I’m done sitting on the sidelines.

The moment we returned from seeing Seraphina, my mind has been moving too fast to rest. Seeing her safe, seeing her free—it lit something inside me. I can’t go back to being the woman who lets others decide what happens next. I won’t.

I know my father better than anyone here. His lies, his tricks, the way he maneuvers people like chess pieces. It’s second nature to him. That means I have something Dimitri and his men don’t. A way to anticipate what’s coming next.

I spent years trapped under my father’s rule, and now I’m trapped under Dimitri’s protection. The difference is, Dimitri actually thinks he’s doing me a favor. He doesn’t realize that keeping me out of the fight won’t keep me safe. It’ll just make me useless.

I’ve had enough of being useless.

I find Dimitri in his office, hunched over a stack of documents. He doesn’t look up when I enter, but I know he senses my presence. His fingers tap against the desk. I’ve come to recognize it as his only tell when he’s bracing for a fight.

Good. He should be.

“I want in,” I declare without any preamble.

His pen pauses mid-scratch. He finally looks up, and his eyes scan my face as if weighing how much trouble this conversation is about to be. “In on what?”

“You know exactly what.” I step closer and plant my hands on the edge of his desk. “I want to be involved. Strategizing, planning, whatever it takes to take down my father. I have insight none of your men do. It’s a waste not to use it.”

“You don’t need to be involved in any of this.”

“That’s not your choice.”

“Yes, it is.” He leans back and steeples his fingers. “This isn’t up for discussion.”

I let out a short laugh, one with no humor. “You don’t get to lock me in a marriage for the sake of your business and then expect me to be an obedient, silent wife. I have just as much at stake as you do.”

“You have more at stake,” he corrects. “Which is why you’re staying out of it.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,” he replies. “You’re a target. Thorne already tried to kill you once. If you think I’m letting you anywhere near the fight, you’re not thinking straight.”

I push off the desk and throw my hands in the air. “You have men out there working to destroy him, but none of them know him like I do. I know his weaknesses. I know how he operates. But you’d rather pretend that’s not valuable?”

“You think I don’t see the value? Of course, I do. But it’s not worth the risk.”

“This isn’t just about me. This is about everyone he’s hurt. The people he’s tortured, controlled, ruined. I can help end him.”

“And if he gets to you first? Then what? He doesn’t kill quickly, Cecily. He takes his time. He enjoys it. I’ve seen his handiwork.”

Inwardly, I flinch, but I don’t let it show. I’ve seen what’s left of the men who cross him, too. “I know exactly what kind of monster he is. That’s why I won’t hide while you handle it.”

His chair scrapes as he stands. The room suddenly feels smaller with him towering over me, but I just square my shoulders. “I handle it because I know what I’m doing.”

“So do I,” I shoot back. “You think growing up with him didn’t teach me anything? I spent years learning how he operates. How he manipulates. How he moves pieces before anyone realizes they’re part of his game. And you’d rather keep me locked away instead of using what I know?”

“You think you’re the first person to come at me asking to be part of this life?”

“I’m not asking to be part of your life, Dimitri. I’m demanding a say in my own.”

He clenches his jaw and exhales through his nose like he’s trying to keep from breaking something.

Then he turns away.

“Meeting’s over,” he declares, as if that’s the end of it.

No. Not this time.

I grab his arm before he can go any farther. He stops instantly, and his muscles ripple under my fingertips. “Don’t dismiss me. I’m your wife, not one of your men.”

“Cecily, you don’t understand what you’re asking.”

“I understand perfectly,” I counter through gritted teeth. “I’m not a liability, Dimitri. I’m a weapon you refuse to use because you’re too stubborn to admit I might be useful.”

“You want to help? Fine. Tell me what you think his next move is.”

I step in front of him, forcing him to face me directly. “My father never attacks head-on. He always lays the groundwork first—plants seeds of doubt and creates rifts where there weren’t any. Then, when people are distracted, he strikes where they least expect it.”

Dimitri listens, but his arms remain crossed, like he’s still looking for a reason to shut me down.

I keep going. “He’s been using Redwood Point as a test. You stopped him this time, but he’ll come at you from another angle. Somewhere unexpected. Somewhere personal.”

His expression doesn’t change, but something comes alive behind his eyes.

I press on. “He’s always believed leverage is more powerful than brute force. He’ll go after the people closest to you, the ones you don’t expect to be vulnerable.” I pause. “Your brothers. Their families. Anyone he can get his hands on.”

Dimitri’s jaw ticks, and I know I’ve hit the nerve I was aiming for.

But instead of answering, he drops his voice and asks, “And what if he comes for you?”

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about that or that it didn’t scare the hell out of me, but it won’t stop me. “Then I’ll be ready.”

His fingers brush my wrist, just enough to send a shiver racing down my spine. “No, you won’t.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

His grip tightens around my hip bone, not enough to hurt but enough to remind me of his strength. “I do when it comes to keeping you alive.”

We stand there, locked in a silent war, neither of us willing to break first. Then he lets go and turns away like he’s closing a door between us.

“This conversation is over.”

The finality in his voice stings more than I want to admit.

But I’m not done. Not even close.

***

The next morning, I wake up with the same frustration burning beneath my skin. Dimitri shut me down, but I’m not backing down. If he thinks ignoring me will make me give up, he doesn’t know me at all. I’m prepared to storm into his office and keep arguing until he listens.

Instead, he finds me first.

I’m in the dining hall, finishing a cup of coffee, when he enters. He nods at a few of his men before making his way toward me. I brace myself for another fight, for him to tell me to stay out of his way.

Instead, he pulls out the chair across from me and drops a file onto the table.

“We’re restructuring security rotations for the west gate,” he announces, like this is a normal conversation we have. “What do you think?”

I blink. “What do I think?”

“You heard me.”

I stare at him, waiting for the catch. Dimitri doesn’t just change his mind overnight. He doesn’t suddenly ask for my opinion when he’s spent the last several weeks deciding everything for me.

I slowly reach for the file, flipping it open to scan the details inside. It’s a logistical matter, not particularly sensitive, but still something that most men in this organization wouldn’t consider bringing to me.

I trace a finger over the map of the estate, noting the current guard posts. “You’re leaving the west gate weaker in the afternoons,” I remark as I point to the rotation. “You’ve staggered the shifts too much. If someone wanted to time an approach, that’s where they’d do it.”

Dimitri studies me, then the map. “And what would you suggest?”

I glance up, searching for the trick, but there’s no sign of trickery. He’s serious. He actually wants my input.

I push the file toward him and tap a section near the perimeter wall.

“Instead of staggering shifts at the gate, stagger them here. It creates the illusion of an opening without actually making one. If Thorne or anyone else is watching, they’ll think they see an opportunity, but your men will already be positioned to cut them off before they get close. ”

Dimitri doesn’t answer right away. His eyes move between me and the file, then he nods once. “I’ll have Maksim run that adjustment.”

That’s it. No argument. No dismissal. Just an acknowledgment.

I pick up my coffee again, trying to act unaffected, but my mind is racing. He didn’t just listen—he accepted my suggestion without a fight. It’s a small thing, a minor security thing, but it feels bigger than that.

“Why are you asking me this?”

“Because you’re right. You know how Thorne thinks. I should use that.”

I don’t know how to respond to that. He’s not just letting me have a say; he’s admitting he was wrong to keep me out of it. For a man like Dimitri, that’s almost impossible.

I should feel victorious. Instead, I feel unsettled. Not that I’m going to let him see that.

I nod and push the file back toward him. “Good. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Dimitri smirks like he knows I’m playing it cool. He stands and picks up the file. “I will.”

He strides away, leaving me sitting there with my mind turning. It was just one detail. Nothing big. But it feels like something.

I exhale and look around the room. A few of his men are scattered throughout, sipping coffee and discussing business in deliberately low voices. At first, I don’t pay them any mind.

Then, I notice it.

Some of them are watching me.

Not in an obvious way. No marked stares or open hostility. Just quiet observation, an awareness in their posture that wasn’t there before.

It takes me a second to understand why.

They saw Dimitri bring me the file. Saw him ask for my opinion in a way he doesn’t do with anyone outside his circle. And now they’re wondering what it means.

Power plays in this world don’t always come with declarations. Sometimes, they’re as simple as who gets consulted and who doesn’t.

And I just got consulted.

I glance down at my cup and pretend to be exceptionally interested in the brown liquid inside. I know exactly what’s happening. I’m being tested.

Some of these men don’t trust me. Maybe they think I’ll sabotage them. Maybe they think Dimitri is blinded by whatever this thing is between us. Or maybe they just don’t like that a Thorne is sitting at their table.

Whatever the reason, I feel the shift in the room, as if a new line has been drawn in the sand. Before, I was Dimitri’s prisoner, then his reluctant wife. Now, I’m becoming something else. Something with potential.

Something that matters.

Dimitri’s trust—or whatever version of it this is—has just put a target on my back. I should be afraid. Instead, I welcome it.

I sip my coffee and force myself to look unbothered. If they want to test me, they’ll have to do better than suspicious side-eyed glances.

From across the room, one of Dimitri’s men leans against the counter. He’s one of those who had been deep in conversation before Dimitri sat down. Now, he remains still, his eyes shifting between me and the door that Dimitri disappeared through.

I recognize him from the night of our wedding. He was standing close to Maksim when they all watched me walk down the aisle like I was some rare exhibit. I don’t know his name, but I know his type. Loyal to Dimitri, but wary of me.

I set my cup down and meet his gaze without even blinking. His lips twitch, as if I’ve done something amusing. He mutters something to the man beside him, and they both chuckle before going back to their conversation.

They’re not underestimating me. They’re watching . Measuring. Waiting to see what I’ll do with the influence Dimitri just handed me.

I push my chair back and slowly stand. The subtle movement draws attention, but I don’t acknowledge it. Instead, I smooth my hands down my dress and walk to the counter, where one of the kitchen staff is finishing up a fresh pot of coffee.

She glances up at me and smiles. “Another cup?”

I nod. “Please.”

She pours it for me, and I take my time adding just the right amount of sugar. I don’t rush. I don’t let my shoulders tense. I feel the stares, but I refuse to react.

Dimitri has no idea what he just did. Or maybe he does. Either way, his men have taken notice. And in this world, attention isn’t always a good thing.

Let them test me. Let them watch. I’ve been underestimated my entire life.

They’ll regret it.