REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 128

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from inside the house, breaking my train of thought. I stood up, left the empty beer bottle on the table, and headed back inside just as the men walked into the main room.

"How did it go?" I asked, looking at them.

Dad let out a heavy, frustrated sigh, dropping his jacket over the back of a chair. "That bastard gave us the slip. I've been here for too long, I need to head back down south to handle business," Dad said, his jaw tight.

"Then go back," I said. "Russo will follow you or me, it doesn't matter. I can handle myself. I have security too, so there's no need to stay just for me. How large of an operation does Russo have left?" I asked, looking at Dad and Uncle Pascal.

They seemed to think about it for a few minutes, exchanging grim looks. "About a quarter of ours, but he is building momentum again," Dad said.

"Then cripple him. Don't just go after him physically, go after him financially. Go after everything he owns, put a bounty on his head and his men. Anyone that works with him either gets blacklisted permanently or makes themselves enemies of the Cruz family." I said,

Uncle Pascal crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. "And Nysa?" Uncle Pascal asked.

"We didn't see her, not even her shadow. Maybe she already ran," Dario said, running a hand through his hair.

"Nysa isn't a threat if she's alone," I said, keeping my expression blank so they wouldn't guess she was currently tied up in my basement. "As long as she doesn't have a backer, she's powerless and Russo will be too busy handling the mass destruction of his little empire to deal with Nysa and her petty revenge."

Vincenzo, who had been quiet the whole time, looked at us and let out a dry chuckle. "Pedro, I'm sorry to say, but your daughter is smarter than you."

My father scoffed, though there was a hint of begrudging respect in his eyes. "I'm not thinking about territory takeovers right now. All I'm thinking about right now is protecting my daughter from that deranged bitch and that slimy bastard Russo." Dad said.

I sighed, rolling my eyes at his protective streak. "Dad, call Mom and the others and tell them to come back home."

I looked over at Vincenzo. "Is that a good idea?" Vincenzo asked, hesitating.

"Yes. Besides, having everyone here will make it seem like we are getting back to normal life, but we're still going to be cautious," I said.

"Okay," Dario agreed quietly, stepping closer to my side.

After they finished talking , they all headed to their rooms. After a hot shower, I got into bed, and Dario pulled me close into him, wrapping his arms around my waist and holding me tight against his chest.

"Are you really okay?" he asked softly, his voice low in the dark room.

I shifted and looked up at him, meeting his dark eyes. "Yes, I am. Why do you ask?"

"Sometimes I feel like you're married to me just because you had to be," he said. I stayed quiet for a long moment, letting his words hang in the space between us. "Is it because I don't act the way most women do? Should I be all lovey-dovey, sweet, and calm?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but sometimes it doesn't feel like we're married. I think it's because we hardly spend any time together. You're always out, I'm always working, and we don't ever get a chance to actually talk and get to know each other," he said, his tone surprisingly vulnerable.

I looked at him, studying the seriousness on his face. "You mean you want to get to know me?" I asked.

"Yes, I do," he replied without hesitation. "I don't want to be married to you just because of an arrangement. I want to get to know you, what you like, what you hate, what you want from life, if you have any plans going forward, and if they include me." he said.

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