Nikita

"Mykolajki tendered his resignation and I keep telling him we need him but it seems like he's made up his mind on that," the director says and Qiao says, "Yeah, I heard," and I look at him.

"Are you spying on me? Are you responsible for the killswitch victims? What in all hell dude. Why would you do that? I don't understand. What does this have to do with me and most importantly, why the fu??k would you fu??k??n?? spy on me?" I say as my voice gets louder, which is not surprising at all for them here.

Is this another trap?

Am I being forced to be here?

Is there something I'm not aware of?

What is going on?

The officers instinctively get up and head to guard the door. Wow, now they think I need to be locked up. It's comforting in a weird way, knowing they know what's happening to me, but it's also disturbing.

What if Qiao is a traitor?

What if he's on Natalya's side?

What if all of this is happening because he already knows how I'll react?

So?? Maybe I can induce sleep myself, no? Then again, I am Mykolajki Pavlenko, the wild doctor who had always pretended to be tame.

Maybe I've just had rough experiences of the people around me hurting me. I know the longer I stall the harder it will be for me to get to Yuri. Wait, does Qiao know about Yuri? I think he doesn't because if he did, he could have said that earlier.

I make a move to open my office, but the two officers stop me. They ??ssess the situation, and once they deem it safe, they open the door for me, and I get in. nothing in my room has changed.

Everything is just as I had left it, which is relieving because I just couldn't handle another misfortune right now.

There is only so much my brain can contain.

I know officer Qiao will take care of the body and ensure everything is okay, but that leaves me with more questions, like why he was here at the hospital and what is happening around me.

My confusion is apparent, and hopefully, Qiao will fill me in because, at this rate, my overthinking will ruin me more than the people in the goddamn video.

An hour later, Qiao walks in, and he looks worn out and discouraged. What is not going on here?

"What is it, Qiao?" I ask the officer, who just sighs and tells me to take a seat. I have a feeling that this is not going to be good, and maybe I'm right because the director and Maggie walk in. Well, it feels like a control situation because even Dreykov is here.

When did he even come back to Todorov? Is he back for good, or is he back for me? I feel like a charity case as more officers from Qiao's squadron get into my office. The room feels crowded, but I tell myself it will be okay.

"Niki," Qiao says, and that's all the confirmation I need, to know that this is more like a personal duty than an official duty.

From a young age, Qiao Xi, Ren, and I had been the best of friends, doing everything literally together. Sure we had diffeRent interests career-wise, but we were there for each other whenever the other needed the other.

We were a team, one that I split when I allowed Ren to go to the old Russian hills with my family. Of course, Qiao grieved differently. While I indulged myself in work, he mourned and went through the whole grieving process.

I couldn't just get over it.

I just couldn't accept that my family was gone. So Qiao made it his duty to take care of me, the brother he ever had. Only my family called me Niki instead of Mykolajki, and today, here and now, I know nothing is good about Qiao's visit.

"What is it, Qiao Xi"? I ask, tired of speculating and thinking too much. If they want to rip the bandaid off, then they could as well do it.

"You're in danger, brother???" Qiao begins, but I already know I'm in danger. The past few days have been proof enough of that, it's nothing new.

"Oh but I already know that. I'm just waiting for whoever is behind the gun to pull the trigger, at least all of this can be over and done with Qiao. It's tiring to live like a corpse every day, stricken by the guilt of letting Ren go along with our family, and the pain that comes with losing everyone I loved in one day.

And now six months later, my house maid is somehow determined to put an end to me and take the family ??ssets to herself, not to mention the fu??k??n?? video that I've been watching non-stop.

Tell me, brother, what am I supposed to be living for?" I let out a frustrated rant, leaving the director and Maggie confused, and Qiao's squadron looking at him like he had told me something.

"???And by the looks, you're getting from your squad, you already knew and that's why you're here, great. Why, though? I mean why would someone want to waste their time on a broken doctor, it's not like I can do anything to them???" I add but Qiao looks at me disapprovingly.

Oh brother, If only you knew how empty I feel at the moment.

"I understand Niki. But you can't give up. Not now, not when everything is slowly coming together" he says and I just look at him. What the hell does he even mean by that?

"You are going to have to be more specific than that Qiao" I insist as his shoulders slump. Well, that's new.

The great Qiao Xi, the officer who has always been undefeated, today has a slumped shoulder and that too in front of his juniors. Ren would have laughed so hard at him if he ever saw this, but then our best friend isn't there, and that is a reality we both have to face.

"We have to ??ssume that they need you because of that video.

They want you to give them the passcodes and if that happens, there is no way we will be able to find who killed our family. Which is why I'd advise you to stay in the hospital for a while brother, it's only temporary" Qiao says and honestly, I want to laugh at him.

There are terrorists who need to be captured and he's worried about me being a key?

Well, at least my brother is safe in captivity.. I can only hope they don't drag him to any hospitals.