Chapter 51
Chapter Fifty-One
LARA
I walk into the house, my mind still buzzing from the meeting with Ivan’s father. Relief floods through me—finally, after everything, he has the money. I can’t wait to tell Ivan, to see the look on his face when I let him know that the crisis is over. He probably already knows. I imagine his father called him. I wonder, though, how he will react. Is what I did truly a good thing, given their strained relationship?
I am so occupied by my thoughts that I am startled to see Nikolai standing by the window with his back to me. I wasn’t expecting him, and the sight of him sends a strange chill down my spine.
“Nikolai?” I call out, feeling a mix of surprise and confusion. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”
He turns around, a neutral expression on his face. “I heard you met my father,” he says calmly. “Just wanted to see how things are going.”
I feel a strange knot forming in my stomach. Nikolai’s gaze is different—more intense, filled with something I can’t quite name. I try to shake off the feeling, reminding myself how supportive and amiable he was in France even though Ivan treated him so dismissively. For god’s sake, we laughed and danced together. Sometimes, I’m so foolish, imagining all kinds of terrible things about good people.
“I’m fine,” I say with a big happy smile. “Thanks to you I have some good news and I was actually about to call Ivan with it.”
“Good news?” he repeats, taking a small step closer. “What kind of good news?”
His tone is deceptively casual, but there’s a hint of urgency beneath it.
I hesitate, suddenly unsure of how much to reveal, but he is Ivan’s brother. And he’s going to find out anyway. Plus, he should be happy. He was instrumental in it. If he had not given me the number, I would never have known how to contact Ivan’s father. Maybe now the family can stop the big feud. “Well, after you gave me your father’s number, I went to see him and he agreed to help. Ivan has the funds to pay back the bank now.”
He blinks with surprise. His eyes flicker with something sharper. “You really did that?” he asks, his voice low. “Went to all that trouble for Ivan?”
His tone catches me off guard. “Of course,” I reply, trying to make it sound simple, even though the act itself was anything but. “He needed help, and I care about him.”
His jaw tightens at my words. “You care about him,” he repeats slowly, as if tasting the bitterness of it. “You’ve known him for how long? A couple of weeks?”
I frown, confused by the sudden shift. “Why does it matter how long, Nikolai? He needed help, and I did what I could.”
He takes another step closer, his gaze intense. “You’ve seen how cold and business-like he is, Lara,” he presses. “You’ve even seen the way he treats me. But you’re here, risking everything for him. Why?”
There’s an unexpected vulnerability in his question, a desperate need to understand.
“Because he’s worth it,” I say softly. “Underneath all the coldness, he’s?—”
“A broken man,” Nikolai interjects, his voice sharp. “One who uses people and then discards them.”
My chest tightens at the accusation. “That’s not true,” I insist. “He’s been honest with me.”
He laughs, a short, bitter sound. “Honest? You really believe that?” He steps closer again, his presence almost threatening, his eyes searching mine and his voice taunting. “I know Ivan better than you ever could. You think he’s changed? You think you’ve reached him?”
He just crossed a line right there, and he’s pissing me off. “Truthfully, Nikolai, I appreciate your concern, but none of this is any of your business.”
His expression softens, a hint of something like regret in his eyes. “Lara, I’ve seen how this goes. I’ve seen him with other women. He makes you feel special, makes you believe you matter… but it never lasts.”
I don’t respond.
“He made you sign a contract, didn’t he?”
I freeze.
He steps closer, his hand reaching out to touch my arm, the gesture surprisingly gentle. “I knew it. You don’t have to be another one of his casualties,” he murmurs. “You deserve better.”
I pull away, confused and shocked. “Nikolai, stop. I don’t need saving.”
“Yes, you do,” he insists, his voice urgent now. “You don’t see what I see. Ivan will leave you broken, and I don’t want that for you.”
“Nikolai, you’re stressing me out,” I say coldly. “None of this is necessary, and frankly, I don’t know why you’re doing this. What’s between me and Ivan is private and not anybody else’s business.”
“I am in love with you,” he confesses, his voice raw. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you.”
The words land like a punch to the gut, and I take a step back. “What?”
“Yes, I’m in love with you,” he repeats earnestly.
“You don’t know me,” I manage to say in complete disbelief. “How can you be in love with someone who you don’t know?”
“That’s why I am here,” he says, stepping forward. “So you can give us a chance before it’s too late. I’m not denying myself the woman I love because Ivan got there first. I was so happy when you called this morning, you have no idea.”
“Nikolai, this is insane,” I say, but the fear is rising now. His eyes are dark, almost feverish.
“It’s not insane,” he insists. “It’s real. You and I, we could be happy—far away from Ivan, from all of this.”
I shake my head. “I won’t leave him.”
His face contorts with anger. “Then you leave me no choice,” he says coldly. “If you don’t come with me, I’ll kill him.”
The threat sends a wave of terror crashing over me. At first, I am sure he is joking, but when I see the look in his eyes I know that he is not. “What are you talking about?”
His voice is chillingly calm. “I’ve planted a bomb in his car. If you don’t come with me now, he dies.”
I try to keep my composure, even as panic rises within me. “You’re lying.”
“Do you really want to take that chance?” he counters, his voice low and menacing, as he takes a black device out of his pocket. “All I have to do is press this button and… boom! They’ll have to scrape him off the tarmac.”
I force myself to swallow the terror that’s threatening to choke me. “Fine,” I say, my voice barely audible, shaky with a mix of fear and desperation. “I’ll come with you. Just… let me leave a note for Ivan.”
He narrows his eyes, suspicious but seemingly satisfied for now. “Make it quick,” he snaps, his tone sharp, but I catch a flicker of something—triumph, maybe? He thinks he’s won.
I take a shaky breath and turn toward the dining table, reaching for a notepad and pen, my mind racing. Every fiber of me is screaming for a way out, for something that could save Ivan. My hands tremble as I pick up the pen, but I try to steady them, knowing that any sign of hesitation could tip Nikolai off.
“Lara,” he warns, his voice suddenly low and dangerous. “No tricks.”
I glance over my shoulder, forcing a hollow smile. “No tricks. You have a bomb,” I say, managing to keep my tone flat. I begin writing the note, my hand moving quickly:
I’m leaving. I can’t do this anymore. It’s over. Lara
My heart aches with each stroke, and I can feel the panic building, the fear that this might be the last thing Ivan ever reads from me. But even as I write my eyes dart around the room, searching for something, anything I can use. My gaze lands on the small silver salt shaker on the sideboard, and an idea strikes me—one that’s risky, but it’s the only chance I have.
Nikolai’s attention wavers, his eyes flicking toward the window, as if he’s making sure everything outside is clear. His momentary distraction gives me the opening I need. As I set down the pen, I reach for the salt shaker with my other hand, trying to keep my movements slow and unsuspicious. I twist the top off, my heart pounding in my chest, and spill a thin line of salt on the dark wood of the dining table.
My fingers shake as I carefully trace the words into the spilt salt:
It’s Niko
Each letter is a desperate plea for Ivan to understand. My pulse thunders in my ears, and I glance back at Nikolai, who’s pacing now and speaking furiously in Russian to someone on his phone., his back turned to me.
“Lara!” he barks suddenly, making me jump. “Let’s go.”
The sound of his voice snaps me back, and I hastily place the salt shaker back on the sideboard, trying to look calm. “I’m ready,” I say, my voice firmer than before, despite the fear still clawing at me.
“Show me the note,” he orders.
I hold it out to him.
His eyes flick over the words, then puts it on the dining table. For a couple of heart-stopping seconds, he watches me, suspicion lurking in his gaze. I hold my breath, terrified he might notice the salt on the sideboard. Muriel keeps the place so spotless it sticks out like a sore thumb, but he nods, his expression cold, and gestures toward the door.
We head out to the car, and I force myself to keep walking, each step feeling like a betrayal. I glance back at the house, hoping, praying that Ivan sees the message in time.
As soon as we reach the car, Nikolai yanks open the door and gestures for me to get inside. “Take off your jewelry,” he orders, his voice harsh. “All of it.”
I fumble with my necklace, hands shaking. The pendant Ivan gave me—the one with the tracker—hangs heavily in my grasp. I remember his warning: If you’re ever in danger, swallow it. The words echo in my mind as I look at Nikolai, his eyes cold, unyielding.
“Do it,” he insists, growing impatient.
I bring the pendant to my lips, feigning difficulty in unclasping it. I steal one last look at Nikolai’s distracted gaze, then take a deep breath and swallow it, feeling the cold metal slide down my throat. It’s the most desperate thing I’ve ever done, but it’s the only hope I have left.
He glares at me, noticing my slow movements. “Hurry up,” he barks. “We don’t have all day.”
I quickly remove my earrings and bracelet, tossing them out of the window as he demands. He doesn’t seem to notice anything unusual, too focused on navigating the traffic.
As the car starts moving, I fight to keep my composure, knowing that this could be my only chance to signal Ivan. The feeling of the pendant still lingers in my throat, uncomfortable but also strangely reassuring. I cling to that small bit of hope, praying that he’s already searching for me, that he’s following the tracker.
“Relax,” Nikolai says suddenly, his voice low and deceptively gentle. “This is for the best.”
I turn my head to face him, my voice barely a whisper as I respond. “You’re insane.”
He just smirks, his eyes glinting with cold certainty. “One day, you’ll thank me.”
But I don’t believe him—not for a second.