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prologue continued

Samuel

I walk out of the gym, invigorated after a rough workout.

I’d gone extra this morning, needing to work out the frustration of being here.

While I’m not fond of living in Russia, it’s necessary.

After everything I’ve done, I deserve it.

Hell, I kidnapped Angelina, trying to recapture feelings from our youth.

I was tired of being alone.

Sometimes I’m scared by the emptiness inside me.

I believed Angelina would agree to be my bride.

I do love her. I always have.

Yet, when I saw her with Victorio, I knew our time had passed.

She belongs with him.

She was never meant to be mine.

He has her heart.

Today my life resets.

It starts with a marriage to a woman I’ve never met.

It’s not the life I wanted, but my new alliance with the Navarro family will bring me more power.

With the Navarro family backing me, our enemies will think twice before trying to revive the old war.

When my uncle killed my father, worms began crawling out of the woodwork, smelling weakness.

It’s the nature of the game.

Old enemies perceived an opportunity to take over the Levkin empire.

My marriage with … fuck, what was her name?

Nora? Nancy? Whatever her name is, in one year, she will come here.

I gave myself a year of freedom before I have to play the dutiful husband.

Apparently, my bride-to-be also needed time to finish some type of education.

We’ve agreed to getting married over a video conference.

Her father says she views this as a business deal.

That’s good, but I hope we get along.

It would make things easier.

Our contract has laid everything out, right down to the fact that all affairs must be discreet and approved by one another.

This is not what I wanted in a marriage.

It is, however, what I will have.

I will just have to make the most of it.