bChapter /b58

TREET

Oh pod

Twanted to proan. Scream. Do anything but turn around and face him. But the hallway lelt like it was closing in, and there was no escaping the

And there he was. Dmitri Standing there, hands shoved into the pockets of yet another gaudy Adidas tracksuit. As he frowned down at me.

But it won’t just him

Behind Dmenea looming shadow, stood Lazar Morozov. The sight of him was enough to annoy me. His arms were crossed over his chest, his green eyes nanowed. Unlike Demitri’s ridiculous btracksuit/b, Lazar was dressed sharply in a ck bcoat/b, cor popped, hair slicked back.

His paze locked onto me, unblinking.

“What the hell happened to your hands?”

I opened my mouth, but before I could even get a word out, Niki stepped forward, his broad shoulders blocking me from Dmitri’s view.

“That none of your business, Niki said, bhis /bvoice t and cold. There was no humor there from earlierb. /bJustice.

Dit’s eyes shihed to Niki, scanning him up and down like he was something scraped off the bottom of his shoe. His gaze lingered on Niki’s attire. A look of disain twisted Dmitri’s features, and he let out a short, condescendingugh.

“What the hell are you doing here, Niki? Dressed like… that?” Dmitri snoored, his eyes glittering with petty malice. “Did the billionaire lose all his bfancy /bsurts or are you just trying to look young after bmarrying /ba girl eight years your junior?”

Something in me snapped. The way Dmitri said bNiki’s /bname, like he was trying to demean him. Maybe it was the way his smirk grew bas /bhe looked down at Niki’s clothes, like he had any right to judge anyone’s wardrobe when he was wearing that tacky tracksuit,

But I was done kasping the peace.

“At least he doesn’t walk around looking like a washed up wannabe rapper,” I said, my voice sharp and clear. “Seriously, Dmitri. We’re at a university, not some bmiddle /bschool sports day. You should really start dressing like an adult. Or are you just bupset /bthat even while wearing such an outfit your brother looks more bof /ba man than you’ll ever be?”

Omitn’s eyes widened, his jaw clenching A bmuscle /bin his cheek twitchedb, /band his nostrils red as he took a step forward. But before he could get another word out, Lazar snorted. The sound was low, almost a chuckle, and when I nced at him, he was smirking, clearly enjoying the show

Dmitri’s scowl deepened. “You think you’re so tough now, huh?” bhe /bsaid, leaning forward, his breath hat against my face. “it’s sad, Elena. Really fucking sad. With me, you never got hurt. And with him!” He jerked his chin toward Niki, his beyes /bdropping to my bandaged hands. “Only one week into the marriage and look at you. Pathetic. At least with me.. you never got hurt.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, my nails digging into my palms through the bandages. His words echoed, hitting me right in the gut, and for a split second, I felt the sting of them

Because he was wrong. So wrong. I couldn’t help recalling every night I cried alone when peoplepared me to Dmitri Calling me a gold digger. And he justughed when he found out Defending me, but not taking it seriously. That hurt.

I remembered every missed call, every forgotten date, every le he spun while he probably might have been fucking someone behind my back. remembered all the times he made me feel like was nothing. Like when found him bballs /bdeep binside /banother woman. And the worst of all? When even now, he didn’t resport me mough to bjust /bfucking leave me alone. It hurt.

The anges singed, hot and binding, and before I knew it, the words were spilling out

of me.

pet hurt plenty of times with you,” I said, my voice shaking but strong. “You just never bothered bto /bnotice.”

Beschr’s eyes narrowed, but I kept going

if you were even half the man Niki is, you’d have actually reached out. bYou’d /bhave asked how I was doing. Because in case you missed it, ge were in a car ident “[bsaid/b, my voice growing louder, harder. “But byou /bwouldn’t care whether I lived or died, would you? You’re too busy chasing skirts and drowning in your own ego. You never gave a damn about me. Not then. Not now. All you care about is your brother one upping you.”

Dmitr’s face darkened, the smugness slipping away to reveal something braw /band angry underneath. “One upping me? You’re naive if you think Niki would’t do the same as me. It has only been a week into your marriage so obviously he’s being your loyal dog. Once a year or so passes, I guarantee you, behave Before he could fish that sentence Niki moved.

One second, Niki was standing beside meb, /bcalm andposed. The next, he was in Dmitri’s face, onerge hand fisted in his cor, mming him back against the wall with a force that made the nearby lockers rattle

My heart lurched.

Demir’s eyes widened, and for a brief moment, I saw something there that I’d never seen before–fear

Niki leaned in his face mere inches from Dmitri’s, his eyes dark and dangerous. “I’m not like you, Dmitri,” he said, each word deliberate, precise. “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. You made your choice. Now live with it. I’m not abandoning Elena. Not like you did. I would never willingly hurt her like you did. So don’tpare me to trash like yourself.”

Dmitri swallowed, his jaw tight. He looked away, his eyes darting around the hallway like he was hoping for someone to step in and save him.

But no one did

Lazar snorted again, pushing off the wall as he adjusted the cor of his coat “Jesus Christ, you brother’s,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “You’re embarrassing yourselves….lighting over ba /bgrl?”

But no one paid attention to him.

Niki released Dmitri with a shove, stepping back as Dmitri stumbled, his face flushed with humiliation and brage/b.

Istepped forward, my heart hammering in my chest. I reached for Niki’s hand but winced as the movement pulled at the tender skin beneath the bandages. Niki’s eyes immediately snapped to mine, concern shing across his featureAL

y bvoice /btrembling.

“Let’s go,” said softly mys

Niki’s jaw worked, his chest rising and falling with bevery /bheavy breath. He gave Dmitri onest cold re before turning away and guiding me toward the exit. I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to. I could foal Dmith’s eyes burning into the back of my skull, could hear the angry,bored breaths he was taking as we walked away.

We didn’t speak until we reached the car. Niki opened the passenger door for me, and I slid inside, my hands resting limply on myp as he rounded the hood and climbed into the driver’s seat

For a few seconds, the only sound in the car bwas /bour breathing bHeavy /bUnsteady. Then, Niki gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

“What the hell was that? finally asked,

“What do you mean?” Niki said, his beyes /bstill fixed on the road ahead, jaw clenched.

“All that stuff you said to Dmitri,” I said, swallowing thickly. I didn’t know why I bwas /bsaying all this. “You said you’d never hurt me. That you’d never abandon me.” I hesitated, my heart pounding as I forced myself to look at him “But we’re going to divorce after a year, aren’t we? You will leave. You said to yoursel

Niki’s grip tightened on the wheel. His bjaw /bclenched, the muscles ticking

ticking beneath his skin. Then, slowly, he turned to me.

b2/3 /b

FM, 25

My fingers trembled under that look. And all of a sudden, I didn’t want to know, I didn’t want to know why he said all that.

“Nevermind you

My breath caught in my throat.

“What… do you mean?” whispered, my pulse thundering in my ears,

But bNiki /bjust stared at me, his dark eyes searching mine, like he was looking for something. Or maybe… hoping I’d already found it