Chapter 12
997 Words
Sera's POV
Nicho’s arms were warm around me, and for a fleeting moment, I let myself sink into his embrace.
Not because I loved him.
Not even because I wanted him.
Maybe… it was because of how much I hated Cassian.
Hated how that man could still haunt me after everything he’d done.
But even as I stood there, pressed against Nicho’s chest, I knew I couldn’t go through with it. The fire I’d tried to ignite earlier wasn’t passion—it was pain masquerading as desire.
Gently, I pushed at his chest, creating distance between us.
“I can’t,” I breathed, shaking my head. My voice trembled despite my effort to stay firm. “I thought I could, but I can’t do this, Nicho. It’s… complicated.”
His expression shifted from frustration to something softer, though the edge in his voice remained. “Complicated? Sera, it’s simple. Cassian doesn’t care about you. He never has.”
I froze, my throat tightening.
Nicho stepped closer, his eyes burning with conviction. “He only cares about himself. Think about it. He divorced you and discarded you without even blinking. You were nothing to him, Sera.”
“Stop…” I whispered, but my protest was weak.
“No, you need to hear this,” Nicho pressed on, his tone rising. “When he walked away, did he think about the nights you cried yourself to sleep? Did he think about what it would be like for you to raise Aria alone?”
The mention of my daughter’s name hit me like a punch to the gut. My arms instinctively wrapped around myself as if to shield my heart.
Aria.
Sweet, innocent Aria, who deserved a whole family but only had me.
A lump formed in my throat, and I blinked rapidly, fighting the tears threatening to spill. My vision blurred as memories of her tiny fingers clutching mine filled my mind. The way she’d ask about her father with that hopeful, heartbreaking look in her eyes.
I shook my head and hugged myself tighter.
“Sera…” Nicho’s voice softened now, almost a whisper. He reached out and gently pulled me back into his arms.
I didn’t resist this time. My body leaned into him, seeking comfort, though my heart remained cold.
The night outside was bitter, the air seeping through the slightly open window, but the storm inside me was worse. Two years had passed since Cassian and I separated. Two years. So why… why did it still hurt like this?
Why did the thought of him still twist something deep inside me?
I clenched my fists at my sides, angry at myself. You’ve moved on, I told myself sternly. You have to.
But if I had truly moved on, then why couldn’t I make love to Nicho?
He was everything women desired—handsome, successful, kind in his own way.
So why did my heart remain unmoved?
A sudden shrill ring cut through my spiraling thoughts, startling me.
My phone.
I quickly pulled away from Nicho, grateful for the distraction. “I need to take this.”
He gave a stiff nod, watching me with unreadable eyes as I stepped out onto the balcony.
The night air was sharp against my skin as I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
A deep, amused chuckle filled the line.
“Sera,” Bishop Kane’s smooth voice drawled. “You sound breathless. Did I interrupt something?”
My brows furrowed. “Bishop? Why are you calling me this late?”
“Relax,” he said casually. “I just need you to meet me as soon as possible. It’s business.”
I turned away from the open balcony edge, frowning. “Business? Can’t it wait until morning?”
“Not this kind of business,” Bishop replied, his tone laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “Trust me, you’ll want to hear this in person.”
A prickle of unease ran down my spine.
Then his voice dipped lower, smoother. “By the way, that dress you’re wearing tonight… red suits you. It’s breathtaking.”
I stiffened, my free hand clutching the railing. My eyes darted around the surrounding buildings and the hotel parking lot below, searching the shadows.
“How do you know what I’m wearing?” I demanded, my voice sharper now.
Bishop chuckled, a deep, sinister sound. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. Just… don’t keep me waiting.”
The line went dead.
I stood frozen, phone still pressed to my ear, my pulse thundering in my ears.
A wave of unease washed over me. He’d been watching me. How long had he been there?
Before I could fully process, the balcony door creaked open. Nicho stepped out, concern etched on his face. “Sera? What’s wrong? You look pale.”
His sudden appearance startled me, and in my distraction, my foot slipped on the smooth tile near the edge.
“Ah!”
I pitched forward, arms flailing.
“Sera!” Nicho lunged, catching me just before I could tumble over the balcony. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me back to safety.
Our faces were inches apart as we locked eyes. His gaze was intense, protective… and yet, my heart remained still.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
I wished I could feel something for him. Anything. But my chest remained hollow, the same ache for someone else lingering inside me like a stubborn wound.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Nicho’s jaw tightened, his grip reluctant to loosen as if he feared letting me go.
And then—
The door to the suite burst open with a loud crash.
I jerked in shock, twisting in Nicho’s arms to see who had entered.
Cassian stood in the doorway, his face a mask of fury, his presence filling the room like a storm.
His voice was lethal, low and commanding.
“Take your hands off my wife.”
- Writer
