the mansion, my resolve hardening with every step. This was my chance. With my father gone, I could move on Nikolai. Two days. I had two days to make him pay, to wipe that smug smile off his face forever. But there was one problem—one big, annoying problem. Alessandro.

I stepped inside, the warmth of the foyer doing nothing to ease the chill in my bones. And there he was, standing by the staircase, his broad frame blocking my path like a damn wall. His dark eyes locked onto mine, steady and unreadable, like he could see every thought in my head. He didn’t say anything, just watched me, his presence heavy, suffocating. My father’s loyal shadow, always there, always watching. There was no way I could slip past him. He was everywhere, playing the perfect bodyguard, his eyes missing nothing.

I ignored him, brushing past as I headed for the stairs, my heart racing. I could feel his gaze on my back, sharp and relentless, like he knew something was up. I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. I had to focus.

I climbed the stairs, my footsteps quick, my mind already spinning with plans. I needed to get rid of Alessandro, to get him out of my way, just for a few hours. That’s all I needed to set everything in motion.

I slammed my bedroom door behind me, my chest heaving. I started pacing, my bare feet wearing a path in the carpet. How could I get past him? My father must’ve tightened security before he left, especially after last night. Alessandro wasn’t just a bodyguard—he was a bloodhound, trained to sniff out trouble. And I was trouble. I knew it. He knew it.

I stopped, my hands clenching and unclenching, my mind racing. There had to be a way. A distraction, a trick, something to get him out of the house long enough for me to slip away. I could hack into the security system, maybe trigger an alarm somewhere else, send him running. Or I could fake an emergency, something he’d have to check on. But he was too smart for that, too careful. He’d see through it in a second.

I paced faster, my heart pounding, my thoughts a tangled mess. I couldn’t mess this up. Not now. Not when I was so close. Nikolai was leaving for Russia in two days, and I wasn’t going to let him walk away. Not after what he did to Camilla. I needed a plan, something foolproof, something—

And then it hit me.

A bright, wild idea sparked in my mind, so perfect I couldn’t help but squeal. It was risky, maybe even crazy, but it could work. It would work. I knew exactly how to get Alessandro out of my way, how to clear the path for what I had to do.

My heart raced, excitement mixing with the rage that had been burning all night.

I stopped pacing, a smile tugging at my lips.

I could do this. I could outsmart him.