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But also, how dare he call my life back in London old and boring?
“I have a good life back in London. One I’m sure you couldn’t appreciate. But I have friends, and a good job—”
“Not anymore.”
My mouth pauses open mid-word when I suddenly put two and two together.
I gasp, horrified. “You did not get me fired.”
“No, I didn’t get you fired,” he says calmly. “I’m the one who fired you.”
I stare at him, my mouth agape.
“You own the Ulvaeus Gallery?”
“Yes.”
My skin feels clammy, and I have an overwhelming urge to sit on the floor and cry. “You bought the gallery so you could fire me?”
I can’t tell you how fucked with I feel.
“Surveillance takes many forms, Bella. And when I want something, I will go to any length to make sure I have every card I need up my sleeve when it comes to taking it.” He cocks a confident brow at me. “Not that I’d call owning a little gallery in London an extreme.”
I take the insult personally. Ulvaeus is a respected gallery, and I take great pride in my work there. Now he’s admitting to using it as a pawn in his stupid game. Like it’s nothing. Like my career is nothing.
“You’re evil,” I whisper with disbelief.
He remains expressionless. “I’ve been called worse.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it.”
“So what’s it going to be, Bella? Are you going to come home with me or are you going to be on the next flight to London?”
All I can do is glare at him.
But inside, I’m already calling defeat. He will destroy my father if I don’t agree to his evil plan, and if I can stop that from happening, then I have to do it.
My shoulders sag, and it’s all he needs to know he’s won.
“That’s what I thought.” He leans down to take my suitcase from me. “Do I need to call security to escort you back to the car with me, or can I trust you will behave yourself?”
“I’m not a child, Nico,” I say wearily.
“No, but you forget I know you well enough to understand that I haven’t frightened the fight out of you yet.”
“Good,” I say, walking toward the door. “Because you have to fall asleep sometime.”
I turn my back on him, but not before I see the ghost of a smile on his lips.
We drive back to his apartment in silence. I stare out the window the entire time. I’d like to say that I was planning his murder, but truth be told, I was mourning the loss of the Nico I knew back in Italy. My Nico. The boy who loved me more than his own breath and would never fuck with my life like this. The boy who encouraged me to paint and draw and go after my dreams.
I want to ask him why he hates me so much, but I can’t bring myself to do it because I don’t trust the emotion that would spill out of me when I did.
And the last thing I want is for this version of Nico to think I care.
Because when it comes to him, I have nothing left but contempt.
13
Bella
We start arguing the moment he pulls into the parking garage of an apartment building.
“Where are we?” I demand.
“You will live with me from now on.”
“Live with you?” I look at Nico in horror. “You’re delusional if you think I’m going to live with you.”
“Again, with the assumption that this is negotiable.” He swings the car into an empty parking space and climbs out, taking my suitcase with him as he walks toward the elevator.
I follow him, teetering on my heels to keep up. “You know you’re basically abducting me, right?”
He doesn’t flinch at the accusation. In fact, he remains expressionless and unresponsive like a robot.
Wordlessly, he presses the UP button. The elevator doors open, and we step inside where silent robot man continues his impersonation of a mannequin.
“The silent treatment isn’t going to work,” I say. “I will wear you down.”
“By all means, give it a try.”
“I have a lot to say about this current situation.”
“Feel free to call our complaint line,” he says, watching the floor numbers on the panel begin to ascend.
“If you think I’m going to let you barge into my life and start ruling it then you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”
“Duly noted.”
The doors open, and he steps out. I’m ready to keep arguing as I follow him into his penthouse, but… holy hell, this place is huge.
I stop in my tracks, trying to absorb the magnificence I’m seeing.
Sweeping panoramic views of the city fill the penthouse from every direction.
It’s stunning. Open-planned with a chef's kitchen to the left and a dining area and lounge room to the right. It’s the perfect balance of modern lines meets industrial chic.
It’s almost too much to take in as I stare at all the fine furnishings and artwork.
