CHAPTER NINETEEN

ALEXEI

The air was filled with the rich aroma of leather and expensive cologne, setting the stage for the impending meeting with the Polish Don and his crew. These men reveled in luxury, surrounded by velvet and mahogany, a far cry from the gritty days of my youth. The Poles demanded elegance, and I was not one to settle for less. 

Yaz and Viktor, kept a close watch, their eyes scanning the room for any signs of trouble. In this world, even among supposed allies, trust was a scarce commodity, especially after Mikhail's betrayal.

Today, my focus was on the Polish, a man whose influence resonated like steel, his seasoned gaze a testament to a lifetime in the underworld.

Leaving Yelena and Zoey with Ivan gnawed at me, a familiar knot of unease tightening in my gut.

They were an unlikely pair, the fiery journalist and the golden princess, yet their laughter had become a balm to the silence in this rich prison. I had only glimpsed