Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
Nikita
T he night was thick with tension, the air heavy as I sat in the dim light of my study, my fingers tapping a steady rhythm on the desk. The decision had been made. Nicholas Donovan had to go. The question wasn't whether it would happen—it was how and when. And whether Lily would ever know the full extent of what I was about to do for her.
I had no illusions about what this meant. I knew the danger Nicholas posed—not just to my empire, but to Lily herself. He was a man who played the long game, twisting the people around him to suit his needs, manipulating them like chess pieces. And now, with his cards on the table, there was no doubt he was preparing to make his next move. One wrong step, and he'd use Lily as leverage against me, as he'd already done once.
I couldn't let that happen.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I needed. Vadim, my most trusted enforcer, the man I relied on when things got complicated. The man who knew how to make problems disappear. I pressed the call button and waited for him to pick up.
"Boss," came his gravelly voice after the second ring. "What do you need?"
"I need you to set up a meeting," I said, my voice steady, cold. "Nicholas Donovan. It has to be off the radar. No one can know about this."
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Understood. Where and when?"
"Tomorrow night," I replied, leaning back in my chair as I thought it through. "Make it somewhere quiet. Somewhere out of the way."
"A warehouse near the docks," Vadim suggested. "It's secure, and we can control the area."
"Perfect. Make sure he knows it's a private conversation. Just the two of us."
"I'll take care of it," Vadim said, and I could hear the slight tension in his voice. He knew this was serious, and he knew me well enough to understand that if I was handling Nicholas myself, things could get ugly fast. "Anything else?"
"Keep it quiet," I repeated, my voice low. "No one else can know. Not even Lily."
"Got it."
I hung up the phone, my fingers tightening around it as I stared at the empty screen. I hated lying to her, but I couldn't risk her knowing about this. She was too close to the edge, too conflicted, and if she found out what I was planning, she'd want to get involved. She'd want to confront her father herself, and I couldn't allow that. Not after everything he'd done to her.
I stood up, pacing the room as the weight of the decision settled over me. I had given Lily the illusion of choice—told her she could walk away, leave this world behind. But I knew better. There was no peace, no fresh start as long as Nicholas was alive. He was too dangerous, too calculating. He would never stop coming after her, coming after us. And that was something I couldn't live with.
The thought of him using her again, twisting her into his schemes like he had with Alexei, made my blood boil. I had seen what it had done to her, how it had broken her piece by piece. And I wasn't going to let it happen again.
I spent the next few hours preparing, making sure everything was in place. My mind raced with possible outcomes, scenarios playing out like a twisted game of chess. Nicholas was a smart man, too smart to think I'd let him walk away without a fight. He'd come prepared. He always did. But this time, I'd be ready for him.
The sun had barely risen the next day when I felt Lily stir beside me, her body warm against mine in the bed. She hadn't slept well, her mind clearly still plagued by everything. I could feel the tension in her even now, the uncertainty that had settled between us. She hadn't made her decision, but that didn't matter.
I had made mine.
I kissed her softly on the forehead as she blinked awake, her eyes clouded with sleep, stress, and surprise. Her fingers brushed her forehead in wonder, just like she did the evening before.
"I'll be out for the day," I told her gently, trying to keep my voice even. "There are some things I need to take care of."
She looked up at me, her brow furrowing slightly, but she didn't ask questions. She was too caught up in the feel of my lips on her, the gentleness I'd shown her.
"Okay," she finally whispered, her voice thick with exhaustion.
I squeezed her hand, feeling the weight of what I was about to do pressing down on me. "Get some rest. I'll be back."
She nodded, her eyes already drifting shut again as she curled into the sheets, and for a moment, I let myself just watch her. She looked so peaceful, so vulnerable, and it made something tighten in my chest. I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve her trust, not after how hard I was on her. Not after what I decided to do. But I would protect her, no matter the cost.
Even if it meant going behind her back.
By the time I reached the warehouse later that night, the sky had darkened, casting long shadows across the empty docks. The air was thick with the smell of salt and oil, the sounds of the city distant and muffled. Vadim and a few of my men were already in position, their eyes sharp as they scanned the area, making sure everything was secure.
I stepped out of the car, pulling my coat tighter around me as the cool night air hit my skin. The warehouse loomed ahead, its rusted metal doors creaking slightly in the wind, and I felt the familiar rush of adrenaline that always came before a confrontation like this.
"Nicholas inside?" I asked, my voice low as Vadim approached.
He nodded, his expression grim. "He's waiting. No backup, just like you asked. But be careful, Boss. I don't trust him."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Neither do I."
Vadim stepped back, giving me space as I walked toward the entrance. This wasn't just about business anymore. This was personal. And Nicholas Donovan was about to learn that there were consequences for crossing me.
The metal door groaned as I pushed it open and stepped into the dimly lit warehouse. The smell of dust and old oil filled the air, the faint sound of dripping water echoing from somewhere in the shadows. And there, standing in the center of the room, was Nicholas.
He looked the same as ever—cold, calculating, his posture straight and rigid, like he still believed he was in control. But there was something in his eyes that told me he knew the game had changed.
"Nikita," he greeted, his voice smooth, controlled. "I wasn't expecting such a personal invitation."
I clenched my jaw, stopping a few feet away from him. "This ends tonight, Donovan."
His smile widened, the same cruel, condescending smirk I had seen too many times. "Does it? You really think you can dictate how this ends?"
The arrogance in his voice was infuriating, but it wasn't surprising. Nicholas had always been a master manipulator, playing people like pawns in his endless game of power. And now, he thought he could use those same tactics to get out of this.
But what he didn't understand was that I wasn't like his other pawns. I didn't play by his rules. I made my own.
I walked forward, closing the gap between us until I was mere inches from him, my voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "You think you're untouchable because of your connections. But the truth is, you're just a man who's run out of moves. You're alone now, Donovan. And no one's coming to save you."
I saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but it was there. He wasn't as confident as he wanted me to believe. He was cornered, and he knew it.
"You don't scare me, Nikita," he said, his voice laced with venom. "I've dealt with worse than you. You think you can come into my world, threaten me, and walk away? You're just a thug with too much power. I've survived men like you before. And I'll survive this too."
I clenched my jaw, every muscle in my body tightening as his words sunk in. He wasn't going to back down willingly. But I knew that before I came.
"You think you can go to war with me?" I asked quietly, my voice deadly calm. "You think you can walk away alive? Why don't I just take you out right now?"
He took a step back, his eyes flashing with something that might have been fear, but he quickly masked it with that same condescending smirk.
"Try it," he called out, his tone smug. "But if you think Lily's going to stand by your side when she finds out what you've done, you're a bigger fool than I thought."
My blood froze, a surge of anger flooding through me as I watched him. He was smiling now, like he'd just dealt the final blow, like he'd found the weak point in my armor.
"You think she doesn't know who you are?" he continued, his voice dripping with mockery. "You think she's going to forgive you for this? Does she know you're here?"
I didn't respond, my eyes locked on his, my body coiled tight with barely contained rage.
"Lily's a smart girl," he said, his smile widening. "And sooner or later, she's going to realize you're no different than me. You're just another man who uses people, who manipulates them to get what he wants. And when that happens—" He paused, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "She'll leave you. Just like everyone else."
I could feel my fists clenching, the urge to put him down right there nearly overwhelming. But I couldn't let him get to me. Not when everything was on the line.
I stepped forward, my voice low, dangerous. "If you ever say her name again," I growled, "I'll make sure it's the last thing you ever do."
Nicholas's smile faltered, but only for a moment. "Let's think about this," he offered, his body language relaxing. His voice was calmer now, stripped of the arrogance that had filled his tone only moments before. There was something different in his voice—something calculating, but not desperate.
"Before you go and make a decision you'll regret," he continued, his footsteps drawing closer, "hear me out. You think killing me solves everything? You're wrong. Dead men can't be leveraged, Nikita. But alive? Alive, I'm worth more to you than you realize."
My eyes narrowed as I sized him up. Nicholas Donovan, always playing the game. Always looking for the angle.
"You think I care about whatever pathetic deal you're about to offer me?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
Nicholas smiled, but this time it wasn't the smug grin of a man in control. It was the smile of a man who knew he was cornered but was too smart to go down without bargaining.
"You should," he said quietly, his eyes locking onto mine. "Because if you kill me, you're leaving a lot of loose ends behind. My network, my assets… they'll fall into chaos. And trust me, you don't want that. But if I leave—if I disappear quietly—everything stays under control."
I watched him closely, my mind racing through the possibilities. He wasn't wrong. Donovan was connected, his empire vast and interwoven with people and operations that would be difficult to track down in the aftermath. Killing him would create a power vacuum, one that could spiral out of control if I didn't have a plan in place to contain it.
But could I really trust him to just leave? Could I trust him to keep his word?
"I'll leave the country," he said, as if reading my thoughts. "I'll walk away from everything—my businesses, my connections. I'll disappear. You'll never see or hear from me again."
"And why the hell would I believe you?" I asked, my voice thick with distrust.
Nicholas shrugged, his hands raised in a mock gesture of surrender. "Because I'm a survivor, Nikita. That's what I do. I adapt. And if staying alive means getting as far away from here as possible, then that's exactly what I'll do. I have no interest in dying today. And I sure as hell have no interest in bringing everything I've built crashing down around me."
I studied him, searching his face for any sign of deceit, any hint that he was playing me. But for once, his arrogance seemed to have faded, replaced by something more pragmatic. He wasn't pleading for his life—he was making a calculated decision, one that offered both of us something we wanted.
Control.
"I leave," he continued, taking a cautious step toward me, "and you get to keep your empire intact. You don't have to deal with the fallout, the chaos, the inevitable war that'll come if I die. But more importantly, Lily gets her peace. She doesn't have to live with the knowledge that her father's blood is on your hands."
At the mention of Lily, my jaw tightened, anger flaring up inside me once again. "You don't get to talk about her," I growled.
Nicholas raised his hands again, placating. "I'm just stating the obvious. You think she won't find out? You think she won't ask questions? She's smart, Nikita. She'll know you were behind it. And when she does, what happens then? Do you think she'll ever forgive you for killing her father?"
I hated that he was right. As much as I wanted to end him here and now, as much as he deserved it, the fallout wouldn't be clean. Lily would ask questions. She would wonder what had happened, why her father had disappeared, why he was dead. And when the truth came out, it would tear apart whatever fragile bond we had managed to rebuild.
Nicholas took another step closer, sensing the shift in the air. "Let me go," he said, his voice quieter now. "Let me disappear, and this ends. No bloodshed, no war. You keep your empire. And Lily gets her peace."
I clenched my fists, my mind a storm of conflicting emotions. Every instinct told me to end him, to rid the world of the man who had caused so much pain and suffering. But I couldn't ignore the truth of what he was offering. If he left quietly, if he truly disappeared, it would solve everything without the need for violence. It would give Lily the closure she needed, without dragging her deeper into the darkness of my world.
But there was still one thing I needed to know.
"What guarantee do I have that you'll keep your word?" I asked, my voice sharp. "That you won't come back, that you won't try to use this against me?"
Nicholas smiled faintly. "I have no interest in coming back, Nikita. I'm not a fool. I know what happens if I cross you again. This is my only way out. You have my word."
His word wasn't worth much, and we both knew it. But as much as I hated the idea of letting him walk away, I hated the idea of Lily being caught in the crossfire even more.
I stepped closer, my face inches from his, my voice a low growl. "If you cross me again, if I ever hear your name, see your face, or even catch a whisper that you're still breathing in my world, I'll end you. No hesitation. No second chances."
Nicholas's smile didn't reach his eyes, but he nodded slowly. "Understood."
I took a step back, the tension still thick in the air. Every fiber of my being screamed at me to end it here, to finish what I'd started. But I couldn't. Not like this.
"Leave," I said, my voice cold and final. "And never come back."
Nicholas gave a small nod, his smile fading as he turned and walked toward the door. I watched him go, every muscle in my body coiled tight, ready for him to make a wrong move. But he didn't. He walked out of the warehouse, his footsteps fading into the night.
I stood there for a long moment, the silence pressing down on me, the weight of the decision heavy on my shoulders. I had let him go. And for now, that was the right call.