My Second Marriage with the Mafia Kingpin novel Chapter 334

Chapter 334: Trust is a brittle thing

Meanwhile, on the mainland, Lucian and Ashley’s forces had already left... except for one.

Nikki walked into her office and stopped when she spotted a figure standing near the window. The frown on her face deepened.

"Lukas, what are you doing here?" She asked, closing the door behind her with a heavy sigh. "If you’re here to berate me for my choice, I suggest you leave. I’m not in the mood for another lecture."

Lukas drew a slow breath and turned, watching her march to her desk.

Pain flickered briefly in his eyes as his chest tightened at the sight of her. He knew Nikki, and he could tell she was in a foul mood. That was expected, given what she’d been counting on for her career.

"I’m not here to lecture you," he said, turning to face her fully. "I’m here to see the look on your face."

Nikki paused and turned her head toward him. "What did you say?"

"I want to see what kind of face you’d make after realizing the grave mistake you’ve made," he continued, his tone calm even as his heart ached. He nodded slowly. "It’s exactly what I expected."

She scoffed. "Get out of here, Lukas."

A beat of silence settled between them before he nodded, as if in understanding. Lukas finally pulled his gaze from her and took a few steps toward the door, then stopped.

"Do you regret it?" he asked without looking back. "Choosing the High Chamber over the Master."

He glanced back at her, studying her expression, which didn’t change. Lukas smiled wryly.

"Of course you don’t," he murmured. "And even if you did, you’re not the type to go back on a decision you’ve already made."

It was one of the things he admired about her. Not just her face or her sharp mind, but everything — the whole of her. A strong woman, very different from anyone else around him.

He exhaled. "What a shame, Nikki."

With that, he looked away and resumed walking. His heart was heavy, but love was not something he could afford to let stand in his way. Just as Gustav had said, Lukas had been blinded by his own feelings.

Had he not been, he would have been the first to catch Nikki’s intentions before she ever stepped foot in that room. But because of love, admiration, history, and friendship... he had kept giving her the benefit of the doubt.

"Don’t blame me," Nikki said quietly, just as his hand reached the door. "Don’t blame me, Lukas. This isn’t all on me."

He paused, hand on the knob.

"I’ve worked harder for this organization than you and Gustav combined," she said, straightening her back. "But no matter what I do, no matter how much I give, no matter how many problems I fix — he never sees my value."

Nikki swallowed. "Instead, he orders Gustav to strip me of the position I worked so hard for and humiliates me in front of my own subordinates. So was it wrong to move to the side that actually recognizes what I’m worth?"

"Recognizes your worth?" Lukas looked back at her, the disappointment plain on his face. "Or uses you?"

"Does it matter?" she shot back. "At least the High Chamber is desperate enough to offer me something — rather than waiting around for Lucian to finally decide to throw me out."

Another silence settled over them.

"I see," Lukas nodded. "What a shame, Nikki."

He walked out with a heavy heart, not looking back — even knowing this might be the last time. There was no way they would take Nikki back. No way Gustav would allow it. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

At the same time, somewhere in the world...

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