Chapter 2 Savior Complex

Leni

Papa's eyes flared with fury, a silent anger brewing beneath his stoic exterior. Without a word, he gestured sharply toward the illusion passage, and I obeyed, the weight of his anger made my legs heavy. The walk back was suffocating, every step dragging through the tense silence.

Back in the living room of our private home, the silence was deafening. Neither of us spoke. My mind swirled, torn between talking about Elise's birthday wish and what he many by getting married to Dusan.

The sharp clap of footsteps shattered the silence. "Papa!" Elise's voice rang out as she ran into the room, her excitement cut through the tension.

She stopped beside Papa, her gaze flickered to me before lighting up. "You told him!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands like a child.

"I haven't," I replied, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the situation.

Papa's cold gaze shifted between us, his tone unreadable. "Tell me what?"

I hesitated but forced the words out. "Elise wants to work with you-in security."

His eyes widened, the crack in his composure brief but unmistakable. "What is wrong with the both of you?" he barked, his voice shaking the room.

He turned to me first, his finger stabbing the air. "First, you invade my study with no regard for the consequences." Then to Elise, his voice rising further. "And now you want to work for me?"

"She dragged me there," I said, my voice steady but soft, "and I don't care about your business. But Elise does-more than you realize. According to her, your security team is slipping. She managed to hack into your cameras and plant a virus in your system. If an amateur can do that..."

My words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

Papa's expression shifted, his fury tempered by disbelief. "The virus was you?" he asked, his tone edged with reluctant curiosity.

Elise nodded proudly, her chin lifting. "I wanted to see how everything worked, so I sent a little gift. Your team caught it eventually, but not before I learned some things."

His lips thinned, his shoulders tense. "How much do you know?"

"Key routes, maps, strategic points," she rattled off, her voice brimming with confidence. She handed him a flash drive. "And I dug into your clients. This has everything I found."

Papa stared at the drive in his hand, his jaw tight. "Elise, do you understand how dangerous this is? This isn't a game. Talk to her, Leni. I can't put both of you in harm's way."

His voice cracked at the end, just enough to expose how deeply he cwred. Elise's smugness fell, but the determined twinkle in her eyes didn't fade.

"Papa, I know what I'm doing," she insisted, her voice softer but unyielding.

I stepped closer, my hand brushing his arm lightly. "She's not a kid anymore," I said quietly, meeting his troubled gaze. "And you've always said we're stronger when we stick together."

Papa sighed, the weight of the decision pressing down on him.

"She won't budge," I said, my voice resigned yet calculating. "And seeing as she's already involved, why not monitor how deep she gets-"

"Both of you." His previous words suddenly hit me

The words hit like a brick. My throat tightened, and I stared at him, incredulous. "Papa, what do you mean 'both of us'? Are you serious about making me marry that man?"

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "After you left the study, Dusan was fairly certain you were my daughter. I had to throw him off. He asked for you specifically, Leni. That's the only way he'll sign the treaty with us."

"Then don't sign the treaty!" I snapped, throwing my hands up in frustration.

"That would mean admitting you're important to me," he said, his voice sharp but quiet, "and that would make you a target, Amor."

I turned to Elise, my anger bubbling over, unable to contain it. "I can't be involved, Papa! You know I can't!" My voice cracked, panic rising as the shadows of that night clawed at my chest. Memories I had buried resurfaced, suffocating me. "Not after what happened-please, Papa, I can't do this."

His face hardened, but there was a flicker of regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, princess," he said softly, but his tone left no room for argument. "You're already deeply involved. He wants you, and Dusan will have you-either willingly or by force."

The name sent a visible shudder through Elise. Her face paled, and she took a step back. "Dusan Nikolić?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Papa nodded grimly.

She shook her head violently, her hands trembling as she gripped the edge of the sofa. My mind spun. This couldn't be the same man who had smiled at me so warmly, the same man who had laughed as though nothing in the world could faze him.

"Who is he?" I demanded, my curiosity now tinged with fear.

Papa hesitated, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of his answer pressed down on him. "He's the successor of the Belyye Medvedi. They deal in every illegal thing you can think of. Organs, human trafficking, drug smuggling, arms trades... even selling human flesh to cannibals. And Dusan? He's more ruthless than his uncle. Rumor has it he's planning to expand the organization globally, with at least sixteen branches on every continent."

The air left my lungs, my stomach twisting violently. "And you want to work with him?"

Papa's eyes flicked to Elise, who took a shaky breath before continuing for him. "Papa reached out to them for direct contact-to supply them with ammunition and drugs."

A cold chill ran down my spine. This wasn't business. This was madness.

My voice came out barely above a whisper, my hands clenched into fists. "I knew your business was bad, but this? You're dealing with people who treat human lives like currency. How could you-" I stopped short, my chest tightening. My mind reeled back to Franz.

Franz was dead because of this business.

I straightened, my voice trembling but firm. "I'm not working with him. Tell Dusan whatever excuse you want, Papa. I don't care. But I'm out."

Papa's expression darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line, but I didn't wait for his response. I turned on my heel and stormed out, Elise's wide, fearful eyes burning into my back.

I barely made it to my room before my legs threatened to give out. Shutting the door behind me, I pressed my back against the cool wood and closed my eyes, trying to erase the chaos of the night from my mind. No, I wasn't going to let this consume me.

If wasn't trying to make Elise happy then none of this would have happened, a lot of things are already distressing me. I am barely an adult myself, i have underlying issues that I'm struggling to work through, I became a lawyer with the sole purpose to put a stop to people like Dusan Nikolić living a double life would ruin everything I have built.

A knock on the door startled me, breaking my quiet trail of thought. "Come in," I called, expecting Elise to barge in.

Instead, Mama stepped in. Her face was tight, her hands fidgeting in front of her-a rare sight for someone like Greta Schneider. "Leni," she said softly, shutting the door behind her. "We need to talk."

The unease in her voice sent a shiver down my spine. "What is it?"

She hesitated, glancing toward the window as if someone might be listening. "You can't stay here tonight."

I blinked. "What? Why not?"

"It's Dusan." Her voice dropped, the name falling like a stone in the silence. "I am sure your father informed you of his request and debunked you being out daughter so for the sake of Elise, leave."

My heart sank. "He's watching us?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line before she nodded. "Of course he is. He obviously has people situated outside waiting for you to leave and probably ready to trail you home. If you stay, it will solidify his earlier suspicions, which will definitely make you a target and a liability. We can't afford either."

I stared at her, the weight of her words sinking in. "And you're just... okay with this? This isn't fair!"

"Of course I'm not!" she snapped, her voice trembling. "But this isn't about what's fair, Leni. You caused this when you broke the rules, when you walked into that study."

I wanted to scream, to argue, but the desperation in her eyes stopped me. I crossed my arms instead, glaring at the floor. "What about Elise's party?"

"Elise will manage," she said quickly. "You have done enough for her, it is time to leave."

I hesitated, my mind replaying the events of the day, my new reality dawning on me. I will be the wife to the most villainous man to exist.

Fuck being an honest lawyer then.

I bit my lip, my fists clenching at my sides. Leaving felt like I was accepting papa's decision, but staying could cost us more than I was willing to risk. "Fine," I whispered. "I'll go."

Mama's gaze softened just slightly, as if she hadn't expected me to give in so quickly. But she didn't say anything.

As I packed my things, I wished she hugged me or even begged me not to leave. When I finally turned to leave, she was already at the door, her hand resting on the handle.

"Goodnight, Leni," she said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Goodnight, Mama."

She opened the door and stepped aside, allowing me to pass. As I walked down the hall, the weight of her words settled over me, my life was about to change drastically and not for good.

The drive home felt draining, my mind racing with ways to dodge being with Dusan. No matter how hard I tried, nothing came to mind

A quick glance at the rearview mirror sent a chill down my spine-a car was tailing me.

What the hell? My hands tightened around the wheel as I changed lanes, hoping they'd back off. They didn't.

I hit the accelerator, weaving through traffic, my heart pounding with every second. Suddenly, something slammed into my car, and I lost control.

Pain surged through my body, my head ringing so loudly it drowned out everything else.

Faint voices broke through. "Do you think she's dead?"

"She can't die. Boss needs her alive," came the grim reply.