"Actually, Katie..."I frowned, breaking off as I thought about telling Katie the truth, but a new figure appeared in the hallway and caught my eye.A beautiful woman, dressed in exquisitely expensive clothing, walked toward us with an air of authority and grace. Her eyes locked onto me with a pierc
DimitriShaken but oddly exhilarated, I watched as Albert leave. Albert’s fierceness reminded me of my own rise to power. I let the look on his face wash through my mind and continued smiling.Albert had left me seething, but there was a peculiar satisfaction in the way he had stood his ground. I ad
"I don’t know what to do," I continued, the words coming out almost in a plea. "I’m so angry, but I need to be strong. For Mia, for everything. I don’t know if I’m doing any of this right. I just want to make things right again, but it’s like I’m chasing shadows."Ivan stood a few feet away, giving
MiaWe got into the car with Sasha. Apparently, his brother was the driver. The atmosphere in the vehicle was a mix of tension and resolve. Well, the brother seemed well at ease. As we drove towards the casino, I couldn’t help but be grateful to have something else to focus on but my own mess of a l
Emma’s anxiety was palpable. She clung to her purse like a lifeline, her eyes darting around as if expecting to see Ethan at any moment. Sasha came back.“Per the security, he’s usually at the high-stakes tables. A thrill-seeker.”Emma sniffled pitifully and we followed Sasha. We navigated through t
MiaAs I left the casino with Sasha and Emma, my mind was still swirling from the brief, almost-kiss with Albert. My breath felt a little short, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of how close we’d come to something more. The interruption had been sudden, jarring, and I wasn’t sure how to process it a
Sasha’s tone hardened. He cracked his knuckles.“I’m sure you are. But I’d hate to think you’re going to end up like your boss. I've got plenty of time on my hands."They both flinched."If you know what’s good for you, you’ll back off.”The men exchanged nervous glances and took a step back. Sasha
MiaI blinked at the woman."I am Mia, who are you?""Ms. Kulak, is there a reason you're here?" Sasha asked."Move aside, Sasha. What are you doing here anyway?""I work for Albert, not you. I’m here to make sure Mrs. Warren and her mother are safe. And I'm not going to let you harass the boss' wif
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