Page 18

I held in a sigh, knowing only one person in this house could be wearing high heels to make a sound like that on the marble floor. Only one woman was here, and if she wanted to chase after me, it had to be so she could nag me again.
“Maxim. I’d like a word with you.”
I exhaled, closing my eyes with my back to my grandmother as I stopped.
She didn’t wantaword. She wanted the last word.
Quickly walking past the guards until she could circle and face me, she didn’t offer any further explanation for why she had to hold me back from leaving. I didn’t need any further explanation anyway. Her slight frown suggested she was annoyed and disappointed with me.
But nothing was new there.
“Yes?” I replied, minding my manners. As the only woman in the family, she was due respect. And as my grandmother, she was owed as much politeness as I could manage.
“I happened to overhear your conversation with your brothers just now.” Calmly clasping her hands together, she let them hang over her stomach. Dressed in a simple dress since she’d never cared for pants, calling herself an old-fashioned soul to appreciate the finery of women from long ago, she looked ready to lecture me.
Too bad for her, I wasn’t in the mood for it.
“And?” I replied.
“And I am growing frustrated with your lack of concern to settle down. You and your brothers.”
I shrugged. “I’m not ready to.”
“With your attitude, you will never be ready.” She raised her brows, judging me.
“I won’t,” I agreed. “And you won’t be able to change my mind about it.”
“I’m not trying to change your mind about anything,” she replied coolly. “Heaven forbid I try to influence my son or grandsons.” Her quip was full of the icy snark she was known for. Usually, I loved her spirit like this, but not on this matter.
“I am merely reminding you that itisyour duty. It will be a matter of security for you to obtain an heir. Within wedlock.” She added that last bit with a point of her fingers without unlocking her clasped hands.
I nodded, wondering how long it would take for her to tire of hearing herself say this. “I’m aware. But you won’t be arranging me to marry someone I can’t stand.”
“Oh.” She smirked, losing her cool slightly as she looked off to the side of the room. “No bride and groom can stand each other for long. That’s just human nature. It’s expected.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets, waiting her out. That was the best way to handle her when she was pushy like this. She’d lose steam eventually, but the longer she kept me here, the more I wanted to take off for this party and do the opposite of what she wanted. I was this much more eager to get out of this place and fuck the first nameless nobody I could find just to vent.
“It’s expected for your marriage to be a business matter instead of an emotional one. And I know you too well to even try to hope that you could find something like what I shared with your grandfather.”
I had to cave and smile a little then. She’d truly loved him, and her heart still belonged to him after his death. That secret twinkle of joy lit up her eyes any time she mentioned him, and I couldn’t argue that she had something special with my grandfather.
“I was arranged to marry him,” she said, like I hadn’t already known this for a long time. “But there was just something about him that captured my eye in the end. There was something between us, and we truly were a love match, Maxim.” Reaching out to lay her hand on my elbow, she softened up more and smiled freely. “We loved each other.”
“I know you did. But that’s rare.”
She sighed. “Perhaps itcanbe rare, but it’s not impossible.”
I laughed once. “I’m not gambling on the odds. And I’m not going to set out looking for love or anything close to it.”
She furrowed her brow, digging her heels in this argument again.
“I’m not going to look for a woman, either. Not yet. Until there is a rush for me to have an heir, it’s not even on my mind.”
“Why can’t it be? You saw how much your grandfather and I loved each other. Why don’t you want that for yourself?”
“Because I don’t want to be in the position of my wife and the mother of my child turning traitor and having an affair. I don’t desire being stuck between saving my family or letting someone in it.”
“Maxim.” She sighed heavily. “Beatrice was different. She had been too spoiled all her life as a Mafia princess and thought she could play games.”