Page 78 of Ruthless Royalty

I curl up on the bed, clutching the pendant around my neck,the one he gave me just days ago. It feels like a lifeline, a reminder that despite everything, there’s still something between us worth fighting for.

But I don’t know how to fight for it anymore.

Then you shouldn’t have chosen me.

His words turn over in my head, and I’m starting to wonder if he’s right.

CHIARA

When I wake up the next morning, the first thing I do is reach for my phone, hoping, praying, that there’s something from Giovanni. A text, a missed call, even a damn emoji—anything to show that last night didn’t break us completely. But as I unlock the screen, my heart sinks.

Nothing.

No messages, no calls. Just the empty, glowing screen staring back at me, reflecting the hollowness I feel inside. I drop the phone back onto the bed, the reality of it clear now.

He didn’t even bother.

I sit up slowly, the events of last night replaying in my mind on an endless loop. The fight, the harsh words, the look in Giovanni’s eyes when he walked out. I swallow hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. I won’t cry again. I’m done crying over this.

But as I glance around the room, the emptiness settles over me. Giovanni’s absence is a physical thing, pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I keep hoping that any second now, my phone will buzz with a message from him, that he’ll saysomething to fix this, to take back the things he said. To take back what I said.

But the minutes tick by, and still … nothing.

I drag myself out of bed, going through the motions of getting dressed, packing the last of my things for the trip home. Everything feels numb, like I’m moving underwater, each action slow and deliberate, like it takes all my energy just to function.

By the time I’m ready to leave, I feel like a shell of myself, the energy it took to keep going draining whatever was left of me. I grab my bags and step out into the living room, finding Nikolai already there.

He looks up as I enter, his gaze sharp and assessing, but he doesn’t say anything. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, I am.”

He nods, picking up his own bag and heading for the door. “Let’s get going then. The jet’s waiting.”

As soon as we step outside, my eyes immediately go to Giovanni’s Suite… then my heart lurches painfully in my chest when I see the empty parking spot where Giovanni’s SUV should be.

He’s gone. He didn’t even wait to say goodbye.

I try to swallow the lump in my throat, but it’s no use. The hurt is there, raw and aching, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. Giovanni left without a word, without giving us a chance to fix things.

I try to tell myself that it doesn’t matter, that I don’t care, that I don’t need him to validate my feelings. But it’s no use. The pain is there, and there’s nothing I can do to make it go away.

Nikolai watches me for a moment, his expression giving nothing away, but I can tell he knows what I’m thinking. He always knows. He’s always been able to read me like a book, no matter how hard I try to hide it.

“You alright?” he asks, his voice soft, almost cautious.

I nod quickly, not trusting myself to speak. I don’t want to break down in front of him, not now, not when I’m already feeling so weak. I don’t want him to see just how much this hurts.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, my voice sounding more stable than I feel. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Nikolai doesn’t push, doesn’t ask any more questions. He just nods and starts walking toward the car. I follow him, my heart feeling heavier with each step I take.

The ride to the private airstrip is quiet, the tension between us palpable. Nikolai doesn’t try to engage me in conversation, and I’m grateful for that. I’m not in the mood to talk, not in the mood to pretend everything is okay. I stare out the window, watching the familiar scenery pass by, the campus disappearing behind us as we head for the private airstrip.

When we finally arrive, the jet is waiting, sleek and ready to take us home. Nikolai grabs our bags and hands them off to the attendant before leading me onto the plane. I sink into one of the plush seats, staring out the window as the engines hum to life.

The silence between us stretches on, the only sound is the low hum of the plane and the faint rustle of Nikolai settling in across from me. I know he’s watching me, waiting for me to say something, but I can’t. I don’t have the words, and even if I did, I wouldn’t know where to start.

Eventually, Nikolai speaks, his voice quiet, careful. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

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