Rejected: A love story

Chapter 168: The threat

Viktoria felt like the room was spinning. She looked at the laptop screen, then at Mateo, then back at the screen. Her hands were shaking so much she had to sit on them to make them stop. The message stayed there, glowing in the dark room: "You should have stayed in fucking Russia, Fiona."

She wasn’t Fiona, she knew that. She knew her mother, her father, Dmitri, and her life in Moscow. But whoever was on the other side of this screen didn’t care about the truth. They only cared about the lie they had created.

She typed with one finger, her heart thumping in her throat. "I don’t know who you are. Leave me alone."

The reply came back before she could even blink. It was like the person was waiting, hovering over the keyboard with a grin.

"We aren’t playing games, Viktoria. You think you’re safe because you’re in a fancy hotel? You think your husband in Russia can protect you from here?"

Then, the screen changed. It wasn’t text anymore; a photo appeared. Viktoria’s almost stopped breathing at that moment. It was a picture of Mateo; It wasn’t an old photo from her social media. It was a photo of him from today of him sitting on the sofa in this very hotel room, wearing the same blue pajamas he had on right now. The angle was from the window.

Someone had been watching them from across the street with a long lens. Or worse, someone was in the building opposite, looking right into their lives.

"He’s a cute kid," the message continued. "It would be a shame if he never got to see that ice fishing trip his daddy promised him."

Viktoria felt a wave of cold nausea hit her, this wasn’t about business anymore. This wasn’t about shipping routes or Nathan Keith’s broken heart. This was a threat on her son’s life.

"Here is how this is going to go," the chat box scrolled up. "You aren’t going to call Alex, neither are you going to call Nathan. You aren’t going to try to explain the ’metadata’ or the sapphire ring. You are going to pack your bags right now."

Viktoria looked at the suitcase in the corner. Her mind was racing. Should she call the police? No! if they were watching her right now, they’d see her pick up the phone.

"Don’t even think about the cops," the screen read, as if reading her mind. "By the time they get to the lobby, we’ll be gone, and Mateo will be ’lost’ in the city. Do you want to spend the rest of your life looking for him?"

Viktoria’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t let them fall. She couldn’t afford to be weak, at least not now.

"What do you want?" she typed.

"Get out. Leave and go back to where you came from. Take the first flight to Moscow. If you ever step foot in America again, or if you ever try to contact Nathan Keith again, you won’t just lose the deal. You’ll lose everything. Your husband, your son, your life."

The screen flickered. A final message appeared in all capital letters.

"LEAVE NOW. NEVER COME BACK. THE WORLD IS BETTER WITHOUT YOU."

The laptop screen went black and the room was suddenly very quiet, except for the sound of Mateo’s soft breathing.

Viktoria didn’t wait, she stood up and grabbed her suitcase. She started throwing clothes into it—Mateo’s shirts, her dresses, her toiletries. She didn’t care if they were wrinkled. She didn’t care if she left her expensive heels behind.

She walked over to the sofa and gently shook Mateo’s shoulder.

"Mateo, honey. Wake up," she whispered.

The boy rubbed his eyes, looking confused. "Mummy? Is it morning? Is Papa here?"

"No, baby. We have to go to the airport. We’re going home to see Papa early. It’s a surprise, okay?"

Mateo’s face lit up. "Now? In the dark?"

"Yes, now. It’s an adventure," Viktoria said, her voice cracking. She pulled his coat on and zipped it up. She grabbed her laptop and her purse, making sure she had their passports.

She walked to the door, but her hand stopped on the handle. She looked at the peephole. Was someone standing there?

She realized then that Nathan was just a pawn. Whoever did this knew exactly how to break him. They knew about Fiona, and they knew how to make Viktoria look like a monster. And now, they were winning.

Viktoria dropped the bags she was holding and scrambled for her phone. Her hands were shaking so badly she almost dropped it. She didn’t call Nikolai; he was too far away. She called the only person in this city who had shown her even a shred of kindness.

"Alex?" she whispered into the phone, her eyes darting to the door. "Alex, please pick up."

"Viktoria? Why are you calling me again?" Alex’s voice was tense, full of the same fear he’d had in the office. "I told you, if Nathan...."

"They’re here, Alex. They’re in the hotel," she interrupted, her voice breaking. "I got a message on my laptop. They have photos of Mateo in his pajamas... from inside this room. They told me to leave and go back to Russia. They said if I ever step foot in America again, they’ll kill my son."

There was a long, heavy silence on the other end. "Wait... photos from inside the room? Are you sure?"

"Yes! And they knew about the ring! Alex, they’re watching us right now. I’m done packing, I’m trying to get him out of here, but I don’t know where to go. What if they’d be waiting at the airport."

"Viktoria, listen to me very carefully," Alex said, his voice suddenly dropping into a calm, serious tone. "Stop talking. If they can get photos from your laptop, your phone is probably hacked too. They might be listening to us right now."

Viktoria froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the smartphone in her hand like it was a live bomb.

"I’m coming to get you," Alex said firmly. "Send me the address of your hotel right now. Don’t call a taxi, and don’t go down to the lobby. Pack only what you absolutely need."

"You’re coming here? But what about Nathan? If he finds out—"

"Forget Nathan. This isn’t about a business deal anymore. This is a kidnapping threat," Alex snapped. "Go to the door. Lock the deadbolt and the security chain. Do not open it for anyone. Not the maid, not room service, not even the manager. I don’t care who they say they are. You only open that door when you hear me say the word ’Bluebird.’ Do you understand?"

"Bluebird," Viktoria repeated, her heart thumping against her ribs. "Okay. I’ll send the address."

"I’m leaving now. It’ll take me twenty minutes. Stay away from the windows and keep Mateo away from the door. I’m not letting anything happen to that boy, Viktoria. I promise."

She hung up and immediately sent the location of the hotel. She ran to the door, fumbling with the heavy locks until they clicked into place. She dragged her suitcase in front of the door, adding one more barrier between her son and the door.

She looked back at Mateo, who was starting to stir on the sofa. She had to be strong. She had to be the shield.

Viktoria sat on the floor next to her son, clutching a heavy glass vase she’d taken from the nightstand. She watched the door, counting every second, waiting for the one person she hoped she could still trust.