I focused on the reports scattered across my desk-numbers and logistics that demanded precision.

My head remained tilted under her unwavering voice, the weight of her being around me almost tangible. Why does she have to be so insufferably persistent? Because she wasn't even here.

Across from me, Irina sat perched on the chair like she belonged there. She didn't.

"You remember that gala two years ago, don't you?" she said, her voice cutting through the quiet. "The one where Gabriella tripped over the champagne tray? I swear, she-"

Her words blended into the background, no different than the faint hum of the air conditioner or the scratch of my pen against paper. I didn't respond.

"And Zakhar couldn't stop laughing. It was so ridiculous." She laughed lightly, but I didn't look up.

My fingers flipped to the next page of the report. Irina's chatter filled the room, light and incessant. If she noticed my silence, she didn't care-or maybe she was pretending not to.

"You could at least say something," she said, her tone shifting to something teasing, playful. "You know, pretend like you're human for once."

I lifted my gaze briefly, just long enough to meet hers. It was easier than explaining why I wasn't interested.

"I'm trying to work," Were my only words which made her grin falter for a fraction of a second.

I ignored her, pen in hand, moving across the page as if she wasn't there. It wasn't annoying-at least, not exactly. I'd perfected the art of tuning people out, and Irina was no exception.

"Sorry, I was just trying to entertain you," her voice was barely above a whisper as she stopped talking and completed her work.

My eyes softened and I sighed, gaining her attention. "Don't apologize Irina. I'm just swamped with details about the missions that's why I wasn't interested in talking to you," I told her with a small smile and she smiled back.

"It's okay, I understand," she replied with a hum. "Oh, I forgot. My friend Zara was asking about you but I couldn't tell her the time about you-"

I immediately cut her off before she could proceed further. "I don't think I have the time for this stuff right now, cancel it," my tone was sharp and needed no other words.

I heard her sigh sadly. Cancelling plans was my thing, I didn't enjoy their company anyway so it wasn't even interesting to hang out with these people anyway.

"You're always so... distant," Irina said, her tone light but carrying an edge that cut through the room. "Shutting people out, acting like nothing ever gets to you."

I paused mid-note, the pen hovering just above the paper. My jaw tightened as her words settled in the air between us. Her words weren't accusatory-if anything, they sounded earnest, almost worried. Yet that didn't stop them from cutting deeper than they should have.

Before I could reply-or decide if it was even worth it-my phone vibrated sharply on the desk. The name flashing on the screen stole my focus instantly.

But the name stopped me short. Nora.

My first instinct was confusion. She never called me. Not once in all these years. My jaw tightened as I stared at the screen, the edges of the reports blurring in my vision.

As soon as I picked up, I could hear loud breathing on the other side. "Nora? What happened?" My voice came out worried yet still sharp which surprised me as well.

"We were hit, an unknown car chased us down," she said in her shaky voice and I could tell she was trying to stay composed.

I stood up as Irina looked at me confused, standing up as well. "Where are you?" I asked, putting on my jacket and signaling for Irina to come with me.

"Somewhere near the western district. It was deliberate, Dimitri. They tried to kill us." My body froze for a few seconds after her response. Kill? Murder?

Irina stared at me in confusion when I had stopped moving. "Stay where you are. I'm on my way," I instantly hung up, moving through the door in a hurry, letting the guards know.

"Call Nikolai, let him know he's coming with us, and tell him to hurry up," I commanded her to move quickly as we reached the huge parking lot.

Gabriella and Zakhar handed us our equipment as Nikolai caught up to us, running down the pavement. "Okay, go!" Nikolai yelled out as he sat in the backside while Irina sat next to me.

"It's showing that they are around 15 minutes away from the training ground but on a completely different route," she showed me the iPad, pointing toward an area that was circled, showing us the exact location and their car being tracked.

"They were followed obviously so they probably didn't see the route they were taking," Nikolai stated as I hummed, resuming driving.

As we were moving, I noticed Irina glancing at me from time to time. "What?" I asked as she just chuckled and resumed her work on the iPad.

"Nothing, seeing you care for your clan makes me happy," Her words caused me to roll my eyes.

"I don't want people dying in my name," I responded, my tone having no sarcasm.

"What do you expect from him anyway?" Nikolai added from behind me, making me glare at him from the rearview mirror.

She sighed and shook her head. "Classic Dimitri."

As we headed down the road, I could see a car crash against a tree. And Nora didn't look so great and neither did Marcus.

....

The silence in the car was suffocating, broken only by the hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of gravel under the tires. Nora sat across from me, her head tilted against the window, the faintest trace of blood smudged along her temple. She hadn't said much after the crash-none of them had-but the tension radiating from her was palpable.

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, watching the way her fingers gripped the edge of the seat as if anchoring herself.

Marcus was beside her, his usual bravado dimmed. His gaze darted toward her every few seconds, as though checking to make sure she was still there. For once, he kept quiet.

Nikolai drove with his usual steadiness, but he couldn't even hide the tension in his shoulders. His jaw was set, his eyes fixed on the road ahead like it held the answers to questions none of us were asking aloud.

"You don't have to keep glaring at me," Nora muttered suddenly, her voice breaking through the heavy air.

I didn't respond, keeping my eyes on the road outside. It wasn't a glare. Not exactly.

The wreckage, the blood, the way she brushed off her injuries like they were nothing-it all clawed at my composure in ways I wasn't willing to admit.

"Do you think it was them?" Nikolai asked, his voice low but deliberate.

"Of course it was them," I replied, my tone clipped. "No one else would be stupid enough to take a shot like that and then run."

The weight of their gazes settled on me, but I didn't elaborate. I didn't need to.

The rest of the drive passed in strained silence. By the time we reached the estate, the first rays of dawn were creeping over the horizon.

As we stepped out of the car, I caught Nora glancing at me, her expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought she was going to say something. Instead, she turned and walked toward the house, Marcus trailing after her.

I watched her go, a knot of frustration and something else-something heavier-tightening in my chest.

"Nora can take care of herself," Nikolai said quietly as he came to stand beside me.

"I didn't ask," I shot back, my tone laced with sarcasm.

Nikolai snickered and kept his hands in his pockets. "The way you were looking at her, I thought you wanted to take care of her."

I froze, feeling the weight of his words which made my blood boil. Care? For her? Fuck her.

"Don't ever say something like that again," I snapped as I glared at him, my fists tightening in anger.

He just stared at me with amusement in his expression before he broke out in a fit of laughter, making me confused. "I was being sarcastic, my lovely best friend," he said after his laughter stopped.

I groaned. "Ugh, I can't deal with you," I turned around and stormed toward the main lobby.

{Word Count- 1467}

A/N

There is part 2 of this! I have published it as well. See you there!

xoxo

-lily