Page 168 of Konstantin

Because he’s not cooking a meal. He’s cooking…a person. Gagged, bound to a rod, spinning slowly over the flames. His body is burned and bruised, barely recognizable through the charred skin and open wounds.

I stop dead in my tracks. “Who is that?”

Konstantin smiles something cold and vicious. “You don’t recognize your own boss, katyonak?” His voice drips with venom. “Gerardo was nice enough to come over for dinner. Except, of course, he’ll be the dinner tonight. Isn’t that right, my friend?”

Frozen, I watch as Gerardo groans, struggling against the ropes, a scream dying off in his throat.

Konstantin pats the top of his head, his eyes gleaming. “Good piggy.”

I’ve wanted this confrontation for so long, wanted him dead. But now I don’t even know if this will bring me an ounce of satisfaction.

“Where was he hiding?” I wonder, barely able to process what I’m seeing.

Konstantin comes to my side, sliding his arm around my back. “One of his girlfriends’ basements. You made it easy, didn’t you?” His gaze locks on to Gerardo, his irises flaming with fury. “Did you really think you could get away with hurting my wife? No one willeverget away with that.”

Gerardo groans, the sound muffled by the gag, but Konstantin’s rage only grows. He gestures sharply for his man to tear it away.

“Answer me!” he snarls, his features twisted with ferocity.

“Emilia, I-I-I’m sorry.” Gerardo trembles out as he speaks, barely above a whisper.

My chest tightens as I step toward him, but I can barely look at him. “Not only have you lied to me my whole life, but you’re the reason Nate is dead too.”

“No,” he mutters weakly. “Nate was…Nate. He knew what he wanted, and when I-I showed him how much money he could make, he went for it. That’s n-n-not m-my fault.”

He’s gasping for air, his words stumbling over one another.

I want to scream, to say something else, but the anger, the grief… It’s suffocating me.

He’s right. I just want someone else to blame. But the truth is, Nate is just as at fault for his role in this. And Gerardo? Well, he’s the monster I never knew he was, and now I’m watching him pay for it.

Konstantin’s voice drops to an icy, unforgiving tone. “After I kill you, I’m going after your family and every member of your crew. Every single one. Because I’m feeling charitable with a baby on the way, I’ll spare the wives and children. But no one else.”

Gerardo doesn’t respond. He doesn’t get the chance. The fire crackles as Konstantin steps forward, picking up a heavy log and tossing it onto the flames. The fire soars to life, growing hotter, sending sparks flying into the air.

Gerardo screams, the sound echoing far and wide.

Konstantin leans in close, his breath hot against the shell of my ear as he says, “This is what I’ll do to anyone who touches you. But you already knew that.”

Gazing up at him with absolute adoration, I hold his cheek and nod. “I do know that, and I’d do the same for you.”

Gerardo’s screams fade, becoming muffled under the roaring blaze, while Konstantin pulls me against his side, his hand firmly holding mine as we walk away from the chaos.

The flames burn behind us, and all I feel is this sense of deep loss, but somehow, a new beginning too.

Because in Konstantin’s arms, I finally feel like I’m home. Like everything I’ve been searching for has led me to this moment.

Tohim.

No matter what the future holds, I know one thing for sure: I’m where I’m meant to be. With this man. With our child. In this new life.

And together, we will survive it all, no matter the cost.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

EMILIA

The weightof the day hangs heavy on my chest as I stand beside Konstantin, my hand pressed to his arm, the only anchor keeping me from being swallowed by the finality of it all.