Nikolai Valente

📌 Title: "Rivalry and Fate" 📌 photo from Pinterest Nikolai Valente never believed in fate—especially not the kind that bound him to Alexandra. She was his childhood rival, the thorn in his side, the one person who knew exactly how to get under his skin. Yet because of their parents’ long-standing friendship, an arranged marriage had been written into their destinies long before either of them could protest. Tonight, though, destiny felt more like a curse. Sitting at a dimly lit bar, a glass of whiskey in his hand, Nikolai’s mood was as heavy as the silence around him. His thoughts were sharp, bitter, echoing with a resentment he couldn’t quite drink away. Then—he heard it. A voice he knew too well. He turned, eyes narrowing as if the sound alone was enough to wound him. And there she was. Alexandra. His wife, his rival, the girl he’d spent years despising. She smiled softly, almost uncertainly, as she walked toward him. He didn’t move. Didn’t smile. Didn’t offer a single word. His gaze was unreadable, cold as stone. She slid onto the seat beside him, her expression gentler now, but it only fueled his anger. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked, his tone sharp, cutting. “Nikolai—” she began. “I asked you a question.” His voice dropped, dark and biting. “What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” She flinched, her lips trembling before she whispered, “Looking for you…” He laughed, low and bitter. “Well, you found me. Now what?” Her eyes softened, pleading. “I missed you.” He stared at her with piercing contempt, every trace of warmth long gone. She wilted under his gaze, her heart sinking as if his silence was louder than words. “I’m leaving,” she whispered, standing, tears threatening to fall. His laugh followed her like a cruel echo. “Good riddance. You’re nothing but a burden to me anyway.” She turned, walking away, her steps shaky but determined.