<b>Chapter 148 </b>


    Elena’s POV:


    I clenched my fists and pursed my lips. Sergei had once again been right. Dmitri had gotten twenty years like he’d predicted.


    Finally, after a moment of internal debate, I acquiesced. “Alright… I’ming to Velhaven on Saturday. Let’s meet up for lunch then… if you’re free.” I added thest part hesitantly.


    Like life had been suddenly imbued into his voice, Sergei’s tone brightened perceptibly. “That’s perfect! My friend just opened a new branch of his restaurant in town, a lovely ce overlooking the marina… we can go try it out together.” The enthusiasm was undeniable, almost childlike, and it struck a strange chord within me.


    “Alright,” I said, a soft chuckle escaping me. I pursed my lips tightly to stop myself from smiling. It was a peculiar sensation.


    “I need to go now. I’ll talkter.” I said, eager to end the call before I said anything I might regret. With a few final, polite words, we bid each other goodbye. The call disconnected, leaving a lingering hum in my ear. I had to go get a few things for groceries, and that was probably better than going straight home. I had been hardly going out these past weeks, constantly on edge, constantly waiting for the next shoe to drop.


    Twenty years. Dmitri would be forty–five when he got out. That wasn’t too old, not in the grand scheme of things. But it was definitely old enough to make him regret a lot, to make him face the consequences of his actions, to live with the weight of Mielle’s death and all the lives he’d ruined.


    I knew asking about Lazar would be useless. After all, since Dmitri’s charges had been so cunningly reduced, and their high–poweredwyer had even fought for Lazar, he’d probably gotten away with a mere p on the wrist, if anything at all. The thought festered, a tiny, annoying splinter, but I consciously pushed it aside. I didn’t want to think about that anymore, not right now. I just wanted to breathe.


    I stretched my arms upnguidly, feeling the tension slowly begin to unknot from my shoulders, and found myself smiling properly after what felt like ages. Then, pulling the scarf around me tighter, I walked out of the doctor’s office building and headed towards the nearby grocery store.


    As soon as I stepped out, a sudden, inexplicable chill went down my spine, prickling the fine hairs on my arms. I frowned, instinctively looking around.


    Right… Sergei’s men were probably here. He had said he’d have them watch over me, even in Maxcester City. I scanned the bustling street, my eyes darting around. But then, a wave of unease washed over me. The entire parking lot, the surrounding area, seemed unusually deserted for this time of day. Another shiver, colder this time, ran down my spine, and I quickened my pace, a faint tremor in my hands. I <b>got </b>into the car, starting to feel distinctly restless.


    I nced at the time on the dashboard clock. It was four in the afternoon, soon to be early evening.


    I pulled Shinichiro’s car, which I had borrowed for the day<b>, </b>out of the parking lot. The engine hummed to life and I made my way over to the nearest supermarket.


    But even as 1 tried to lose myself in shopping, I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something was fundamentally off. Was I maybe forgetting something crucial? I had talked to Mom earlier, and confirmed dinner ns with Haruki. I had made sure toplete all my work before leaving. I had basically covered everything on my mental checklist.


    That’s when a thought popped up in my head. How was Niki?


    I mean… his brother had just been sentenced to twenty years in prison. And I hadn’t even bothered to call him, to check on him. Wasn’t that too thoughtless of me?


    Niki… even though I wasn’t keeping up my part of the contract, even though I was living separately and preparing for a divorce, he had


    <b>1/3 </b>


    continued to make sure to pay me my monthly allowance of ten thousand dors.


    <b>In </b>fact… not just that. He had made sure to text me every time there was an update on the case, asking me if I was doing alright, if I needed anything, a quiet, almost invisible thread of concern connecting us. Right. He hadn’t done that this time. Not after Dmitri’s sentencing


    I pulled out my phone as I pushed the grocery cart down an aisle, checking my texts. Nothing. Not a single message from him.


    I felt a little disappointment, a surprising ache in my chest, but then I crushed it, mentally scolding myself. Why was I feeling disappointed? And anyway… shouldn’t I be the one asking him if he was okay? It was his brother, after all.


    I decided to put my stubborn ego aside for once. My fingers hovered over the screen, then I started typing a simple text.


    “Hi”


    Only, when I tapped send, it didn’t go through. A single gray tick remained beside the message. Huh? That was unusual.


    “Excuse me?” I looked up, startled, to see the cashier waiting patiently for me, a faint smile on her face. I apologized, realizing thedy in front of me had already purchased her items and left, leaving me daydreaming at the register.


    I set my phone aside, pushing it into my bag, and quickly paid for the groceries. I gathered my bags and walked back to the car.


    My eyes were constantly on my phone, checking for his text to finally go through as I drove the car. I bit my lips, feeling foolish for caring so much. The roads were particrly empty, which was odd considering it was a weekday and only just sunset. Maxcester City was a quietmunity, but this was too quiet.


    So, when the traffic light ahead of me turned red, and I was the only car around, waiting at a deserted intersection, I felt a sharp pang of annoyance and an overwhelming urge to be back in my room as soon as possible, to curl up in my bed.


    Irritated, I checked the texts again, almost desperately. But then, to my surprise, I saw that there was finally a double tick beside my ‘Hi‘


    message, indicating it had been delivered. Relief flooded me, quickly followed by a rush of impatience. Without thinking, I clicked on the call button and called him directly, needing to hear his voice.


    “Hello?” I asked, my voice a little breathless from the sudden action. There seemed to be only silence on the other side. “Niki?” I asked again, my hand clenching around the steering wheel, my heart beginning to thump with an unfamiliar rhythm.


    “Elena. Are <i>you </i>okay?<i>” </i>He asked, his voice rough, urgent, andced with a palpable relief that immediately tightened my nerves. I frowned, confused by his tone. “Uh, yeah. I’m fine. You weren’t checking your texts, so I called.” I said, feeling awkward.


    “Oh. Yeah. I’m… outside right now.” He said, his voice hesitant, almost strained, and there was a strange, subtle background noise that made


    my nerves tense up even further.


    “Oh… I see. Um… anyways. I just wanted to ask if you were okay. About… Dmitri.” I said, now feeling even more awkward, wondering if he was avoiding me, if he didn’t want to talk about it, about me.


    “Yeah. I’m okay. I’m fine… umm<b>, </b>Elena? Where are you right now? Be specific.” He asked, his voice suddenly sharper.


    “Me? I’m heading back home. Just went to the supermarket. Why? Is something wrong?” I asked, my gaze automatically flicking to the rearview mirror as the light finally turned green. I began driving the car again, a faint sigh of relief escaping him on the other end of the line. “Alright… good. Get home, Elena. Get home now. Don’t cut the call.”


    “Is something wrong, Niki? You’re acting really weird.” I asked, now I could clearly sense his hesitation, his tension. My eyes looked up at the rearview mirror again, and this time, I frowned, seeing a dark SUV directly behind me, its headlights surprisingly bright in the fading light. It was following suspiciously close.


    “Uh… <b>no</b><b>. </b>Elena. Just… how far are you from the condo? Be quick.” He asked, his voice a low<b>, </b>urgent murmur.


    <b>Sun</b><b>, </b>to Aug


    <b>69</b><b>% </b>


    “I’m right here. Just two turns more, Niki….” I trailed off as I focused on the road, ready to turn right at the next intersection, my heart beginning to pound with a frantic beat.


    I slowed down the car, signaling my turn, my eyes scanning the intersection. The light was green for me. I began to turn right, only to see <b>a</b><b>. </b>sudden, blindingly bright red light surge towards me from the perpendicr road. My heart jumped <i>into </i>my throat. It wasn’t a car. It was an SUV, just like the one behind me, speeding through a red light directly into my path.


    “Fuck!” I cursed, hitting reverse quickly, my foot mming the pedal. The car lurched backward, tires screeching, only to gasp when I realized the SUV directly behind me wasn’t moving back. It remained stubbornly, menacingly close, blocking my escape. I turned back <i>to </i>the front, seeing the other car not stopping, only elerating.


    Panic seized me. I turned the steering wheel sharply to the left, a desperate,st–second attempt to avoid the direct collision, only to feet a violent, sickening jerk. A loud shout erupted from the phone. “Elena?!”


    My head mmed hard against the steering wheel, the seatbelt biting into my shoulder, pushing my back painfully into the seat. I gasped, air violently expelled from my lungs. I felt my ears ring, as the impact hit. My body jerked violently, thrown forward then back, the world spinning in a disorienting, agonizing kaleidoscope of pain and noise.


    The swerving car came to a grinding, shuddering stop. I focused on breathing properly, each breath a ragged gasp of pain, and my hands went around my abdomen instinctively. A deep, guttural groan escaped my lips.as I felt a sharp, blinding pain erupt in my head, a throbbing agony behind my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, his name instinctively on my lips. “Niko…i…”


    As I felt my vision go dark thest thing I heard was the sharp click of the car door being pulled open, followed by heavy footsteps, before I reluctantly sank into unconsciousness.


    <b>3/3 </b>