AlbertI sat by Diane’s bedside, her tears gradually subsided, but the tension in the room seemed to grow. I could see the weight of her fear and distress, and I did my best to offer comfort, but the curiosity was riding me. I knew she was about to tell me something crucial. Her grip on my hand tigh
As Diane tried to calm herself, I felt the weight of the night’s events bearing down on me. Lorenzo likely wouldn't be stopped with just a bit of threatening or pain. I knew that already, but killing him outright felt like the wrong thing to do, given the fact that he was Mia's father...What kind o
MiaIt felt unfair. He was wonderful, and that should have been all that mattered, but it wasn't, and I really didn't see how it would ever be enough. I could still see the bodies he'd left behind and the cold, murderous look on his face.I shuddered at the thought and tried to push the thought away
"I didn't know--""Don't bullshit me, Lorenzo," he hissed. "All you needed was a leg up. It could have come from anyone...""I didn't know she was married to a Russian," I said. And it was really my only hope to get out of this."That son of a bitch has embarrassed me. Just wait..." he snarled, prac
AlbertAs I stood at the observation window, watching the surgeons working on Diane, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at it, seeing Ivan’s name flash across the screen. Mia looked up at me briefly. I offered her a smile before I stepped back from the window. She looked nervous until I sank in
“And Lorenzo,” I added, a cold smile playing on my lips, “happy birthday. I hope it’s one you never forget.”I ended the call, the finality of my words ringing in the silence. I turned my attention back to the observation window. The surgery was still ongoing, but my mind was already racing ahead, p
MiaThe surgery was finally over, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. Mom had made it through, and the relief that washed over me was almost overwhelming. The surgeons assured me that everything had gone well and she would be placed in the ICU for observation. They mentioned
The doctor hissed. "We'll have to cut the ring off..."I winced. It had already swollen up so much."Are you sure we can't just... pull it off?"She winced. "It'll hurt.""I'll be okay.""Let me," Albert said, holding out his hand.I nodded, giving him my hand. The numbed my hand and lubed up my han
She leaned against the bar.“Thank you for the flowers,” she said quietly. “What did you want to talk about?”I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I didn't expect it to be easy, but I had hoped for a slightly warmer reception.“There’s a lot we need to discuss. About us, about what happened, and
MiaNearly a month had passed since the raid, and life had settled into a new routine. I was working as a nurse, and the steady rhythm of the hospital shifts was both grounding and exhausting. Mom was at the penthouse on bedrest, recovering from her surgery, but her spirits were high. She had a job
"Everybody on the ground now!"Agents burst into the room, guns drawn. The attendees opened fire on them but they were overwhelmed.In the midst of the chaos, I spotted Dimitri, clutching his shoulder. Glaring at me, his face twisted in a mix of anger and fear. He tried to get toward the backdoors a
AlbertPolina was mingling with various guests, a smile plastered on her face that took over her whole face. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of frustration when I thought of her. She really thought this was going to go a certain way.I moved through the crowd avoiding her. I noticed several of Dimit
It was bittersweet and lonely and not the mood I needed to be in the day before all my plans would come to fruition.Ivan came into the study nearly an hour later, already dressed for bed. He poured himself a cup of whiskey and sat across the table from me.“I’ve been looking for places for Katie an
AlbertThat night, I found myself sitting across from a few government operatives in a discreet, dimly lit office. The atmosphere was tense as we went over the final elements of the plan, including the layout of the Kulak Estate.The operatives were efficient and to the point. Things were going well
I shook my head. "I don't have to explain myself to you."She set her jaw. "Because you can't.""Because it's none of your business. My relationship with Mia, whatever it is or was, has nothing to do with you. Leave her alone, Polina. I mean it."Polina’s face twisted with a mixture of hurt and disb
AlbertI set my jaw at the sound of the knock. It might be the whiskey, but I really wanted to kiss her. I was almost sure that she'd let me. I turned to answer the door. It was one of my subordinates with a report from Ivan.Definitely more important than almost kissing my soon-to-be ex-wife.Mia s
“How did you get here?” I asked. "I didn't think you had a casino in the city."He glanced around briefly before responding. His tone clipped but informative. “It was Elio’s. I'm doing my rounds.”I winced at that. I wanted to know what that meant and I didn't want to know. Had Elio just paid Albert