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He pauses a few feet away from the table, veering his body in the direction Zev sits. He raises his hand above his head, back straightening and locking in place as he salutes Zev.

Zev nods, and the soldier’s heavy boot pads against the floor as he crosses over to Zev, leaning down and whispering something in Russian.

Zev’s eyes darken at the information, his jaw locked. He nods, waving the soldier away. Gently, he raises the napkin to his lips, dabbing it, then places it aside to grab a glass of water. He takes a sip before pushing his chair backward and rising to his feet.

No one asks if everything is okay. The room is left in silence as he follows after his soldier into the hall.

The longer he stays without returning to the table, the tighter Vivienne’s hand around her spoon. An inexplicable chill wraps around her spine.

She glances at the door Zev disappears through. No sign of him coming back. Just a soldier with a gun hovering over the door.

Something is wrong. She can feel it. It’s in the air that has suddenly thickened, a shift in the atmosphere.

About ten minutes passed—she counted.

Then she hears it now—shouting. Muffled exchange of threatening words. Then the door bursts open.

A group of men enter first. Vivienne’s eyes widen. Something about their sharp and crispy suits tells her their identity. Isadora also wears sharp suits too.

She finally looks behind them, and a wave of blond hair comes into view.

Kenji.

Air is completely sucked from her lungs. Her hips jerk against the table as she abruptly rises from the chair. She stumbles on her feet, her heart a wild drumbeat in her chest.

“Vee.” Relief washes over the boy’s eyes. He tries to push past the officers to her, but they hold him back gently, one whispering something to his ear.

Then Zev enters, calm, controlled. It almost appears as though he orchestrated this whole meeting, and he wasn’t blindsided at all.

His presence shifts the balance of power, as he adjusts his cufflink, his expression a mask of indifference.

But his current emotion is in his eyes. God, his eyes. They burn with fury.

“Finally, something exciting is happening.” Vivienne’s jaw clenches at Aiko’s comment from the background, wishing she can slap the amusement from her lips.

“Mr. Raskovic.” One of the officers steps forward, his tone is even but wary. “As we were trying to say outside. We received a report that this woman was taken against her will. And we have a reason to believe she’s a victim of abduction.”

“Oh, this is good.”

Vivienne turns and glares at Aiko. Her eyes fall briefly on Matteo Serrano. He doesn’t have any expression either, but he looks ready to obey Zev’s order.

She looks back at Zev, catching a feathering muscle in his jaw. He isn’t looking at her. Not yet. Instead, he lets out a slow, measured breath, his hands in his pocket.

“With all due respect, detective.” Zev’s voice is a blade honed to perfection. “You have been misinformed. This woman right here is my wife. Now, why in the world would I abduct my own wife?”

The three officer’s gaze flickers to Vivienne. “Is that true?”

A tense silence.

Zev finally lifts his eyes to her, his gaze a noose tied around her neck, heavy and commanding. A silent warning.

A plea.

She swallows hard, her eyes momentarily straying to Kenji and Kenji is shaking his head, a silent plea to tell the truth.

“Yes,” she says, her voice wavering. “We’re um, we’re married.”

The officers exchange glances, confused.

“Vee, come on,” Kenji says sharply, his voice raw. “Tell them the truth.”

The detective’s sharp eyes return to Vivienne. “Did you consent to the marriage?” one of them asks.

The room seems to shrink, pressing in on her. Her pulse pounds in her ears. She can feel Zev beside her, his presence electric as he waits for her next words.

Then she takes in a deep breath, voice barely above whispers. “No. He—he forced me.”

The silence that follows is deafening.

One of the detectives steps forward. “Then, you’ll be coming with us for now.”

Zev’s shoulder tense, almost imperceptible, but she catches it.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t take her.” His voice is cooperative and smooth. But there’s something lethal hidden beneath it. A warning.

“You have no legal grounds to keep her,” the other detective counters. “She’s leaving with us. You can join us later to prove your case in front of a judge.”

Zev steps forward, slow and deliberate, exuding an unshakable power that makes even armed men hesitate.

“You’re in my country. Standing in my house.

I can make you disappear.” His voice is low and filled with poison.

“But of course, you can escort her back today. But don’t be so foolish and be mistaken. This isn’t over yet.”

A stalemate.

Vivienne staggers backward, her knees weakening as one of the officers comes to grab her by the arm, leading her out.

Zev shocks Vivienne. He doesn’t stop them. And when some of his soldiers charge forward with their guns, he raises a hand in protest against it.

But he follows Vivienne and the detectives out to the front door. He doesn’t step beyond the door. He just stands there, merely watching, cold, controlled…dangerous.

Kenji rushes to Vivienne’s side, grabbing her hand in his.

The further they head away, the more it dawns on Vivienne that Zev doesn’t have any intention of stopping them…stopping her.

He doesn’t need to.

Before she enters the black car the detectives brought, she glances over her shoulder. Their eyes meet.

This isn’t over. This is just the beginning.