Chapter 100
I couldn’t sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, Dominic was there.
Every soft whisper, every careful touch now felt like it carried a secret he hadn’t trusted me enough to share. How much had been real? How much had been a lie to keep me here?
The sheets twisted around me as I rolled restlessly, staring at the ceiling like it he answers I couldn’t see. My fingers still trembled slightly from Emilia’s revelation.
Fletcher.
The name felt strange, heavy in my chest. It carried weight and danger, the ghost of a legacy I’d never known existed.
Dominic knew.
He’d known from the start.
I sat up abruptly, pushing the blankets aside. The walls of the mansion felt closer now, oppressive and suffocating. Maybe some fresh air would clear my head. Or maybe, at least, it would calm the ache in my chest.
I slipped into a loose robe, pulled it tight around my waist, and stepped quietly into the hallway. The mansion was silent, dimly lit by soft lights scattered along the corridor. Every shadow felt like a set of eyes, following me as I moved.
I made it down to the lounge, surprised to see one small lamp illuminating the space. A faint glow spilled across the floor, warm but somber.
And sitting there, alone at the bar, was Nico.
His shoulders were hunched forward, elbows resting heavily on the polished surface. An empty bottle sat beside him, another half–empty in his hand.
“Nico?” I said quietly, taking a cautious step closer. “You okay?”
He didn’t move at first. When he turned slowly to look at me, his gaze was glassy, unfocused.
“I thought I was,” he murmured, his voice rough and raw. “But clearly I’m not.”
I moved closer, gently taking the half–empty bottle from his hands. “You’re drunk.”
He gave a soft laugh, almost bitter. “I’m aware.”
“You shouldn’t be drinking like this.” I hesitated, then added softly, “You’re Dominic’s second–in–command. Don’t you have work to do?”
He snorted quietly, shaking his head. “Yeah. Actually, I do.” He rubbed a hand down his face. “But I’m tired. Fucking tired of doing the same shit over and over again.”
His words hung heavy between us. I set the bottle down, watching him carefully. He was usually composed–calculated, even–but right now, Nico looked dangerously close to breaking apart.
“Is it Dominic?” I asked softly. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
He glanced up, a slight smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. “It’s always Dominic, Aria.”
There was bitterness in his voice, an old, quiet resentment that echoed between us.
“Why?” I pressed carefully, taking the seat beside him. “Did something happen?”
He stared at the polished wood beneath his fingers, lost in his own reflection. “He always expects loyalty. Blind obedience. No questions asked.” Nico shook his head slightly, voice lowering to a whisper. “But he forgets… I’m human too.”
The ache in his voice felt familiar.
“You don’t have to do this,” I whispered gently. “You don’t have to follow him if it hurts you.”
Nico gave a quiet laugh, sad and bitter. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why not?”
“Because I owe him. He saved my life more times than I can count.” He swallowed hard. “But it’s different now changed. It’s like watching someone fall deeper into obsession and knowing you can’t pull him back.”
I stiffened, heart catching. “You’re talking about me
Successfully unlocked!
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He hesitated, looking over at me. His eyes soft thing you able Cushing beneath the careful mask he usually wore. “It’s not your fault, Aria. None of this is. Dominic was broken long before you showed up. You’re just…”
“Just what?” I whispered.
He met my eyes fully, unwavering. “You’re just the reason it finally shows.”
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Chapter 100
Silence stretched between us, charged and painful. I didn’t know what to say. Nico exhaled hearly, running a tired hand through his hair.
“You should go back upstairs. Dominic won’t like it if he finds you here with me. Especially now” His words starred slightly but they were honest.
“Especially now?” I asked softly, unable to let it go.
He laughed bitterly again. “Forget it.”
I didn’t move, my fingers twisting together in my lap. “Do you know about the Fletters, Nico?”
He tensed visibly. “What?”
“My real family,” I whispered. “I know. Dominic’s known all along, hasn’t he?
He didn’t speak, staring at the empty bottle instead.
“Nico, please. Just tell me. Did you know?”
He sighed, looking down. “Not the whole story. Not at first. But I pieced it together. I knew enough”
“And you didn’t tell me?”
He shook his head, voice tight. “Would you have believed me?”
I hesitated, hating that he was right. “No.”
“That’s why.” Nico’s voice was barely audible now. “Because you’re not ready to hear the worst parts yet.”
“I think I deserve to,” I whispered back.
He glanced at me, his eyes darker now, sadder. “Sometimes the truth hurts more than the lies. I’m not sure you’re prepared for that. Besides Dominic would be the one to tell you more. Not me. He knows the full story..”
My chest tightened again. The truth felt more elusive and dangerous than ever.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” I said quietly, feeling helpless. “If Dominic has lied to me from the beginning, what else is there? How do I ask a chronic liar for the truth?”
“There’s always more,” Nico murmured. “Secrets. Lies. Things he can’t even admit to himself.”
“Why stay?” I asked him softly. “Why stay when it hurts you too?”
He exhaled slowly, deeply, like he was finally letting go of something he’d carried too long. “Because you are here. If you were no longer here, I would have left. But now I have to do dirty things to leave.”
I frowned. “You’re speaking in parables.”
He gave a half–smile, bitter and tired. “I know. Maybe because the truth is worse. Maybe because the truth makes me a villain, and you” he paused, eyes softening, “-you’re already in love with one.”
I stiffened, heart pounding. “Dominic?”
He nodded slowly, looking away. “We always want what we shouldn’t, Aria. You know that better than anyone.”
The silence stretched heavily between us. Outside, rain began tapping softly against the windows again, gentle but persistent, like unanswered questions.
Nico slowly pushed himself to his feet, swaying slightly.
“Help me to my room?” he asked quietly. His voice was vulnerable, raw. He looked younger now, the edges of his mask finally slipping. “Please?”
I hesitated only a moment, then stepped forward, guiding his arm gently over my shoulder. He leaned heavily on me, warmth seeping through his shirt as we moved slowly down the darkened corridor.
“Thank you,” he whispered, breathing unsteady. “I know I shouldn’t be asking you. Dominic wouldn’t-”
“Dominic isn’t here,” I cut in softly. “Besides, I don’t answer to him.”
Nico gave a bitter chuckle, leaning more heavily. “You think so?”
We reached his room, and I carefully helped him sit on the edge of the bed. He exhaled slowly, closing his eyes fo. moment. “Stay,” he said quietly. “Just for a minute. I can’t-”
I studied him carefully, conflicted. He looked tired, worn, like a man on the brink of losing something vital.
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I finally sat beside him, keeping a cautious distance. “Nico,” I began softly, “if you can’t tell me the whole truth about Dominic, about what’s really going on–then at least tell me about the Fletchers. Not how they are related to me. Just about
them.”
His eyes slowly opened, guarded but curious. “The Fletchers?”
“Yes,” I whispered, voice shaky. “You said you pieced things together. So tell me. Who are they really? Were they wealthy?
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Chapter 100
Powerful? What did they do?”
He studied me carefully, his expression unreadable at first. But finally, he nodded, eyes focused somewhere distant.
“The Fletchers were old money,” he began quietly. “Wealthy beyond what anyone in Beldova knew. Discreet, influential. If the De Lucas ruled the streets with violence, the Fletchers ruled the shadows with secrets.”
I felt my breath catch. “And Dominic knew?”
“Everyone in power did.” Nico gave a heavy sigh. “Your real parents were influential in the old syndicate–a network of families who ruled this city long before Dominic took power. They didn’t use guns.or brute force–they used information. Secrets were currency, Aria. And your family had a vault full of them.”
“Then what happened?”
He hesitated, glancing away again. “Someone betrayed them from within. A deal went wrong. Overnight, everything fell apart. Your parents vanished, presumed dead. Their wealth disappeared, hidden away, protected by codes and bloodline.”
I sat in stunned silence, processing every word.
“And Dominic knew I was connected to all this?”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “When your parents–the Montels–found you, Dominic knew exactly who you were. He’s kept you close, not just to protect you…but to find what the Fletchers left behind.”
I shook my head slowly. “So I’ve always been leverage.”
His voice softened. “In the beginning, yes. But now–I don’t know. Dominic isn’t himself anymore. He lost control the moment you walked into his life.”
“So I’m nothing but a weapon, a tool to get what he wants?”
“No,” Nico said, voice firm and surprisingly gentle. “You’re something he never planned for–someone he might actually love.”
I stared at him, tears burning my eyes. “And you? What am I to you?”
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