I didn't care where I was going, didn't care how late it was. I just needed to get away from him. From Nicholas. The man who had haunted my nightmares for so many years was

oretti actually fell for some random café worker?" I narrowed my eyes at him, my voice low and dangerous. "I said shut up, Ken." "Yeah, yeah," he replied, not missing a beat. He took another sip of his coffee, but his eyes were dancing with mischief. Ken thrived on seeing me off-balance, on catching me in moments where I couldn't control everything. But this wasn't some fleeting attraction or passing infatuation. The way she had looked at me-the way her eyes had widened in fear, the way she had physically recoiled from me-wasn't something I could ignore. It wasn't attraction. It wasn't curiosity. It was fear. Raw, visceral fear, like she had seen a ghost. And that... that didn't make sense. I wasn't the type of man who inspired fear in strangers. Sure, I had my reputation, but she didn't seem like the kind of person who would recognize me by name or face. She acted like she knew me. As if she'd been expecting me to walk through that door. The way her body had stiffened in recognition. I gritted my teeth, trying to push the thought out of my mind. No. It wasn't possible. If she were just some random girl, why would she run like that? Unless... A cold realization settled in, wrapping itself around my chest like an iron vice. What if she wasn't just some girl? What if she was tied to the past I was trying so hard to untangle? I exhaled slowly, my mind already working through the possibilities, the questions I needed answered. "I want information on that girl," I said, my voice steely, devoid of any trace of uncertainty. Ken's smirk stretched wider, the corners of his mouth curling up as if he'd won some kind of victory. "Damn, you really are interested. I should've recorded this moment," he teased, but his voice was laced with a hint of respect. I shot him a look that could've peeled paint off the walls. "Just do it." Ken raised his hands in mock surrender, his expression still amused. "Fine, fine. I'll ask around, see what I can dig up. But if she's just some random girl, you owe me drinks." I didn't dignify that with a response. The last thing on my mind was whether or not I'd owe him anything. I just wanted answers. A dark-haired waitress approached our table, placing the bill in front of us with a soft smile. "Here's your check." I nodded absently, barely glancing at her as my mind was already miles away, focused solely on the puzzle in front of me. The girl. Chloe. I wasn't going to let this go. As we stepped outside, the brisk Russian air slapped me in the face, the chill doing little to ease the fire burning in my veins. "We'll visit again tomorrow," I said, my eyes lingering on the café's sign, as if somehow, seeing it again would bring me closer to the answers I needed. Ken shot me a sideways glance, clearly still processing the weight of what I'd said. "You're really serious about this, huh?" I didn't answer right away, my mind still turning over every detail, every moment from yesterday. I exhaled slowly, the air leaving my lungs in a rush, as if the pressure in my chest was too much to bear. "And the next day," I murmured, my voice low but unwavering. "And the day after that