From Rags to God of War

The Identity of Nicholas

Nicholas just stared blankly at Serafina. With a quick, deft move, he snatched back his locket.

"I don't like my fights interrupted," Nicholas responded curtly, tucking the locket into his pocket. "And I really don't like watching an unfair one."

Serafina frowned. The explanation felt kinda minimal, barely there, but she chose not to push it. There was this weird logic behind Nicholas's words, and she had to admit, it made sense from a soldier's perspective.

"This isn't over, Nicholas Krause," Serafina said, her eyes burning again. This defeat only fueled her fire. "I'm still getting my revenge. I'll be back soon to kill you."

Nicholas just scratched his ear, completely unfazed, as if Serafina's threat was just wind. He turned his back and walked away, leaving Serafina alone amidst her father's helpless guards.

Nicholas knew the threat wasn't over, but he had other priorities.

...

A few days later, at a swanky restaurant with a modern minimalist design and killer city views, Elsa was enjoying lunch with her fiancé, Richard.

Initially, their conversation was light, just chit-chatting about their extravagant wedding plans, picking out vendors, and their honeymoon destination.

But as time went on, Elsa's face couldn't hide her growing unease. A dark cloud seemed to hang over her. She put down her fork and let out a long sigh.

"My family's been terrorized lately," Elsa began, recounting the brutal attack on Adam Weber at the hospital, the acid attack attempt on Isabella in the street, and even the falling iron incident at the factory that almost took Isabella's life. "I'm just so worried. It doesn't feel safe at all. Dad's still recovering, and now the threats just keep coming. We need to do something real, something concrete."

Richard calmed Elsa down, taking her hand across the table, his expression serious. "Don't you worry too much, honey. I've already spoken with the Green family's security team. They're some of the best in the world, super professional and discreet. They'll help keep the Webers safe. There will be professional guards watching over all of you constantly, but you won't even know they're there, so you won't feel bothered or restricted. They've got a solid protection plan."

Elsa felt a tiny bit of relief. The tension in her shoulders eased just a touch. "Thank goodness. I don't know what I'd do if this kept up. It feels like danger's lurking around every corner, every single day."

"Relax, everything's going to be just fine," Richard said, smiling reassuringly. Then he glanced at his watch. "Oh, right, I almost forgot. I have an important meeting after this. I'm actually meeting directly with the President Director of Diamond Group, Victor Meyers, today. It's a multi-billion dollar project we're going to discuss. I hear they're super strict about who they partner with, but I'm confident we can land them."

Elsa gasped, surprised. "Oh really? Of course! I can come with you! I've got experience negotiating at my dad's company, you know. I'm sure we can convince Victor to work with us!"

"Good idea, honey," Richard nodded, pleased to see Elsa re-energized. "I'm sure your presence will be a great help."

So, they headed off to the Diamond Group office.

When they arrived at the luxurious lobby, all marble and contemporary art, they saw Victor Meyers power-walking towards the elevator, talking intensely on his phone.

Richard was about to call out to him, but Elsa grabbed his arm. She didn't want to interrupt Victor's important call. They waited slightly hidden behind a massive pillar.

Elsa, inadvertently standing quite close, couldn't help but overhear parts of Victor Meyers' conversation.

"The situation is indeed tricky, Jess," Victor Meyers said. "Mr. Weber was attacked with a deadly poison, and then the attempted acid attack on Isabella. This is clearly not just some random person. Their methods are incredibly professional."

Richard shot Elsa a look, signaling her to wait. Elsa just nodded, her attention completely glued to Victor's call. Victor continued, pausing for a moment as he listened to the person on the other end.

"Yeah, you're right, he's got this. Trust me, Nicholas will totally sort everything out," Victor said with incredible certainty in his voice. "He's just the absolute best at this. Way better than I even thought. All those threats? They're practically nothing to him. He can handle it all by himself. Somehow, he always finds a way, even in the most impossible situations. From what I've heard, he even confronted the head of that assassin group by himself. I gotta admit, Nicholas's skill in dealing with these security crises and personal threats seriously blows my mind."

Victor added, "Nicholas Krause is no ordinary guy. He's even way better than me."

Elsa froze right there. Victor Meyers, like, one of the most respected business magnates in the world, a total strategic genius, was just straight-up admitting how awesome Nicholas was, even saying Nicholas was way better than him.

Elsa's tongue felt glued to her mouth. She felt her stomach twist into knots, like she'd just been sucker-punched. A wave of nausea hit her suddenly. A bitter truth just smacked her ego right in the face.

"Richard, I suddenly don't feel so good," Elsa whispered to her fiancé, clutching her own arm. "I feel a bit dizzy and nauseous. I don't think I can go with you to meet Victor."

Richard looked at her, confused. "What's wrong, honey? Are you okay?"

"I'm just going to go home," Elsa said, and without waiting for Richard's answer, she quickly turned and practically ran out of the lobby, her steps hurried, leaving a bewildered Richard behind.

Elsa didn't go home. She hopped in a cab straight to her mom's favorite beauty salon.

Sonia was chilling, enjoying her hair treatment, face covered in a mud mask, eyes closed, soaking in the massage.

"Mom!" Elsa cried, bursting in without so much as a knock.

Sonia slowly opened her eyes, annoyed. She pulled her face mask down a bit. "Elsa? What's wrong? Why are you so frantic? You're interrupting my relaxation."

"Mom, this is serious!" Elsa pulled up a chair and sat next to Sonia, still pale and in shock. "I just heard something I can't even believe!"

"Heard what? Don't be so dramatic, Elsa," Sonia chuckled softly, returning to her massage. "It's probably just some unimportant gossip. You panic way too easily."

"No, Mom! This isn't gossip! It's about Nicholas!" Elsa exclaimed, totally ignoring the salon staff. "I accidentally overheard Victor Meyers talking on the phone, Mom. He was talking about the threats our family's been facing. And he kept mentioning Nicholas's name, over and over!"

Sonia gave Elsa a dismissive look, a thin sneer forming on her lips. "Oh, Nicholas again? What could *he* possibly do? He's probably just pretending to know a lot of things. That nonsense isn't going to change anything. You're too naive, believing whatever people say."

"No, Mom! Victor Meyers said Nicholas would definitely fix everything! He even said Nicholas is an expert! Far better than him! He has so much respect for Nicholas!" Elsa explained, a little breathless. She was trying to make her mother understand the huge implications of Victor Meyers' words. "Mom, it was Victor Meyers, you know! Not just anyone! He sounded like he totally admires Nicholas!"

Sonia fell silent, her laughter fading. She instructed her therapist to stop. The mud mask on her face had dried a bit, giving her a stiff appearance. Victor Meyers was a big-shot businessman, someone who didn't just talk for the sake of it. If he said that, there had to be a reason. Sonia's arrogance slowly chipped away, replaced by an uncomfortable reality.

"And that's not all, Mom!" Elsa continued, the speculation that had been gnawing at her mind finally spilled out. "What if, all this time, Isabella was accepted so easily into the Diamond Group, and even Isabella was directly assigned to that huge project we've always dreamed of, it wasn't because of Isabella's amazing abilities... but because Nicholas was helping from behind the scenes. Victor Meyers respects Nicholas. It could be that all those big deals Isabella closed... weren't because of her smarts, but because of Nicholas's influence. Maybe Nicholas is actually pulling all the strings from behind the scenes."

Sonia stared at Elsa. All of Isabella's achievements, which they had always dismissed and considered meaningless, might actually be the result of Nicholas's quiet interference. The husband they had hated, insulted, and underestimated all this time. He was the key to the power they needed.

"In that case..." Sonia murmured, her voice cold and cunning. "We need to change our plans concerning Nicholas and Isabella."