Page 53 of Captured By the Russian Wolf

I made my way out of the estate, the cool night air biting at my skin as I slipped into the driver's seat of the car Nikita assigned me, the car I had never had a reason to drive. The roads stretched out before me, dark and empty, and as I drove toward the warehouse, the gravity of what I was about to do settled over me like a weight.

This wasn't just about revenge anymore. This was about survival. My survival. Nikita's survival. And I couldn't afford to fail.

The warehouse loomed ahead, its rusted metal doors standing tall against the night, casting long shadows across the ground. My heart raced as I pulled up to the entrance, the familiar ache of dread settling in my chest. I had been here before, so many times as a child, watching my father conduct his business with a cold efficiency that had always unsettled me. But tonight, it felt different. Tonight, it felt like the final move in a game I was no longer willing to play.

I parked the car and stepped out, my breath visible in the cool air as I walked toward the entrance. The heavy door creaked open with a loud groan, and I stepped inside, the smell of dust and oil filling the space. The warehouse was dimly lit, the single bulb swinging from the ceiling casting eerie shadows along the walls.

And there he was. My father. Nicholas Donovan. Standing in the middle of the room, his hands tucked into his pockets, his cold eyes gleaming as they met mine.

"Lily," he said, his voice smooth, almost casual. "I wasn't expecting you to actually come alone. I thought you'd have your little guard dog with you."

I clenched my fists at my sides, the fury boiling beneath my skin. "This is between you and me. Leave Nikita out of it."

He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "You've always been so predictable, Lily. Always so eager to protect the people you care about. But tell me. What exactly do you think you're going to accomplish here tonight?"

I took a step closer, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm ending this, Dad. You're going to leave. You're going to disappear. And you're never coming back."

His smile faded, replaced by a hard, calculating look. "Is that so? And what makes you think you have the power to make that decision?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my hands trembling slightly as I took another step forward. "Because if you don't leave, I'll make sure Nikita's empire destroys you. Everything you've built, everything you think you still control, it will all come crashing down."

For a moment, there was silence. My father's eyes narrowed, his lips pulling into a thin line as he studied me, as if he were trying to gauge just how serious I was.

"You've changed," he said quietly, his voice cold. "You're not the same girl who would've done anything to please me. To gain my approval."

I felt a wave of nausea at his words, the memories of my desperate attempts to earn his love crashing over me. But I pushed it down. This wasn't about the past. This was about ending the cycle of manipulation, of control.

"No," I said, my voice steady. "I'm not the same. And I won't let you ruin my life anymore."

His eyes flashed with anger, but it was brief, quickly replaced by that cold, calculated look I knew so well. "You think you've found some kind of salvation with Nikita, don't you? You think he's going to protect you from me, from this world?"

I swallowed hard, standing my ground. "I don't need him to protect me from you. I can protect myself."

Nicholas's laugh was sharp, bitter. "You always were so naive, Lily."

The warehouse seemed to close in around me, the shadows lengthening as my father's cold eyes bore into mine. I could feel the tension between us, taut like a string pulled to its limit, ready to snap. His smirk was gone now, replaced by something darker, more dangerous.

"You're not walking away from me," he growled, taking a step forward. "You think you can side with him? That you can play in his world and survive?"

I held my ground, though every instinct screamed at me to run. "I don't belong to you anymore, and I'm not going to let you control me. Not again."

His face twisted into something feral, eyes narrowing as his lips curled into a sneer. "You think this is about control?" He shook his head, laughing bitterly. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," I shot back, trying to keep my voice steady. But there was a tremor there, one I couldn't fully hide. The truth was, despite everything, part of me was still that frightened little girl who had once sought his approval. The part of me that wanted to believe he could change. That this didn't have to end the way I knew it would.

Nicholas's eyes darkened, and in a split second, something snapped inside him. His hand shot out, grabbing me by the armwith bruising force. I gasped, stumbling as he yanked me toward him, his grip like a vice.

"You don't get to talk to me like that," he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "You're my daughter. You're mine. And if you think for a second that I'm going to let you throw your life away for that bastard, you're sorely mistaken."

I struggled against his grip, trying to pull free, but he held on tighter, dragging me closer until his face was inches from mine. His breath was hot, the smell of whiskey sharp as he spoke through gritted teeth.

"You'll leave him," he growled. "You'll walk away, or I'll make sure you never see him again."

My blood turned to ice. "What are you talking about?"

His eyes gleamed with something manic, a glint of hysteria flickering behind the anger. "I'll kill him, Lily. I'll kill Nikita and take you back. Do you hear me? It's all out in the open, so what's stopping me?"

"You're insane," I whispered, my heart pounding as the full weight of his words hit me.

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