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But as I look at the men around me—men who should be my enemies, men who have made my family’s life a hell—I realise something important: we are all connected by the same piece of history.
I feel the tension rising once more in the room as I keep my Chiara close, my thoughts racing, my heart pounding in my chest.
I want to take Chiara, and leave this damn place with my son by my side.
I just hope the Don will not make this too difficult.
But when I glance over at the twins, I see something I would never have expected to see.
A look of resolve crosses over Nikolai’s face, and his words make me feel raging, hot anger.
“No.” He says, his voice firm, cold too. “Chiara is not goinganywherewith you.”
I glare at him.
How dare he?
Dario’s body becomes tense, and his fingers tighten around his sister’s shoulder.
I cannot blame him; he is just as protective of Chiara as I am of her.
Nikolai does not know what I am capable of, and he is a stupid man if he thinks I will listen to him so easily.
This ismydaughter.
My blood.
I glance over at Dario, and a silent understanding passes between us.
Can we take on both the twins?
Can we stand our ground against Isaak and his sons if it comes to that?
Can we do the same if the Don stands with them?
The answer comes to me faster than I can process it.
Yes.
Of course we can.
I open my mouth to speak, to remind Nikolai of exactly who I am to Chiara, but something in Isaak’s gaze stops me.
Though there is an underlying power to the man—the Pakhan—I see a flicker of something else in his expression.
Something like understanding.
Closing my eyes for a moment, I try to suppress that fury that is bubbling beneath the surface.
After everything that has been revealed, everything that Chiara has now been made aware of, and everything that has just happened, I know this is not the time for yet another confrontation.
My daughter needs peace.
And I need to be the one to keep her safe.
No matter what I feel, no matter how much I want to tear these men apart for what they have done to her, I cannot let that happen right now.
I force myself to focus on Isaak’s face.