Page 102 of The Chaos She Brings
Kai’s breathing evens out as he falls asleep while I lie awake mulling over the options.
I could run, Kai could come with me, and we could spend our lives running from this man. But everyone else would be left behind to die. Even if we all went, people would die. Their blood on my hands.
We could fight, but again, people will inevitably die. I can’t handle another loss. Nico was bad enough, if I lost Carina? Kai? Nate? Even Enzo, despite us not knowing each other that well. I couldn’t handle that, and there’s no guarantee we’d win.
So, my other option is that I marry this Nikolai. Someone who scares even my father. That alone tells me the type of man he must be. I’d be used as a plaything, someone for him to break. But at least it would only be me. No one else would need to get hurt.
I know what I have to do.
Kai
Tess is acting strange. Given everything that’s happening, that’s not surprising—but something about it feelsoff.
She’s more affectionate than usual, always reaching for me, tracing patterns on my skin, pressing herself against me like she’s trying tomemoriseme. Not that I mind, but there’s a quiet desperation to it, like she’s holding onto something she knows she’s about to lose.
And she’stoocalm. Like she’s already made peace with the storm that’s coming. No fear, no second guessing—just acceptance. It doesn’t sit right.
Meanwhile, Enzo and I have been working on a plan to bring the Ivanov’s down before this turns into a full-scale war. It’s going to get messy no matter what, but we’ve found a way to weaken them before a single bullet is fired.
Their assets?Frozen.Their bank accounts?Compromised.Every weapons shipment?Cancelled.We’ve buried our tracks so deep that even if they suspect us, they won’t be able to prove a damn thing.
And that’s not all. I hacked into their communications, pulling every dirty secret they’ve tried to bury—fraud, embezzlement, trafficking. Enough to burn their entire operation to the ground.
Tomorrow is Tess’s birthday. It’s also the deadline Anastasia gave us to make a decision.
Tess doesn’t know it yet, but Enzo and I have set up a meeting with Anastasia and Nikolai. They think we’re handing her over.
But really? We’re walking in with the leverage to bring their empire crashing down.
34
It’s For The Best
Kai to Tess: I want to wake up next to you every morning. [delivered]
Tess
Ipressakissto Kai’s skin, gently so that I don’t wake him, then slip out of the covers. I quietly change into black joggers and a hoodie—one of Kai’s—grab his phone from the nightstand, then take one last look at him before heading out the door.
My heart hurts, thinking about what I have to do. But I don’t see any other choice. I’ve spent the week saying goodbye to him, trying to make peace with my decision.
I tip-toe into the hall and head in the direction of the front door. Getting out of the penthouse is the easy part, but I need to slip past Enzo’s reception manager downstairs.
I wrote a note. One that I place on the kitchen counter, before taking one last look around. I enter the lift, pressing the button for the lowest level where the parking garage is. I figuremy easiest way out of here is with a car, so I stole a set of Enzo’s keys earlier today. Henry—Enzo’s receptionist—will be on the ground floor, while the cars are in the basement.
It feels like it takes forever before the ding sounds overhead and the doors open. I press the fob and watch to see which car lights up. It’s some sort of sports car and I already know I’m going to struggle. The wheel is on the wrong side, and I’m going to have to remember to drive on the right, not the left side of the road. I also haven’t actually driven in years, though I do have my licence (small mercies).
I slide in, feeling the cool leather beneath me as I try to ground myself. The car purrs to life and I grip the steering wheel hard as I put the car in drive.
Thank God it’s an automatic.
I make it out onto the street without a hitch and set off into the night. My heart pounds in my chest as I press call on the number I stole from Enzo’s phone when he wasn’t looking. He left it unlocked, and I found my mother’s contact information.
It rings once before she picks up.
“It’s me,” I state, skipping any pretence of pleasantries.
“Tessa. What can I do for you?”
