Chapter 164: Warn Olivia.

Nerissa’s POV.

It’s been three days....Three days since everything went down.

Three days since the last time I saw Lysander.

Well, that isn’t exactly true. I’ve sneaked a few peeks at him while he’s been sleeping in his bed. Rocco placed him on strict bed rest, much to his chagrin, and apparently, the man has been giving everyone hell about it.

I’m glad, though. He needs the rest. Two bullets in his stomach aren’t exactly something you recover from overnight.

I’ve also been recovering. The blood donation left me weaker than I’d like to admit, but I’m feeling a lot better now.

Which brings me to my new office.

I’m sitting behind my desk, going through some notes for the skincare content I intend to create. There are still products I need to order, ideas I need to organise, and a ridiculous number of things I want to get done.

Linda insisted I take some fruits with me before coming in here. According to her, I wasn’t allowed to spend the entire day working without eating.

So here I am, chewing on a slice of apple while trying to finish writing something on my laptop.

My phone rings and I turn it over to find its Cassian calling.

I immediately pick it up.

"Hey, Cas!"

"Hi, Rissa."

Something is off.

I can’t quite explain it, but there’s a heaviness in his voice that makes my fingers stop moving over the keyboard.

"What’s wrong?"

"Are you doing okay?"

I blink.

That’s an odd question.

"I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?"

I almost tell him about what happened a few days ago. About the bullets and how close I came to losing my life.

But there’s no point worrying him now. I survived. That’s all that matters.

"Yes, Cas. I’m doing okay. I’m perfect."

He sighs, and I can almost picture the relief on his face.

"Good."

There’s a brief silence.

He doesn’t sound convinced, but he doesn’t push the subject either.

Then he asks something that immediately makes me sit straighter.

"Did... did Uncle reach out to you?"

I stare at the phone.

"Yes," I answer reluctantly.

"Why, Cas? You sound suspicious. What’s going on?"

"What did he want?"

I hesitate.

"Cas..."

"What did he want, Rissa?"

His voice is firmer this time.

I lean back in my chair and run a hand over my forehead.

"He wanted information about Lysander. Something he could use to gain leverage over him."

There’s silence on the other end.

"And if you don’t provide him with what he wants?"

I swallow.

"He said he’ll go after Oli."

"Fuck."

I don’t need to see him to know his hands are probably pulling at his hair. It’s something he does whenever he’s frustrated or worried.

"What’s going on, Cas? You’re frightening me."

He takes a breath.

"I think he’s found Oli, Ris."

My stomach drops.

"What?"

"I don’t know for sure, but I think he’s gotten her coordinates."

I sit upright so quickly that my chair rolls backwards.

"What? How do you know that?"

"I overheard him just now. I wasn’t supposed to hear the conversation, but I did. You need to warn Oli. She has to be safe."

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!"

My fingers tighten around the phone.

How? How the hell did he find them?

The location I arranged for Olivia and Sebastian wasn’t something anyone could just stumble upon. I’d been careful. I’d made sure there were no obvious connections leading back to us.

I thought they were safe...Apparently, I was wrong.

My mind starts racing through possibilities. Had someone followed them? Was Uncle Lorenzo watching our movements more closely than I realised?

I press my palm against my forehead.

This is bad. This is very fucking bad.

"What do I do now?" I whisper.

"Rissa..."

"Where else can they go, Cas?"

I stand and begin pacing around my office.

"I’ll tell her. I’ll prepare another place for them to run to. I can’t... I can’t let him get a hold of her, Cas. I just can’t."

My voice cracks slightly.

Olivia is pregnant. She’s carrying our niece or nephew, and the thought of Uncle Lorenzo getting his hands on her makes my stomach turn.

I know exactly what he’s capable of.

He won’t see Olivia as his niece. He’ll see her as a bargaining chip. Something he can use to force me into submission or punish her for running away.

And I won’t let that happen.

"They can’t run forever, Ris."

I stop pacing.

"What?"

"You know Uncle will always try to find them. No matter where you hide them, he’ll keep looking."

"I can’t just fucking leave her! She’s pregnant with our niece or nephew. Do you know what Uncle will do to her or Sebastian if he gets a hold of them?"

I grip the edge of my desk

"I won’t let that happen."

"I know you won’t."

"Then stop talking as if there’s nothing we can do!"

"But they can’t keep running forever."

I squeeze my eyes shut.

"Our niece or nephew deserves a stable place to grow up in, Rissa."

I stare at the wall.

"So what? You’re suggesting we hand her over to Uncle?"

My voice rises.

"Because I won’t fucking do that. Unless I’m dead and buried, I won’t do it."

"That’s not what I’m suggesting, Nerissa."

"Then what are you saying?"

He sighs a long, tired sigh.

And then he says something I never expected to hear from him.

"Maybe you should give Uncle what he wants."

I stop breathing for a second.

"What?"

"It’s a small price to pay for our sister’s well-being, Rissa."

I stare at the phone as though I can somehow see him through it.

"You’re asking me to betray my husband?"

"We don’t really have a choice!"

My jaw drops.

"Are you fucking serious right now?"

"Listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me, Cas! You know Lysander will fucking kill me if he ever finds out!"

"He won’t."

I let out a humourless laugh.

"Oh, really? And how exactly do you know that?"

"We’ll bring you back to us. I’ll protect you."

I shake my head.

"Cas..."

"Just try, okay? Just try or think about it. We need to find a way to keep Oli safe."

I close my eyes.

I don’t know what to say...Part of me understands his fear. Olivia is his sister too, and he’d do anything to protect her.

But this?

Betraying Lysander? Giving Lorenzo the very information he wants?

I know what that could mean. I know how dangerous it would be, not just for my marriage but for everyone connected to Lysander.

And I know my husband.

He might forgive a lot of things, but he won’t forgive me helping his enemy.

"Think about it, Ris," Cassian says quietly.

I remain silent.

"We’ll talk later. Take care, Rissa."

As the call ends.

I slowly lower my phone and stare at the blank screen.

For the first time in a long while, I have no idea what to do.

My sister’s safety is on one side. My husband is on the other.

And somehow, Uncle Lorenzo has managed to put me in a position where protecting one might mean betraying the other.