Page 5

I’ve always been able to manage my thoughts well and focus on things that require my attention—things that take precedent over all the rest.

While Yuri only favors the things he enjoys and can’t be bothered with whatever he doesn’t, I know how to balance the good with the bad. The pleasure with the inconveniences.

At least, I did .

But ever since the gala several nights ago, no matter what I did, I could only see her.

Tia.

Even while surrounded by paperwork and screens demanding my attention in the warehouse, I couldn’t think about anyone or anything else.

I could still see her fiery yet vaguely hesitant gaze and the way she rolled with the punches during our conversation. Despite my teasing, she seemed more annoyed than anything else, almost like it didn’t affect her. But, of course, I still managed to catch glimpses of her fluster.

As much as she wanted to pretend like my words didn’t ruffle her at all, I knew that wasn’t the case. In a way, she almost seemed surprised by my attention, which only made me want to give her more of it.

Tia was beautiful…there was no doubting that. And I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

I felt like I was losing my mind in a way, and every part of me wanted to stop. Or at least, that was what I should’ve done. I should’ve been able to show some sort of restraint.

She was just a woman—just another woman who didn’t need my full concentration. And one I didn’t need at all.

Those were easy things for me to tell myself, and yet, they carried no weight or meaning. Instead, I couldn’t even convince my own mind of it.

Not when she had been so perfectly enticing.

As much as I tried to shut her out of my mind, I couldn’t ignore the way she stood her ground against me, not crumbling like most others would.

Despite seeming more reserved and timid at first, there was an undeniable independence about her, and confidence in not only herself, but her self-expression. The way she wouldn’t conform even when Andrey told her to.

While something as grand as a charity gala seemed a bit out of her usual depth, she held herself with an elegance that pulled me in.

Tia seemed indifferent, like she couldn’t care less about who she was talking to, and while that could’ve been true, she still looked at me like I was the only man in the room with her. Almost like she couldn’t resist it, just like I didn’t want to resist her.

She was intriguing, and a small part of me wished I could be back there again…back in that moment when nobody around us mattered.

After our conversation, and after I could hardly keep my eyes off her during the auction, she seemed to stain my mind; ever since, I could only think about her.

I didn’t understand how she managed to have that kind of power over me, but it was undeniable.

“Val?”

Blinking past what felt like a glaze over my eyes, I looked up at Yuri as he entered the office with a folder in his hand. A hint of amusement and the faintest concern danced through his gaze while he placed the neatly stacked papers on my desk. “Here’s a breakdown of last month’s cash flow and our expenses from the big man himself. Apparently, Alex thought I’d make a good errand boy today...and he said to make it clean, by the way.”

Rubbing my eyes, I sighed and nodded. “Got it…I’m assuming our legitimate expenses hardly even made a dent in our earnings. This will take a while.”

Yuri chuckled and nodded. “That’s right. You better get creative.”

Creative was the last thing I felt at the moment, but of course, someone had to stash our surplus somewhere. I just needed to concentrate.

He tilted his head slightly, arms crossed, while evaluating me. “You good? I watched you space out for like five minutes before I came in here.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, annoyed that he not only watched me but also brought it up, I tried to shake off his curiosity and the lingering thoughts of Tia.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”

Yuri lifted a brow while he watched me push the papers around without much thought. “Ah, you’re just tired…right. You’ve certainly been daydreaming about something. I can see it in your face. Have anything specific on your mind?”

“No,” I muttered, trying my hardest to keep everything under wraps. I didn’t need him digging his nose where it didn’t belong. “It’s nothing.”

“Oh, now I know you’re lying for sure,” Yuri teased while sliding into the chair across from me, looking far too intrigued for his own good. “It’s not often I get to see you caught up somewhere else. So tell me, what has you so distracted?”

Closing my eyes and leaning back in my chair, I tried to maintain my patience. To not completely lose it due to his usual shit-eating grin.

My stomach tightened faintly, and a small part of me wanted to tell him everything. He was my brother, after all, and it felt like Tia was plaguing my mind.

In theory, it seemed like a good opportunity to get those pressing thoughts off my chest, but at the same time, I didn’t want to admit just how easily she got under my skin. Not to myself, and much less to Yuri.

So I took on an air of nonchalance and shrugged. “I’m fine. Really.”

I wanted that to be the end of it, but he clearly wasn’t fooled.

“Sure…or you’re busy thinking about someone. You’ve been this way ever since that gala—or maybe even after you turned down that deal with Andrey and have been struggling to find someone suitable to take his place,” Yuri deduced, letting the look of realization move through his eyes then. A smug grin settled on his lips. “This is about that girl, isn’t it—Tia, right?”

My jaw tightened almost instinctively to keep my mouth shut, and it took everything in my power not to glare at him.

Of course, he managed to sniff it out. He would.

When I didn’t say anything, his smirk only grew, and he chuckled to himself. “So I’m right after all…you saw her at the gala, didn’t you?”

Squeezing the armrest to anchor myself, I murmured, “Just drop it, Yuri.”

Noticing my irritation, Yuri continued to find great amusement at my expense. He certainly wasn’t one to let things go easily.

“Come on, Val…I know your tells likely even better than you do by now. If it was any other woman, you would’ve made your move and had her out of your head already. But you’re hung up on her, hm?”

Inwardly grumbling to myself, I wanted the conversation to be over, but it wasn’t going to be that easy.

I hated being called out that way—especially by Yuri, of all people.

As my brother, he obviously knew me too well, and it was infuriating sometimes.

Of course, he wasn’t wrong, either; I never usually let anyone preoccupy my mind like that, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t shut her out, regardless of how badly I wanted to—needed to.

Those other fleeting thoughts had been nothing before,

The women I usually charmed weren’t much of a challenge, and they filled a need at the time, but after the fact, I was always left feeling empty and unfulfilled. They would leave my head as quickly as they entered it, and their names were long forgotten.

But Tia was different. She seemed so unlike what I usually went for, and that only made it harder for me to keep my head on straight.

She didn’t fawn over me, and she seemed braver than most. I couldn’t get enough.

“Alright, fine,” I muttered, tone sharp, scrubbing a hand down my face. “I’m still thinking about her…happy?”

Yuri’s grin was immediate. “Something like that. It’s about time you realized you can’t hide anything from me.”

With a roll of my eyes, I sighed. A vague, uncharacteristic embarrassment lingered beneath my skin. “Yeah, yeah, I get it…I can’t.”

“She must’ve left some kind of impression if you can’t get her out of your head…does that mean you managed to skip the event with her?” he asked, with the clear suggestion in his words.

“No, I didn’t—we didn’t. Unlike you, I have class,” I returned, vaguely irritated by the fact that he was still talking about it. “Besides…her dad was there.”

“What, he wasn’t playing wingman for you? He sounded more than willing to hand his daughter over during our meeting not long ago.”

Scoffing, I shook my head. “I didn’t care what Andrey was doing…I was too caught up talking to her.”

More amusement filtered into his features before he lounged back carelessly in the chair. “Then why haven’t you committed to Andrey’s deal?”

The deal.

Of course.

The realization hit me at once, thanks to Yuri’s reminder, and every circulating thought froze for half a beat.

My brother chuckled with a hint of mischief in his eyes. “It only makes sense…if you’re obviously attracted to her, then why not have both? Have her and the strip club. I don’t see how that’s a bad deal in the slightest.”

Damn it…he was right.

It would be the simplest way to get what I wanted, in more ways than one. I’d have Tia and her dad managing the finicky parts of the business I couldn’t be bothered with.

I could sate that intrigue of mine…and if I were to marry anyone for my advantage, wouldn’t she be the best choice, anyway?

Sure, I didn’t know her, but there was just something about her. Something I couldn’t ignore.

Still, there was more to it than simply agreeing, surely.

As tempting as it was, I shook my head and sighed. “I can’t give Andrey that satisfaction—surely that’s exactly what he wants. This deal benefits him the most, given the powerful associations it would bring him.”

“Sure, he’d benefit, but wouldn’t you, too? If Tia is what you want, then this seems like a win-win situation.”

I hated how he was only feeding into the growing delusions in my mind—the mounting drive to do exactly that without any regret.

A grin spread across his lips. “Regardless, you’d be doing this for yourself, not Andrey. I have the feeling this isn’t really about the deal anymore, anyway…”

Staying quiet for a moment, I mulled over the suggestion and absently stared at the folder in front of me—at the work I still had to do, yet felt so inconsequential compared to the offer at hand.

As much as I wanted to completely disregard Andrey’s proposed deal, it was growing harder to forget. Knowing him and his motives, it was likely still fully on the table, despite my initial refusal.

The longer Yuri’s words sank in, the more I saw that truth for myself.

While the business was an integral piece, it was also on the back burner, while Tia occupied the rest of that space.

The desire I had to see her and be in her presence again far outweighed the risk of bringing Andrey into the fold. If anything, I had plenty to gain.

Pulling in a deep breath, I released it and looked at Yuri again. “Fine…you’ve twisted my arm.”

He cocked a brow at me. “…Really?”

Nodding, I scrubbed absently at my stubble. “Yes, really. I still need a business partner, and if it gets me Tia at the same time, then so be it.”

“I see your priorities might finally be in order,” Yuri teased, looking far too amused with himself.

Sighing, I grabbed my phone and stood, brushing him off. “I can’t say the same about you. Now go for a minute, I have a call to make.”

While Yuri wasn’t the fondest of being shrugged off, he chuckled and obliged me anyway, heading for the door. “Whatever you say…just talk nicely to your future father-in-law.”

Shaking my head while he left the room, I moved towards the window and found Andrey’s contact.

Thinking of him in that way was undoubtedly strange, but if dealing with him meant earning Tia as my prize, that was how it would have to be.

With a tap on his name, followed by hitting the call button, I brought the phone to my ear and let myself stand in that resolve while I listened to at least two rings pass before Andrey picked up.

“Fedorov, I’ve reconsidered the deal. I’m prepared to move forward with it.”

While it felt like a surrender of my previous convictions, it wouldn’t be all bad.

One way or another, I was going to have her.