olas

round operation. He was surrounded by his bodyguard and his best friend, whom he ca

enemy. His mind was focused, his heart cold, and his ha

was jeopardizing its secrecy and putting

al was death, and Nicholas was n

the man being tortured pleaded for mercy. But mercy was not for Nicholas;

the final blow. The victim was tortured beyond recognition; he was almost lifeless, but he w

him, driven by curiosity and an inexp

or as the man on the chair suffered at th

etween her fear and the need to unders

stand all the emotion

life of the traitor, he suddenly felt a prickling sensa

high alert, and he tur

and terror. A chilling smile spread across Nicholas face as he

well,

sending a shiver down her spine. I didn't mean to intru

. I wanted t

Nicholas ton

rstand me? You have no id

d, but her determi

e to you than what

es, in the moments when

of frustration and fascinat

r presence, but something about her unwavering belie

ed, closing the distance between the

ow too much. Rose felt a surge of

n you between the man you are and the m

as he grappled with hi

d and power, and the idea of change

aith in him planted a s

ween wanting to protect her

will see firsthand what happens

hadows of his dangerous world, where she would

hat her presence would either b

of his guards to keep close monitoring of her. Rose was scared to death, but she still has this small belief

at the corner of her room, and she was then helpless that she

other, who would be worried sick abou

illed with tension. He was to release this tension either by giving the traitor a more painful death than he intended or by taki

ldn't bug him. He kept pestering him. Angelo won as usual. Nicholas explained to him how he encountered her

ing the traitor on the head without remorse or pity. Afterward, he left his room and decided to take a shower to calm his nerve. After s

he threw the ashes of th

E CO