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I golivid.
“You come anywhere fuckingnear her—!”
“Leo.”
There’s nothing sharp or loud in Gavan’s voice. And yet it holds a power that money can’t buy, and instantly chills the room. He turns to glare at my father.
“That won’t be happening.”
“Gavan, I can sell Serj and Melik on—”
“You arenotoffering up a fifteen-fucking-year-old-girl as marriage bait,” Gavan snarls, his voice suddenly shockingly vicious and cold. “And frankly the fact that I even have to say that out loud to you is concerning. The sister is off the goddamn table, in any capacity. Is that clear?”
Leo scowls.
“Is that fuckingclear, Leo.”
My father shoots me a venomous look before he turns to Gavan. “Yeah, boss. Clear.”
Gavan lets his gaze rest on Leo for another few seconds before he pulls his eyes back to me. I’m wondering if I’m supposed to thank him or not, when he answers the unasked question.
“Don’t.”
I frown. “Don’t—?”
“Thank me. Your sister might be off the playing field, but I still expect to get what I want, Ms. Guin.”
“Look, Mr. Tsarenko—”
“You’ve gone to great lengths to hide your connection to your father, Elsa. Taking your mother’s maiden name, distancing yourself and your sister from him. Working your way through school by yourself.”
I glare at him. He just shrugs.
“And I can respect that. But I can—andwill—have zero problem with exposing all of those secrets you soverymuch want to keep hidden, if it will get me what I want.”
It takes me a few seconds to realize the gravity of what he’s just said. And when it does hit me, I go white and stiff.
“I—”
“You’re one of this firm’s fastest-rising stars, if notthefastest. A non-equity partner at twenty-six, and already on the path to equity partnership? That’s very impressive.”
Dread pools in my stomach.
“I wonder,” Gavan sighs, absently turning to look out the windows past me, drumming his fingers on the armrest of his chair, “I wonder how they’d feel if they knew who your father was?”
My legs shake and threaten to buckle. My face pales. Leo and Pascha both smirk. Gavan’s face remains eerily neutral.
Slowly, I take a breath, trying to calm my racing pulse before I speak.
“Is that a threat, Mr. Tsarenko?”
He doesn’t answer. He simply smiles, stands, and walks back toward the door. When he reaches it, he turns, pushing his fingers through his dark hair as his gunmetal eyes land on me.
“Iwillget what I want, Ms. Guin. Take that how you will.”
He nods, turns, and strides out the door. Leo sneers at me, and without a word, follows his boss out. Pascha lingers one more second, his eyes sliding over me one last time as he licks his lips thoughtfully. Then he slithers out too.
What thefuck.It’s nine-thirty a.m., and I’m officially being blackmailed by the Bratva to spy on the Greek Mafia.
