REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 132

I rolled my eyes and tossed the phone onto the couch cushion. I didn't care if he was sorry or if he was losing his mind pacing his office. He had looked at me with pure disbelief and accused me of being some kind of monster just because I handled my business. He wanted the truth, and the second I gave him a slice of it, he panicked like a kid who found a bug in his shoe.

I walked into the kitchen, poured myself a cup of black coffee, and stared out the massive windows at the gray city sky.

My phone started vibrated again right on the coffee table. I walked over, picked it up, and saw Dario's name flashing across the screen. I swiped it to answer and put it on speaker, tossing it back down.

"Where are you, kitten?" his voice came through the speaker, tight and exhausted. "Your dad talked to me. He told me enough to make me realize I was an idiot for how I acted at the beach." he said.

"You figured that out all by yourself?" I asked, my voice dry.

"Don't do that Nyxara," he sighed heavily on the other end. "I'm worried about you. You just vanished without a word, and after everything with Caroline… Nysa being ut there and Russo still after you"

"I needed space," I said cutting him off. "And I got it. You wanted the truth about what happened, I gave it to you. If you can't handle how I handled it , then stop trying to keep track of me."

"I'm not trying to control you, I'm trying to protect you," he shot back, his voice rising a fraction before he reined it back in. "Just come back to the estate, or let me come see you. Tell me where you are." he said.

"No," I said. "I like it right where I am. Leave me alone for a few days, Dario. I mean it."

Without waiting for him to argue back, I ended the call and turned the phone off again. I didn't need him showing up here. He didn't even know where this place was, and I wanted to keep it that way. I walked back over to the window, sipping my coffee in the quiet, knowing the storm wasn't over yet.

After keeping my phone powered off for another full twenty-four hours, the suffocating silence of the penthouse finally started wearing on my nerves. Sitting around staring at the same four walls wasn't going to solve anything, and my empire at Cipher Core certainly wasn't going to run itself while I played hermit.

I took a long, steaming shower, letting the hot water beat down on my shoulders to wash away the lingering headache and the heavy tension that had settled deep in my bones. Once I stepped out, I pulled on a heavy black turtleneck sweater, dark denim, and a pair boots. Thankfully, when I had bough the penthouse, I had the sense to buy clothes and leave it here. I grabbed my bag, checking to make sure my keys and essentials were tucked securely inside.

When I stepped out into the private hallway, Jax was already leaning against the textured wall near the elevator doors, standing like a patient, stone-faced statue. He didn't blink as I approached.

"Car's downstairs ready to go, boss," Jax said, his voice dropping into that low, flat register he used whenever we were moving outside the safe zone. He fell right into step beside me as the elevator chimed and the heavy metal doors slid open.

"Did Dario try anything else while I was locked away?" I asked, stepping into the elevator car and watching the floor numbers tick down.

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