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“How do you know that?” Ivan asks, frowning.
“This better not be a joke, Sergei,” I say, slamming my fist on the table as I stand.
“It’s not. Caterina must have kept it from you. But Emiliana is your daughter, Mikhail.”
I feel dizzy, like the world is spinning around me. My daughter? The girl I’ve been trying to protect and keep safe all this time…is my own flesh and blood? My mind races with a million questions, but I can’t seem to catch a single one. My hand goes to my chest, feeling the thudding of my heart beneath my palm.
“Are you sure?” Ivan asks, his voice tight.
“I am,” Sergei says, meeting my gaze. He walks over and puts some papers in front of me. It’s a DNA test result, confirming what Sergei said.
“You see, when Caterina first arrived and was injured, you wheeled her into the operating room. I was babysitting the child and, you know me, as curious as a cat. I brushed her hair and took a few strands. Just in case we’d need it someday. The next morning, I taught her chess and Mikhail, she has the same acumen you did when you were her age. It’s rare, that talent, for a child so young. So, I ran with my instinct and learned what we now know.”
My head spins with this revelation. Emiliana is mine. The thought both terrifies and excites me. How could Caterina keep such a secret from me? But then again, why would she tell me? She had to protect our daughter. But from who? Me? Her father?
“Dammit,” I curse under my breath, clenching my fists. “We need to find them. Now.”
“Perhaps it’s better we don’t attack the compound. What if they hide Emiliana during the attack, carry her away?” Ivan says. “We should track Don Genovese’s car. See where he is. Find answers from him first.”
I nod in agreement, and we begin discussing our plan of attack. We go over every detail, strategizing our approach and ensuring we have all the necessary resources.
The Whisper gets started on pulling up everything they can on Don Genovese.
As we talk, memories of Caterina flood my mind. Her beautiful smile, her gentle touch, the way she would flush when I used to call her “Bunny” with a teasing glint in my eye.
But now, it’s all about getting my daughter back. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her, even if it means going up against Caterina’s father and the entire Genovese family. Caterina too.
I pace back and forth in the dimly lit conference room, my mind racing with questions. How could Caterina keep my daughter from me? And why did Don Genovese arrange our marriage? Did he know about my connection to Emiliana?
“Boss,” Anton interrupts my thoughts, “the Whisper is tracing Don Genovese’s location.”
“Good,” I say, my voice terse with anger. “I want to know everything about his involvement in this.”
Anton nods and turns to the computer, typing furiously as the Whisper begins their search. My heart pounds in my chest as we wait for any information.
And then, the computer beeps, signaling a hit.
“Speak,” I order.
“Vlad owed a considerable debt to Don Genovese,” the Whisper tells us. “It was suggested that the arranged marriage was a way to pay off that debt.”
I look at Ivan, horrified. “Is this true, brother?”
“It is.” Ivan bows his head, a rare act for my brother in power. “Don Genovese came to me, demanding to collect our dead brother’s debts, but they weren’t ours to fulfill. Instead, he suggested you marry his daughter.”
“Anything else?” I demand.
“Nothing substantial,” the Whisper replies. “But it’s clear that Don Genovese had a grand plan all along. It’s vital we uncover what it is.”
I turn to Ivan, determination etched on my face. “We’re going to take down the Genovese family, once and for all. And we’ll make sure they never hurt our family again.”
As we continue to plan our attack, I can’t help but think about Caterina. Despite everything, I still feel a pull toward her. Maybe it’s because she’s the mother of my child, or maybe it’s something more.
In this moment, the only thing I know for certain is that, regardless of whether Caterina used me or not, I want her back in my life. For Emiliana’s sake, if nothing else.
But before I can do that, I need to get her father out of the way. It’s now a personal mission—a mission to protect us all and take down Don Genovese once and for all.
I know how that man has treated Caterina in the past and during our wedding. If Caterina did betray me, he must be behind it.
