One month later...
Antonio stood in front of Nikolay. Antonio's shirt was covered in blood; but not his blood. It was Nikolays blood, but that didn't satisfy Antonio at all. He wanted Nikolays organs on the floor; ripped out from his body.
Nikolays head hung low, his body was too weak. With no food and just water he had lost a serious amount of weight, a weight-loss that could kill. But Antonio made sure that they'd keep Nikolay alive for as long as possible, he wanted him to suffer. Nikolay hadn't done anything too serious; but the thought of Nikolay trying to steal his fiancée was serious enough to give him this treatment. And Antonio's men had agreed with him; no one was allowed to steal Nicole away from their Boss.
Antonio had kept Nikolay alive for almost three weeks, but that barely succeeded; Antonio had very bad anger issues, and keep himself calm was an impossible mission.
"You know what day it is tomorrow, Nikolay?" Nikolay watched his boss slowly, shaking his head.
"Nicole and I are getting married tomorrow, doesn't that sounds fun?"
"N-No, boss.. It does not,"
"And why so, Nikolay? Are you jealous?"
"She will never be yours, she belongs to me,"
Antonio stabbed Nikolay in his hand with his knife; those words were like poison to his ears. Nicole belongs to me only, asshole.
"What makes you think that Nicole belongs to you, Nikolay? Tell me, because I'd really want to fucking now,"
"The way she looks at me, Hell, she even asked me to save her from you," Nikolay answered as he smirked shortly, he didn't have the strength to do much mir than that.
"That, asshole, was before. It's a new beginning for the two of us, you know? We'll be married in 3 weeks, who do you think she would choose now? You, who has nothing to give her? Or me, the man who can buy her the whole world if she asks for its? That's a pretty clear answer to me,"
Nikolay snarled, he knew he hadn't a chance. "Why not ask Nicole herself? We won't know for sure before she has said her opinion,"
"Do you honestly think I would bring my pregnant fiancée down here, huh? She's fucking pregnant, has gone through more trauma than anyone else and you suggest that I, her fucking fiancé should bring her down here?!"
"That's exactly what I think, Antonio. You're a smart guy, figure it out,"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nicole laid on her bed, her back ache from her belly that had begin to grow even more now. She's in week 23 after all, her stomach was supposed to grow at this stage. But her anxiety destroyed her sleep.
Nicole had been to a psychologist twice a week since her parents moved in here, but due to her pregnancy the psychologist couldn't write any prescriptions on sleeping pills. She had anxiety over everything, she had been given the diagnosis General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); everything from getting kidnapped in the first place, to how she would do with the adoption. Who would she choose as the new parents? She have had a meeting with three couples, all of them couldn't get children on their own so adoption was the best answer. But Nicole didn't know what to do, was she even sure she wanted to give the child away?
Antonio had promised to adopt the child if she kept it, but the child would also remind her of that time in the basement. Was she stable enough? Was she stable enough mentally to actually take care of a child that was created because of a rapist? Or was she just egoistic to think this way?
Remember my psychologists words, I'm not egoistic to think this way. It's fully normal to think like this, Nicole thought. But would the child feel worthless if the truth one day came out to him or her? Would the child feel disgusted?
She hadn't realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks before she was hyperventilating. Breath in through your nose, and out through your mouth. I must remember my keys from the psychologist. Keep going, you're doing just fine.
Her chest began to hurt, she hated the physical symptoms most of all. Her hands had fallen asleep and her head ache. She began to feel lightheaded, why don't I calm down? Please, help me. I'm going to die.
She kept on talking like this to herself inside her head, and the time went on and on. And when she was finally calm again, after having one of her worst panicattacks ever she was so tired that she couldn't focus her block on anything.
Her chest felt heavy, her body was tired but her mind was even more tired. But her backache was still stopping her from sleeping, it hurts too much to not be something serious.
But the attention she gave to her back went to the door when someone knocked on it, Antonio was out for the day and her parents as well. So who could it be?
"Come in," Nicole whispered, her voice was shaky and low. She didn't want it to be obvious that she had another panic attack the same day. But she went into her position, ready to fight for her baby in case it was an enemy.
"It's just me, Princess. Relax," Antonios voice could be heard, and Nicole relaxed immediately after hearing him. He had been so sweet to her, he had payed her psychologist and everything to make sure she could process everything and get the help that she needed. He had made sure that she was safe, so she would be able to move freely in the mansion with a bodyguard as well. He did everything for her, but yet she didn't let him kiss her anymore.
"Oh., What are you doing at home?" She tried to make herself sound normal, but it didn't go as planned. Antonio had already seen her red and puffy eyes.
"The question is: Why are you crying?" He asked as he sat down beside her on the bed, taking her hand in his.
"Just attack attack.. Why did you changed clothes?"
Antonio chuckled softly. "Is this the 20 question game? Had no idea about that. Another panic attack?"
Nicole nodded, looking down, she was ashamed to admit that she wasn't mentally stable.
"Hey, hey, hey.. It's okay, Angel. It's going to be okay.." He mumbled as he lifted her up on his lap. She had gained weight because of the pregnancy, but Antonio didn't complain. He would rather see his soon-to-be-wife to have more weight than other women these days. And he loved her baby bump, it was so cute in his opinion.
"I was thinking of.." She mumbled, but she couldn't finish the sentence. What would he say?
"About what's angel? Talk to me,"
"About the.. Baby.. Of course.."
Antonio went paralyzed. It was the first time Nicole had admitted that she thought of the baby to him. "What did you.. Think, Angel?"
"If it is the right choice to adopt it away.. I thought that it would feel worthlessness disgusted by itself if the truth came out.." Nicole mumbled, it felt a little better by talking about it. But it still made her hyperventilate.
"Calm down your breath, it's not good for the baby.." He kissed her forehead softly before continuing, "If she or he would find out the truth they would understand, I'm sure of it. You have to do what you think is best for you, Angel. Don't care about anyone else's opinion but yours,"
Nicole nodded, she didn't know what to answer on that one. All she knew is that she wanted to stay like this forever: in Antonios embrace, where she could feel safe.
"I have to ask you a question, Nicole.."
But Nicole quiet him down by reaching up to his lips with hers, and sealed her lips with his in their first not-forced kiss ever.
Antonio pulled away soon after, chocked. But then his lips formed a perfect smile as he watched his Angel sit in his lap with her flaming cheeks.
"Don't be ashamed, Angel. I'll show you what real love feels like. Don't you worry, Angel,"
And they stayed like that, for a long, long time that day.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
UNEDITED. I'm so damn proud of me, I finally managed to get a new part up for you guys. I've had a bad time with my mental health, but I've also got a few new ideas to this book.
So I'm happy to announce that THIS WILL NOT be the last part of the book. I'll continue with it, even if it will be slow updates. Thank you guys for your support 😘
And to any of you who suffers from anxiety, depression, PTSD or any other disorders; You're not alone, stay safe and get help if you haven't already. ❤️
~ Ame