THE DON'S CAPTIVE MISTRESS

The Calm

HAZEL

“Nico,” I begin, my voice trembling. “You’re freaking me out, okay? I don’t care if he decides to kill me. I guess it was a long time coming....”

He stares at me, unblinking. “He already sold me in there...to that man called Mac,” I say, the words tumbling out. “I’m supposed to go spend the night with him, and he paid Axel a million, okay? I know you don’t want to hear that; I know it sounds insane...but he sold me.”

Nico doesn’t react. His expression doesn’t change. His silence is worse than if he had yelled.“I was mad, I was angry, and I was looking for an outlet,” I continue, my voice breaking. “The last thing I wanted was to sleep with a man I didn’t want. I wasn’t thinking.... I should’ve thought about you. And I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drag you into my mess. It just happened.”

He shakes his head, but not in understanding. It’s the kind of shake that comes when someone reaches a conclusion, when the line has already been drawn.He lights another cigarette. His hands are shaking. He keeps shaking his head, muttering under his breath, and the more he does, the more panic creeps into me.

“Nico, come on,” I say, my voice rising. “There’s a way, right? There has to be a way. I mean, you didn’t even do anything! There’s a way to fix this.”

Nico keeps nodding, slowly. “Yeah,” he says, almost too calmly. “You’re probably right."

"We just have to put our heads together and come up with a solution. Then all of this will be in the past... There has to be a way.”

He keeps nodding, nodding, nodding, like he’s trying to convince himself more than me.

Then he chuckles, low and bitter. “Yeah. Probably... I should’ve listened to Luca.”

I blink. “What?”

He exhales smoke, eyes unfocused.

“He told me you were trouble. Said you’d mess this whole thing up. And I guess I should’ve listened. Because if I had, maybe right now I wouldn't be thinking about running away. I wouldn't be thinking about protecting myself, my life, or my family.”

His words hit like a slap.

“Do you know how many people’s lives are on the line right now, Hazel?”

I shake my head, my voice trapped in my throat.For the first time, I see real fear in Nico’s eyes. Not anger. Not annoyance. Fear... And that’s what terrifies me most, because Nico was born in this life. He grew up in it and breathes it like oxygen. He’s the kind of man who never flinches, never loses control. But now, looking at him...his pale face, the tremor in his hands, the way he can’t stop pacing, I realize something I never wanted to admit.

If he’s scared…then I should be terrified.

“I’m sorry, Nico, I’m sorry.” The words tumble out between uneven breaths. “I already agreed to take the blame for this whole thing, okay? I’m sorry. And yes, you’re probably right.... Luca’s probably right too. I’m probably as bad as he says. But you’re forgetting something…”

I wipe my nose with the back of my hand, the words breaking apart as they leave my mouth. “I didn’t want to be here. I don’t want to be here.... And I’m sorry that I put your life in danger. I didn’t mean to. I just—”

My throat tightens. “I just found out I was going to spend the night with a man I don’t even know, like a w***e. I didn't grow up in this life; I never expected this to ever happen to me.”

Then I can’t stop it anymore. I start crying.Not the quiet kind of crying either. It’s messy, ugly, and desperate. My whole body shakes as I fall apart right there in front of him. I don’t know if Nico’s looking at me or if he’s turned away, but it doesn’t matter. I can’t hold it together any longer. I just cry, because what else can I do?

For a moment, all I can hear is the sound of my own sobs and the faint hum of distant voices from the ballroom.

Then, suddenly...

“Stand up,” Nico snaps, his voice low and sharp.

I blink up at him through my tears. His face is tight, jaw clenched, every line of his body drawn taut with tension. He’s no longer pacing. He’s composed again, or at least trying to be.

“Do you forgive me?” I whisper. “Please. I promise...if there’s anything you want me to do, just say it. I’ll do it. I just want this to be over.”

Nico grits his teeth, dragging a hand through his hair before snapping,

“I told you to stand and straighten yourself up. Axel’s coming this way, and I don’t want him to know anything’s wrong. Got it?”

I nod quickly, scrambling to my feet. My hands are shaking as I fix my hair, wipe my face, and smooth my dress. I don’t even think. I just do. I move automatically, pulled by fear. Because now I understand something I didn’t before... my life isn’t my own. I might die.... But I’m not taking Nico with me.

I’m still trying to catch my breath when I feel him before I see him... Axel.

There’s something about the air when he enters a space. The sound shifts. Sometimes you hear his footsteps. Sometimes you don’t. It’s like he decides when the world is allowed to notice him.

This time, he’s silent. He doesn’t say a word, but I know he’s there. I can feel his eyes on us, or maybe just on me. I stare straight ahead, refusing to turn around.

For a moment, no one moves. Then Nico clears his throat, the sound thin and uneasy.

“Uh, I’m going to leave the two of you....”

But Axel’s voice cuts through the air before he can finish.

“No,” he says smoothly. “I have something to do. Why don’t you take Hazel home?”

The way he says it, calm, polite, almost casual but with a sharpness underneath, an edge that slices through.... Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m hearing too much.

But I swear there’s something different in his tone tonight. Something that makes my stomach twist.

I nod once, not trusting myself to speak. And yet, as the words replay in my head, ' take Hazel home,' I realize I don’t know whether to feel relieved or terrified.

Because I was supposed to go with this Mac guy to whoever knows where.... And Axel never changes his mind without a reason. Something tells me this is just the calm before the storm.