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You hear me? I'm done playing your cat and mouse game.

Elara!

Do not fucking leave me. I will not be able to handle.

Do. Not. Leave. Me.

Just when I was about to add another pleading message to the pile of unseen texts, my door bangs open, hitting the wall with a loud thud as the hinges scream for mercy.

Hope blooms in my chest before I look up, only to wither in an instant as my eyes land on Roman.

“Vasily and Dimitri are planning another shipment—” his words die in his throat as he studies me, his brow lifting in question before taking a look at my penthouse.

“She left you.” Not a question yet I find myself nodding.

“Again.” Is all I can say.

“I’ll kill her this time.” He grunts before charging in my direction, his hand landing on my shoulder before I swat it away.

“You’re doing no such thing.” I say, my voice low, lethal. “I’ll gut you myself before you even try.”

“Okay, let me chop her legs off this time, so she cannot leave.” He mumbles before plopping down next to me while I glare at the empty couch in front of us.

“With what hands motherfucker?” I growl, my own hand shooting forward as I twist his wrist and he screeches like a bitch, the noise deafening in my otherwise quiet home.

“Okay, fine. You win.” He shoves me back, panting as my grip loosens. “Did you check the cameras?” He asks, rubbing on the tender spot on his wrist.

“She leaves my place, but never goes to hers. She’s not in London and she is not in Oxfordshire either.” I explain. I already checked the footage of every camera I could get access to, coming up empty handed only pissed me off.

“You’re quite the woman repellent.” He nudges my arm, a quiet chuckle slipping past his lips. I drive my heel into his foot as I push to stand. I know what he means.

First my mother left me.

Now Elara—twice.

“I need to find her.” I mumble almost to myself. Not wanting to grow hysterical. I’ll have all the time to go insane once I find her and tie her to my bed.

“What about the shipment? I heard your father caught a golden bird this time.” What the hell even is a golden bird? “I’m certain this auction is going to make our fathers filthy rich.”

“I have more pressing matters, as you can see, my woman is missing.” I grit out the last part.

“No, your woman left you. The least you can do is respect her choice and stand on the promise you made all those years ago, when you were trafficked.” He growls back, and I peer down in shame as he knocks some sense back into me.

But the truth is, I wouldn’t fucking care if the entire world was burning as long as Elara was safe.

But she left me.

She left me because she didn’t want me.

“Maybe she just needed space.” He says, quieter now.

“What if she comes back and finds out you had a chance to save those women and children, and you gave it up over a misunderstanding?”

His hand lands on my shoulder and I merely nod, because there’s nothing else I can do.

That is until I find her.

Then I’ll spank her, perhaps fuck her into submission.