Chapter 189: Haunting past

Nathan’s stepped right into Nikolai’s face, his chest heaving with anger.

"You think you can just walk in here and take them?" Nathan yelled. his voice echoed off the high walls. "I am protecting them! Do you have any idea what kind of danger she is in? She received a threat at the hotel! Someone wants her dead, and you want to just put her on a plane like nothing is happening?"

Nikolai didn’t back down. He stepped even closer, his eyes like ice. "She is in danger because of you, Nathan. You are the one with the enemies. You are the one who brought her into your mess. In Russia, she is the wife of Nikolai Volkov. No one touches her there. She is safer with me in one minute than she is with you in a lifetime."

"She is not Viktoria!" Nathan screamed, his face turning red. "How many times do I have to tell you? You are living a lie, and you are forcing her to live it too!"

Nikolai laughed, a loud, mocking sound. "You are crazy. I did my research on you Nathan. You lost your girl, Fiona, in a crash years ago. I am sorry for your loss but you are a sick man who lost his girlfriend and now you want to steal mine. Look at yourself, Nathan. You are falling apart. My wife is fine, my son is fine. The only thing wrong with their lives is you."

He looked at Nikolai, who was standing there looking strong and confident. Nikolai really believed he was the good guy here. He really believed that Viktoria was his and that Nathan was just some crazy, rich stalker.

"I am the one who saved her!" Nathan shouted, pointing his finger at Nikolai’s chest. "I found her! I brought her here to keep her safe! If you take her out of this house, you are putting a target on her back!"

"Enough!" Nikolai roared, and his bodyguards moved forward, their hands on their guns. "I am not asking you anymore. I am her husband. I have the legal papers. I have the power. If you don’t take me to them right now, I will call the police and I will tell them you kidnapped a Russian citizen. You will spend the rest of your life in a cell, and I will still take her home. Is that what you want?"

Nathan felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He knew Nikolai was serious. But more than that, he thought about the doctor’s warning. Nathan thought about the doctor’s words. If you shock her, you might break her. He thought about the way she fainted at the restaurant. If he tried to fight Nikolai now, Fiona might never recover. Her mind was too fragile. He had to choose: did he want to "own" her, or did he want her to be safe?

He felt a deep, sharp pain in his soul. He had to give up. He had to let her go to keep her alive.

"Fine," Nathan whispered, his voice cracking. "Fine. But listen to me, Nikolai. If she cries... if she feels even a little bit of pain... I will come for you. I don’t care about your money or your Russian guards. I will find you."

"I will take you to them."

Nikolai smirked. "Smart choice, Nathan. I knew you would see reason eventually."

"But listen to me," Nathan stepped closer, and for the first time, Nikolai saw tears in Nathan’s eyes. "You have to promise me something. You have to take care of her. I mean really take care of her."

Nikolai frowned. "She is my wife. Of course I take care of her."

"No," Nathan said, his voice shaking. "You don’t understand. She is very weak right now. If she gets sad or if people yell at her, she gets sick. You must be kind. Don’t ask her about things she can’t remember. Just let her be happy. Even if it means she stays with you."

Nikolai looked at Nathan like he was a little bit crazy. "You are a very strange man. But okay. I love my wife. I don’t want her to be sad either." He replied as he straightened his expensive coat.

"You won’t have to worry. She will be happy to be away from a madman like you."

They went to the cars. Nathan drove his car and Nikolai followed him. The drive to the house was very hard for Nathan. He felt like his life was ending. He was giving away the person he loved the most.

When they arrived, Nathan walked in first. He felt like he was walking to his own funeral.

Viktoria was in the living room. She was sitting on the rug, helping Mateo put together a puzzle. When she heard the door, she looked up and smiled, thinking it was just Nathan. But when she saw Nikolai walking in behind him, her smile vanished.

"Nikolai?" she asked, her voice sounding surprised.

Papa!" Mateo yelled. The little boy ran to Nikolai. Nikolai picked him up and kissed him. He looked like a happy dad. To Nathan, it looked like a nightmare.

Viktoria stood up slowly. She looked at Nathan and then at Nikolai, then at Mateo, who had started to giggle in Mateo arms. Then he looked at her. "We are leaving. Right now."

Viktoria looked confused...she looked at Nathan, then back at Nikolai. "What? But the business meeting... Nathan said we had to stay here because of the threats. It’s not safe outside, Nikolai."

Nikolai shook his head. "The business deal is over. Forget it. It was a mistake to come here. America is not safe, but Russia is. My men are outside. The jet is fueled and waiting at the airport."

Viktoria looked at Nathan. "Nathan, is this true? Is the meeting over?"

Nathan couldn’t look her in the eye. He felt like a coward. "Yes," he said, his voice flat. "It’s over. You should go with him."

Viktoria felt a surge of panic. "But we didn’t say goodbye. And the story you were telling me... about the girl in the tower?"

"It was just a story, Viktoria," Nathan lied. "I made it up because I was bored. It doesn’t mean anything."

Nikolai’s face turned stern. He spoke to her in Russian, his voice firm and commanding. "Виктория, хватит. Собирай вещи. Не спорь со мной при посторонних. Ты моя жена, и я говорю тебе — мы едем домой. Сейчас. (Viktoria, enough. Pack the bags. Do not argue with me in front of strangers. You are my wife, and I am telling you we are going home. Now.)" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Viktoria bit her lip. She looked like she wanted to protest, to say that she didn’t feel ready, but the look on Nikolai’s face was too strong. She looked at Nathan one last time, hoping he would fight for her, but Nathan just stood there like a statue.

"Okay," she whispered.

She went upstairs with to pack her and Mateo’s things. The house was filled with the sound of suitcases zipping and Mateo asking why they were leaving so fast.

Nathan stood by the window, watching the security guards load the bags into Nikolai’s cars. Every suitcase felt like a piece of his heart being taken away. Nikolai stood near the door, watching Nathan with a smug look.

"You’re doing the right thing, Nathan," Nikolai said. "Go find a new girl. Leave the dead in the past."

Nathan didn’t answer, he couldn’t.

Viktoria came downstairs, holding Mateo’s hand. She was wearing her travel coat. She looked at the villa—the place where she had almost remembered who she was—and felt a deep sadness she couldn’t explain.

She walked up to Nathan. "Goodbye, Nathan," she said softly.

Nathan reached out and touched her hand for just a second. "Remember to rest," he said, his voice a whisper. "Don’t let anyone push you too hard. Take care of Mateo."

"I will," she said.

Nikolai grabbed her arm gently but firmly. "Let’s go. We are losing time."

Nathan stood on the porch and watched the black SUVs drive down the long driveway. He watched until the gates closed. He watched until the sound of the engines died away.

He was alone. Fiona was gone, and she still didn’t know her name. She was flying back to a country where she would live as a stranger in her own life.

Nathan walked back into the empty house. He went to the kitchen and saw Mateo’s half-eaten breakfast still on the table. He saw a small toy car the boy had dropped under a chair. He picked it up and held it tight.

He sat down at the table and put his head in his hands. He had let her go to save her, but now he had to figure out how to live without her all over again.

"I’m not finished, Nikolai," Nathan whispered to the empty room. "This isn’t the end."

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.