novelapdf Chapter 75: Addiction is Pay to Win
Chapter 75: Addiction is Pay to Win
I blink slowly as consciousness returns after a little cat nap The clean white ceiling of our private suite coming into focus. My body feels heavy, like I’m wearing a weighted blanket, but it’s not entirely unpleasant. Just different.
Early December in New England brings an early darkness that presses against our windows, the glass frosted with the first real cold snap of the season. Snow has been falling steadily for three days, blanketing the sprawling grounds of this ultra-exclusive rehab facility in pristine white. Not that I’ve been outside to see it.
Two weeks into treatment, and I’m already feeling like a different person. The withdrawal symptoms have mostly subsided, replaced by a strange emptiness that the doctors assure me is normal. My body is learning how to feel things naturally again after being flooded with chemicals for so long.
Caterina shifts beside me on our massive bed, her crimson eyes studying my face with that intense focus I’ve come to rely on. Her fingers trace gentle patterns on my arm, careful to avoid the IV port.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asks again, her brow furrowed with concern.
I nod, offering her a small smile. “Yeah, just the usual aches. The sweating isn’t nearly as bad as yesterday.”
She doesn’t look convinced. Her hand moves to my forehead, checking for fever like I’m a child with the flu. “Your tooth still bothering you?”
I run my tongue over my front teeth. The oral surgeon Caterina flew in from Switzerland had given me a temporary implant, with the permanent one scheduled for next week.
“It’s fine,” I assure her, catching her hand with mine. “Really, Cat. I’m okay.”
She sighs, leaning back against the mountain of pillows. “I just worry.”
“I know you do.” I squeeze her hand gently. “But honestly, when you have more money than God like you do, beating addiction is surprisingly easier than people would think.”
It’s been non stop specialists and miracle drugs for my stay here.
A small smile finally breaks through her concern. “Money helps with the physical part,” she acknowledges. “But the rest of it...”
She doesn’t finish, but she doesn’t need to. We both know what she means. The nightmares. The flashbacks. The way I still flinch sometimes when she moves too quickly. Money can’t fix that.
“Dr. Winters says I’m making good progress,” I offer, trying to reassure her.
Caterina nods, but her eyes drift to the security monitors mounted in the corner of our suite. Six screens showing different angles of the facility grounds, the perimeter fence, the main entrance. Another shows the hallway outside our door, where two of her most trusted women stand guard 24/7.
Caterina’s attention shifts from the monitors back to me, her crimson eyes suddenly haunted. She fidgets with the edge of the blanket, something I’ve rarely seen her do.
“There’s something I feel I should say,” she says, her voice uncharacteristically small.
I wait, giving her the space to continue. She takes a deep breath, her shoulders squaring as if preparing for battle.
“Adam, I’m sorry I got you addicted to drugs in the first place.” The words rush out of her like she’s been holding them back for too long. “After the hammers… I started giving you Oxy’s because I thought it would make you easier to control. To manipulate.”
She already admitted to this in the past, but for her to feel bad about it is surprising.
“I never imagined someone else could use that addiction against you,” she continues, her voice cracking slightly. “That Luna would...” Her hands clench into fists on top of the blanket.
A small, bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it. She can see it as acceptable for her to do it, but not Luna.
‘Still, at this point, I only feel safe when I’m with her.’
“You think it’s funny that I deliberately got you hooked on opioids?” she asks, bewildered.
I shake my head, reaching for her hand despite the ache in my still-healing fingers. “No.” I sigh. “Cat, the only thing I thought about while I was in that warehouse was that I knew you’d find me. That you’d save me.”
Caterina suddenly pulls me into a tight embrace, her arms wrapping around me with that perfect balance of strength and tenderness that only she can manage. I bury my face in her neck.
“And honestly,” I murmur against her skin, “I’m pretty sure I’d still be addicted to something if you thought it was beneficial long-term.”
She pulls back slightly, her crimson eyes
I fidget with the blanket, a sudden thought popping into my anxious mind. “Wait, Cat. This meeting... it sounds dangerous.”
She tilts her head, studying my expression. “It’s just business, Adam.”
“But Isabella hates you. And you said this Lucia person is connected to your boss.” My heart rate picks up as worst-case scenarios flood my brain. “What if you get whacked?”
Caterina breaks into a hearty laugh, her shoulders shaking as she throws her head back. The sound is unexpectedly warm and genuine.
“We don’t use that word for it, Adam,” she manages through her laughter.
“What word?” I ask confusion momentarily replacing my concern.
“Whacked.” She wipes a tear from the corner of her eye, still chuckling. “That’s something from old movies.’”
“Okay...” I say with a hint of annoyance in my tone for disregarding my question.
Her expression softens as she cups my face in her hands. “No, Adam, I promise I won’t get ‘whacked.’”
“Are you sure?” I press, unable to shake the feeling of dread.
“Absolutely.” She kisses my forehead. “The meeting is at La Reale. My territory, my security, my rules.”
I lean into her touch, trying to let her confidence reassure me. “Thank god.”