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I swallow hard, wetting my lips slightly, and without realizing it, I press my thighs together.

“You look stunning,Solnychko,” he murmurs, stepping closer.

But I instinctively take a step back.

He stops.

What if my sister is right ?

Two weeks isn’t long enough to trust anyone.

These lingering glances, these touches, these words that soothe my mind like a balm—should they terrify me instead ?

What if all of this is just a way to keep me occupied while he negotiates with Antonio ?

A sudden thought steals my breath away.

If Nikolaï Ivanov asked me to stay at the end of these three weeks… I might actually say yes.

“Selina ?” he says, frowning as he steps toward me again.

I shake my head, retreating another step.

“I… I feel tired. I think I’ll go rest for a bit.”

He watches me for a long moment, as if trying to read my thoughts, but then nods, stepping aside to let me pass.

I keep my head down as I hurry up the stairs, retreating to the guest room, where I begin gathering our things.

Sienna is right. Trust has no place in this world—especially not in the mafia.

I pace back and forth across the room while Rafael sleeps peacefully, unaware of everything. The night is well advanced—it must be around three in the morning. I freeze when the door opens, and my sister slips inside, dressed entirely in black, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Are you ready ?” she asks, approaching me with a black jacket in her hands.

“I… Sienna, what if he finds us outside ?” I ask, my voice trembling as she helps me slip into the jacket.

“Selina, look at me,” she says firmly.

I turn to meet her gaze as she zips up the jacket over my light sweater.

“I was the one who got us out of that hotel, wasn’t I ? And the rest of my plan was solid until those Ivanov brothers interfered. So don’t worry—I know what I’m doing,” she says, her expression filled with determination.

I nod, forcing myself to ignore the crushing fear. Moving toward my son, I gently shake him awake while pointing at our packed bag for Sienna to take.

“Mamma? What’s happening ?” he asks, struggling to open his eyes as I help him into his jacket.

“Nothing,angelomio, we’re just playing a little game, okay ? We have to be very quiet.”

“Are we playing hide and seek ? Is Niko going to find us?!”

My hands tremble at the mere thought.

If Nikolaï catches us, I have no idea how he’ll react. Will he punish me like Antonio ?

A cold sweat grips me as I exhale slowly, trying to calm myself.

“Yes, it’s hide and seek, but we have to win, so no noise, okay, baby ?” I lie.