Chapter 18 – Stronger
801 Words
The quiet was gone.
Completely.
Nia sat at the edge of her desk, her leg bouncing slightly, her fingers tapping against the surface in a restless rhythm.
Empty.
That’s what the container was.
Empty.
Her jaw tightened.
“…No,” she muttered.
The noise was back.
Not slowly.
Not gently.
Loud.
Her hand reached for her phone before she even fully thought about it.
She dialed.
Delgado picked up.
“What?” he said.
“It stopped working.”
Silence.
“I told you it would,” he replied.
“I don’t care,” she snapped. “I need something stronger.”
A pause.
Longer than usual.
“…That’s not a good idea,” Delgado said.
“I didn’t ask if it was a good idea,” she shot back. “I said I need it.”
Another pause.
“You’re pushing it,” he added.
“And you’re wasting my time,” Nia replied coldly.
Silence.
Then—
“I’ll come by,” he said.
He arrived that evening.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Nia didn’t bother with greetings.
“Do you have it?” she asked immediately.
Delgado studied her for a moment.
Really looked at her this time.
She looked worse.
Not physically broken.
Not yet.
But there was something in her eyes now—
Something desperate.
He reached into his pocket slowly.
Pulled out a small, carefully wrapped item.
Different.
“Last chance to think about this,” he said.
Nia didn’t even hesitate.
“Give it to me.”
Delgado didn’t move right away.
“This isn’t like the other stuff,” he said. “It can mess with you. Your head, your body—everything.”
"These are microdots"
Nia let out a short laugh.
“If I needed medical advice,” she said dryly, “I’d call you.”
That shut him up.
Not because it was funny.
Because it wasn’t.
He handed it over anyway.
Because at the end of the day—
That’s what he did.
But as she took it—
Something in him shifted.
Regret.
Just a little.
He didn’t notice the maid in the hallway.
But she noticed everything.
The exchange.
The tone.
The tension.
And most importantly—
What Nia took.
The moment Delgado left—
She pulled out her phone.
Her hands shook slightly as she dialed.
Ryan picked up.
“Hello?”
“Sir… I think it’s gotten worse.”
Ryan didn’t waste time.
He called Marcus immediately.
“She’s escalating,” he said.
Marcus’s voice tightened. “What happened?”
“Someone came over. Gave her Microdots,” Ryan replied. “This isn’t just guessing anymore.”
Silence.
Then—
“Tomorrow,” Marcus said. “We go to her.”
The next day—
Her office.
Nia sat behind her desk, composed as ever.
Perfect posture.
Sharp eyes.
Like nothing was wrong.
Marcus and Ryan walked in without waiting.
“We need to talk,” Marcus said.
Nia didn’t even look up at first.
“Then talk.”
Ryan stepped forward slightly.
“What are you taking?”
That made her pause.
Slowly—
She looked up.
Her expression?
Calm.
Too calm.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
Marcus’s jaw tightened.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” she replied.
“Lie.”
Silence.
Nia leaned back slightly, crossing her arms.
“You came all the way here for this?” she asked.
Ryan’s voice dropped.
“We know someone’s supplying you.”
A flicker.
Small.
But there.
Then—
Gone.
“You don’t know anything,” she said.
Marcus stepped closer, his voice sharper now.
“We’re trying to help you.”
“I didn’t ask for help.”
“You need it,” he shot back.
Nia’s expression hardened instantly.
“I said I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Ryan said firmly.
Silence.
Tension filled the room.
Then—
Nia stood.
Slow.
Controlled.
“I have a company to run,” she said coldly. “If you’re done accusing me of things you can’t prove, you can leave.”
Marcus stared at her.
“This isn’t you.”
Nia held his gaze.
“This is exactly me.”
A lie.
But she wore it well.
Ryan stepped back slightly, studying her.
Because now—
It was clear.
She wasn’t just hiding it.
She was choosing it.
“We’re not done,” Marcus said.
Nia didn’t respond.
She just sat back down.
Picked up a file.
And ignored them.
Like they didn’t matter.
But the moment they left—
Her hand tightened slightly against the desk.
Her breathing shifted.
Because deep down—
She knew.
This wasn’t control anymore.
This was something else.
And it was pulling her deeper—
Faster than before.
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