Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
Lily
I hadn't been able to leave the bed. I had been just staring out the large bedroom window that overlooked the grounds, trying to process everything that had happened over the last few days. Nikita was out for the day again, so there was nothing better for me to do.
The revelations, the lies, the confrontations—they were all swirling in my head, leaving me feeling more lost than ever. But somewhere deep inside me, there was a growing resolve, a sense of clarity that I hadn't felt before.
My father was never going to leave us alone. That much was clear. Nikita had driven to his estate, brought his men, and surrounded him. I knew my father too well. He wouldn't take that insult sitting down. Not when he had tried so hard to have Nikita killed in the first place. He would still try to hold onto whatever power he thought he had left. And after everything, I realized that if I didn't stop him, this would never end.
The buzzing of my phone broke through my thoughts, and I glanced down at the screen, my heart skipping a beat when I saw the message. It was from my father.
How will it feel to lose another husband? You should be begging for my mercy.
The knot of dread tightened in my stomach, but with it came a spark of anger. No, not anger—fury. He was still playing his games, still trying to manipulate me, to use me. But I was done being his pawn. I wasn't that naive girl anymore, the one who had believed every lie he had told me. I wasn't going to let him control my life, my decisions, or my future.
I rolled out of bed, my hands trembling as I typed out a response.
Where do you want me to go?
I stared at the message for a moment before hitting send, my breath catching in my throat as I waited for his reply. It didn't take long.
Meet me at the old warehouse. Tonight. Tell no one.
My chest tightened, a surge of adrenaline rushing through me. The old warehouse. It had been the site of so many of my father's "business" dealings, a place where he'd conducted his dirty work out of sight. And now, it would be the place where I confronted him. One last time.
I knew I was walking into something dangerous. I knew this wouldn't be a simple conversation. But I couldn't let Nikita handle this. This was my fight, my father. And I needed to face him, to end this once and for all.
I grabbed my coat, the cool fabric brushing against my skin as I moved through the house, my heart pounding in my chest. I could still feel the warmth of Nikita's presence in the room, his strength, his protection. But I couldn't drag him into this. Not this time. This was something I needed to do on my own.
As I walked toward the door, my phone buzzed again.
Come alone, or you'll regret it. I'll be waiting.
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. This was it. The final confrontation. The moment I'd been building toward my entire life—only now, I wasn't sure if I was ready. But I had no choice. If I didn't end this, if I didn't stop my father, he would never stop coming after us. And I couldn't let him destroy what I had with Nikita.
Not after everything.
I made my way out of the estate, the cool night air biting at my skin as I slipped into the driver's seat of the car Nikita assigned me, the car I had never had a reason to drive. The roads stretched out before me, dark and empty, and as I drove toward the warehouse, the gravity of what I was about to do settled over me like a weight.
This wasn't just about revenge anymore. This was about survival. My survival. Nikita's survival. And I couldn't afford to fail.
The warehouse loomed ahead, its rusted metal doors standing tall against the night, casting long shadows across the ground. My heart raced as I pulled up to the entrance, the familiar ache of dread settling in my chest. I had been here before, so many times as a child, watching my father conduct his business with a cold efficiency that had always unsettled me. But tonight, it felt different. Tonight, it felt like the final move in a game I was no longer willing to play.
I parked the car and stepped out, my breath visible in the cool air as I walked toward the entrance. The heavy door creaked open with a loud groan, and I stepped inside, the smell of dust and oil filling the space. The warehouse was dimly lit, the single bulb swinging from the ceiling casting eerie shadows along the walls.
And there he was. My father. Nicholas Donovan. Standing in the middle of the room, his hands tucked into his pockets, his cold eyes gleaming as they met mine.
"Lily," he said, his voice smooth, almost casual. "I wasn't expecting you to actually come alone. I thought you'd have your little guard dog with you."
I clenched my fists at my sides, the fury boiling beneath my skin. "This is between you and me. Leave Nikita out of it."
He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You've always been so predictable, Lily. Always so eager to protect the people you care about. But tell me. What exactly do you think you're going to accomplish here tonight?"
I took a step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm ending this, Dad. You're going to leave. You're going to disappear. And you're never coming back."
His smile faded, replaced by a hard, calculating look. "Is that so? And what makes you think you have the power to make that decision?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hands trembling slightly as I took another step forward. "Because if you don't leave, I'll make sure Nikita's empire destroys you. Everything you've built, everything you think you still control, it will all come crashing down."
For a moment, there was silence. My father's eyes narrowed, his lips pulling into a thin line as he studied me, as if he were trying to gauge just how serious I was.
"You've changed," he said quietly, his voice cold. "You're not the same girl who would've done anything to please me. To gain my approval."
I felt a wave of nausea at his words, the memories of my desperate attempts to earn his love crashing over me. But I pushed it down. This wasn't about the past. This was about ending the cycle of manipulation, of control.
"No," I said, my voice steady. "I'm not the same. And I won't let you ruin my life anymore."
His eyes flashed with anger, but it was brief, quickly replaced by that cold, calculated look I knew so well. "You think you've found some kind of salvation with Nikita, don't you? You think he's going to protect you from me, from this world?"
I swallowed hard, standing my ground. "I don't need him to protect me from you. I can protect myself."
Nicholas's laugh was sharp, bitter. "You always were so naive, Lily."
The warehouse seemed to close in around me, the shadows lengthening as my father's cold eyes bore into mine. I could feel the tension between us, taut like a string pulled to its limit, ready to snap. His smirk was gone now, replaced by something darker, more dangerous.
"You're not walking away from me," he growled, taking a step forward. "You think you can side with him? That you can play in his world and survive?"
I held my ground, though every instinct screamed at me to run. "I don't belong to you anymore, and I'm not going to let you control me. Not again."
His face twisted into something feral, eyes narrowing as his lips curled into a sneer. "You think this is about control?" He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."
"I know exactly what I'm doing," I shot back, trying to keep my voice steady. But there was a tremor there, one I couldn't fully hide. The truth was, despite everything, part of me was still that frightened little girl who had once sought his approval. The part of me that wanted to believe he could change. That this didn't have to end the way I knew it would.
Nicholas's eyes darkened, and in a split second, something snapped inside him. His hand shot out, grabbing me by the arm with bruising force. I gasped, stumbling as he yanked me toward him, his grip like a vice.
"You don't get to talk to me like that," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You're my daughter. You're mine. And if you think for a second that I'm going to let you throw your life away for that bastard, you're sorely mistaken."
I struggled against his grip, trying to pull free, but he held on tighter, dragging me closer until his face was inches from mine. His breath was hot, the smell of whiskey sharp as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"You'll leave him," he growled. "You'll walk away, or I'll make sure you never see him again."
My blood turned to ice. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes gleamed with something manic, a glint of hysteria flickering behind the anger. "I'll kill him, Lily. I'll kill Nikita and take you back. Do you hear me? It's all out in the open, so what's stopping me?"
"You're insane," I whispered, my heart pounding as the full weight of his words hit me.
He smiled, a cold, twisted smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "No, Lily. I'm just a man who knows how to protect what's his."
Before I could react, he released my arm and reached inside his coat, pulling out a sleek black pistol. My breath caught in my throat as he raised it, the barrel aimed squarely at my chest.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of," he said, his voice eerily calm now. "But you're about to find out. Now, are you going to do what I say or not?"
I froze, every muscle in my body locking in place as I stared down the barrel of the gun. My father had always been dangerous, always wielded power like a weapon. But this? This was different. This was madness.
"N-Nikita won't let you get away with this," I stammered, my voice shaking. "He'll come for you."
He laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "Nikita won't get the chance. I'll put a bullet in him before he ever sees it coming."
Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I couldn't show weakness. Not now. Not when everything was spiraling out of control.
"You don't have to do this," I whispered, pleading. "Please, Dad. Don't make this worse."
His smile faded, his face hardening into something cruel, something monstrous. "I gave you everything," he spat, his voice rising. "Everything! And this is how you repay me? By running off with a man like Nikita? A man who will destroy you?"
"You're wrong," I said, my voice shaking. "Nikita isn't the one destroying me. You are."
His expression twisted with fury, his grip tightening on the gun. For a moment, I thought he was going to pull the trigger, that this was how it would end—here, in this cold, empty warehouse, at the hands of the man who was supposed to protect me.
But then, something shifted. The rage in his eyes flickered, replaced by a brief flash of doubt, of hesitation.
"You'll regret this," he whispered, his voice hoarse now, almost broken. "You'll regret ever crossing me."
I shook my head, my throat tight with fear and sadness. "No, I won't. This is the only choice I have."
His eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, we stood there in the suffocating silence, the gun between us like a final, unspoken threat. And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the hesitation vanished. His face hardened again, and the cold, calculating man I had always known returned.
"You're going to walk out of here," he said slowly, his voice regaining that dangerous calm. "You're going to leave him, or I'll make sure you both end up in the ground."
I opened my mouth to respond, to try to reason with him one last time, but the words caught in my throat. Because behind me, the door to the warehouse creaked open.
And standing in the shadows, his eyes burning with fury, was Nikita.