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“At this rate, you won’t have an heir to test that theory on,” Ivan fired back, shaking his head. “We need every ally we can get against the Balakins. You know this.”
Biting my tongue, I wasn’t interested in fighting with Ivan. It wouldn’t get me anywhere. If anything, I needed to focus that fury on Grigory.
A knock at the door had my stomach in knots. Swallowing discreetly, I didn’t want Ivan to see how blindsided I felt, or how anxious I was.
Ivan chuckled. “Don’t jump out of your skin, brother. It’s just a woman.”
“Shut up,” I grumbled, shaking it off. Instead, I leaned back, focusing my ear closer to the wall that separated us.
From behind it, I could hear the vague sound of their voices. Then, it didn’t at all sound as if she had agreed to it either. It was like she had been tricked by her father. It seemed more realistic then.
She didn’t want it. Maybe that was my chance.
I couldn’t ignore how familiar she sounded, and it made me strain harder to hear her voice. I wanted to know what she was saying, but everything was muffled by the wall.
When it felt like we had been waiting a lifetime to see the woman, I huffed and hit my arm against the wall.
“Get on with it!” I shouted.
Ivan scoffed at me, then he paused the moment a scuffle broke out. A child shrieked, and we both stood up then. Not waiting a beat, we ran out of the room to find an unbelievable scene.
The woman was shoved into the room, gritting her teeth as she fought off the bodyguard. But she paused the moment she noticed me and Ivan, and she froze. My throat clenched at the realization. It was her.
Mila.
Despite her disbelief, Mila tore her eyes away from me and swung at the goon. “Let her go!”
The bodyguard raised an arm to block her blow, and he tried to grab her, but Mila was too quick. Grigory stood not far from them, holding a child in his arms, looking horrified by the scene.
Not able to help myself, I broke into a deep laugh, hand over my chest. Ivan gave me a scolding look, but I didn’t care. It was too much for me to take seriously.
“Is this who I’m supposed to marry?”
I had been eager to get back to Mila before I knew she was Grigory’s heir. But upon learning it, I certainly won’t have anything to do with her. I won’t be trapped in a marriage I don’t want, for her father’s sake. Or for mine.
She had guts, I’d give her that.
“Enough of this, Mila!”
Grigory put the girl down and strode over to Mila, face cold and stern. He was in no way impressed by the show, and he grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around. He slapped her across the face, sending a sharp hiss throughout the room.
Everyone froze. Mila blinked back at him in disbelief.
Molten anger flooded my system. I had seen enough.
Cutting the space between us, I grabbed Grigory’s collar and slammed him against the nearest wall, watching as he was startled by the impact. I growled into his face, “Don’t you lay a hand on her.”
“Enough!” Ivan shouted, enraged as he pulled us apart, shoving my chest. Grigory’s goon put himself in between us as his boss caught his breath.
Backing up, I tried to gather myself.
The girl with cheeks muddied from tears ran across the room, ignoring the rest of us. “Mommy!” she cried, wrapping her arms around Mila’s legs.
Mila put a protective hand over her back and held the girl close. She glanced over at us with a sharp eye, surely the wrath of a mother.
That was the icing on the cake.
Another laugh broke through my chest, a mix between amusement and anger. I clapped a hand over Ivan’s shoulder as I chuckled, relieved to know I had a way out. There was no way I’d pass it up.
