Page 22 of My Sweetest Obsession

“Oh, Nico.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “Oh, my god. I?—”

I took her hand, brushing her knuckles with my thumb. “Shh. It’s okay.”

The tears spilled over, cascading down Mya’s cheeks. “It’s my fault. I told her not to leave, but she wouldn’t listen to me,” she choked out, the words thick with regret. “Nico, I’msosorry.”

I squeezed her hand tighter. “It’s not your fault, Mya. Mom was going to do whatever the hell she wanted to do no matter what anyone said.”

Mom had never been one to follow the rules when it came to getting her way. I hoped Mya would recognize the truth in my statement so she no longer blamed herself.

Her face twisted in sorrow. “She didn’t deserve it. I should’ve?—”

“Stop,” I interrupted gently. “It’s not your fault, and she would say the same thing if she were here.”

Mya looked away, her gaze settling on the window as the clouds began to cover the sun. “She didn’t deserve to die.”

No, she didn’t, I thought to myself.

She turned back to me, her eyes glistening with tears. “What about Gigi?”

I hesitated. “She was...taken, but we’re doing everything we can to find her.”

“No,” Mya whispered, closing her eyes and resting her head against her pillow.

“We’re still looking into it, but we believe her grandfather may be involved.”

Mya’s eyes snapped open, confusion and disbelief swirling in her gaze. “Hergrandfather?” She shook her head. “What do you mean?”

I huffed out a breath, running my hands down my face, wishing I could peel off this skin that felt too tight because of the anger and regret gnawing at my insides. “It’s a long story.”

“Don’t care. Tell me,” she demanded, and so I did.

Once I disclosed all the events surrounding Gigi’s abduction, she looked away, tears streaming down her face. The only noise in the room was the steady beeping of the machines and her sniffles.

We sat there, caught in that stillness until Mya finally met my gaze, her eyes blazing with heartbreak. She squeezed my hand tightly as if trying to anchor me. But no matter how much comfort she offered me, the pain was killing me. And only Gigi would make the pain go away.

“I have faith that you will find her, Nico. And when you do, make those assholes suffer.” The fierceness in her words echoed my own rage.

“I will. I promise.”

The cool night air offered little solace as I stepped out of the hospital, my mind clouded with worry and grief. The drive homewas a blur, the streets I once knew like the back of my hand a mere haze.

Christmas had passed, and now we found ourselves in the New Year. Experiencing two holidays without my Angel was gradually breaking me down, and soon I would become nothing more than a memory.

The heavy iron gate creaked open, and I guided my car through the entrance to the underground garage. I sat there, numb, staring out the window. An unbearable ache twisted in my chest, a constant reminder that when I finally gathered the courage to walk back into the house, my reason for breathing would not be there.

With a heavy heart, I turned off the engine. Exiting the vehicle, I proceeded towards the main floor, where the guards acknowledged my arrival. Every step I took, the ache deepened, clawing at my insides like a wild animal desperate to escape. I wanted nothing more than to tear my heart from my chest, to free myself from the suffocating truth that it was now dead. Without my angel, it lay still, no longer beating, no longer alive.

There were numerous instances when I wanted to break down and surrender to my vulnerability, but I couldn’t take that risk.

I was the fucking king.

To show even a flicker of weakness would invite my enemies to take their shot and jeopardize my chances of finding Gigi. I would be fighting a war at home when my focus should be on rescuing her.

The moment I crossed the threshold, Demon was at my side. He had been as lost and troubled as I had since Gigi was taken.

“Hey, boy,” I murmured, crouching to scratch behind his ears. “I miss her too.” He whined softly as if agreeing and followed me to my office. Two of my guards stood by the door.

“Boss,” they acknowledged with a slight nod.