Chapter 17: You fucking betrayer!!

Nerissa’s POV

I take Olivia’s hand and practically drag her out of the conference room.

The second those heavy doors slam shut behind us, I keep walking.

I don’t stp, I don’t look back. I’m so angry I’m seeing red.

My blood feels hot beneath my skin, my heart is hammering against my ribs, and every step I take feels like I’m trying to outrun the conversation we just had.

Fuck this whole thing, fuck the agreement, fuck the Sanchez family an fuck Uncle Lorenzo.

"Rissa..."

Olivia’s voice is small behind me.

I squeeze her hand.

"Don’t."

She goes quiet.

I know I’m being unfair, I know she’s not the one I should be angry with bt if I stop moving, I’m afraid I’ll turn around and storm straight back into that room and do something stupid.

Something that probably gets me killed.....I’ve already done much damage as it is, I disrespected the Don infront of all those people by refusing direct orders from him.

So I keep walking.

The hallway seems longer than it did when we came in, every passing guard keeps his eyes down.

Smart.

I don’t have the patience for anyone right now.

Whn we finally reach the entrance, I yank the door open and pull Olivia outside.

The evening air hits my face nd I suck in a deep breath.

It doesn’t help.

I unlock my car, yank open the driver’s door and climb inside, Olivia barely has time to get in before I start the engine.

"Rissa, slow down."

I pull out of the driveway.

"Rissa...."

My hands tighten around the steering wheel.

I know I’m driving too fast. I know bt right now, I don’t give a damn.... I need to get away from that house.

From Lorenzo and the Sanchez brothers.

A fucking marriage.

That’s what they called it....a marriage.

Like Olivia was a piece of property they could trade to stop a war.

I glance at her.

She’s staring out the window, her face is pale. She hasn’t said anything since we ledt the club.

Olivia is never this quiet, she always has something to say, even when things are bad, she somehow finds a way to make a joke.

But now? Nothing.

I turn my attention back to the road my jaw clenching.

"I’m sorry."

She looks at me.

"For what?"

"For not stopping it."

Her eyes soften.

"It’s not your fault."

"I should have."

"Rissa..."

"I should’ve done something."

"You were the only person in that room who actually did."

I swallow.

That doesn’t make me feel bette though.

By the time we reach my apartment, I’ve managed to calm down enough not to drive straight through a wall.

I unlock the door and push it open.

The moment I strp inside, I kick my shoes off.

"I’m getting a drink."

Olivia doesn’t answer and i don’t wait for an answer. I head straight toward the small bar tucked against the wall of my living room.

It’s nothing fancy with just few bottles, a couple of glasses and enough alcohol to make questionable decisions feel like reasonable ones.

I reach for the strongest bottle I can find. Then grab two glasses, Olivia doesn’t drink, at least, she normally doesn’t.

But who the hell knows anymore? Maybe tonight is the night she decides she’s had enough of being the good daughter, maybd tonight she’ll want to drink until she forgets that some man she hates has been assigned the right to call her his wife.

I pour anyway nd pick them up.

"Here."

No answer.

I turn around nd stop.

Olivia is sitting on the couch and She’s crying.

My heart cracks.

"Oh, Oli."

I put the bottle and glasses down so quickly that one of them nearly tips over.

I cross the room and pull her into my arms.

She folds into me immediately hr body shaking. I wrap both arms around her and hold her tightly.

"I’ve got you."

I don’t know if that’s true, I don’t know if I can fix this bt I need her to believe it.

"I’ve got you."

She grips the back of my shirt.

"I don’t want to marry him."

Her voice breaks.

"I know."

"I don’t even know him...i....i don’t want to leave."

"You’re not going anywhere."

"But they said...."

"Fuck what they said."

She pulls back slightly nd I wipe one of her tears with my thumb.

"We’ll figure something out."

"How?"

I open my mouth bt nothing comes out becausr I don’t fucking know, I’m helpless and tht that helplessness makes something ugly twist inside me.

I hate feeling powerless.

I’ve spent my whole life believing there was always something I could do.

Fight, run, hide, lie

Whatever it took.

But this? I can’t punch a marriage agreement, I can’t shoot tradition, I can’t threaten the Don into changing his mind nd I certainly can’t fight an entire family without putting Olivia directly in the middle of a war.

So I just hold her nd hate myself for having no answer.

The door chimes.

I close my eyes.

Of course.

Because apparently today hasn’t fucked me enough.

Olivia stiffens in my arms as I pull away and look toward the door.

The chime sounds again and I already know who it is. Only one person would come here after what just happened.

The lock clicks, rh door opens and Cassian steps inside.

The moment I see him, something inside me snaps. What? I need somewhere to channel all this anger and at the moment Cassian is the perfect punch bag.

"You lying, backstabbing asshole!"

He barely gets the door closed before I’m on him.

Olivia calls my name behind me bt don’t care.

I storm across the room and shove a finger into his chest.

"You knew didn’t you?."

His eyebrows pull together.

"Nerissa....."

"You fucking knew!"