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Her mouth hung open in shock, and she stared at me with wide eyes. Leaning forward, I captured her lips with a raw kiss. She gasped into my lips before kissing me back, hesitant but then confident with each passing second.
I released her lips, and Valerie blinked several times. Pulling away, I winked at her.
That was how I left Valerie…with her mind reeling. Get a taste of what you do to me, my beautiful myshka.
Closing her door softly behind me, I made my way to my quarters. The smile on my fucking face couldn’t be wiped off.
Until…I saw Valentin waiting for me in front of my door.
My back straightened, and I lost my smile at the expression on his face.
He looked happy. Too happy. His stupid old face was glowing, and the dark smile on his face made my stomach roll.
Fuck. My heart clenched, because I knew…I just fucking knew.
I could practically feel my heart dropping into the vast pit of my stomach.
“Alessio just left,” he started, chuckling with a shake of his head. “He got a call.”
I took a deep breath and waited…I waited for the words I already knew was going to be said.
“Ayla had a little accident.”
My heart squeezed, my chest feeling heavy. My breath left me with a loud whoosh. Struggling with my next breath, I gave out a small cough and cleared my throat.
The walls I had built around my heart formed again, creating a cage. The fake façade I had created—Konstantin Solonik—was back in place. A perfect illusion to convince my foes. A tainted mirror. They saw what I wanted them to see.
First rule for a made man to remember.
Everything was a lie. Everyone was a lie. Every fucking day was a game to play.
Believe nothing. Whatever you see or hear is a lie.
Apparently Solonik didn’t follow the same rules, for he fell into my trap so fucking easily. Easy for him. A fucking nightmare for me.
My back straightened, and I could feel my lips stretching in a smirk. His smile grew at the expression on my face.
“I got news from Abram. He was there to witness it. Saw Ayla fall,” he continued, pushing off the wall. With his hands behind his back, he paced the hall.
I leaned against the door and crossed my ankles, my arms crossed over my chest.
Breathe. Don’t fucking break. Ayla has to be okay. Ayla is okay. She has to be.
I tried to repeat the words in my head, hoping to believe them. But fuck it, I didn’t even know if she was okay.
It was a wild game—the chase never ending. The darkness never ceasing. I was the Master. And Ayla was my unwilling victim.
“The baby didn’t make it.”
His words chilled me to the bone.
The words I was waiting for.
I just didn’t realize they would hurt this much.
But then again…I was Viktor. Viktor Ivanshov never lets anyone get in his way. Viktor Ivanshov never fails on a mission. Viktor Ivanshov never loses a game.
Taking a deep breath, I fished out my lighter from my pants and the cigarette box. Valentin watched me with closed eyes, judging my lack of reaction. The only thing he got from me was a smirk…a playful one, filled with victory.
Placing a cigarette between my teeth, I lit the end and inhaled. The puff of smoke drifted when I exhaled. The lighter was lit, my thumb moving over the small flame. Just never touching. Another illusion to play with the mind.
Playing with fire.
Inhaling another breath of my cigarette, I released a chuckle. It sounded dark to my own ears.
“Just because she didn’t come to the party, it doesn’t mean my plans can’t be put in motion, Valentin,” I drawled, clicking the lighter on and off. The tick tick it made sounded harsh in the empty, silent halls.
“So it was your plan?” Valentin asked, his eyes widening a fraction of an inch. “But how? I don’t—”
“I have my ways,” I cut him off with a raised eyebrow. “I told you, Valentin. I do things my own way. I don’t play to lose.”
“I can see that now,” he replied, nodding with satisfaction.
Pushing away from the wall, I walked past him. “If I had a chance, the bitch would be dead too—but then again, why kill them off so easily? Alessio needs to feel the pain. One down. The baby had to go. Sooner rather than later. I’d like to say we’re winning.”
Valentin let out a booming laugh. When he spoke, his words caused my teeth to grit with fury.
“I like the way you think. I didn’t think you could do it—but clearly, I keep underestimating you. Good job, son. For the first time, you have made me proud. Your father is a fool. He didn’t see your potential. They made you second in command under a fucking Boss. But you—you deserve to be the fucking Pakhan. And one day, you will be.”
