I’m halfway through reviewing last night’s security footage when my phone vibrates for the tenth time this hour, and every muscle in my body tightens with annoyance.

Cecily’s endless defiance is wearing on my nerves, and I can’t focus on anything else.

I glance at the screen, see Maksim’s name, and consider ignoring it.

Then I throw the file onto the desk and pick up the call.

“What?” I snap as I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“Good morning to you, too,” Maksim drawls. “Are you in a foul mood because your little captive won’t toe the line? Or is something else eating at you?”

“Did you have a reason to call, or are you just here to irritate me?”

He chuckles. “Grigor wants an update on the Thorne situation. He asked me, but I think you should be the one to go see him. He doesn’t trust secondhand information when it comes to Seraphina’s family.”

I grunt. “Fine. I’ll head over to the safehouse.”

Maksim pauses before adding, “Word is Cecily’s been roaming places she shouldn’t. Are you keeping tabs on her?”

“She’s under control,” I lie, ignoring the nagging feeling in my gut.

“Sure,” Maksim replies, clearly unimpressed. “Let Grigor know if you’ve reconsidered my suggestion.”

“Your suggestion to treat Cecily like a potential spy? I told you, that’s ridiculous.”

“You can keep saying that, but it doesn’t mean the rest of us are convinced.”

He ends the call before I can fire back.

I scowl at the phone, then shut the security laptop.

On the screen, a paused frame shows Cecily strolling down a corridor, eyes darting around in a way that makes me wonder if Maksim’s paranoia isn’t entirely misplaced.

I don’t believe she’s working for her father, but I can’t deny she’s been testing our defenses.

Still, it feels like her motivation is escape, not sabotage.

I leave the office and head out to the main foyer. Several men lounge near the entrance, talking in low voices. They snap to attention when they spot me. I gesture for one of them to come over.

“I’m going to the safehouse. Send a car behind me to make sure I’m not followed. If Cecily asks where I am, tell her I’ll be back soon.”

The guard nods, and I continue outside, where my car waits.

The driver sees me and opens the door without a word.

As we pull away from the Barkov estate, I glance at the gates through the rear window.

Cecily is probably scheming. She hasn’t made a single attempt at being subtle.

The woman has an unrelenting drive, and that kind of energy doesn’t disappear easily.

Her latest scheme is likely more of the same.

She probably thinks she can evade all the guards and make a break for the front gate, but we both know that isn’t possible.

I shake my head and concentrate on the drive.

The safehouse is hidden away in a quiet residential area.

It’s a nondescript two-story building with plain curtains and an old fence.

No one would suspect it belongs to the Barkov family.

We park in the back, out of sight. I step out, nod to a guard, and enter through a side door.

Inside, two more men greet me before they lead me to a small living room where Grigor lounges on a worn armchair. He’s dressed casually in a dark sweater and jeans, but he looks every bit the lethal man I know him to be. Seraphina offers me a thin smile when she sees me.

“Dimitri,” Grigor greets, rising to clasp my hand. “You look like you haven’t slept.”

“I’ve been busy,” I reply, returning his grip. I glance at Seraphina, who studies me with quiet concern. “How are you two holding up?”

Grigor shrugs. “We’re managing. Seraphina’s worried about Cecily, obviously.” He gestures for me to sit, then takes his seat again. “So give it to us straight. Where do we stand with Thorne?”

I sink onto the edge of a small couch. “He’s still in hiding. We have leads but nothing concrete. Maksim and the others are running down every scrap of intel.”

“Have you found any clue that he’s coming for Cecily?” Seraphina asks.

“Your father is still determined to get her back,” I admit. “There hasn’t been a direct threat in the past few days, but we can’t take chances. She’s making it difficult by refusing to cooperate.”

Seraphina chuckles softly, as if she wouldn’t expect anything less. “Difficult how?”

“She wants out. She tries to find holes in our security. I’m not sure if she’s just looking for a way to escape or if she’s testing us.”

“Why would she be testing you unless—” Grigor stops himself, then grimaces. “Maksim put that idea in your head, didn’t he? That she might be working for Thorne.”

“He raised the possibility. I don’t believe it, but it’s stirring doubt among the rest of my brothers. Cecily’s father is ruthless enough to use her as a pawn. Still, I’ve seen her desperation. I think she’s just trying to get away, not gather intel.”

“She’s always been strong-willed,” Seraphina comments. “Father never broke her spirit, no matter how hard he tried.”

“She’s definitely strong-willed,” I agree with a soft laugh.

“How do we convince the others that she isn’t a threat?” Grigor asks.

“That’s the question,” I reply as I tap my fingers against my knee. “If she keeps pushing the boundaries, Maksim and Nikolai will remain suspicious. Aleksei is on the fence, but he’s leaning toward caution. No one wants to let their guard down and risk being blindsided by Thorne.”

“So what do we do?” Seraphina questions.

Before I can answer, one of Grigor’s men steps into the room. One look at him, and I’m instantly at attention. Something is wrong. “We have news from the estate. It seems Thorne’s men made a move just after Mr. Barkov left the mansion.”

My heart kicks up. “Cecily—?”

The guard holds up a hand. “She’s fine. They never got close. Our people intercepted them near the perimeter. Four men, heavily armed. We took them down, but one escaped. The rest are either dead or in custody.”

I let out a low breath, but Seraphina pales. I’m on my meet, already reaching for my phone. “I need to check in with Maksim or Aleksei. Do we know if Thorne was nearby?”

“Unclear,” the guard replies. “Could’ve been a test run, or they planned to create a diversion and grab Cecily in the confusion.”

Seraphina presses a hand to her chest. “He won’t stop until he has her back.”

Grigor moves to her side and places a reassuring palm on her shoulder. I’m already dialing Aleksei. It rings twice before he answers.

“I assume you heard,” he says in answer.

“I did. Cecily’s safe?”

“She’s safe,” he confirms. “Rattled, but she’s unharmed. We lost one guard to a bullet wound, but he’s stable for now. Somehow, they knew none of us were home. They wouldn’t have struck otherwise, I suspect. I came straight here after I heard.”

“Where is she?”

“In her room, under watch. She’s not happy about it, but I won’t risk her wandering off. Thorne’s men could have more allies nearby.”

I rake a hand through my hair. “I’ll head back immediately.”

“We need to make a decision, Dimitri. Thorne won’t give up. He’ll keep trying, and every attempt puts us all at risk.”

I close my eyes for a moment, bracing for what he’s about to say. “I know.”

Grigor goes stiff; he’s clearly following my side of the conversation. I hang up and turn to him. “They’re going to push for a more permanent solution.”

Seraphina’s gaze moves between us. “What does that mean?”

I swallow, then force the words out. “I think it’s time we discussed an arranged marriage for Cecily. If she’s a Barkov, Thorne can’t move against her without declaring open war. He’d be outmatched.”

Seraphina’s jaw drops, and she sucks in a gasp. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” I answer. “It may be the only way to ensure your father steps back.”

“That might work politically, but what makes you think my sister would go along with that?”

“We’re not talking about her feelings. We’re discussing strategy.”

“She’ll hate this. When Father bartered me away to Grigor, she was devastated. Now you’re asking me to get on board with putting her through the same thing?”

I can’t deny the parallels, so I don’t even try. “It’s not ideal, but it could save her life. Thorne uses fear as a weapon. If Cecily is under our name, he’ll have no choice but to stand down or face all of us.”

Seraphina crosses her arms. “You know how she’ll react. She’ll fight you every step of the way.”

“I’m aware.”

“And I suppose you’d be the blushing room in this arrangement?”

“You think I enjoy forcing this on her? I don’t. But we’re running out of options. She won’t stay put, and Thorne is escalating his attacks.”

Grigor steps between us. “Calm down, both of you. We need to figure out how to handle this without making Cecily feel like a pawn again.”

I release a frustrated breath. “I’ll talk to her. I’m not going to drag her to the altar at gunpoint. I’ll explain the situation, try to make her see there’s no better solution.”

“Cecily can be reasoned with if she trusts the person talking to her,” Seraphina comments. “Do you really think she trusts you?”

The question sits heavily in my chest. I told her she could trust me, but I’m not naive enough to believe she’d simply take me at my word. “I don’t know. Probably not right now.”

“Then you have your work cut out for you,” Grigor says. “If she feels cornered, she might do something rash.”

The forced marriage may be strategic, but it adds a dangerous layer to my already complicated feelings.

The memory of that kiss still taunts me, and now I might have to stand in front of my family and claim her as my wife for purely political reasons.

The thought sends an uncomfortable heat racing through my veins.

Seraphina lays a hand on my forearm. “I’m not thrilled about this.

But if it’s the only way to keep Cecily out of Father’s hands, I won’t stand in the way.

I just hope you realize how traumatic this will be for her.

She’s already had her life hijacked by Father.

Now the Barkovs are going to do the same? ”

I turn away to gather my thoughts. “I’ll do my best to handle it gently.”

“Go talk to our brothers, make your plan. Then, talk to Cecily. If you force this, she’ll never forgive you.”

Seraphina touches my shoulder. “And please, keep me in the loop. I don’t want her blindsided.”

“I should get back.”

We exchange farewells, and I exit the safehouse. My driver waits in the car, and I climb into the back seat, shutting the door with a force that betrays my frustration. This entire situation feels like a slow burn, threatening to explode if we make one wrong move.

As we drive, I stare out the window, though I’m not really seeing anything. My mind replays the guard’s message about the attempted abduction. Thorne’s men came close, or at least tried to. They’re getting bolder. If we don’t do something definitive, Cecily’s life remains in constant danger.

And now I’m supposed to solve this by proposing marriage.

The idea leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Marriage should be a partnership, a union of some kind, not a protective contract to keep her father at bay.

Yet I can’t deny the logic: once she’s part of our family, Thorne can’t simply snatch her without sparking a war he can’t hope to win.

I close my eyes and massage the tense muscles in my neck. The problem is that my feelings for Cecily—whatever they are—complicate everything. She hates me, and I don’t blame her. But a selfish part of me wants her to look at me with something other than disgust.

I don’t want this to be a loveless, passionless marriage.

But what are the chances Cecily would ever care for a man like me?

It doesn’t matter. My desires don’t get a say. This is bigger than both of us. The Barkov name is on the line. And I refuse to let a Thorne take our legacy down.