Page 26 of Obsession of the Bratva

I had. Entirely.

“We had plans.”

Plans.

Right.

Some dinner reservation I’d agreed to weeks ago and had forgotten immediately afterward. No part of that plan included her barging into my house unannounced. I didn’t even know she knew the address of this place.

Bianca smiled. “Are you ready?”

The silence that followed was devastating, because Vera finally looked at me.

And there it was. Pain. Real pain. It was not anger or frustration, but pain instead. The sight hit me harder than expected, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe. Then another feeling surfaced. Something darker. Something cruel.

The need to hurt her back.

To make her feel even a fraction of what she had done to me. The opportunity had practically delivered itself. I should have ignored it, but instead I looked directly into Vera’s eyes.

“Yeah.”

Her expression changed instantly. I saw it happen. Like watching glass crack.

“Nico,” Bianca said with a grin. “You look thrilled.”

“I live to impress.”

Vera turned away first, and I hated how much that bothered me. She crossed her arms tighter, and I knew she was building walls around herself to hide, but it was too late already. The damage was already done.

“You’re leaving?” she asked quietly.

I looked at her. “Why are you asking?”

She said nothing.

“Are you planning to miss me?”

The words landed exactly as intended, and Vera flinched. Something inside me twisted because I knew victory should have felt better. Instead, it felt suspiciously like a self-inflicted injury. Bianca glanced between us, clearly confused, but she didn’t once ask who Vera was.

I didn’t care. I grabbed my keys instead.

“Let’s go.”

The walk to the door felt endless because I could feel Vera watching. I never turned around. Not once. The doors opened and closed behind us, and suddenly the performance was over.

Bianca looked at me. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“The woman inside. Who is she?”

I stared at the cars lined outside.

“That is none of your business, Bianca.”

“Is that your ex?”

I laughed without humor. “Something like that.”