Page 136 of Konstantin

And when he stares in my direction, there’s no mistaking who he is, even as he appears much younger than I remember.

The world tilts, and for a moment, I can’t breathe, can’t move. Can’t do anything but stare at him.

Gerardo…

No…

Nonono.

It was him? The whole time? How? Why?

He knew how desperately I wanted to remember, but instead, he made me believe it was just a dream.

My gaze shifts to the far left of the room, where a man in a cop’s uniform lies on the floor, a pool of blood spreading around him.

That’s why he’s been lying to me all these years. He was terrified that I’d expose him. If Gerardo was dirty back then too, this cop must have discovered it, and it cost him his life.

The little girl starts to cry, and Gerardo’s arms tighten around her.

That fucking snake! I wanna rip his arms off!

“It’s okay,” he murmurs. “He was a bad man. Don’t worry about him.”

No, you’re the only bad man here. And I’m gonna make sure the whole world knows right before I destroy you.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

KONSTANTIN

I’min the middle of a meeting when my secretary steps into the room, and that familiar sense of irritation rises in me. I’ve learned to tolerate these interruptions, but only if there’s a damn good reason.

“I’m so sorry, but I need a minute, sir,” she says, an uncomfortable expression on her face, as if she’s trying to conceal something.

“Excuse me, gentlemen.”

Getting to my feet, I step out of the boardroom and into the hallway, locking the door behind me.

“What is it?” I try to keep my tone even but fail, frustration snapping through me.

This meeting is important, and I’mthisclose to getting them to see my way.

She hesitates, her eyes darting briefly to the door before she finally speaks. “It’s about your wife…”

“What do you mean? Speak!”

She fidgets nervously. “Uh, her security detail…they’ve been trying to reach you. They say it’s urgent.”

As soon as she says that, my vision blurs, my mind spiraling with all the things that could’ve happened. If someone did something to her, the entire goddamn world will go up in flames.

“Tell them the meeting is cancelled. Reschedule it for later.”

I don’t wait for her to respond. My feet are already moving while my mind’s racing.

As soon as I’m in my SUV, I turn on the car and press on the gas, looking through the missed calls and texts as I speed through traffic.

Maksim

SOS. Come home.