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“Because Miss Turgeneva is a suitable mistress for this house,” she cries out. “Please, I only wanted what’s best!”
I let her go with a shove. “Lock her in the summer lounge. Take her phone and make sure she doesn’t leave the room.”
“With pleasure,” Tima says as he grips her arm and pulls her to her feet.
I leave the task in Tima’s capable hands and summon Yuri, Igor, and Leonid. On my way to the car, I inform Dimitri of the situation and put him in charge of the security at the house.
Leonid checks the GPS to find us the least congested route to the hospital while I dial Mikhail and tell him what I’ve learned.
We make it to the ER in record time. Mikhail waits outside Dania’s private room, his cheeks colorless.
“How is she?” I ask, tilting my head toward the door.
“She’ll be fine,” he says with a troubled expression. “Let’s not talk in the corridor. Best if we go inside.”
Dania lies pale against the white sheets, her dark hair splayed over the pillow. She pushes up on her elbows when my men and I enter and her father closes the door.
“Alex,” she says with surprise. “How nice of you to check on me.”
I clench my jaw. “Cut the bullshit, Dania. Lena told me everything.”
Her gaze turns shuttered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I level a dark look at Mikhail.
“Dania,” he says, “if you got yourself poisoned on purpose to help Katerina escape, you’d better tell us now.”
“Papa!” She gapes at him. “Do you think I’d do this to myself?”
“I love you, princess, but this time you’ve gone too far. There’s not a trace of poison in our house.” He adds in an angry voice, “Which means you lied to me.”
“Papa, I don’t—”
He holds up a hand. “You’ve dishonored me and put a stain on our family name. If you don’t tell the truth, you leave me no choice but to disown you. You’ll be a nobody, out on the street alone, with no one to protect you and not a penny to your name.”
A look of hurt flashes across her face. “Papa, please. You’re the only one I have. Mama doesn’t—”
“The truth, Dania, and think carefully before you open your mouth and tell another lie,” Mikhail says.
Folding her hands on top of the covers, she looks desperately between me and her father.
“Tell us what happened,” Mikhail says, “and I’ll take responsibility for your actions.”
She looks at the window.
“Dania,” I say, my tone harsh. “You have no idea what you’ve done. Katerina’s life could be in danger this very minute.”
When she still doesn’t say anything, I walk to the door. “So be it. You’ve made your choice.”
“Wait,” she calls, glancing at me from under her lashes.
I pause.
“Fine. I told Lena to put a few drops of steam-distilled oil of wormwood in my tea. I was only trying to help Katerina.” She gives her father an imploring look. “You have to believe me, Papa.”
Mikhail utters a cussword. Dania jumps when he kicks the visitor’s chair.
“How did you do it?” he asks with flaring nostrils.
“My bodyguard smuggled a uniform to Lena when we arrived at Alex’s house. Kate changed in the bathroom. While everyone was distracted, she got into the car my bodyguard was driving.”
I clench my hands so hard my knuckles make a cracking sound. “Where did he take her?”
She drops her gaze to her hands. “To the airport.”
I grab my phone from my pocket, dialing Nelsky as I grit out, “Without a passport?”
Dania doesn’t look at me. “I arranged for a false passport. Lena packed her a bag.”
“Where is she flying to?” I demand.
“America, I assume,” Dania says, finally meeting my gaze. “I left enough money in the bag to buy a ticket to anywhere.”
“Fuck,” I say, dragging a hand over my face.
“Our men are at the airport,” Igor says, his phone already in his hand. “I’ll let them know.”
“This was a premeditated affair,” Mikhail says through thin lips, looking at his daughter with disappointment.
Nelsky answers in a high-pitched tone. “Sir?”
“She’s at the airport. Destination unknown.” I don’t elaborate. He knows what to do.
“I know my apology can’t make up for what Dania has done,” Mikhail says, turning toward me. “I’ll give you access to all of my resources. I’ll do everything in my power to help you find her. Rest assured, Dania will be appropriately punished.” His gaze hardens. “As for Lena, I trust you’ll deal with her.”
My phone pings with a notification. I check the message. It’s an update from Nelsky. The team is checking the satellite footage of the roads leading from my residence to the airport, but they haven’t found anything yet.
I’m shaking with both anger and fear. I feel like strangling Dania and watching the life bleed from her eyes.
“If anything happens to Katerina,” I say to Dania in a cold, dangerously quiet tone, “I will hold you responsible.”
