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His words are a punch to the gut—truth wrapped in the pain of years of distance. “I don’t know what to say.”
He takes another sip of his cognac, his gaze softening just a fraction. “You don’t have to say anything, Ivan. Just remember who you are—and don’t lose that, no matter what they try to take from you.”
I feel a strange, unfamiliar warmth—a small crack in the cold armor I’ve worn for so long. “Thank you,” I manage, my voice raw.
He nods as if that’s all he needed to hear. “Now, go back to her,” he says quietly. “You’ve found someone worth fighting for. Don’t lose her in this mess.”
Chapter Fifty-One
LARA
Iwalk into the house, my mind still buzzing from the meeting with Ivan’s father. Relief floods through me—finally, after everything, he has the money. I can’t wait to tell Ivan, to see the look on his face when I let him know that the crisis is over. He probably already knows. I imagine his father called him. I wonder, though, how he will react. Is what I did truly a good thing, given their strained relationship?
I am so occupied by my thoughts that I am startled to see Nikolai standing by the window with his back to me. I wasn’t expecting him, and the sight of him sends a strange chill down my spine.
“Nikolai?” I call out, feeling a mix of surprise and confusion. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”
He turns around, a neutral expression on his face. “I heard you met my father,” he says calmly. “Just wanted to see how things are going.”
I feel a strange knot forming in my stomach. Nikolai’s gaze is different—more intense, filled with something I can’t quite name. I try to shake off the feeling, reminding myself howsupportive and amiable he was in France even though Ivan treated him so dismissively. For god’s sake, we laughed and danced together. Sometimes, I’m so foolish, imagining all kinds of terrible things about good people.
“I’m fine,” I say with a big happy smile. “Thanks to you I have some good news and I was actually about to call Ivan with it.”
“Good news?” he repeats, taking a small step closer. “What kind of good news?”
His tone is deceptively casual, but there’s a hint of urgency beneath it.
I hesitate, suddenly unsure of how much to reveal, but he is Ivan’s brother. And he’s going to find out anyway. Plus, he should be happy. He was instrumental in it. If he had not given me the number, I would never have known how to contact Ivan’s father. Maybe now the family can stop the big feud. “Well, after you gave me your father’s number, I went to see him and he agreed to help. Ivan has the funds to pay back the bank now.”
He blinks with surprise. His eyes flicker with something sharper. “You really did that?” he asks, his voice low. “Went to all that trouble for Ivan?”
His tone catches me off guard. “Of course,” I reply, trying to make it sound simple, even though the act itself was anything but. “He needed help, and I care about him.”
His jaw tightens at my words. “You care about him,” he repeats slowly, as if tasting the bitterness of it. “You’ve known him for how long? A couple of weeks?”
I frown, confused by the sudden shift. “Why does it matter how long, Nikolai? He needed help, and I did what I could.”
He takes another step closer, his gaze intense. “You’ve seen how cold and business-like he is, Lara,” he presses. “You’ve even seen the way he treats me. But you’re here, risking everything for him. Why?”
There’s an unexpected vulnerability in his question, a desperate need to understand.
“Because he’s worth it,” I say softly. “Underneath all the coldness, he’s?—”
“A broken man,” Nikolai interjects, his voice sharp. “One who uses people and then discards them.”
My chest tightens at the accusation. “That’s not true,” I insist. “He’s been honest with me.”
He laughs, a short, bitter sound. “Honest? You really believe that?” He steps closer again, his presence almost threatening, his eyes searching mine and his voice taunting. “I know Ivan better than you ever could. You think he’s changed? You think you’ve reached him?”
He just crossed a line right there, and he’s pissing me off. “Truthfully, Nikolai, I appreciate your concern, but none of this is any of your business.”
His expression softens, a hint of something like regret in his eyes. “Lara, I’ve seen how this goes. I’ve seen him with other women. He makes you feel special, makes you believe you matter… but it never lasts.”
I don’t respond.
“He made you sign a contract, didn’t he?”
I freeze.