Chapter 2 ALESSIA

CHAPTER 2

Camilla Moretti;

"What are you saying, Nik?" My voice trembled, barely above a whisper. My body felt frozen, as if the world had shifted beneath my feet.

Nikolai's expression remained cold, detached. "Mother, Camilla and I are divorced now... Actually, Alessia is the one I love." His words sliced through me, sharp and deliberate.

"Oh, is that so?" Mrs. Thompson, my mother-in-law, beamed, her eyes sparkling with approval. "Well, Alessia, you're welcome! I always knew my son had impeccable taste in women!"

Alessia stepped forward, brushing past me as if I were invisible, her hand slipping into Mrs. Thompson's with practiced ease. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Thompson," she said sweetly, her voice laced with triumph. "I've heard so much about you!"

I clenched my fists at my sides, my nails biting into my palms. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in. My gaze flickered to Nikolai, searching for any sign of the man I once knew, the man who had promised to love me.

But his cold, indifferent eyes only confirmed the truth.

"So... all these years and-" My voice broke, tears spilling freely. "What is this? What's happening, Nikolai? One minute you send me divorce papers, and now a woman is in your arms!"

"Enough!" Mrs. Thompson snapped, her tone sharp enough to silence the room. "My son knows his worth. Besides, you've been married for years and still no heir. He has every right to divorce you. Don't make a scene here!"

"You must be Camilla," Alessia said, her voice sickly sweet as she stepped closer. "I've heard so much about you. You lost your baby, didn't you? That must've been hard."

Her words twisted the knife further. My breath caught, and I turned to Nikolai, my vision blurred by tears. Only he knew about my loss. My heart pounded as realization dawned-he must have told her.

"How could you..." I trailed off, raking my hands through my hair, trying to ground myself. The room was alive with murmurs, the whispers and clicking phones adding to my torment. "Who is she? Is she Nikolai's wife?"

"No, the wife is the one with Mrs. Thompson."

The hushed voices grew louder, feeding off my humiliation.

"Look, Camilla, today is a special day for my mother, and I won't have you ruining it. Do us all a favor and stay sane."

He pulled Alessia into his arms, their embrace a cruel mockery of everything I'd lost.

The air felt stifling, my chest tightening with every passing second. I couldn't take it anymore. I scanned the room for an escape and spotted the staircase leading to the upper balcony. Without a word, I made my way there, desperate for solitude.

When I reached the balcony, I gripped the railing and let out a shaky breath. The cool breeze hit my face, calming the storm inside me-if only for a moment. So, this is how it ends.

"Pathetic."

Her voice froze me in place. I turned slowly to see Alessia standing behind me, a smug smile plastered across her face.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice low but sharp.

"What do I want? Oh, darling, I already have it. Nikolai. His love. His name. Everything that was once yours is mine now."

I clenched the railing tighter. "Congratulations," I said through gritted teeth. "Now, leave me alone."

"But where's the fun in that?" she mocked. "I can't have you sulking around, ruining our perfect moment. You're nothing now, Camila. No husband, no baby, no future. Just... nothing."

Her words cut deep, but I refused to let her see my pain. "You've got what you wanted. Why are you still here?"

"Because you're still here," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Nikolai doesn't need you haunting him. Do us all a favor and disappear."

I took a step back, my heart racing. "You're insane."

"And you're in my way," she spat, lunging forward.

I stumbled as her hands shoved against me. My foot caught on the edge of the balcony floor, and I tried to steady myself, but she slipped too. Her scream pierced the air as we both toppled down the staircase.

The impact was brutal. Pain shot through my side, and I gasped for air. My vision blurred as I struggled to sit up. Blood streaked my arm, but I was alive.

Alessia wasn't as lucky. She lay sprawled at the bottom of the staircase, blood pooling beneath her head. Her leg was twisted, and her face contorted in pain.

"Help! Somebody help me!" she wailed, clutching her leg.

The room erupted into chaos. People crowded around, phones flashing, voices rising in panic.

Mrs. Thompson's shrill voice cut through the noise. "What have you done, Camila?!" My stomach dropped. "I-I didn't... She pushed me first!"

Before I could say more, Nikolai appeared, his face like thunder. His cold, piercing eyes locked onto me, and for a second, I couldn't breathe.

"Camila," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "What the hell did you do?"

I shook my head, stumbling to my feet. "She attacked me! She pushed me, Nikolai. You have to believe me!"

He stepped closer, his presence towering over me. "Believe you?" he sneered. "You've done nothing but embarrass me tonight. And now this?!" He gestured to Alessia, who sobbed dramatically in Mrs. Thompson's arms.

"She's lying!" I shouted, desperation clawing at my throat.

"You disgust me," he spat, his voice venomous. "Get out of my sight, Camila. You've done enough damage."

My breath hitched as his words tore into me, each one sharper than the last.

He stepped closer, towering over me with cold, piercing eyes. "All these years, do you really think I ever loved you? You were nothing but a placeholder, a weak substitute for someone I lost. You reminded me of her, but that's all you ever were-a pale, pathetic shadow. I tolerated you, Camila. Nothing more."

"What? What do you mean Nik... please you have to believe me!!...I didn't push her. Look I'm bleeding too,"

"I don't care!!...You can die for all I care!"

He turned away as though I wasn't even worth his gaze, his next words cutting through me like a blade. "You should pack your things and leave. There's no place for you in my life anymore. There never really was."

The air left my lungs. I stood frozen, barely hearing the gasps of the crowd around us.

Without another word, Nikolai walked toward Alessia, crouching beside her as she clung to him like a lifeline. I watched as he comforted her, his hand brushing her hair back with a tenderness he had never shown me.

I tried to stand but Mrs. Thompson stood in my way.

"No, no... The cops are here and you're paying for behaving like an animal!" She hissed, and I exhaled deeply, letting go of everything.

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Just as I took a step toward the door, trying to leave.

"Don't you dare leave, Camilla," a voice I didn't recognize said, icy and dangerous.

I froze. And then I saw him-standing in the doorway, his eyes cold and calculating. The room went dead silent. My heart pounded, my blood turning to ice.

Nikolai, Alessia, Mrs. Thompson-they were all moments away from walking out of my life. But this man... This man was someone who could destroy everything.

And he wasn't here by accident.