The glass doors of Keith Enterprises swung open, and Nikolai stepped in, looking like he owned the building. His coat was a deep, midnight wool that cost more than most people’s cars, and his watch glinted under the lobby lights. He didn’t look like a man who asked for things; he looked like a man who took them.

The receptionist looked up, ready to give a standard greeting, but her voice died in her throat. She took in his expensive suit and his cold, powerful aura. She straightened her posture immediately.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, her voice polite and a bit nervous. "How can I help you?"

"I am here for Nathan Keith," Nikolai said. His voice was like a low growl, thick and dangerous.

The receptionist checked her computer, her fingers moving quickly. "I’m very sorry, sir, but Mr. Keith hasn’t been in the office for a while. He is... away on personal business."

Nikolai narrowed his eyes. The air around him seemed to get colder. "Where is he?"

"I don’t have that information, sir," she said, trying to stay professional even though she was sweating. "But Mr. Alex, his lead assistant, will be back in about an hour. He is the only one who can help you reach Mr. Keith. If you’d like to wait in the VIP lounge, I can get you some coffee or water?"

Nikolai didn’t answer or sit down. He stood in the middle of the lobby like a statue. He didn’t look at the magazines or his phone. He just stared at the front door. People walking by moved away from him because he looked like he was about to explode.

Ten minutes later, the glass doors opened again. Alex walked in. He was holding a bag of food and looking at his phone. He didn’t see Nikolai at first.

Amanda saw him and pointed. "Oh, here he comes! That’s Alex."

Nikolai turned his head. He didn’t wait for Alex to get to the desk. He marched over to him. Alex looked up from his phone and froze. He recognized Nikolai from the pictures Nathan had shown him. His heart started racing.

"You," Nikolai said, his voice loud enough for the whole lobby to hear. "Where is Nathan Keith?"

Alex tried to act brave. He stood up straight. "Mr. Volkov, I presume? This is a private office. You can’t just walk in here and demand—"

Before Alex could finish, Nikolai grabbed him by the collar of his jacket. He pulled Alex close until their noses were almost touching. The bag of food Alex was holding dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

"Listen to me, boy," Nikolai hissed. "Nathan Keith stole my wife. He stole my son Mateo. I know he has them. If you don’t tell me where they are right now, I am calling the police. I will tell the whole world that Nathan Keith is a kidnapper. I will ruin this company and I will put your boss in a cage."

"Let go of me!" Alex shouted, trying to push Nikolai’s hands away.

The security guards started to run over, but Nikolai’s own bodyguards, who had been standing by the door, blocked them. The lobby was full of tension. The employees were whispering and taking out their phones to record.

"Call him," Nikolai commanded. "Call him now and tell him that if I don’t see my wife in thirty minutes, the police will be at his front door. I don’t care about his money or his power. I want my family."

Nikolai pushed Alex away. Alex stumbled back, gasping for air. He looked at the people watching and knew this was a disaster. If Nikolai called the police, the secret about Fiona being alive would come out the wrong way. It would be a mess.

Alex pulled his phone out of his pocket. His fingers were shaking so much he almost dropped it. He clicked on Nathan’s contact and put the phone to his ear. He walked a few steps away, but he could feel Nikolai’s eyes burning into his back.

The phone rang for a long time. Finally, Nathan picked up.

"Hello, sir," Alex said. His voice was shaking. "We have a problem. A very big problem. Nikolai is here. He’s in the lobby, and he’s threatening to call the police. He knows you have them. Sir... what do I do?"

#######

At the villa, Nathan was standing in the kitchen. He was watching Viktoria help Mateo eat his breakfast. The sun was shining through the window, and for a second, everything felt perfect. It felt like they were a real family.

But then his phone rang. When he heard Alex’s voice, the peace vanished. He felt a cold chill run down his spine.

"Is he alone?" Nathan asked, his voice low so Viktoria wouldn’t hear him.

"No, he has men with him," Alex whispered. "He’s making a scene. People are recording. Sir, if the police come, it’s over. We can’t hide her anymore."

Nathan looked at Viktoria. She was laughing at something Mateo did. She looked so happy, so innocent. If Nikolai came here, he would take her back to that life of lies. Nathan couldn’t let that happen. But the doctor’s warning was screaming in his head: If you shock her, you might break her.

"Don’t let him call the police," Nathan said. "Tell him I will meet him. But not at the villa. Tell him to meet me at the old warehouse by the docks in one hour. Tell him if he brings the police, he will never see her again."

"But sir, that’s dangerous!" Alex said.

"Just do it, Alex," Nathan snapped. He hung up the phone.

Viktoria looked up. She saw the look on Nathan’s face and her smile faded. "Nathan? Is everything okay?"

Nathan forced a smile. He walked over and patted Mateo’s head. "Everything is fine. I just have to go to a business meeting. Alex is having some trouble at the office."

"You look worried," she said, standing up. She walked over to him and touched his arm.

Nathan felt a spark when she touched him. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go. He wanted to tell her that her "husband" was a monster who was standing in his lobby right now.

"I’m just tired," Nathan lied. "Stay here with Mateo. Keep the doors locked. I’ve told the security to be extra careful today because of some... business rivals."

Viktoria nodded, but she looked suspicious. "Be careful, Nathan."

Nathan left the kitchen and found his head of security. "I’m going to meet Nikolai. I want 8 men with me. And I want the rest of you to guard this house. If Nikolai or anyone else comes near this gate, you use your guns. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," the guard said.

Nathan got into his black SUV. As he drove away from the villa, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He looked like a man who was going to war. He didn’t care about his company or his reputation anymore. He only cared about Fiona.

**********

Back at the office, Alex hung up the phone. He looked at Nikolai, who was still standing there like a shark waiting for blood.

"He will meet you," Alex said. "But not here. And not with the police."

Nikolai smirked. It was a cruel, dark smile. "Where?"

"The old warehouse on 5th Street. By the docks. One hour. He said if you bring the cops, you’ll never see her again."

Nikolai nodded to his men. "Fine. Let’s go."

As Nikolai walked out, he stopped and looked at Amanda, the receptionist. "You have a nice office," he said. "It would be a shame if it burned down."

He walked out the doors, leaving everyone in shock. Alex sank into a chair. He was sweating. He knew that whatever happened at that warehouse, the world was about to change. Nathan was going to face the man who had stolen his life, and only one of them would come back.

Alex grabbed his keys. He couldn’t just sit there. He had to follow them. He had to make sure Nathan didn’t do something crazy.

©©©©©©©©©

An hour later, the docks were cold and foggy. The sound of the ocean was loud against the wooden piers. Nathan was already there, standing in the middle of the empty warehouse.

The sound of car tires on gravel echoed through the building. A black car pulled in, followed by two more. Nikolai stepped out. He looked around the dusty warehouse and laughed.

"How dramatic, Nathan," Nikolai said. "Is this where you come to hide your secrets?" 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I’m not hiding anything, Nikolai," Nathan said. He kept his hands in his pockets, but his fingers were closed around a small pocket knife. "I’m protecting what belongs to me."

"Belongs to you?" Nikolai stepped forward. "Viktoria is my wife. Mateo is my son. You are a thief. You saw a beautiful woman in Russia and you thought you could just take her because you have money? I have money too, Nathan. And I have more power than you can imagine."

"She’s not Viktoria," he said, his voice cold. "Her name is Fiona. She was mine long before you ever touched her."

Nikolai’s face changed. He wasn’t smiling anymore. "You sick man, what are you up to now? Look it doesn’t matter who she was. It matters who she is now. And now, she loves me. She sleeps in my bed. She calls me her husband."