Chapter 21 - Nico #2
His expression darkened. “You know nothing about raising a daughter.”
I almost smiled. The statement would have meant something once. Before Vera. Before the baby. Before everything changed. Now it only sounded pathetic.
“I know she was terrified of disappointing you.” His silence confirmed it. “I know she was willing to destroy herself to keep you happy. I know she lied to me because she thought you would have me killed.”
His expression hardened. “I did what was necessary for our survival. Adrian was helping me with business. The very business that had given her a good life. You wanted me to throw all of that away because she somehow fell in love with you?”
There it was. The justification. The excuse. The lie people like him always told themselves. That it was necessary for business, power, family, or stability. It was always necessary. Never right.
I sat back studying him. Waiting. Giving him every opportunity to become something better than I expected. Something human. Something resembling a father. But he failed completely.
“If I hadn’t taken her from that church...”
I let the sentence hang. His eyes remained fixed on mine.
“...you would have forced her to marry a man she hated.”
He did not answer because we both knew it was true.
“Wouldn’t you?”
Nothing. I nodded slowly.
“That’s what I thought.”
The conversation was over, not because I was angry but because I wanted revenge. Because there was nothing left to learn and nothing left to understand. I had spent weeks wondering what kind of man could do that to his own daughter. Now I knew. The answer was simple.
A selfish one.
I stood up from my chair, and Manny’s eyes followed me.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared as if he finally understood that this wasn’t a negotiation.
There would be no deal. No escape. No clever solution.
No leverage. No daughter left to sacrifice and no future left to manipulate. Only consequences.
“You think you’re better than me?”
The question stopped me near the door, and I turned and looked at him. Really looked at him. I could see the fear and anger and desperation. The certainty that someone else should pay for his mistakes.
“No.” His confusion appeared immediately, so I continued. “I just love her more than you ever did and my idea of protecting her and giving her a good life doesn’t center around ordering her around and making her live a life according to my whims.”
The words hit harder than any threat could have. I saw it happen. I saw the truth finally land.
“Are you going to kill me now?”
“No. Not before Vera has a word with you. I cannot deprive her of that.”
The door closed behind me and I motioned for the guards to lock Manny Stavros up and bring him along. I could have killed the man right there and then, but it was Vera’s father and the decision was going to be hers. Not mine.
The operation had been successful and just this one last thing was left.
Dawn painted the horizon gold by the time I got home.
The city looked peaceful. Almost innocent.
Like nothing terrible had happened overnight and lives hadn’t ended.
Like wars hadn’t concluded. The illusion lasted all the way to the house and then I stepped inside where everything changed because Vera was waiting for me.
Exactly where I hoped she’d be.
She stood barefoot near the living room window, wearing one of my shirts. One of her hands rested unconsciously against her stomach and the sight nearly stopped me in my tracks. She looked beautiful with faint sunlight on her skin and her hair caught up in a messy bun with strands falling out.
She turned before I even spoke, just like she somehow always knew when I was near. Our eyes met and suddenly the entire night felt distant.
The gunfire. The blood. The violence.
All of it was gone, and the only thing that existed was her. She studied my face as if searching for something. Waiting. I crossed the room slowly and when I finally reached her, I touched her cheek softly.
Like something precious. Her hand closed around my wrist immediately.
“Nico?” I could hear the question in her voice. I knew exactly what she was asking.
“It’s over.”
“Dad?”
“He is outside with my guards. If you want to go see him, you can. If you don’t want to see him, we can do whatever you decide with him. The choice is yours.”
“I can talk to him?” Her eyes were wide.
“Of course.” I kissed her forehead. “Come with me.”
I took her hand as she slipped on her sandals and walked outside with her.
Manny Stavros was handcuffed in a military-grade jeep, terror written all over his face.
A couple of guards opened the doors for us and Vera stepped inside while I stood right beside her.
I didn’t trust Manny enough to leave Vera alone with him.
It was true he was her father, but a man like that could do anything to bargain for his own freedom.
“Dad?” Vera called out and Manny opened his eyes to look at her.
“Vera.” Tears flooded his eyes and I immediately knew he was faking it. “Vera, you have to let me go. You know I never meant any harm to you, my child. Everything I did was for your betterment only.”
“Threatening to kill the only man I have loved if I didn’t breakup with him and marry the man of your choice was for my betterment?” Vera asked, her tone hardening.
“I had my reasons, Vera. But none of it worked out. You are back with Nico now and Adrian is out of the picture.”
“Only because Nico kidnapped me from the wedding and Adrian is out of the picture because he attacked me and I was shot because of him and because of you.” I had half expected her to give in to her emotions because that is just who Vera was. I had never seen her angrier.
“I wasn’t a part of that attack, my child. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
“You are only saying that because I hold the keys to your life right now, Dad. If you were in the position of power, I would not have mattered to you.”
“My child, list—”
“No, you listen to me,” Vera said, her voice painfully calm.
“You have done nothing but try to control me all your life and have treated me like an object born to benefit you and your whims. I have never mattered to you and I never will. Hence, you have stopped mattering to me as well. I don’t care if you live or die because you are dead to me. ”
“Vera!” Manny shouted as Vera stepped out of the vehicle, her gaze falling on me. Tears ran down her face.
“Do whatever you think needs to be done,” she said and quickly marched ahead and back inside the house.
I motioned to my guards, and they knew exactly what needed to be done. I could have been merciful and could have let him go, but after everything he had done, I wasn’t going to be. I walked back towards the house as a soft, silent gunshot sounded and I knew that it was done.
Everything was over.
I walked inside and took Vera in my arms at once.
There was silence, and she closed her eyes briefly.
Relief washed across her expression. It was not joy because some part of her heart might have loved her father just a little bit.
But I could see relief. The kind that came after carrying fear for too long.
She didn’t ask what happened or any details. She didn’t ask for names or locations or explanations about the execution. She didn’t even blatantly ask me if Adrian and her father were dead. She already knew enough, and I could see that was enough for her.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me.
“Are you okay?” she asked, her scent engulfing me completely.
“I am,” I replied, sighing deeply. Hugging her felt like coming home. “Are you? I can talk about it with you if you want.”
“No,” she shook her head against my chest. “I know enough. I don’t think I can stomach knowing any more than that.”
“Whatever you say, baby,” I smiled at her.
I buried my face against her hair and for the first time in months, for the first time since she walked into my office and shattered both our lives, for the first time since I kidnapped her from a church, for the first time since this entire disaster began, I finally allowed myself to believe it.
We were going to be okay. Not because the world had become safer. Not because violence had disappeared. Not because our problems were magically solved. But because nobody could take her from me anymore. And nobody would ever force her to survive again. Not while I was breathing.