•NOTE: Chapters 85 and 86 take place on the same day, on the same timeline•

I opened my eyes to a dimly-lit room, I could see the faint sunlight seeping into the room through the thick drapes. I squinted my eyes and swallowed, my throat had dried up and a splitting headache spread through my head.

I sat up with difficulty, I looked to my side and saw a glass of water with two pills and a note that said:

"Take these, you bitch! - B"

Although, my head was hurting pretty bad; her note made me smile a little. I plopped the pills into my mouth and drank the whole glass of water in a single go.

I got out of bed and noticed that I was still wearing the dress from last night. I did my daily routine; taking a shower with cold water also helped with the headache.

Wearing some comfortable clothes, I went downstairs and saw Bianca sitting on the dining chair, eating breakfast.

I walked to her, "You are here..."

She stopped eating and shot me a glare, "I was worried for you."

"Why?"

"Don't you remember the show you put on last night?!"

I bit my lip, I did remember losing my head when I knew about Nikolai being in the same building as me and the fact that he still refused to see me.

"It wasn't a show, B. I stand by every single word I said last night," I sat opposite her, as the maid asked what I would like to have for breakfast.

Bianca watched the maid as she left the dining room and then turned to me, "Niko is going to kill you!"

I looked at her, face as impassive as Nikolai's resting bitch face, "He can try..."

"Why don't you take him seriously?" she asked, aggravated.

"He doesn't take me seriously, why would I?!" I snapped at her.

"Because he's Niko!"

"Yeah, well, I'm his wife!"

"Evangeline, he is going to find a way to punish you..."

"He is punishing me, alright! Isn't all this enough? And he knows, he knows what he is doing. I just want to know why, Bianca. I just want to know the reason!"

The maid re-entered the dining room and placed the breakfast before me before she left. I picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip; cringing at the bitter taste in my mouth.

"What happened between you two? I mean, that day at the restaurant after your marriage-he completely adored you. What happened?"

I heaved a sigh, "Nikolai's father doesn't like me... he may be the reason Nikolai is acting like that. His father came here; called me names; said that I seduced his innocent son-come on, we both know who and how Nikolai is-that I somehow tricked him into marrying me and when Nikolai came, his father lied to him, he said that I was the one who insulted him. Nikolai made me apologize and one thing led to another now he is avoiding me like I killed someone he loved."

Bianca just stared at me for a few seconds and then she said, "I knew he'd hurt you, that's why I was so upset when you both got married. You're too young, Evangeline, you guys aren't compatible. This may sound bitchy but that's how I feel, E, you didn't deserve all this..."

I got up from my seat and went to her side, she got up as well. The second I was closer to her, I grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a hug; my eyes teared up as I thought about not seeing Bianca ever again.

I sniffled, "After my parents died, you're the first person I ever fell in love with, I hope you know that. No one has ever loved me the way you do. I love you so much, Bianca."

Bianca nodded, "I was in the car with Stefano when we got to know about your parent's murder. He brought me along, I had no idea that I'd meet my best friend there."

We pulled back with tears in our eyes and then laughed for no reason at all.

"I'm gonna miss you..." I whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere, you bitch, I'm right here," she pushed me back, going back to sit in her chair.

I went back to mine, eating breakfast in silence. There was a sinking feeling in my chest whenever I glanced at Bianca...

After breakfast, we basically talked and watched TV series the whole day. For dinner we ordered pizza and afterward, we had ice cream.

There hadn't been a reaction from Nikolai's side, I half expected him to storm through the gates and fight me over what happened last night but he didn't. I didn't feel sad or hurt now all I felt was anger; pure and raw rage filled my veins. He was the worst, the absolute worse.

Stefano came by at night to pick up Bianca from my place. I went outside to walk Bianca to her boyfriend's car.

Stefano was leaning against the car door when he saw us, he flicked the cigarette onto the ground and frowned when his eyes fell on me. "You're still alive?" that's the first thing he asked me.

"Stefano!" Bianca scolded.

He lifted a shoulder nonchalantly, "What she did yesterday was basically suicide."

"I'm not afraid of your Don, Stefano," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"That's a first," he laughed.

"Does everyone knows about what happened yesterday night?" I asked, I have no idea how much I had embarrassed myself, my only focus was Nikolai.

"Yup! Everyone was talking about the girl that has Nikolai Costello in the palm of her hands and now watching you standing here completely fine after you called him a fucker... kinda makes me think everyone was right."

I opened my mouth to say something but closed it. Everyone seem to think that I had some kind of power over Nikolai but in reality, it was the opposite. I wished I had him the way everyone thought I had. I wished he listened to me but it was him who had all the power. They all had no idea how helpless I felt most of the time.

"Stefano, if you're done with your banter, can we leave now?!" Bianca said, noticing my discomfort.

"Sure, babe."

Stefano said goodbye to me before he sat in the driver's seat; Bianca turned to me and we again hugged, so damn hard. She wasn't just my best friend, she was also like my older sister. She taught me so many things that my own mother hadn't even taught me.

"Goodbye, Bianca."

"Goodbye, Evangeline."

She walked around the car to get into her seat. I waved at her for the last time before the car drove down the driveway and out of the mansion.

I heard some distant manly voices coming from the shed. Was Nikolai here? I went closer to the shed and the door flung open.

Alessandro walked out followed by Scott. When my eyes met with Scott's there was nothing in them other than resentment and annoyance.

"Scott..."

He ignored me and turned to Alessandro, "I need the answers tomorrow, break his bones, pull out his nails, pull out his fucking teeth, skin him alive for all I care, I need to know everything by tomorrow."

Alessandro nodded and I rolled my eyes. I know why he was mad at me, I may have said something to him yesterday night. I crossed a line with him and that's not how I wanted to leave things with him. He may be a jerk but I wasn't this person.

"Scott..." I said again.

Alessandro went back inside the shed, leaving Scott and me alone. He pushed past me, shoving me to the side by his shoulder. I know he did it on purpose because there was plenty of space around me for him to walk.

"Scott!" I almost screamed and grabbed his forearm.

He stopped, his eyes went to my grip on his arm and then to my face. The darkness dripped from his gaze, the same darkness I saw in his eyes when I first met him.

You better than that, Evangeline. You are better than him and this might be the last time you see him.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for what I said last night, I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I was rude and mean to you for no reason at all, I'm sorry that I called you a minion or a dog..." I trailed off uneasily.

"A bulldog"

"What?"

"You called me a bulldog who licks Niko's boots," Scott answered, his voice monotone without any emotion.

I cringed, "Sorry, that was wrong of me but it's not like you didn't deserve it!"

"What the fuck did you just say?"

"I said you deserved it!"

"Apology not accepted, Evangeline."

I scoffed, "You pretended to be my friend, you pretended to care for me for a freaking month just because you wanted to sleep with me! And when I said no, you left me alone. I was scared, an unknown man was sitting on top of me and I called you again and again-you were the first person I thought of when I needed someone but you didn't pick up because I wouldn't sleep with you!" tears pooled in my eyes as my mind wandered back to the night, Ignacio's brother Sergio was sitting on top of me with a knife to my neck, "Nikolai wasn't the one I called first, it was you! You left me alone, Scott. I needed you-"

"I think I remember saying sorry to you for... that!"

"You did say sorry and then you went on and made a fool out of me again when you made me wear that ring!"

"That was Niko!"

"Then you're apology didn't mean anything in the first place because you came to me with a plan up your sleeve!" I snapped.

"Fuck off! Your tears might work on everyone else but they don't work on me. I'm so fucking tired of you!"

I threw my hand into the air as frustration bit into my chest, "What did I ever do to you?!"

"YOU FUCK WITH HIS BRAIN!"

I furrowed my eyebrows. "WHAT?!"

He took a threatening step in my way, "You fuck with Niko's brain. I don't like the person he is when he is with you! He is fucking different when he is with you. I fucking hate that! You even managed to get between the two of us, many men and women have tried but no one ever succeeded but somehow you fucking did!"

"What are you even talking about?!"

He heaved a sigh, calming himself, "Evangeline, I don't want to fucking talk to you. I don't want to see you, I don't want to hear from you. Niko is better off without you. I'm tired of your shit! Fucking leave us alone," saying that, he strode away from me, walking to his car parked in the driveway.

"You want me to leave you and Nikolai alone?!" I asked loudly, walking behind him.

"Yes!" he answered without looking at me.

"I will! I will never bother you and Nikolai again!"

"HALLELUJAH!" he retorted, sarcastically.

"You have to do something for me then I promise I'll leave Nikolai alone," I voiced, placing my hands over my waist, stopping to take a breath.

Lorenzo frowned as he walked over to us; standing like a shield between Scoot and me, protecting me from him. He asked me if I was alright and I nodded.

Scott turned and watched me and Lorenzo with a deep frown, he pointed at Lorenzo, "Fucking look at him, he is the most vicious fucking killer in the Cosa Nostra. He is a fucking killing machine, a fucking monster and somehow you have him wrapped around your finger too!"

"Because I treat him like a person instead of treating him like some kind of killing machine!"

Scott scoffed, "I will never do anything for you."

"If you do this, I promise I will never bother you again. I will never bother Nikolai again," I told him, it was the truth anyway.

"Oh, and where will you go?" he asked, sarcastically.

"I'll be right here, live my life the way Nikolai wants me to, I won't bother anyone, I promise, Scott, please..." the lie slipped from my lips with such ease and confidence that Scott believed me.

"What do you want?"

"I want to see him, one last time."

Scott shook his head, "Never going to happen, he will never agree to it."

"I want you to take me to him and not tell him, please..." I pleaded.

I didn't want to take this decision; not until I talked to him, not until I know the reason why he is acting the way he is.

"You will leave him alone?"

"I will!"

He nodded and glanced at Lorenzo, who shook his head in the negative, telling Scott not to take me.

Scott smiled, "Get in the car."

I nodded immediately and ran to his car. He unlocked it and I sat inside, fastening my seatbelt. He got in as well and silently drove us to an upscale building. He told me to get out of the car and took me to a private elevator.

"This elevator will open straight into his penthouse. Do whatever you want but don't fucking go back on your word. I want you out of his life, clear?"

I nodded, "Okay..."

Scott turned to leave but I held his hand. He may be a jerk but still... he did become a very good friend to me even if it was for a short period.

He turned back and I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him. "I still don't know how to play chess."

We stood there for a couple of minutes, then a hand landed on my back, "Because you suck at everything you do and now get off me... sweet cheeks"

I did and smiled at him, "Why do you call me sweetcheeks?"

A malicious smirk formed on his lips. "Get it, sweet..." he placed a hand over my butt cheek, "Cheeks"

Ugh! Perverted jerk!

I wiped my tears, pushed him away, and stepped inside the elevator, pressing the button to go up to his apartment.

The elevator doors slid open and I looked around the spacious apartment. He was nowhere there, I went inside and heard a noise coming from one of the rooms.

I walked to it and opened the door, my eyes caught his naked back, and an unsettling feeling crept up. I closed the door behind me.

"Katerina..."

Saying that my heart broke at the name that slipped from his mouth would be an understatement.

It hurt so bad.

Was he cheating on me?

I shook my head and glared at his back, blinking back the tears as rage took over every cell of my body. I breathed out a laugh, "Oh, so, you were expecting someone else? I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's not Katerina, it's your wife!"

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