Page 65 of Ruthless Royalty

Iknock on Connor’s door, my knuckles barely brushing the wood before it swings open. I’m half expecting to see Connor’s smirking face, but instead, it’s Cat standing there, looking as quiet and withdrawn as ever.

“Hey, Chiara,” she says softly, her eyes flicking nervously over my shoulder.

“Hey, Cat,” I reply, forcing a smile. “I’m looking for Nikolai. Have you seen him?”

Cat fidgets with the hem of her sweater, glancing back inside the suite. “He left with Connor about an hour ago. They said something about going to the gym.”

I nod, taking a step back. “Thanks. I’ll go check there.”

I’m about to turn and leave when something makes me pause. Cat hasn’t moved, and she’s barely made eye contact since she opened the door. She looks more withdrawn than usual, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

I glance at her again. “You okay?”

She hesitates, her eyes flicking down to the floor. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she says, but her voice is unconvincing, shaky even.

I frown. “You sure? I haven’t seen you around much lately. You’ve been kind of … distant.” I study her, noticing the way her shoulders tighten, like she’s ready to bolt.

“Cat, you know you can talk to me, right?” I add softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind me. “I mean, if something’s up, you don’t have to keep it to yourself.”

Her breath hitches slightly, and she looks like she’s debating whether to tell me something or not. Finally, she sighs, running a hand through her blonde hair and sitting down on the couch, almost defeated.

“It’s just … complicated,” she says quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know if I should even say anything.”

I walk over and sit down beside her. “Hey, if it’s bothering you, you should talk about it. I’m here. You can trust me.”

Cat’s eyes meet mine, and I can see the conflict written all over her face. After a long pause, she finally speaks, her voice trembling.

“It’s about … Nikolai.”

My heart skips a beat. “Nikolai?”

She nods, biting her lip as if she’s unsure how to continue. “Something happened on the Day of Silence,” she admits, her voice strained. “He … he pushed me to talk, and things just … things went too far.”

Shock ripples through me, and I blink at her, not quite believing what I’m hearing. Fuck, this sounds eerily familiar.

“Cat,” I say gently, stepping into the room and closing the door behind me. “What exactly happened?”

Tears well up in her eyes, and she wraps her arms around herself, her voice barely a whisper.

“I’ve had a crush on him for ages, Chiara. He’s always been Connor’s best friend, and he’s always treated me like a little sister. But on the Day of Silence, it was different. He kept pushing me, trying to make me break, and … and things just went too far.”

I feel a lump forming in my throat. I’ve seen Nikolai’s ruthless side—when it comes to the Crowns’ traditions, he’s relentless. But this? I never thought he’d push Cat like this.

“Did he hurt you?” I ask, my voice a little sharper than I intended.

Cat shakes her head quickly, her tears spilling over now.

“No, it wasn’t like that. He didn’t mean to. He just … he doesn’t know how I feel about him. He’s always seen me as Connor’s little sister, but I’ve had feelings for him for so long, and now…” She chokes on a sob. “Now it’s worse because I know he doesn’t feel the same way.”

I sit there, stunned, as Cat’s words sink in. Nikolai and Cat? The thought had never even crossed my mind. She’s always been quiet, shy, barely a blip on his radar. But now I can see the depth of her feelings, the pain she’s been carrying.

“Oh, Cat…” I whisper, reaching out to pull her into a hug.

She stiffens for a moment, then collapses into my arms, her body shaking with sobs.

“I know it’s stupid,” she mumbles into my shoulder. “I know he’ll never see me that way. But it hurts, Chiara. It hurts so much.”

“It’s not stupid,” I murmur, stroking her hair. “Guys are stupid, but feelings, Cat. You can’t control them.”

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