Page 46 of Twisted Addiction

My throat constricted.

Dmitri.

The man whose obsession burned darker than love—and whose hatred had nearly destroyed me.

“He wouldn’t,” I whispered, but the denial wavered, fragile as glass.

Alexei tilted his head, his gaze unwavering. “Wouldn’t he?” he said softly. “He’s never been a man of mercy, Penelope. You should know that better than anyone.”

My chest caved, a silent implosion that left me trembling.

Sorrow and fury carved themselves into my face as I met his eyes. “No,” I snapped, shaking my head. “He wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t!”

“They were my uncles—my blood. Whatever their sins, they didn’t deserve to die like animals.” My throat tightened as I forced the words out. “He had no right... no right to take them from me.”

If it were true—if this monster, Dmitri, had taken my uncles from me, no matter what sins they’d committed—then what was left of me he hadn’t already broken? And what chance did I, or the child growing inside me, have against him?

A new fear coiled in my gut, darker and colder than before.

“What will you do now, Penelope?” Alexei asked, his tone careful, like he already knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it.

I looked up, tears streaking down my face. “What do you mean?”

He leaned in, close enough that I could smell the faint trace of smoke and iron on his skin.

“You’re not safe here,” he murmured. “Not with him. Not after this. Dmitri doesn’t forgive, he doesn’t forget—he removes. And you...” His lips curved faintly, not a smile but something sharper. “You’re the last loose thread he needs to cut.”

I shivered, but before I could speak, he continued, his tone dipping low, coaxing. “Let me help you. You don’t have to fight him alone. You’ve already lost too much to his madness.”

I should have pulled away. Probably should’ve dismissed him. But my mind was spinning, and the ground beneath me felt like it was fracturing.

“What are you suggesting?” I whispered.

His lips curved—not a smile, but something sharper. “Escape. I can help you disappear. You still have my number, don’t you?”

My pulse stuttered.

“I can get you out,” he said, lowering his voice until it was barely audible. “Out of Italy, out of Dmitri’s reach. But you know how this works, printsessa... trust is the currency that buys freedom.”

Chapter 12

PENELOPE

Ilet out a strained laugh, shaking my head. “Then I guess I’m broke. It’s foolish to trust someone you barely know. So, thank you for the concern—whatever your motives are—but I won’t lie to you by pretending I trust you.” I pushed back my chair, steadying my voice. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I actually have a business to run.”

Alexei studied me for a long moment, the corners of his mouth twitching with something that wasn’t quite pity. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he reached into his sleek leather briefcase—a lawyer’s hallmark—and drew out a thick folder.

The soft thud as it hit the table made my stomach twist.

“Maybe this will answer the questions you’re too afraid to ask,” he murmured, sliding it toward me.

I flipped it open—and froze. The wordsDissolution of Marriage Agreementstared back at me in bold type, cold and final.

“I...” My voice faltered. “I didn’t ask you to draft these.”

“No,” he said smoothly, leaning back in his chair. “But you’ve thought about it.”

I snapped the folder shut, clutching it as if I could crush it out of existence. “That’s not the point.”