Page 151 of Ruins
“Next time, I’ll tell him your request is that he drops everything and comes running,” Luca quips sarcastically.
“A simple text. A good morning phone call. That’s all!” I snap, setting my brush down harder than I intended.
Luca starts to reply, but Nico steps forward, his protective instincts taking over. “Enough,” Nico says firmly, his voice low but commanding. He steps between us slightly, his posture tense. “She’s allowed to feel how she feels.”
Luca grits his teeth but says nothing, his gaze flicking between Nico and me. I don’t wait for another argument to erupt.
I rise from my seat and leave the library, brushing past Nico, who falls into step behind me.
“Where are you going?” Nico calls after me, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
“Does it matter?” I shoot back, not bothering to turn around. My steps carry me toward the gardens—the only place that still feels like a sanctuary. The sunlight filters through the leafy canopy, dappling the ground and brushing my skin like a faint echo of Santo’s touch.
I make my way to the stone fountain and sit on its edge, staring at the rippling water. The sound of the fountain mingles with the distant chirping of birds, filling the heavy silence between Nico and me. He keeps a respectful distance, his watchful eyes never leaving me.
The smell of flowers drifts on the breeze, sweet and torturous. My chest tightens as the memories flood in—the laughter, the warmth, the fleeting moments of happiness I had here with Santo.
Suddenly, the stillness becomes unbearable. I stand abruptly, startling Nico.
“I’m going stir-crazy,” I announce, my voice sharper than I intended.
“Vasilisa...” Nico starts, his tone cautious, but he falls silent when I glare at him.
“Listen,” he says after a moment, his voice softening. “We’re at the beginning of a war. All Santo cares about is your safety.”
I scoff bitterly. “He didn’t want me. This was an arrangement. I’m of no real value to him, and we both know that.”
Nico’s expression hardens, and his voice becomes firmer. “Yes, you are.”
I roll my eyes, dismissing his words. “I’m just an investment to him. Without me, he doesn’t have NovaRael. If someone takes me, they take his company. That’s all I am—an asset to protect.”
Nico steps closer, his gaze piercing. “Do you want to know how many guards his mother had before she was taken off the front steps of this home?”
His words hit me like a slap, and my blood runs cold. I blink at him, stunned, the air around me suddenly too thick to breathe.
At the look on my face, Nico nods grimly. “Lucia meant everything to Marcello. He thought he could protect her by keeping her in a separate home. But our enemies found her. They took her... and sent her back to Marcello and his sons in pieces.”
The weight of his words sinks in, pressing down on my chest like a boulder. My legs feel weak, and I sink back onto the fountain, my thoughts reeling.
My stomach churns, and tears blur my vision. I raise a hand to stop Nico from continuing, my voice barely a whisper. “Enough... I don’t want to hear more.”
Nico nods, his sharp edges softening as he watches me. “You should rest,” he says gently.
I nod, feeling too overwhelmed to argue. Nico walks beside me as we head back into the house, his presence steady but unobtrusive.
The evening ends the same as the last. I fall asleep on the couch; my husband takes me to my bed and in the morning he’s gone.
Chapter 30
Vasilisa
Istartonmynewpainting, this time of Santo at his desk in NovaRael. He had been busy scribbling notes when I entered the room that day, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. The memory feels distant now, hazy at the edges, as I struggle to capture him on canvas. Without a refresher—without him—I find myself grasping at fleeting details. It’s been weeks since I last saw him, and all I have in his absence are the countless lilies Luca delivers almost daily.
Romeo and Enzo sit in the library with me when Nico and Luca enter, Sergei trailing behind them. I glance up as they set up at the table, a large tin can in Sergei’s hands. He nods at me. “This is from Gilded Ace,” he says, and my heart stops at the name of Maksim’s casino.
“What are you doing with that?” I ask, rising from my seat.
Luca smirks, taking the tin from Sergei as they settle in. “We’re going to teach you a little poker.”
