"She shouldn't be here. You know that, right?" Giana said, sitting on the desk.
"I want it to look natural. She has to believe this is real." Nico sighed, rubbing his forehead as he gathered his thoughts.
"I think she'll find out either way." She played with his hair, twisting her fingers in the roots. He leaned forward, resting his head on her thighs as quiet, satisfied sigh left his lips.
"You need to put a leash on her. Let her know what she's involved in because if she screws this up, I'll put a bullet in her head." Her voice turned cold.
Nico raised his head up immediately. "Gia, we can't touch her. If we do that, the deal is over," he said, his tone firm.
"I don't want you around her." She cupped his face in her palms. "You can't sleep in the same bed with her." She swiped her thumb across his chin, her gaze hard.
"Our relationship is performative. That's all. No touching, no close contact."
A sharp knock on the door cut through the tension.
"Come in." He said.
Theo walked into the study, closing the door behind him. "Are you joining us for breakfast?" He asked.
"Is that necessary?" Giana chipped in, clearly annoyed.
"Nika needs an introduction. Everyone's downstairs already," he continued. "It would be nice for you to be there...right now."
Nick sighed, getting up from the swivel chair. "We don't have to do this."
Giana rolled her eyes. "I know."
He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.
"Let's go."
**************************
Nika sat quietly at the table, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of her glass as she took in the room.
The table was already full, staff moving in and out, dishes being set, quiet conversations flowing between them. It felt strange, in a good way.
"You must be Nika." A tall blonde girl sat beside her.
Nika's gaze flickered towards her. "Yeah." She muttered, her voice barely audible.
Scarlett leaned closer, resting her elbow on the table. "So… how are you finding it so far?"
Nika glanced at her, a small smile forming. "It's… a lot. But nice."
"Nice?" Scarlett laughed softly. "Give it a few days."
Nika let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "I'll keep that in mind."
They both got along easily—keeping themselves company with small talk and light teasing. Nothing too deep, but enough to ease the tightness in her chest.
For the first time in a while, she didn't feel so alone.
Then—
The room went quiet. Not gradually. Instantly.
The shift was so sudden it pulled her attention away from Scarlett. Nika looked up, her brows knitting slightly.
Theo walked in first. Relief flickered across her face. She gave him a small wave and he smiled back.
It was simple. But it didn't go unnoticed.
Nico saw it.
His gaze lingered for a second longer than necessary before shifting away.
And then her eyes landed on him.
Her chest tightened a bit.
Everything about him felt controlled and calculated. Like the way he walked into rooms expecting silence and getting it.
But that wasn't what caught her off guard.
It was Giana.
Her hand was wrapped around his arm. Comfortable. Possessive. Nika's expression faltered for a split second.
Confusion flickered through her expression, quick and sharp.
She looked away almost immediately, pretending she hadn't noticed.
But she had. And it didn't make sense.
Nico took his seat at the head of the table, his movements calm and steady. His eyes found hers again. His gaze was hard and locked in, unblinking.
Nika reached for her glass, taking a small sip just to have something to do. Anything to avoid his intense gaze.
"Since everyone's here," he began, his voice cutting cleanly through the silence, "I'll make this quick."
Nika set her glass down slowly. Her gaze lowered on the plate before her.
"This is Nika."
All eyes turned to her again.
"You'll be seeing more of her."
Scarlett smiled beside her, clearly unfazed. Theo leaned back slightly, relaxed as always. A few others nodded politely.
But not Giana.
Nika didn't need to look to feel it.That stare. It was cold, heavy, and unwelcoming. Nika held her glass, her hands slightly shaky.
Why was she looking at her like that?
Breakfast resumed, but the energy had changed. Conversations picked up again, softer this time.
Nika responded when spoken to, smiled when necessary, but her awareness stayed split—half on the table, half on the tension she couldn't quite ignore.
On Nico.
On Giana.
On whatever this was.
When it was over, chairs scraped the floor as people began to stand.
"Meeting in ten," Theo said casually.
The words barely registered before people started leaving. One by one. No one looked at her. No one said anything.
Not even Scarlett.
Nika stayed seated, her fingers curling slightly against the table.
So she wasn't included.
Her gaze followed them as they left. Theo, Scarlett… then Nico. He didn't look back. The room emptied quickly. Too quickly. She leaned back slightly, exhaling under her breath.
A meeting.
Her curiosity stirred instantly.
What were they hiding?
And why did it feel like it had something to do with her?
Nika remained seated long after the room had emptied, her fingers resting loosely against the table. The silence felt different now. Heavier.
Her gaze drifted to the seat Nico had occupied just minutes ago, then to the space beside it.
Giana.
The image replayed in her head. The way her hand had been wrapped around his arm, so natural—like it belonged there. Her brows pulled together slightly.
What exactly was going on here?
She exhaled quietly, leaning back in her chair. "This is temporary," she muttered under her breath, more to convince herself than anything else.
It had to be.
A soft sound pulled her from her thoughts. Footsteps. She turned just as Theo walked back into the dining room, his hands tucked casually into his pockets.
"I was wondering if you'd still be here," he said, a small smile forming on his lips. Nika straightened slightly. "I didn't realize I was supposed to leave."
"You're not," he replied easily, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her. "They just like their… private discussions."
"About things I shouldn't hear?" she asked, raising a brow.
Theo chuckled softly. "Something like that." Her fingers tapped lightly against the table.
"You all do that a lot here?"
"Keep secrets?" He tilted his head slightly. "You'll get used to it."
That didn't sound reassuring.
Nika held his gaze for a second before looking away. "I'm not planning to stay long enough for that."
Theo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied her like he was trying to figure something out.
"That's what everyone says at first," he finally said.
Something about the way he said it made her chest tighten. Before she could respond, he stood up, smoothing out his shirt.
"Get some rest," he added. "You might need it."
Nika frowned slightly. "For what?"
Theo paused at the doorway, glancing back at her. A small, knowing smile touched his lips."You'll see."
And then he was gone.
Nika stared at the empty doorway for a moment, her uneasiness creeping back in.
Whatever was happening in this house…
She was already in deeper than she thought.