Page 3

I watch the cautious faces around the room harden the minute I make my demand.

No surprise there. I expect nothing less than this reaction. I know how much they’ve all sheltered Lilibeth since she was a baby, making concessions for her that haven’t been made for others in the family. Travelling the world for two years? I didn’t see Sofia or Natalia do that.

The voices rise in uproar, but I snap back instant replies.

The Orlov brothers look like they’re going to literally leap over and tear me apart with their bare hands at the audacity of my request.

As an older brother to Tatiana and Katya, I get where they’re coming from. But I’m doing what I am only to protect my own.

My eyes snap over to Mark Zolotov, the man who put a bullet in my uncle's head in the middle of the street for daring to attack his now wife Quinn.

He holds my gaze and tries to maintain a neutral expression, but he holds it too hard, giving him away.

Nobody expected this demand from me today, I know that much. I know how insane it is, but after pondering every option possible to believe I can trust in our alliance with the Orlovs and Zolotovs, I realized there is no other way than the one I now suggest.

The truth is, I can’t trust them. Not after what they’ve done and the history we share. Unless we have vested interests that go beyond business and territory.

Nobody expected me to ask for Lilibeth Orlov's hand in marriage. But then again, nobody in this room understands what I'm really after.

“You've lost your fucking mind,” Nikolai slams his fist on the desk. “Lilibeth is not for sale.”

I enter with a calm mind and maintain my stance with dignity.

“This isn't about selling anyone,” I say. “It's about strengthening an alliance.”

Dima laughs, but I hear the rage lacing that sound. “An alliance? You strong-armed us into an alliance after everything that happened. And now you want our sister?”

“You needed me.” I shrug. “I didn’t strong-arm you into anything.”

I turn my focus to Mark Zolotov, watching to see if he realizes he’s the reason for this mess. He exchanges a glance with his brother, Denis—the same Denis who also happens to be married to an Orlov, Natalia.

With such marriages, we all watch the families unite into a stronger front, become powerful beyond belief.

“The world fears the Zolotov-Orlov alliance,” I say, meeting each man’s gaze across the room. “Your families have grown stronger through your unions. I simply want the same for the Letvins.”

Mark's jaw tightens. He doesn't like being reminded of how he killed my uncle. Doesn't like that I managed to get the Letvins to side with him after that insult, either.

It means that now, his family and alliance owe me.

“There are other ways to strengthen ties between families,” Mark says carefully. “Other arrangements that could be made.”

“I'm not interested in other arrangements.”

Dima steps forward. He's the quietest of the Orlovs, which makes me wary of him because I can never tell what he’s thinking. “Why Lilibeth specifically?”

I keep my face blank, though inside my mind, there’s a gush of memories. In that moment, I could tell them the truth, that their precious little sister needs to pay for what she did. But that would end this meeting before I get what I want.

“She's unmarried, at the right age, and has a connection to all of you,” I gesture around the room. “Unless you have any other sisters we could consider?”

I know I’ve hit the mark. Every single Zolotov and Orlov woman is married.

“Bullshit,” Denis spits. “You don't even know her.”

“Don’t pretend you haven’t had arranged marriages in your family,” I say with ice in my tone, reminding all present that there was no room for hypocrisy in this conversation.

As expected, they all falter in their tracks.

If only they knew. The memory tries to surface—Nikandr's broken face, the hospital lights harsh above us, his words slurred from the drugs in his system. I push it away. Not now.

“My reasons are my own,” I say. “But my request stands. After everything with Charlie, after how my family has cleaned up the messes left by yours—” I look directly at Mark Zolotov, “—you can't deny that you owe me. All of you.”

The tension in the room spikes. Charlie Letvin, my cousin, ended up dead because of the Orlovs and Zolotovs.

My family wanted retaliation, but I knew my uncle was a crook in many ways, and we made a deal.

I would head the Letvin organization, and in exchange, ensure no trouble came their way for their role in dismantling the previous structure by murdering its head.

I picked up the pieces. I salvaged what was left of the Letvin name and business. They know this. They know I've kept my mouth shut when I could have brought them down by inciting anger.

“Lili is not part of this world.” Nikolai tries to make me see reason now. “She's innocent. She's—”

“I'll do it,” a female voice interrupts. Her voice interrupts. I’d recognize that voice anywhere, though I pretend to look like I’m laying eyes on her for the first time when I turn.

The others are all staring right at her, gaping in shock.

Lilibeth Orlov stands in the doorway, her head held high, but I notice the little tremble in her hand as she holds on to the frame of the door. She's nothing like I remember, and yet... exactly the same.

Her dark blonde hair falls in waves to her shoulders, and her blue-green eyes—those eyes that can make a man falter with a single glance—shift directly to mine. Recognition flickers there, but she looks away.

She’s keeping our past a secret. That’s a wise move, since I am too.

She's shorter than her brothers and curvier. The last time I saw her was a little over two years ago, when she was just twenty-one, on the brink of turning a year older.

She had just graduated then, unsure of herself and the world, but I can see she’s grown into herself since then. It’s in the way she stands, with a confidence that can’t be shaken.

I notice her cheeks still dimple when she offers her cousin Nikolai a tight smile.

“What?” Nikolai's voice is barely a whisper as he articulates my thoughts. I knew her cousins would cause trouble when I made my proposal, but I expected the most pushback to come from Lilibeth herself. To see her standing here, agreeing to marry me, is an unexpected turn of events.

“I said I'll do it.” She keeps her eyes on me. “I'll marry…him.”

She pauses before she says him, as though my name was on the cusp of her lips. But of course, she’s going to pretend she doesn’t know me. Smart move.

“Beth, for God's sake.” Fedor moves to her side, takes her arm. “You don't have to do this. We can handle Letvin.”

The entire room is now in panic. “You don’t know what you’re agreeing to,” Denis roars at her from the corner where he stands.

“Over my dead body,” Artyom insists, walking right up to her.

“You caused this mess!” Dima points right at me with anger in his eyes.

“Calm down, will you?” Lilibeth raises her voice, and everyone goes quiet.

“Stay out of this and go back to your room, Beth.” Nikolai glares at her. “This doesn’t concern you.”

“Of course it concerns me.” Her voice rises an octave as she walks up to her cousin’s face and plants her hands on his desk. “He’s talking about marrying me, isn’t he?”

“Nobody's marrying you off,” Nikolai growls. “Agafon Letvin is leaving. Now.”

She turns to face me with a cocked eyebrow, with what I dare say is a challenge in her eyes, a defiance of sorts. She holds my gaze longer than most people can. She remembers who I am, yet there's no fear in her eyes from what had happened.

“Why me?” she asks, without breaking eye contact. Courageous is what this girl—no, woman—has grown into.

From how worried Nikolai looks, I can tell just how precious she is to this family. Something stirs in my chest. Not attraction. God, no, it couldn’t be. But interest. She’s not cowering as I expected.

“Why me?” she asks directly.

“Because you're valuable to them,” I answer honestly. “And I need something valuable for our alliance to stand true.”

“And this alliance? Does it benefit my family?”

I choose not to answer, and when her eyes travel across the room, noticing that none of her brothers refute that question with a vehement no, she understands. She knows they need me.

She turns back to me with a nod. “I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.”

I don't let my surprise show on my face. This was supposed to be harder. I expected to have to threaten, to call in debts, to remind them of all the ways they need me. I didn't expect her to agree so quickly.

But by doing so, she makes my life easier.

“Beth, please.” Nikolai stands up from his chair, ready to argue, but she turns to face him.

“Please, Cousin, I’m doing this for the family to make us stronger. This is my choice, and you can’t take it away from me.”

A flash of surprise crosses Nikolai’s face, and I see him freeze; the room freezes too. Heck, even I’m shocked by how easily this all went down.

She looks back at me. “When were you thinking?”

“One month,” I say, recovering quickly. “That should give us time to prepare properly.”

She nods. “Fine. One month.”

Mark Zolotov steps between us. “This is moving too quickly. We need to discuss terms, arrangements, and protections for Lilibeth's interests.”

“Of course,” I agree smoothly. “We’ll be in touch regarding all this.”

Lilibeth nods, and I turn away, walking out before someone convinces her to change her mind.

This day couldn’t have gone any better. The one person I expected to stir the most trouble has been the very same one to set my plans in motion.

And now, I’ll get revenge for what she did to my brother, Nikandr.