Page 12

My eyes scan the crowd, but I can’t spot her anywhere. Jennifer was here just moments ago, looking stunning in that dress, like she was made to be noticed. I can still see her in my mind, the way her dress clung to her curves, reminding me of the first night I met her. It’s frustrating, the way my thoughts keep drifting back to her when I should be focusing on business. Where the hell did she go?

I glance over to Russel, but he’s not in the crowd either. A chill of unease creeps up my spine. Russel isn’t exactly known for his respect toward women, and the thought of him anywhere near Jennifer makes my blood simmer. Something isn’t right.

“Oleg,” I say, my tone sharper than intended. My best man is always nearby, scanning the crowd with a sharp eye.

He turns to me, immediately sensing my tension. “What is it, Boss?”

“Did you see where Russel went?” I ask, trying to keep my voice level. “He was with Jennifer a moment ago.”

Oleg’s eyes flicker with understanding. He knows Russel’s reputation just as well as I do, if not better. “Yeah, I saw them head down that hallway a few minutes ago.”

The unease in my gut hardens into something darker—anger. Russel. I should’ve kept a closer eye on him. Without another word, I push through the crowd, Oleg trailing close behind. I know I need to act fast.

When I reach the hallway, the sound of muffled voices and a faint struggle reaches my ears, and my instincts flare. My jaw tightens as I move quicker, my pulse racing with every step. Rounding the corner, I hear voices from inside one of the rooms. Without thinking I wrench the door open, and freeze at the sight before me.

Russel has Jennifer pinned against the wall, his body pressed far too close to hers. I see her pushing against him, trying to resist, her eyes wide with fear and her hands trembling. My blood boils, fury surging through me like a wildfire.

“Get off her,” I growl, my voice low and deadly.

Before I can even think, I’m moving, my hand wrapping around Russel’s collar and yanking him away from her. He stumbles back, shocked by the sudden force, but I don’t care. All I can see is red.

Russel stares at me, wide-eyed, as if he can’t believe what’s happening. He’s frozen in place, too stunned to react. Jennifer’s small frame slips behind me, her hands shaking as she clutches on to my suit jacket. I can feel her trembling against me, her breath ragged and panicked, and it only makes me angrier.

Russel finally gathers himself, straightening his jacket, but I don’t give him time to speak. “If you ever lay a hand on her again,” I snarl, stepping closer to him, “I will end you.”

The threat hangs heavy in the air, and I can see the fear settle in Russel’s eyes. He tries to speak, tries to explain, but I’m not interested in excuses.

“I-I didn’t mean—it wasn’t like that!” he says, his hands raised defensively as if that will stop me. He’s not going anywhere. Not yet.

I feel Jennifer trembling behind me, and that only fuels the rage bubbling inside me. Russel is pathetic. Desperate. He has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

“Leave,” I growl, my voice a dangerous low rumble. It’s a command, not a suggestion.

Russel doesn’t move. He looks between me and Jennifer, eyes flickering with something almost like defiance—like he’s still convinced he can talk his way out of this.

“I’m not leaving. You can’t just—”

My patience snaps. In one swift motion, I pull my gun from my holster, the cold metal heavy in my hand. The sound of it cocking echoes sharply in the small room, cutting through Russel’s words.

Jennifer gasps behind me, her fingers clutching tighter at my jacket, but she doesn’t move.

“I’m giving you one last chance, Russel,” I say, my voice dangerously calm. “Walk out now, or I’ll make sure you never walk again.”

Russel’s face pales. He takes a hesitant step backward but stops himself, pride or stupidity—maybe both—keeping him rooted in place. “You can’t kill me. Not over this,” he mutters, his voice lacking the confidence it had before.

I’ve had enough.

The room goes silent, everything slowing down as my finger squeezes the trigger. The gunshot is deafening in the confined space, the recoil barely registering in my hand as Russel drops to the floor like a sack of bricks, blood seeping out from the fresh wound in his chest.

For a second, there’s nothing but stunned silence.

Jennifer lets out a strangled cry, the sound of it twisting in my gut. I turn to look at her, and the expression on her face is one I’ve seen before, many times—horror, disgust. This time, it stings.

Her eyes are wide, terrified, and she takes a shaky step back, her entire body trembling. “You’re a monster,” she whispers, her voice breaking. Her words hit me harder than the recoil of the gun. She’s not the first person to call me that, but hearing it from her… it cuts deeper than I expect.

I let out a slow breath, keeping my gaze on her. “Maybe I am,” I say, my voice steady, though I can feel the tension tightening in my chest. “That doesn’t change anything.”

Jennifer shakes her head, backing away farther as if she can’t stand to be near me. “It changes everything. I thought you were—” Her voice cracks, and she swallows hard. “I don’t know what I thought, but not this. Not… murder.”

I take a step closer, watching as she flinches but doesn’t run. “This is who I am,” I say, my voice firm. “You need to accept that. You need to understand the world you’ve stepped into.”

“I didn’t choose this world!” she snaps, her eyes burning with a mix of fear and anger. “I didn’t choose you !”

I step closer still, closing the gap between us until I’m towering over her. “You may not have chosen me, Jennifer,” I say, my voice dropping lower, more intense. “You belong to me now. There’s no going back.”

Her breathing is shallow, her eyes wide as they lock on to mine. I can see the confusion, the fear, the anger swirling behind her gaze, but there’s something else there too. Something she won’t admit to herself.

“You think you can just own people?” she says, her voice trembling.

I tilt my head, studying her. “In my world, yes. That’s exactly how it works.”

Jennifer’s hands tremble at her sides, but she doesn’t say anything. She’s overwhelmed, struggling to process everything that’s happened—the violence, the blood, the man lying dead on the floor. Her chest rises and falls quickly as if she’s trying to catch her breath but can’t.

“I don’t belong to you,” she whispers, though there’s a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

I lean in, my hand reaching out to grip her chin, forcing her to look up at me. “You do now,” I murmur, my thumb brushing along her jawline. “You need to understand that sooner rather than later.”

Jennifer jerks her head back, wrenching herself out of my grasp. “This isn’t how normal people live, Timur! You can’t just… kill someone and expect everything to be okay!”

I shrug. “You think this is new to me? I’ve been doing this a long time, Jennifer. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I’m anything like those ‘normal people’ you know.”

Tears well in her eyes, but she blinks them away, her hands curling into fists. “I don’t want to be part of this,” she whispers. “I didn’t ask for any of this.”

I watch her for a long moment, my chest tightening in a way that’s unfamiliar, uncomfortable. “You didn’t ask for it,” I say quietly. “But it’s your reality now.”

The words hang between us, heavy and suffocating. I can see the battle in her eyes, the war she’s waging with herself, trying to figure out how to navigate this twisted situation she’s found herself in. She hates me, I know that. There’s something else—something she can’t deny, even if she wants to.

Jennifer’s face turns pale as she stares down at Russel’s lifeless body, a pool of blood spreading beneath him. Her breathing is ragged, shallow, and I can tell she’s barely holding it together. When her wide, terrified eyes flicker to me, I can see the nausea building in them. She’s going to be sick.

Without another word, she turns on her heel and bolts from the room, her heels clicking against the floor as she rushes out, one hand pressed to her mouth. I watch her go, my jaw clenched, and let out a low sigh.

“Oleg,” I bark, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I don’t need to say much more. He knows what to do.

“I’ll handle it, Boss,” he replies immediately. The mess Russel made won’t be a problem much longer.

For a moment, I stand there, staring down at Russel’s body, feeling nothing. It’s just another loose end tied up. He deserved this. I’m not thinking about him anymore. My mind is entirely on Jennifer.

She knows now. She’s seen who I really am, what I’m capable of. And I have no choice but to make sure she doesn’t run. I can’t let her out of my sight, not now that she’s seen the darkest side of me.

I leave Russel behind, following the path Jennifer took. My footsteps are quick but measured, my eyes scanning the hallways until I spot her by the building’s exit, leaning against the wall, her hand gripping her stomach like she’s trying to keep everything inside. Her whole body is trembling, and when she finally looks up at me, there’s a mixture of fear and anger in her eyes.

I step closer, slowly, but with purpose, my expression unreadable. “You can’t just walk away from this, Jennifer.”

She flinches at my words, her gaze darting from my face to the ground as if she’s trying to figure out a way to escape. There’s no way out. Not for her.

“I… I didn’t sign up for this,” she chokes out, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know who you are, what you are, but I want nothing to do with it. You… you killed him.”

I close the distance between us in a few strides, reaching out to grip her arm gently but firmly, keeping her from retreating any farther. “I did it to protect you. Try being more grateful, hmm?”

Jennifer’s breathing hitches, her wide eyes meeting mine, filled with confusion and horror. She tries to pull away, but I hold her firmly in place. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I murmur, my grip tightening just enough to make sure she’s paying attention. “You’re not running from me either.”

“What are you talking about?” she whispers, her voice shaky as she stares up at me. “What is this? What are you?”

A bitter smile tugs at the corner of my lips. “The Sharov Group isn’t just a real estate company, Jennifer. It’s much more than that. I’m much more than that.”

Her brow furrows as she processes what I’m saying, realization slowly dawning on her. “You’re… Mafia?”

I don’t say anything, just nod, my eyes never leaving hers. The shock on her face is immediate, followed by something deeper—betrayal, maybe. It doesn’t matter. She needed to know, sooner or later. This is my world. She’s stepped into it, and there’s no going back now.

“I didn’t want this!” she snaps, her voice rising, her anger boiling to the surface. “I didn’t ask for any of this, Timur! I don’t want to be a part of… whatever this is!”

“I know,” I say calmly, my voice steady. “Now that you’ve seen what I am, I can’t just let you go free.”

Jennifer shakes her head, her eyes wild with disbelief. “I’m not staying. I’m leaving, Timur. I can’t… I won’t be a part of this.”

I lean in close, my lips brushing against her ear as I speak, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. “Don’t try it, Jennifer. If you run, I will find you. No matter where you go, no matter how far you think you can get, I will find you.”

Her entire body stiffens at my words, her breathing shallow and quick. I can feel the fear radiating off her, but there’s something else too. Something she won’t admit, not yet.

“You belong to me now,” I murmur, my grip on her arm loosening but not letting go. “You can fight it all you want, but it won’t change anything.”

Her eyes flash with defiance as she jerks her arm free from my hold. “I don’t belong to anyone,” she spits out, her voice trembling but firm. “Not you, not anyone.”

I tilt my head, studying her for a moment, the corner of my mouth twitching in amusement. “We’ll see about that,” I say, taking a step back to give her space. “Don’t forget what I said. I’m not going anywhere. Neither are you.”

Without another word, I turn and walk away, leaving her standing there, her chest heaving, her mind undoubtedly racing with the weight of what just happened. I know she’s angry, scared, and confused, but I also know she won’t be able to escape me. Not now. Not ever.

Jennifer belongs to me, whether she likes it or not. I’m not letting her go.