Page 114 of Beautiful Sinner

“I don’t want to but to save the man I love, I will do anything. So please just step back, Viktor. Please just let Matteo go.”

He stares at me for a long, hard moment before he gets up and steps away from Matteo.

“Matteo, go,” I tell him.

He groans as he pushes himself to his feet. “Julia, come with me.”

“I want to but I can’t. Viktor will just try to attack you again. So go. Now. And please don’t tell Dante how you got hurt. It will only make him angry.”

“Even now, you’re still protecting your brother.”

“Because if I can do this without anyone dying, then that’s the goal. So now, go. Please.”

I can feel Matteo looking at me but I keep my eyes planted on Viktor. I can’t risk him taking the gun from me.

Slowly, Matteo walks out the back gate and disappears.

Only then do I lower the gun.

Viktor takes it from me. “Julia.”

“Don’t,” I snap, holding up my hand. “You know how I feel at this point. I’m not going to keep telling you. You know what todo if you want to keep me in your life. I’m not going to let you make me feel bad about what I’ve done. I fell in love. It’s not a crime. It’s not a sin. It just happened. Either get on board with it and do the right thing, or I will never speak to you again.”

“We live in the same house.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to talk to you. You will not stop me from leaving whenever I want. You will not control me anymore, because if you do, I will just find a way to escape. You know what to do, Viktor.” I walk past him into the house without saying anything more.

Viktor

I stare down at the gun in my hands – the gun that my own sister used against me.

Inessa places her hand on my arm. “You know Julia is right.”

I want to fight it. I want to scream and say that Inessa is wrong. That Julia is wrong. That Matteo will just hurt her. That the world will hurt her and it’s only my job to protect her.

But I saw a different side of her today. A side that was brave enough to lift up a gun and demand what she wanted. She fought for her husband, even at my own expense. Even though I’m pissed, I’m also proud of her. I never knew she had it in her. But I guess I haven’t been giving my sister the credit she deserves.

I suddenly crumble and drop to my knees as a wave of emotion hits me. And then the tears come. I rarely cry. I just don’t have time for it.

But right now, I fucking cry.

And Inessa remains right at my side, holding me as I do it.

“You know what to do,” she says, kissing my cheek. “I love you so much. But these past few weeks, I’ve barely recognized the man I fell in love with. Choose to be happy, Viktor. Choose for Julia to be happy too.”

My tears subside and I sit up straighter. “I don’t know how to put aside my pride.”

“Then learn.”

I look into the eyes of my wife – who’s always been there for me, even when I’ve been a stubborn asshole – and I know I have to do what’s right. I know I will lose Julia if I keep trying to control her.

I have to let her go even if it means she runs into the arms of my enemy.

Julia

I’m so angry with Viktor that I can’t remain in the house a second longer, so I take one of the cars and leave out the front door. None of the guards out front try to stop me. They know who I am. They know I’m not a prisoner here, even if my brother thinks so.

I need to see Matteo again. Make sure he isn’t seriously hurt. I start to drive in the direction of his safehouse when I realize that I’m being followed. It’s something I’ve seen Viktor do over the years: notice things others might miss. He taught me the clues to look out for in case anyone ever followed me.