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He shakes his head. “Nah. She’d be proud of you. She’d want you to fight for her.”

I hope he’s right, because I’m not letting Dinara go this time.

I’ve always wanted her. Always needed her. And now I’m gonna have her.

CHAPTER38

DINARA

“Areyou out of your fucking mind?” I bellow, cracking with raw frustration as I glare at Konstantin in his study, needing privacy for this conversation.

He sits on the sofa, cool and collected, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips, as though he’s enjoying the chaos he's created.

“Moya milaya, I love you very much, but if you speak to me like that again, you will meet the same fate as everyone else who dares speak to me that way.” His calm, almost lazy tone makes the anger inside me boil hotter.

My chest heaves as I fight to keep my emotions in check.

“Sit, please.” He gestures toward the sofa across from him. “Let’s discuss this like civilized adults, hmm?”

“Civilized adults don’t force each other into marriages they don’t want.” I run my fingers through my hair, trying to contain the hurricane of emotions threatening to spill over.

How can he do this to me? After everything!

“I thought we were on the same page.”

Despite my best efforts to remain calm, the words tremble out of me. “You know how much the breakup hurt me. I left the country, for God’s sake! And now you're doing this to me? After everything I went through?”

“Come on, Dinara. You know I’ve always wanted the best for you. I would never do anything I didn’t think was right.”

I laugh bitterly, my hands quivering as I clasp them in my lap. “And you think marryinghimis what’s right for me? No. This is about what’s right foryou, isn’t it? You’ve wanted this alliance for years, and you’re using me to get it.”

Konstantin exhales dramatically, as if he’s tired of this conversation already. I feel the heaviness of his gaze on me as he leans back, unfazed by my anger.

How can I marry someone who swore he’d never love me? Someone who chose to walk away from me the moment he found out the truth about my uncle?

I won’t let him break me again. He didn’t want me then. And now it’s too late. He doesn’t get to have me.

“Cillian isn’t as bad as you believe.” Konstantin smirks. “You two have a lot to work through.”

“Work through?” I scoff, shaking my head. “And you think marrying him will fix that?”

“Absolutely.” He grins like this is some kind of joke. “The man was crazy without you. Did he tell you that?”

“Sort of,” I mutter. “But it doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” he presses. “You think I’d let just anyone break into your house?”

My stomach twists. “You knew…”

“Of course. Everyone knew. That’s why my men didn’t treat him like an intruder. I wanted to see what he’d do. If things between you two would get better. But…” He shrugs. “Then you got into that accident and everything went to shit.” He drags in a long breath. “So I thought you two needed some time off. If it was meant to be, you’d find a way back. It seems you did.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it.” I hit him with a glare. “I want nothing to do with him. And if you were me, you wouldn’t either.”

He raises a brow. “Perhaps. I’m not one to give love advice, but I can tell you this: a man who doesn’t love you doesn’t break into your house and lie in your bed while you’re across the world.”

“He did that?” My heart lurches.

“He did. Desperate. Stubborn. But he cares deeply.” His chuckle is harsh. “He did come to me to ask where you were, but I didn’t tell him. I wanted him to suffer, and he did.” A sly smirk spreads across his face. “He deserved to be tortured all these years, don’t you think?”