THE MAFIA KING BROKEN ROSE novel Chapter 83

I flinched as the door banged shot.

And in that devastating silence, I stared down at Nico’s broken form, Dominic’s last words echoing hauntingly.

I don’t let go.

I didn’t know what to feel at the moment. Dominic, he…he was a narcissist who thinks he is always right and wants control all the time. He never cares enough to see when he was wrong.

My hands shook as I pushed off the bed, heart still thumping painfully from everything that had just unfolded. Nico lay motionless on the floor, blood dripping from his mouth, staining the expensive rug beneath him.

“Nico,” I whispered, voice unsteady, guilt eating at me despite knowing this mess wasn’t mine. “Are you alright?”

A bitter chuckle slipped through his swollen lips as he slowly shifted onto his back, grimacing. “Do I look alright?”

“No,” I admitted quietly. “You look like you were hit by a bus. Why didn’t you fight him back?”

“No use fighting someone like that. Only lead to more stress.”

“You should have. Maybe you would look less than you were ran over fifty times.”

He closed his eyes briefly, releasing a heavy sigh. “Yeah. And then still get punished by the man in power.”

I hesitated, looking toward the door Dominic had stormed through. He wouldn’t approve of this–but I couldn’t just leave Nico lying broken and bleeding on the floor.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmured. “Don’t move.”

He coughed roughly. “Trust me–I don’t plan to.”

With shaky legs, I hurried to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. My chest felt tight, my mind whirling with a thousand different thoughts, questions I wasn’t even sure I wanted answered.

When I returned, Nico was sitting up against the dresser, his face pale, bruises darkening around his eyes. He watched me approach, his expression unreadable.

“You don’t have to do this, Aria,” he muttered, flinching as he touched the fresh cut on his lip.

I knelt beside him carefully, opening the kit with trembling fingers. “I know. But leaving you here bleeding isn’t right either.”

He studied me closely, curiosity flickering beneath the pain. “After everything Dominic said after what I did you still care? ! kissed you without permission. I talked tomyiu rudely. What…what did I do to deserve this?”

My fingers stilled for a moment. “Caring isn’t something you switch off, Nico. I care for you because you are my friend. I can’t turn that off because of a few moments of disagreement.”

He fell silent, watching me quietly as I gently dabbed antiseptic against his lip. He hissed sharply, jerking slightly at the sting.

“Sorry,” I whispered quickly.

“Don’t be,” he murmured, voice strained but softer now. “I probably deserve worse.”

I hesitated, then continued gently cleaning the wound. “Why did you do it? Why provoke Dominic like that?”

He sighed heavily, looking away, jaw clenching slightly. “Because I’m tired. Tired of watching him destroy everyone close to him–including himself.”

“But Dominic trusts you,” I whispered. “He’s relied on you for years.”

He laughed softly, bitterly. “Dominic doesn’t trust anyone, Aria. Not completely. Especially not since Victoria.”

I paused, glancing up at him, my breath hitching. “Victoria?”

He nodded slowly, grimacing as he shifted his weight against the dresser. “Dominic wasn’t always like this. Cold. Angry. Obsessed. Victoria made him this way–or at least, losing her did.”

“What happened?” My voice was barely audible, caught between fear and curiosity.

Nico hesitated, eyes distant, lost in painful memory. “They met years ago. Back in Rome. Victoria Romanos…different then. She was beautiful, smart, ambitious. Dominic fe for her fast, hard. Everyone saw it.”

I swallowed hard, heart twisting uncomfortabl

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Nico met my gaze quietly, solemnly. “Yeah. He did. The way Dominic loves–completely, obsessively, dangerously.”

“So why did they split?” I asked softly, almost afraid of the answer.

He exhaled heavily, flinching again as I pressed a bandage against his cheekbone. “Because Victoria wanted power.

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Chapter 83

Dominic wasn’t enough for her–she wanted the throne. The whole empire. When Dominic refused to give her control, she betrayed him, handed him over to Mikael’s father. She almost got him killed.”

My hands froze. My chest tightened painfully at the thought. “She…betrayed Dominic?”

Nico nodded, eyes hardening. “Dominic barely escaped with his life. And Victoria? She married Mikael, aligned herself fully with Dominic’s enemies. Ever since then, Dominic hasn’t been the same. He won’t trust, he won’t let anyone in–not completely.”

“But he said…” I bit my lip, looking down. “He said he doesn’t let go.”

Nico laughed bitterly. “Dominic pretends he’s untouchable, that he’s never weak. But losing Victoria broke something in him. He did let go, Aria. She was the first thing he lost, and ever since, he’s sworn it’ll never happen again. He’s obsessed with control, convinced the tighter he holds someone, the less chance they’ll betray him.”

I swallowed painfully, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. “That’s why he’s this way with me? Why he’s so controlling?”

Nico met my gaze quietly, a hint of sadness softening his bruised face. “He sees Victoria when he looks at you–not because you’re alike, but because he’s terrified of losing someone else. He’s scared of feeling that pain again.”

“But that’s not fair,” I whispered, heart aching. “I’m not her. I’m not Victoria.”

“I know,” Nico said gently, watching me carefully. “And that’s why it’s so dangerous. Dominic’s fear blinds him. He’s hurting you because he can’t see past his own pain. And knowing fully well that you are dying, you might not leave him physically, but you might leave him through death.”

I pressed my lips together, struggling to control the sudden wave of emotion. “Why are you telling me this?”

Nico sighed, eyes weary, sincere. “Because you deserve to know who you’re dealing with. Dominic’s not a monster–but he‘ s deeply broken. And he’ll drag you down with him if you let him.”

I finished carefully bandaging his face, pulling my hands away slowly, “You hate him, don’t you?”

Nico shook his head slightly, grimacing at the pain. “No. I loved Dominic like a brother once. But love turns to hate real quick when it becomes a cage.”

I looked at him quietly, voice softening. “What do you want, Nico? What are you hoping to get from all of this?”

He hesitated, glancing away. “Freedom,” he admitted finally. “Dominic rules by fear and control, but he’s losing grip. Eventually, he’ll push too hard–and everything he’s built will crumble. When it does, I want to be there to pick up the pieces.”

I drew back slightly, stunned. “You…you really mean that.”

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