Page 55 of Bound in Possession

The insult is public and deliberate. He is trying to remind the entire table—and the remaining elders—that my wife was sold like property, trying to strip her of her power right in front of my men. A lethal promise hardens in my chest as I prepare to answer him, ready to let the political fallout damn us all if it means tearing his head off.

But Camilla refuses to let me speak for her.

Before I can move, she reaches out with an elegant, steady hand and takes the jewelry box from his grasp. She looks up at Viktor, offering him a sweet, dazzling smile that is entirely, devastatingly fake.

"Thank you so much, Viktor. It’s truly unforgettable," she says softly.

Then, without breaking eye contact, she lifts the shimmering necklace out of the box, hovers her hand over the center of the table, and drops it straight into a half-filled glass of high-proof vodka. The heavy platinum and diamonds hit the bottom with a sharp clink, submerged in the clear alcohol.

The entire room goes dead silent. Viktor’s smile instantly freezes.

Camilla leans back in her chair, her expression turning into one of pure, regal condescension as she addresses him in front of everyone. "But you really shouldn't have bothered. My husband already buys me jewelry. I have no need for souvenir chains."

The humiliation strikes Viktor right across the face. His jaw tightens, the smugness completely evaporating from his features as he stares down at his ruined gift, his eyes flashing with a sudden, dangerous embarrassment.

I lean back in my seat, a slow, vicious smile creeping onto my face as I look at my wife. The elders are staring at her in absolute awe. Once again, without drawing a single gun or spilling a drop of blood, Camilla has completely cut a man down to size.

Viktor’s face darkens, the mask of the charming rival completely shattering to reveal the cold, calculating killer beneath. His eyes drop again to the necklace submerged in the glass of alcohol before snapping back to my wife.

"You will regret this," Viktor says, his voice dropping into a low, venomous promise that carries across the silent room.

Camilla’s jaw sets, her eyes flashing fire as she starts to respond, ready to deliver another razor-sharp blow. But I’ve had enough of the talking. The chess match is over for the night, and my patience has run entirely dry. I will gut Viktor in the next minute if I don’t get out of here.

I rise to my feet, the heavy mahogany chair scraping loudly against the floorboards, and gently but firmly take her arm to pull her up with me. Standing at my full height, my absolute authority settles over the room like a suffocating weight.

I turn my gaze to the remaining elders at the table, my voice even and commanding. "Thank you for hosting the dinner, gentlemen. We are leaving."

Yuri, Daniil, and Matvey give rigid, respectful nods, none of them daring to utter a word after the display they’ve witnessed tonight.

Finally, I snap my eyes back to Viktor. I step closer, towering over him until he has no choice but to look up at me. The air between us crackles with a lethal intensity.

"Consider yourself lucky tonight," I tell him, my voice a deadly, quiet rumble that promises absolute ruin. "The next time you wander into my territory, I will kill you. No protocols. No sanctuary. You die where you stand. Fuck the war.”

Viktor’s jaw tightens, his muscles locking, but he doesn't move. He knows the red laser sights are still resting right between his shoulder blades.

Without waiting for a response, I turn on my heel. I wrap my arm securely around Camilla's waist, pulling her flush against my side as I guide her toward the exit.

My men instantly fall into formation around us, their hands on their holsters as we sweep out of the grand dining room. The heavy double doors slam shut behind us, leaving the syndicate elders and a humiliated rival standing in our wake as I lead my wife out into the cool night air.

CHAPTER TWENTY

CAMILLA

The cool night air hits my face, but it does absolutely nothing to cool the roaring fire in my veins.

The moment the heavy double doors of the estate slam shut behind us and we clear the steps, I violently jerk away from Maksim’s grip. The sudden movement breaks his hold on my waist, and I whirl around to face him, my chest heaving beneath the tight fabric of my black dress. I am so livid my hands are trembling.

"What the hell was that?" I snap, my voice a sharp, furious hiss under the dim amber glow of the courtyard lights.

Maksim stops dead in his tracks. His eyes, still dark and blown out from the adrenaline of the room, lock onto mine. "Camilla, get in the car."

"No!" I step right into his space, refusing to back down. The guards immediately fan out, turning their backs to give us a semblance of privacy, though the tension radiating off them is palpable.

"You dragged me out of there like a child. Right after Viktor threatened me! I had him exactly where I wanted him. I was handling it, Maksim. I didn't need you to sweep in and carry me away as if I couldn't stand up to a rival commander!"

"You think this was about you not handling yourself?" Maksim steps closer, his massive frame towering over me, his voice a low, dangerous growl that vibrates in the night air.

"It sure as hell looked like it!" I fire back, my heels digging into the gravel. "You treat me like I’m some fragile piece of glass you have to protect or dictate. I just proved to your entire council that I can fight my own battles, and you pulled me out before I could finish him!"