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“I’ll go bring the car around,” Nikhil offers, unaware of the tension in the air. He walks off, leaving me and Isabella.
“Hey, I?—”
She’s quick to cut me off. “Actually, let my brother know that I’m going to head over to Monique’s with Chelsea. He’ll know who that is.” She doesn’t give me the chance to say anything, briskly walking away without another word.
I feel like an idiot. Isabella has been so kind to me, and I just ruined it.
When Nikhil returns, he frowns, and gestures to ask where Isabella is.
“She went out with Chelsea?” I say.
He rolls his eyes. “She should have told me.”
“Who is Chelsea?” I ask Nikhil.
“A friend of hers.”
“I think she’s mad at me.”
“Who cares?”
“I do.”
“Annalise,” Nikhil says at last, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. “Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
“Um, I guess I could eat,” I respond, grateful for an excuse to stop overthinking.
“Good,” he replies, a hint of approval in his tone. “There’s a place I’d like to take you. Somewhere we can talk privately.”
“Alright,” I agree hesitantly, trying to keep the uncertainty from showing on my face. With each passing moment, it becomes more apparent that there’s so much I don’t know about this man or the world he inhabits. And yet, the part of me that’s drawn to him—the part that still feels the lingering heat of his touch on my lips—can’t help but yearn to unravel those mysteries.
The silence in the car stretches on, growing thicker with each passing moment. I watch as the cityscape outside the window gradually fades into a blur of lights and shadows, my heart pounding in my chest like a ticking time bomb.
As we continue to drive, I can’t help but notice how the buildings around us grow older, their façades worn by time and weathered by the elements. The streets become narrower, lined with trees that cast eerie shadows on the pavement below. If I didn’t know any better, I might mistake this part of town for something straight out of a gothic novel.
“Where are we going?” I finally ask, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. Nikhil simply offers me a mysterious smile, his blue eyes glinting in the dim lighting.
“You’ll see,” he murmurs cryptically, his hand resting on the gearshift as he navigates the car expertly through the darkened streets.
Soon enough, the car slows to a stop in front of an imposing structure, its age evident in the cracked stone walls and moss-covered steps leading up to the entrance. I glance at Nikhil, searching his expression for any hint of what awaits us inside, but his face remains inscrutable.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” I question hesitantly, eyeing the building with a mix of apprehension and awe.
“Trust me,” he replies, his voice steady and reassuring. As he opens the door and steps out of the car, I take a deep breath, gathering my courage before following suit.
It’s only when I step out onto the cobblestone sidewalk that I truly grasp the gravity of our surroundings. Armed guards stand sentinel near the entrance, their expressions grim and unwavering as they survey the area with cold, calculating eyes. Fear knots in my stomach, but I force myself to push it aside, instead focusing on the warmth of Nikhil’s presence beside me.
“Stay close,” he instructs quietly, his tone leaving no room for argument. I nod, swallowing hard as we approach the guards together. Their gazes sweep over us, sizing us up in an instant before settling on Nikhil.
The heavy door looms before us, its dark wood and intricate carvings both intimidating and alluring. Nikhil’s hand rests on the small of my back, guiding me forward. As we approach the entrance, two imposing guards step into our path, their eyes boring into us with suspicion.
“?????? ????????,” one of them growls, barring our way with a massive arm.
Nikhil doesn’t hesitate, his voice firm and authoritative as he responds, “? ????? ??????. ??? ??????? ?? ????.”
I wish I knew what they were saying.
Clearly, it’s effective.
