[BL] CRAVING HIM: Addicted to His Voice Chapter 256: The Choice Between Justice and Mercy

~Nicki’s POV~

I imdiately knew what he ant. He was referencing my two public "attacks"—the first ti at his office with the drug and the second ti with the fake cheating video. He knew I was intelligent and ruthless enough to execute a plan successfully, but both of those plans had intentionally stalled or failed to have the full impact. He was telling he knew my efforts were deliberately weak.

I simply looked at him, refusing to confirm or deny, waiting to see how far he would push.

Evric’s expression turned serious. He took a slow breath, his eyes softening as he spoke about the past. "Nicki, I should apologize for my actions when we were together. We were both young, and I was selfish. I hurt you, and I didn’t treat you right."

I shrugged, looking away. His apology was genuine, and it was hard to receive it without crumbling. "I have nothing against you now, Evric. You don’t need to apologize. If anyone needs to apologize between us, it should be . If you have sothing to say, just say it directly, don’t beat around the bush."

"I love Zayn so much," Evric continued, his voice thick with absolute sincerity. "And I will do everything to protect my relationship with him."

"I know," I replied flatly, his constant declarations of love for Zayn cutting deeper than he probably realized. "You don’t have to keep reminding . Just tell why you asked to co here."

"Alright," he said, leaning forward, his tone asured but curious. "What exactly happened in the past between Zayn, Dean, and your brother Nantam? I want to understand their history, especially Nantam’s connection to him."

The question hit like a punch to the chest, he was getting too close. I t his gaze with open disdain. "Why ask that, Evric, when you could just ask your boyfriend directly?"

Evric offered a faint, knowing smile. "For the sa reason you can’t tell Zayn the truth, I can’t ask him those questions either."

I let out a dry, humorless laugh. "I don’t know what you’re talking about," I said coldly. "And if that’s all you called here for, I’ll be leaving now." I rose from my seat and started toward the door.

Evric’s voice followed , calm but edged with quiet threat. "I’ll find the truth, Nicki. And if it turns out to be what I suspect... I won’t show him rcy."

I turned back, my face hard, but inside, my heart was racing. "Is that a threat?"

"It’s not a threat," Evric clarified, his eyes holding mine. "It’s a fact. I can protect my brothers, just like you protect yours. The difference is, I trust mine. I know they’d never be cruel enough to harm soone who loves them most. And that’s why my protection only belongs to them."

He was drawing a sharp contrast between his loyal family and my toxic one. He knew I was covering for Nantam. I stared at him in silence for a long mont, feeling the full weight of Nantam’s past and the terror of his threat. I said nothing more, simply turning and walking out of the place.

Nantam returned ho that night, tears streaming down his face. The mont he saw , he rushed forward, clinging to in a desperate hug. "Nicki... I failed!" he sobbed, his voice choked with sha. "I just realized... I’ll never get a chance to be with Zayn."

"Why?" I asked, pulling back.

Nantam’s voice trembled. "Tonight, I saw a side of Zayn I’ve never seen, so openly jealous over Evric, right in public. He’s always kept his feelings hidden before. He loves Evric so deeply... and I can’t compete with that."

"So what are you saying?"

"Can Zayn ever forgive ?" he pleaded, looking utterly pathetic.

I looked at him, knowing the bomb I was about to drop. I needed to scare him straight. "I don’t know if he can forgive you, but I need to tell you the truth. The video is fake."

Nantam stared at , his face freezing in shock. "What?"

"I never slept with Evric," I stated. "I set up the video to look real so you’d leave him alone. If you act fast now, before Evric gets his answers, and if you go to Zayn first and apologize, the story might be different. You will be punished for the betrayal, but it won’t be as bad as the assault charge."

Nantam listened in silence, then slowly picked up his phone, his hands trembling. He dialed Zayn’s number. "I... I have a confession to make," he admitted, his voice shaking.

On the phone, Zayn was laughing, his voice light.

Nantam swallowed hard. "Zayn, I’m serious. It’s important you know."

"Can the confession wait till morning, Nantam?" Zayn replied.

"No," Nantam insisted. "We have to talk now. It’s already past midnight. I’m coming to pick you up."

Nantam went to pick up Zayn and returned nearly an hour later. He was silent, his body trembling with guilt, unable to speak. I stepped in for him, taking a deep breath as I revealed everything to Zayn—the shellfish, the ex-girlfriend sche, the fake video, and every obsessive plan Nantam had ever devised.

Zayn listened to the entire confession without saying anything. The revelations stretched through the night, and by the ti I finished, morning had already arrived. None of the three of us slept a wink.

When I finally finished, the silence was agonizing. Zayn simply shook his head. "I don’t believe any of this story," he said flatly.

Nantam began to cry again. "Zayn, please!"

"You’re lying!" Zayn shouted. "Stop it!"

Nantam pushed himself off the sofa, tears streaming down his face. "It’s the truth, Zayn! I’m so evil! Can you please forgive ?"

"If you are the anonymous, text Evric right now and tell him I’m doing fine," Zayn ordered, his eyes blazing with doubt.

Nantam complied imdiately, grabbing his phone and sending the ssage.

"Nantam told Zayn to call Evric. ’Call him so you can confirm that I’m telling the truth,’ he said."

Zayn hesitated. "I don’t believe you..." But a mont later he dialed Evric’s number anyway.

The mont the call connected, Evric picked up, his voice thick with worry. "Babe, are you okay? Where are you?"

"Baby," Zayn said, his voice instantly regaining its steady, loving cadence. "Listen first. Did you just receive a ssage from the anonymous number?"

"Yes," Evric’s voice ca through, strained. "Where are you?"

"Babe, co pick up at Nantam’s house—and hurry," Zayn said, then hung up without waiting for a reply.

Zayn didn’t cry. He didn’t speak. He just stared at Nantam, unable to believe that everything he had just heard was true, he didn’t want it to be. He simply sat there, sighed, and ran his hand through his hair.

Tears stread down Nantam’s face as he repeated his plea, begging once more for forgiveness.

That’s when Zayn finally spoke, his voice soft, tinged with sorrow and profound hurt. "Forgiveness?" He looked at Nantam, the true depth of his trust shining through the pain. "Nantam, I cherish you. I respect you. I trusted you like a brother. I saw you as my family."

He held Nantam’s gaze, his voice trembling with anger and pain. "You did all that to , and you expect to forgive you? How, Nantam? Should I just pretend none of this ever happened? Pretend you never tried to harm ? Pretend you never destroyed my love life?" His voice cracked under the weight of betrayal. "You only confessed because you failed. If you had succeeded, would you have ever co to ask for my forgiveness?" Zayn paused, chest heaving, then shouted, "Now let ask this: Do you deserve my forgiveness?"

Just before Nantam could respond, a loud, urgent knock shook the front door. It was Evric. He barged in, eyes scanning frantically until they landed on Zayn. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Zayn didn’t cry, his pain ran too deep for tears, but the way he clung to Evric, burying his face into his chest, said more than words ever could. Silence spoke the depth of his hurt. All he managed to whisper to Evric was, "Let’s go ho."

The final confrontation has been set. The choice is now between justice and rcy.

NOTE: If you were in Zayn’s place, would you forgive your friend... or let the law take its course?