Page 6 of No Longer Mine

Dimitri

All I wantedto do was kill someone.

It was fucked up, really. I was about to announce my candidacy as a champion of the people, an anti-corruption crusader, and an economic reformist. And the kicker? My campaign slogan was Restoring Integrity.

Laughable. If anyone knew the truth, they’d choke on their champagne. But this wasn’t a joke to me. It was calculated. Strategic. I needed to distance myself from the dark shadow of the Cristof name.

On paper, our family was pristine, a dynasty that had lasted over a hundred years. But anyone who dared dig deeper knew the whispers—how it all started, how the money came so easily. My father had once told me that with enough wealth, the money grows itself. But that didn’t explain why he never stopped, why he always wanted more, or why he crushed anyone trying to carve out their own piece of the city.

Small businesses didn’t stand a chance. If someone so much as set foot on his turf, he buried them. Figuratively. Literally. Whatever it took to keep his throne.

But even kings could be toppled. And two of his own sons were standing on the edge, ready to push.

I adjusted the sleeves of my suit as Presley chattered behind me. My personal assistant was young—barely eighteen—and I still didn’t know how she’d landed this job. She knew her shit, though, even if her doe-eyed expression and soft voice made her seem out of place. Benson had assured me she was discreet, sharp, and capable of handling anything. So far, she’d proven him right. Her shoes slapped the pavement as she fought to keep up with me.

Even if it was hard not to notice the… assets she brought to the table.

“Presley,” I interrupted, turning my head slightly. “I wasn’t listening.”

Her jaw tightened, her fingers gripping the tablet she carried.

“Well,” I prompted, raising a brow. “Let me have it.”

She exhaled slowly, clearly suppressing a lecture. “I just don’t know how I’m supposed to do my job when you don’t listen.”

I fought back a smirk. “I’ll do better.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she nodded. “Thank you, Sir.” She cleared her throat, brushing her hair back. “Now, about your campaign announcement. Most candidates choose a business or their hometown as a backdrop. Any thoughts?”

I shook my head. “New York is my hometown, but a business won’t work.”

She tapped a note into her tablet, her brows furrowed in thought. “Do you have a place you frequent? Somewhere that feels… authentic?”

I glanced at her, trying to read the eager expression in her wide eyes. “What are you thinking?”

She hesitated before clearing her throat again. “If you want to appeal to the public as someone who’s not just another elite figure—as the black sheep of your family—you’ll need to look… human.”

Human. The word felt foreign, almost insulting. But she wasn’t wrong.

I rolled my eyes toward the ceiling, hating what I was about to admit. “There’s an ice cream shop around the corner. I have a sweet tooth.”

Her face lit up like I’d handed her the winning lottery ticket. “That’s perfect.”

Of course it was. I hated that it was.

I straightened the front of my suit, brushing imaginary lint off the fabric. “What else do we have planned for today?”

“We need to meet with the PR firm to finalize the videos and promotional material that will launch after the campaign announcement,” Presley said, glancing at her schedule.

I rubbed slow circles on my temples, wishing I could trade the meeting for something more satisfying, like breaking someone’s kneecaps. “When’s that?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

For the first time that day, I smiled. “Wonderful. Take the rest of the day off.”

She blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Really?”

“Yes, I have a lot of pent-up energy that I need to work out,” I adjusted the cuffs on my sleeves as I glanced up at the gym before me. Alexei told me I was welcome anytime at his friend’s gym and I was about ready to make it mine. I hadn’t had sex in what felt like forever and since I couldn’t drink myself into oblivion… this was the next best thing.