Page 31

CHAPTER 31

DINARA

TWO YEARS LATER

I’ve spent four and a half years in this villa deep in the heart of Italy, surrounded by vineyards, sun-dappled hills, and new friends. But I haven’t spent them all basking in the sunshine. Some of that time I’ve spent sharpening my aim, firing at targets and pretending they were Cillian’s face.

I figured I’d need to be ready if my father ever found me.

When I left, I told myself it was for the best. That I could find peace in this isolation.

Konstantin arranged everything, and I fell into this quiet life, trying to forget. I buried myself in books. In the rhythm of mornings spent walking the grounds. In the feeling of the Italian sun on my skin. It was enough, or at least I convinced myself it was.

But today? Today, everything changed. I could feel it the moment his name slipped through Konstantin’s mouth. He had been talking—something about business with the Quinns—and then, just like that, it was there.

“Cillian,” he said so casually, like it didn’t shatter the fragile peace I’ve worked so hard to build.

His name in the air between us was like a weight, like a chain pulling me under. And I was drowning in it all over again.

I hadn’t expected to feel this way. Years. It’s been years .

Yet when I close my eyes, I can still hear his voice. That rough edge when he said my name for the last time. I can still see the way he looked at me, like I was something he wanted but couldn’t keep.

And now that part of me I buried so deep is clawing its way back to the surface.

I’m so damn tired of pretending. Pretending I’m fine. Pretending I don’t still ache when I remember the way he touched me, the way he looked at me when the world was collapsing around us.

He broke me. And I let him.

But no matter how hard I try to move on, he’s still there—lingering, inescapable, woven into the fabric of my past.

I finger the tennis bracelet he gave me, the one I never take off, and my heart twists. Some ghosts never really leave.

The phone buzzes in my hand, and I glance down to see my younger sister’s name flash across the screen, calling me like she does every night.

I don’t know what I expected from this call—some casual chat about her classes and the boys she likes, maybe—but when I swipe the screen and her face fills the display, it’s not what I imagined at all.

She looks…off. Her usual easy smile is absent, replaced with a nervous tension I can feel through the phone. I lean forward instinctively, trying to pick up on whatever’s going on in her world. But before I can speak, her eyes flicker to the side, like she’s checking to make sure no one’s listening.

“Hey,” I say softly. “You okay?”

She hesitates, her lips pressing together like she’s searching for the right words. That’s when I know something’s wrong.

I lean back on the sofa, the peaceful quiet of this villa pressing in on me, making everything feel that much more foreign. My sister’s in New Jersey. My brother. My family. And I’ve been so far away from it all—hiding from my own past, hiding from him—that I’ve let everything fall into pieces without even realizing it.

“I saw them.” The words come out in a rush, her voice trembling just enough for me to hear the fear beneath it.

I frown, sitting up straighter.

“Dad’s men. They were at my school today.”

My stomach drops. The air in the room goes thick, pressing down on me.

“What do you mean, Dad’s men?” I whisper, even though I know exactly what she means.

Even after all this time, my father isn’t done. He was just beginning.

“They’ve been watching me, Din. I know it. They were outside by the gates the other day. I’m so afraid.”

My pulse is a hammer in my temple. “Where were your bodyguards? Have you told Konstantin?”

“They didn’t notice them, and no, I haven’t. I just…” She sighs. “I didn’t know what to do. I’ve wanted to tell you for a few days now, but I didn’t want to make you worry.”

My throat is tight, filled with the panic I’ve tried to keep buried all this time. I thought it was over. I thought my father had given up. But I was wrong.

My little brother too. God, where is he? Is he safe?

“I’m scared,” she goes on. “I don’t know what to do.”

And that’s when it hits me like a crashing wave.

I can’t stay away any longer. I can’t hide in this villa, pretending I’m not still part of that world.

“I’m coming home,” I tell her before I can stop myself.

The words sound final, even to my own ears. I can feel the heaviness of it settle into my bones.

“Are you sure?” But there’s relief in her eyes. I know she wants me there. She has for a long time.

“I am.”

I’m sure I’m making the right choice, but I also know it’s going to be harder than anything I’ve ever done before. Facing Dad. Facing my brother. Facing Cillian—the one man who has the power to break me all over again.

But it’s time. It’s time to stop running.

“I’ll call Konstantin and tell him,” I add, pulling in a breath.

“Thank you. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too. Until then, stay safe and watch out for Gregory.”

“Always.”

“I love you.” And I mean it with all my heart.

“I love you too.”

The line goes silent, and I’m relieved that I’m finally going home, though I know the hardest part is yet to come.

* * *

I landed in New Jersey over an hour ago, and the familiar smell of home is a comfort I’ve missed. Italy was breathtaking—so much beauty, so much peace. The food, the people, the landscape… It was everything I thought I needed. But none of it ever felt like home .

Home is here. Home is family.

As much as I tried to escape, as much as I convinced myself that running away was the best thing for me, I always knew I’d come back. The thought of seeing Cillian again sends a nervous shiver through me, but I’m done. I have to be. There are bigger things to focus on now. Things with my family.

I’m not looking back. I won’t let him keep me chained to the past. I’m moving on. For good.

Letting out a long breath, I climb the steps to Konstantin’s house. The guards at the door nod in greeting, and I feel their silent protection surrounding me.

“There she is!” Ludmilla breaks the tension, and before I can respond, she’s enveloping me in a tight hug. Her arms are warm, and I can feel the familiar pressure of her comfort around me. “I missed you. Never leave us again!”

More footsteps follow, and Gregory is there first, followed by Tatiana. Their faces are like pieces of a puzzle I’ve missed. My baby brother’s grinning up at me, his eyes bright and his features older—too old. He’s not the little kid I left behind.

My heart twinges with regret as I run my hand through his hair, feeling the length of it, the way he’s grown in my absence.

“Are you leaving again?” he asks, face scrunched with concern.

“No.” I smile through the lump in my throat. “I’m here to stay.” I step back to look at him. “My God, you’re almost as tall as me now.”

He laughs.

Tatiana steps forward next. Her smile is soft, but there’s an edge to it—a quiet strength that mirrors the woman she’s becoming.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” she says, thick with emotion.

“Welcome home.” Konstantin’s voice cuts through the moment, deep and commanding.

He stands in the doorway to the foyer, impossible to miss. Konstantin is the kind of man whose mere presence fills up a room, demanding attention and respect. But there’s something in his eyes that makes me pause.

“Come with me, Moya dorogaya. We have things to discuss.”

I follow him, my heart a little heavier with each step.

Konstantin’s house is like a fortress—secure, but with an air of cold efficiency. He’s always been the protector, the one who keeps things in balance, no matter what. But as we walk down the hallway toward his office, I feel the tension building in my chest.

What’s really going on?

He opens the door for me, and I step inside with the feeling of his eyes on me as he closes it behind us. His office is dark, lined with bookshelves and leather furniture, everything designed for business and comfort.

“Sit,” he commands, gesturing to the sofa.

I lower myself onto the leather cushions, my body tense.

He takes a seat opposite me, his large frame folding into the love seat with ease. “So, Tatiana told you about the men at her school. That’s why you came back.”

I nod slowly. “Yes, she did. But why didn’t you tell me?”

Konstantin leans forward as his gaze sharpens. “I don’t owe you an explanation. I do what I do to protect this family, and you’re a young woman. There’s nothing you can do to help your sister. So, why did you really return?”

“I can’t keep running.” I let out a sigh. “I need to be here, with all of you. I won’t let them keep me away anymore. I won’t let him keep me away either.”

“Cillian?” From his tone, he already knows the answer.

But as soon as he says the name, my chest tightens. No matter how much I tell myself that I’m over him, the ache never fully fades.

“Yes, him.” I run a hand through my hair, swallowing thickly. “But he doesn’t matter anymore.”

Konstantin chuckles, his eyes glinting with something like amusement. “Are you sure about that?”

I nod, even though the flip in my stomach tells me I’m lying to myself. “Positive.”

“Well, good.” He leans back. “Because we’re throwing a party to celebrate your return, and the Quinns will be invited.”

The words hit me like ice water. “The Quinns?” I repeat, my tone rising higher than I intend. “I don’t want a party. That’s the last thing I need.”

Konstantin gives me a look, like I’m being dramatic. “Nonsense. You’ve been gone too long. We must celebrate.”

“But with my father out there?—”

“He’s insignificant. A cockroach,” he spits, his face coiling with an undercurrent of pure anger. “I’m glad he and his little lapdog are back from Russia. After I killed all their men, I did not think they would have the balls to return, but I’m relieved. It will be my pleasure to kill them and the new army they have raised.”

Nerves skitter up my arms.

“I’m not scared,” I say, the statement coming out firmer than I expected.

Konstantin smiles, his pride palpable. “That’s my girl.” He stands. “Go get settled. We’re all happy you’re here.”

But as I turn to leave, a strange feeling settles in my gut. Being home isn’t as simple as I thought it would be. Too much has changed.

And too much is about to change.

* * *

CILLIAN

Finishing up the meeting at the company, I make my way toward the elevator, my mind already drifting, consumed by thoughts of Dinara. I wonder where she is right now. What she’s doing. If she’s thought about me at all. It’s like a curse—the way she haunts me, never really leaving, even though she’s been gone for years.

Even after all this time, the memories of her remain as vivid as ever. The way she laughed, the way her eyes softened whenever she looked at me, as if I was her entire world. I can still feel it all, even though it feels like a lifetime ago.

A life I destroyed.

I could’ve loved her. I should’ve loved her. I should’ve fought for her when I had the chance.

But now it’s too late. I’ve spent all this time searching for something I lost, and in the end, I know I’m the one to blame.

“We’re invited to a party at Konstantin’s in a few days.” Tynan steps in front of me, blocking my path.

I barely slow down.

“That’s great. Have fun,” I mutter, already thinking about how much I don’t want to be there.

After Konstantin told me she didn’t want me to know where she was, it broke me.

She was really gone. I threw away the best thing that ever happened to me. I wish I could undo it, but there is no second chance.

“We’re all going.” Tynan’s voice cuts through the fog of my thoughts, irritating me even more.

I stop in place, tension running through my shoulders. The last place I want to be is in a room full of Marinovs. There’s only one Marinov I ever want to see, and she’s not here anymore. The thought hits me like a gut punch, sharp and relentless. Fuck knows if she’ll ever come back, or if she even wants to. The slicing pain settles deep in my chest, familiar and unforgiving.

“The hell I am.”

His hand lands firmly on my shoulder, preventing me from leaving. I exhale sharply, frustration coiling in my chest like a vise.

“This is business, Cillian. We go because we have to. No one said you have to like it, but you’re going, and you’re going with a date.”

I let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “That was almost funny.”

His expression doesn’t waver, not a single crack in his steely demeanor. “Who said I was joking?”

A mix of irritation and disbelief spreads through me. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“The Italian families. They’ll be there too. Adriano Scutari has a sister, Lucia. She likes you. He wants you to marry her.”

I burst out laughing at first, but it dies quickly, my mouth flattening into a thin line. “Tell him I’m not interested.”

Adriano runs the Grazia family. Well-liked and respected. But I don’t want his sister. Or any woman for that matter.

All I want is her. There’s been no one since Dinara, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“You can tell him yourself at the party.” Tynan doesn’t flinch.

Between the Russians pushing for a marriage alliance, the last thing I need is pressure from the Italians, too.

I don’t say anything else as I make my way toward the exit instead, desperate to clear my head, desperate to stop thinking about Dinara. About everything I’ve lost.

Tynan calls after me, just loud enough to catch my attention. “You’re forty, Cillian. It’s time to start thinking about having a family.”

I freeze, my back still turned to him, and let out a bitter laugh. “Just because you fell in love with Elara doesn’t mean we all want that.”

“You did back then.”

I don’t respond. There’s nothing to say.

The truth is, I don’t want a family. Not with Lucia Scutari or anyone else. What I want—what I’ve always wanted—is something I can never have.

I push the thought aside, the throbbing in my chest spreading, but there’s no escaping it. Not ever.

Not when her name is still in my head and her face, her smile, is still in my heart.