REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 94

I could see that he was still shaken up by the truth, the weight of the last twelve years crushing down on him all at once. I stood up from where I was sitting, walked over, and sat down right beside him on the couch. I reached out, taking his hand in both of mine, and squeezed it softly.

"I don't blame you," I said, keeping my voice gentle. "When I was sent away, I thought I did something wrong. I thought maybe I wasn't good enough, and that if I just tried harder, you would all finally see me and want me around. But now I realize that it wasn't that I wasn't good enough. It was that Nysa and Caroline made sure I was kept away, locked out on purpose."

He looked down at our hands, his fingers trembling slightly before he slowly patted the back of my hand. "They lied to us both," he said, his voice thick with regret. "Even though you say you won't do anything, the Valteri family and your father won't let Nysa off the hook for this. You know how they operate." He let out a long, heavy sigh.

I took a deep breath, looking straight ahead. "They won't. But they already promised me something. They won't touch you or your business." I said softly and he nodded slowly, staring blankly at the floor. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't see through it sooner, that I didn't try harder to break through whatever walls they put up between us." he said.

I shook my head, keeping my expression calm and steady. "No, it's not either of our fault. It's them and they will pay for it."

He looked up, his eyes meeting mine with a sudden, dark clarity. "Then make them pay." he said.

We sat there talking for a while longer, untangling the wreckage of the past and putting the remaining pieces into perspective. When the conversation finally wound down, he pulled me into a tight, lingering hug, telling me to take care of myself as I prepared for the wedding.

"If you ever need help with anything, come to me," I told him quietly as we pulled apart. He gave a solemn nod, standing up from the couch and walking toward the door. Without looking back one last time, he stepped out into the hallway, leaving me alone in the quiet penthouse with the truth finally laid bare.

After he left, I sat there alone in the quiet penthouse for a few seconds to collect my thoughts, letting the heavy silence settle back over the room. The conversation with him was over, and the truth was out in the open. But the next piece of the board was already moving. The men Nysa had paid would be releasing her in two days, and once she was out, the real drama would start.

I stood up, grabbed my coat and the manila folder, and headed down to the car. Instead of going straight back to the estate, I had the driver take me to Cipher Core. I spent the afternoon at my desk, catching up on operational reports, signing the routine paperwork Leo and Chloe had queued up for me, and making sure everything was running smoothly. By the time late afternoon rolled around, I packed up my things and had the driver take me back to the Valteri estate.

The second I stepped through the front doors, I realized coming back was a mistake. The house was an absolute madhouse. Elena, Grandmother, Bianca, and Ella were spread across the living room and foyer, surrounded by sprawling stacks of fabric swatches, seating charts, and catering catalogs, arguing passionately over floral arrangements and menu options. The men had all cleared out, hiding out somewhere else in the estate to avoid the storm.

Before I could even take two steps toward the stairs, Elena spotted me standing by the door. Her eyes lit up like she had just found a fresh victim for her planning committee.

"Nyxara, darling! Perfect, we need you to decide on…"

"Sorry, Mom!" I blurted out, holding my hands up defensively. "I just came back to grab a folder, I have to go right back to the office!"

Without waiting for a response, I spun on my heel, bolted up the grand staircase, and hurried down the hall to my room. I wasn't about to stay and get sucked into the suffocating vortex of wedding stress when I had much more interesting things to deal with.

I grabbed a quick shower, changed into a fresh outfit, and grabbed my bag. As I walked back down to the front drive, I made a sudden decision. Instead of hiding out at Cipher Core until dark, I was going to pay a visit to Caroline's mother and father, my supposed grandparents that I had lived with for half my life.

I signaled for the security detail, knowing fully well that if I tried to slip out alone, Dario would track my phone and annoy me with a dozen calls before I even made it off the property. They piled into the lead and trailing vehicles immediately, falling into step behind my car as we headed out toward the gated suburban estate where my childhood had been stolen away.

On the drive, my phone vibrated against the leather seat. I glanced down and saw a notification pop up from an unknown number, a video message. I didn't even have to open it to know what it was. It was another clip of Nysa, trapped and being violated by the very men she had hired. I swiped the notification away without a second thought, completely refusing to give the footage the satisfaction of my attention.

Instead, I tapped my screen and called Leo.

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