The quiet humming of the car engine filled the space. The silence was unnerving. Nika would glance at him ocassionally. She bit her lip nervously.
"Why did you invite me?" She broke the silence.
"You're my fiancée." He said the word casually like it meant nothing. His eyes remained fixed on the road.
"Don't try anything stupid tonight." He placed his right hand on her thigh, giving it a light squeeze.
Her stomach dropped instantly.
She turned towards the window, trying to distract herself from the heat of his inked fingers drawing lazy circles on her thigh.
"You pissed Gia off today," he glanced at her for a brief second.
Nika's breath caught. He knew already. She held onto her seatbelt tightly. "I didn't mean to." She mumbled.
"You shouldn't have gone up there," he tapped the steering wheel as he made a sharp turn.
"I was looking for you."
He paused.
He titled his head slightly. "What for?"
Nika cleared her throat slightly as she straightened up. "I want to work."
"There's no need for that." He said.
She let out a slow breath. "You don't get it. I want to work at a company. Put my degrees to use... I can't just sit back and watch you all go for meetings everyday." She complained.
He didn't respond immediately. Nika felt disappointed. She knew this would happen. There was no way he was letting her out of the house.
"I can't have you up on the media. We have to stay safe." His voice softened.
She didn't say a word. She just tilted her head back to the window. He glanced at her for a moment before redirecting his gaze back to the road.
The car came to a halt at a large white mansion. It was a big event. Multiple cars filled the parking space with guards at the entrance.
Nico turned off the ignition and came down. He rounded the car and opened the door for Nika. Reluctantly, she got down from the car. He closed the door shut, putting the keys in his pocket.
He placed his hand on her exposed lower back. "Don't talk to anybody. Just follow my lead." He whispered subtly.
"Okay," she swallowed nervously.
A white, middle-aged man approached them. His grey hair shimmering under the mansion lights. "Nico..." He stopped in front of them.
"Vlad." Nico shook his hand briefly before retreating it back to his pockets.
"I didn't expect you to come. Who do we have here?" He was referring to Nika.
"I'm Ni—"
"My fiancée." He cut her off. Instinctively, he pulled her closer to his side.
"You have great taste I must say." He complimented.
"Sure. We'll be on our way now." Nico gave him a tight-lipped smile as he led Nika inside the hall. The hall was filled. People stood at side tables discussing business while drinks were being passed around.
Nika felt nervous. She could feel the lustful stares of older men on her as she walked in. She could almost hear them talking about her. Her hands suddenly felt cold.
"Why are we doing this?" She asked looking around confused. "No one's buying anything." She stated the fact. There were no artifacts or items for sale.
It wasn't a normal auction. It was a human auction. An event where high class men attended to buy women and sex workers. It felt more like trafficking.
Nico wasn't there to buy a whore. He was there to strike a deal. He removed his hands from her back and clasped her hands in his.
"I need you to stay calm."
She looked down at their hands intertwined. "What do you mean?" Her brows knitted.
"I need you to seduce someone."
The words made her stomach drop. "What do you mean by that?" She pulled her hand away from his, uncomfortably.
"Look at me." He held her face firmly. "You're not going to do anything. All you have to do is play along."
"No." She shook her head, moving back a little.
"Fuck." He cursed under his breath. He dragged his palms down his face.
"I don't get you. Why did you bring me here?" She crossed her hands over her chest.
He knew this was a bad idea. He couldn't bring Giana because she would be noticed easily. She was a full time assassin that had eliminated dozens of politicians and businessmen.
She was wanted. And he couldn't risk that.
"Behave." His voice dropped dangerously low. He grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs. She tried to wriggle out of his strong grip but it was useless.
When they reached the top, he let go of her hand. The space was a poorly lit. A huge man was seated on the cushion with a silver tray on the table in front of him.
Nika felt her heart hammer against her chest. She wanted to turn and escape from here. The man looked up at them and waved them to come over.
"Marco..."
"Nicholas! It's been a while. Come over." He straightened up and adjusted on the couch creating space for them.
Nico moved first. He sat down and gave Nika a hard look. Her feet remained glued to the floor. She wanted to move but her body remained still.
"Sweetheart, come here." Marco tapped the space beside him.
She hesitated for a while before walking towards him. She sat down beside him, maintaining some space.
Nico cleared his throat. "Have you made up your mind?" He got straight to the point.
"Why don't we have some drinks first?" He bent over and poured him a glass. He handed it to him while sipping on his own.
"You brought a good one." A wide grin spread on his face as he looked at Nika, taking in her appearance.
Her heart sank.
Was he selling her off?
She was better off with Nico than this man. He looked terrifying. Tattoos covered his arms, crawling up to his neck and even his face.
Nika swallowed hard, her fingers curling slightly on her lap.
Marco leaned closer, his presence overwhelming. "You're quiet," he said, his voice thick.
She forced a small smile onto her lips, even though everything in her was screaming to run. "I'm just… observing," she said softly.
His lips stretched into a grin. "I like that."
Nico watched the interaction carefully, his jaw tightening slightly. His fingers tapped once against his knee.
"Focus, Marco," he said, his tone firm. "We didn't come here to waste time."
Marco leaned back slightly, taking another sip of his drink. "Always straight to business," he chuckled. "You haven't changed."
"And you have," Nico replied flatly.
The smile on Marco's face didn't fade, but something in his eyes did. Silence fell between them for a moment.
"The truce is off," Marco said.
"No surprise there," Nico replied calmly.
"You should be worried," Marco added. "Yelena and her allies aren't playing nice anymore."
"I never expected them to."
Marco tilted his head slightly, studying him. "And yet, you still came here."
Nico leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "I came to offer something."
Marco's interest was caught immediately. "Oh?"
"Weapons," Nico said. "Supply, access, distribution."
He paused.
Marco's eyes narrowed just a little. "That's a bold move."
"It's a necessary one."
Nika's gaze shifted between them, trying to keep up. This wasn't just a conversation. This was something bigger. More dangerous than she thought.
"And what do you get in return?" Marco asked.
"Support," Nico replied simply. "When things escalate."
Marco let out a low laugh. Silence fell between them. Then Marco nodded slowly. "We'll talk."
Nico gave a small nod. That was enough.
Nika shifted slightly, her chest feeling tight. "I… I need to use the bathroom," she said quietly. Neither of them stopped her.
"Down the hall. Left," Marco said, barely sparing her a glance.
She stood up quickly, almost too quickly, and walked away without looking back.
The hallway was dimly lit. Her steps were quick, uneven. Her heart was racing. Everything felt wrong.
She pushed the bathroom door open and stepped inside, shutting it behind her. Finally, silence. She walked up to the sink, gripping the edges tightly as she stared at her reflection.
"What is going on…" she whispered.
Her hands trembled. She shook her head, trying to steady herself. "Just calm down." She took in a deep breath.
The door creaked open behind her.
She frowned, looking up in the mirror.
"I thought this place was—"
A hand suddenly covered her mouth. Her eyes widened instantly. Panic shot through her.
"Don't make a sound," a voice whispered harshly.
Her body stiffened.
Another person stepped in quickly, shutting the door behind them. Nika struggled, trying to pull away, but the grip on her was too strong.
"Hold her still."
Her heart pounded violently in her chest. She tried to scream, but it came out muffled. A cloth was pressed against her nose. Her breath hitched.
Her movements became weaker.
Her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw was her reflection—
Then everything went dark.