chapter five
1506 Words
Lia didn’t answer immediately.
She just stood there, staring at Nikolai as if the words he had just spoken needed time to settle into something real.
Your family’s debt disappears tomorrow morning.
It sounded too easy.
Too clean.
Too… convenient.
“Say it again,” she said finally.
Nikolai didn’t look surprised.
“Your family’s debt,” he repeated calmly, “will be taken care of by morning.”
Lia narrowed her eyes.
“And in return?”
He held her gaze.
“You work for me.”
Silence stretched between them.
Lia let out a slow breath, running a hand through her damp hair.
“You make it sound like a normal job,” she muttered.
“In some ways, it is.”
She gave a dry laugh.
“Right. Breaking into systems, dealing with criminals, probably ruining lives in the process. Very normal.”
Nikolai didn’t react to the sarcasm.
“You already do most of those things,” he pointed out.
Her jaw tightened.
“That’s different.”
“How?”
“I choose who I work for,” she said. “I choose what I do.”
“And how has that worked out for you so far?”
The question hit harder than she expected.
Lia looked away for a second.
Her phone.
The messages from her mother.
The landlord.
Two weeks.
She exhaled sharply.
“Low blow,” she muttered.
“Reality,” he corrected.
The room fell quiet again.
Lia shifted her weight, her mind racing through every possible outcome.
Option one: refuse.
She didn’t need to imagine how that would end.
Option two: walk away and never hack again.
She almost laughed at that.
That wasn’t a real option. Not with her situation.
Option three…
Her gaze lifted back to him.
Work for the devil.
“Let’s say I agree,” she said slowly. “What exactly does ‘working for you’ involve?”
Nikolai straightened slightly, as if he had been waiting for that question.
“Primarily,” he said, “you’ll handle digital security and infiltration.”
“Meaning?”
“You protect my systems from people like you,” he said. “And occasionally… you access systems that I need information from.”
“So hacking,” she said.
“Yes.”
“At least you’re honest.”
“I find it saves time.”
Lia crossed her arms again.
“And if I don’t like something you ask me to do?”
Nikolai’s expression didn’t change.
“You won’t always like it.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one that matters.”
She stared at him.
“You’re not even pretending I have control here.”
“You don’t.”
The bluntness of it made her pause.
At least he wasn’t lying.
Lia sighed, rubbing her temple.
“This is insane,” she muttered again.
Nikolai said nothing.
He simply watched her, waiting.
That somehow made it worse.
She hated that he was giving her space to decide.
Because it meant the choice—however limited—was hers.
And that meant she had to live with it.
“Fine,” she said suddenly.
The word came out sharper than she intended.
“I’ll do it.”
The room seemed to settle slightly.
One of the guards shifted behind her.
Nikolai didn’t react immediately.
He studied her for a moment longer.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Lia frowned.
“You’re giving me a way out now?”
“I’m confirming your decision.”
She let out a breath.
“Yes,” she said. “I’m sure.”
A small pause.
Then he nodded once.
“Good.”
Something in her chest tightened.
That was it?
No contract.
No dramatic speech.
Just good.
“Wait,” she said quickly.
Nikolai’s gaze returned to her.
“What?”
“I have conditions.”
One of the guards let out a quiet scoff again.
But Nikolai raised a hand slightly, silencing him.
“I’m listening.”
Lia took a step forward.
“If I’m working for you,” she said, “my family is off-limits. Completely.”
“They already are.”
“I want that clearly understood.”
“It is.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
“And I get paid.”
Nikolai almost smiled.
“Of course.”
“Properly,” she added. “Not just ‘your debts are gone, be grateful’ type of payment.”
His expression shifted, just slightly.
Respect.
“Done.”
Lia hesitated for a second before adding,
“And I want access to my own communication. I need to check on my mother.”
“That can be arranged.”
She studied him carefully.
He was agreeing too easily.
Which meant…
“You’re getting something big out of this,” she said.
Nikolai tilted his head slightly.
“I already told you,” he said. “You’re valuable.”
“That’s not the whole reason.”
“No,” he admitted.
Her eyes narrowed further.
“So what is?”
A small silence filled the room.
Then he said,
“I’ll tell you when it becomes relevant.”
Lia let out a short, humorless laugh.
“Of course you will.”
She should have expected that.
Nothing about this man was straightforward.
Nikolai pushed himself away from the desk.
“Your accommodations have already been prepared,” he said.
Lia blinked.
“My what?”
“You won’t be returning to your apartment tonight.”
Her chest tightened slightly.
“That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“It is now.”
“I didn’t agree to that.”
Nikolai stepped closer again.
Not aggressively.
Just enough to remind her of the space he controlled.
“You agreed to work for me,” he said calmly. “That includes certain… adjustments.”
Lia clenched her jaw.
“I have things there.”
“They’ll be brought to you.”
“That’s not the point.”
“What is the point, then?”
She hesitated.
The point was…
That tiny apartment was hers.
Messy.
Cramped.
But hers.
And now—
“That’s my home,” she said quietly.
Nikolai’s expression didn’t soften.
But something in his eyes shifted slightly.
“You’ll have a better one,” he said.
“I don’t want a better one.”
“People rarely get what they want.”
The words hit harder than she expected.
Lia looked away for a moment.
Then back at him.
“Can I at least call my mother?”
“Yes.”
Relief flickered through her chest.
“Now?”
Nikolai nodded toward one of the guards.
“Give her a phone.”
A device was placed in her hand almost immediately.
Lia stared at it for a second before dialing.
The call rang once.
Twice.
Then—
“Lia?” her mother’s voice came through, soft and worried.
Relief flooded her instantly.
“I’m here,” Lia said quickly.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m fine.”
That part wasn’t entirely a lie.
“Did you handle it?” her mother asked quietly.
Lia glanced at Nikolai.
He was watching her.
Waiting.
“Yes,” she said slowly.
“It’s taken care of.”
A pause.
Then her mother’s voice softened.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Another silence.
Then—
“Thank you.”
Lia swallowed.
“Get some rest,” she said softly. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
The call ended.
Lia lowered the phone slowly.
Her chest felt… lighter.
At least one thing was solved.
She handed the phone back.
Nikolai studied her for a moment.
“See?” he said quietly. “Not all bad.”
Lia looked at him.
“You kidn*pped me,” she said flatly.
His lips curved slightly.
“And yet,” he replied, “your problem is solved.”
She hated that he wasn’t wrong.
That was the worst part.
Lia crossed her arms again.
“This doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Good.”
A small pause.
Then Nikolai turned toward the door.
“Take her upstairs,” he said.
The guards moved immediately.
Lia hesitated for half a second before following.
As she reached the door, she stopped and looked back.
Nikolai had already returned to his desk.
Like the conversation was over.
Like everything had just been… decided.
“Hey,” she said.
He looked up.
“What?”
Lia held his gaze.
“You said I was lucky,” she said.
“Yes.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
For a moment, something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Then he said quietly,
“For your sake…”
“I hope so too.”
Lia turned and walked out of the room.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
And just like that—
Her old life was over.
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