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"The day after tomorrow, I am taking you back to the Outfit. I'm letting you go," I reveal.
"What?" Adalina's body stiffens, and her bottom lip trembles.
"You have to go back," I tell her. "I can't keep you here forever, Adalina."
"Nikolai, I don't understand," Adalina whispers, her voice breaking. "What's going on? Why are you doing this? You've kept me prisoner here for weeks! I was hoping that maybe... maybe there was something between us."
I shake my head, my expression solemn. "There's nothing between us, Adalina. I'm an assassin. I don't have feelings, and I don't engage in relationships with women. It's not who I am."
"But... but what about the way you've been with me? The way you've touched me?" Adalina's voice quivers with confusion and hurt.
I let out a weary sigh. "Adalina, you don't mean anything to me. Sleeping with someone like you was a mistake. I let my fucking guard down."
"Someone like me? What do you mean?" she asks, tears streaming down her cheek.
"You're a liability, Adalina. You're a pawn in a game much larger than both of us. I don't care about you or anyone else because caring is a weakness."
Adalina's eyes flash with anger, and she confronts me, "And what about me, Nikolai? What about my feelings? Do they even matter to you?"
"I enjoy spending time with you, Adalina. You're beautiful and intelligent, and I appreciate your company. But that's all it is. I cannot love you or anyone else," I explain, my voice devoid of emotion.
"I know you don’t believe you have feelings for me, Nikolai. But after the way you made love to me, you must feel a connection between us," Adalina insists.
"No, Adalina. I care about what happens to you, and that's all. I should have kept my distance from you," I respond firmly.
"Nikolai, please. Can't I stay just a little while longer? I'm not ready to go back yet," she pleads, her voice filled with desperation.
"Adalina, I am a man of my word. I promised your father and the Chicago Outfit that I would release you as soon as they met my demands, and they have," I explain, my tone resolute.
"No, please. Just a little while longer," she implores, her eyes searching for any sign of leniency.
"No. It's not safe for you here anymore. After what Maxim did, I don't know who I can trust. He's working with someone, and I haven't had the chance to interrogate him yet. What happened with Maxim was unforgivable on my part. I can't allow that to happen to you again. I want you to be safe, and the Outfit is the best place for you," I assure her.
Adalina nods slowly, her gaze downcast.
"I won't be safe with them. They want me to marry Mario," she confesses, her voice trembling with fear.
"You don't have to marry Alfonso. In fact, I’m asking you not to. Promise me you won't," I urge her, my tone sincere.
"Why do you care? Why?" she asks, her voice laced with confusion and sadness.
"Because Adalina, you deserve better than him and better than me," I admit, a hint of sadness in my voice.
Tears stream down Adalina's face as she struggles to control her emotions.
"I have transferred 10 million dollars into a Swiss bank account. I will periodically check the account and replenish the funds as needed. This should provide you with a solid starting point," I inform her.
"I had my expert create a new identity for you. The details of your new identity and the bank account number are in an email. The email address and password were specifically chosen for you to memorize. It is [email protected], and the password is Delphina. Please repeat it back to me," I instruct.
"No, you didn't have to do that. I can't accept it," Adalina protests.
"As a billionaire, I have more money than I know what to do with. Allow me to use it for your future. It's the least I can do for disrupting your life. Now, please repeat the email address and password back to me," I insist.
"Adalina at Nikolai.com, password Delphina," she responds, her voice trembling.
"You are starting a new life, Adalina. Away from Alfonso, your father, the Outfit, the New York families, and even me. You are not meant for this brutal world of violence and arranged marriages. With these funds, you can escape and start anew somewhere else. You can attend college, meet a good man, get married, and have children. That's what I want for you," I express, hoping she understands my intentions.
“I have to marry Mario, if I don’t, my father will make Delphina marry him. She will be 18 this year.”
