CHAPTER LI

“W inter, I need you to follow me. Nico is requesting your presence in his office.”

I was in the music room of Nico’s house playing the violin when the door swung open. Miguel slipped inside and leaned in to speak with Enzo. A few minutes later, Miguel left the room, and Enzo turned to face me, his expression serious.

A spark of hope flickered within me.

This was the first time Nico had asked to see me directly since the shootout. Since my conversation with Dante, I'd been eager to share the news with Nico, but he hadn’t replied to my messages.

I nodded, setting my instrument down and rising to follow Enzo down the hall. Once we reached Nico's office the two guards at the door gave a curt nod to Enzo and swung the door open.

Nico reclined in his leather throne, a crystal glass of whisky in his grasp. His expression was a frigid mask, unwelcoming and distant. I glanced around the room and noticed Matteo, Luca, and Lo were present.

Nico smoothly uttered, "Thank you, Enzo." Enzo stepped out of the room and closed the door making me uneasy.

Nico shifted his attention, his eyes immediately landing on mine.

"Do you have something you need to tell me?" he asked, his voice low and demanding.

"Like what?" I asked slowly, my heart beating so fast it felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.

Nico scoffed, leaning back in his chair with a hint of amusement playing on his lips. "You expect me to believe your innocence?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Nico slammed his fist on his desk. "Stop lying to me!" he yelled. I flinched at his deadly tone and the cold, dark glare directed at me. His body was tense and rigid, like a coiled spring ready to snap.

"I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said quietly.

Nico examined me with a scrutinizing gaze as if I was under a microscope.

"Is your real name Gigi?" he said sharply.

A knot formed in my stomach, and I shifted uncomfortably on my feet.

“Yes,” I admitted, swallowing hard. “But it’s complicated?—”

“Complicated?” he cut me off, the scowl deepening on his face. “You've been fucking lying to me this whole time.”

I took a shaky breath. “I...”

Nico’s expression remained hard. “What kind of game are you playing?”

“I’m not playing games with you!” I protested in desperation. “I was afraid?—"

“Afraid of what?” he demanded.

“I—” I faltered, the weight of the truth I’d been carrying pressing down on me as if I were trapped beneath a layer of concrete. “I wanted to tell you, Nico.”

Nico rose from his seat and strode deliberately toward the edge of the desk. He was so close when he halted that I could feel the heat radiating from his body. His angry blue eyes scanned every inch of my face. I instinctively stepped back, desperately trying to erect a barrier between us.

As he moved closer, I flinched again, and his reaching hand froze in mid-air. He gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and then ran his finger down the side of my face, stopping just below my chin. The touch was light, but it didn’t feel like it used to.

“Tell Enzo to take her to the basement,” Nico ordered without letting me respond. “And make sure she doesn’t escape, or else.”

“Is that a threat?” I questioned.

“I don’t make threats,” he replied, his voice smooth yet chilling. “I make promises. Remember that.”

“Why are you doing this, Nico?” I asked, each word heavier than the last. “I thought you loved me.”

Nico remained silent, and I felt my heart shatter with each passing moment.

Enzo stepped inside the room and wrapped his hand around my arm. “Let’s go, Winter,” he commanded.

I stood, rigid with terror, too overwhelmed to move. “Wh-what are you doing to do to me?” The question slipped out, laced with desperation. A reflection of the twisted scenarios he might be planning played out in my mind.

Nico didn’t respond verbally, but his cold gaze was like a silent accusation. “What do you think happens in the basement?” His eyes glinted with cruel amusement, as if my fear was a game to him.

“You bastard. Go to hell," I said, my voice wavering slightly despite my attempt to sound firm and in control.

Anger replaced my fear as I watched him walk away with a cold expression.

"Where do you think I came from?"

* * *

The air was thick with an unsettling tension as Luca and Lo silently escorted me down the staircase into Nico's basement. They steered me into the center of the cold room, and my heart pounded against my ribcage like a frantic bird trying to escape. Luca secured me to a sturdy chair with ropes that bit into my skin.

My gaze was drawn to the drain directly beneath me, its purpose all too clear. A chill slithered down my spine. This was no ordinary basement; it was a pit designed for something sinister.

“I don't know why this is happening,” I managed to croak out.

Luca and Lo exchanged glances, their silence echoing louder than any words could convey. I pressed my lips together, desperately searching their eyes for some hint of understanding, some flicker of compassion. “Please, tell me what’s going on.”

Nico, the man I loved, was treating me like I was some criminal in his world, like I was one of the bad guys he hunted down without mercy.

Still, they remained mute, their expressions hardened. I struggled against the ropes, my breath quickening, panic clawing at my throat.

With every second that ticked by, the truth sank in deeper that I was utterly alone, trapped in a nightmare crafted by the man I had let into my heart.