Chapter 17 - Yulian #2
“Well, seeing as this conversation is getting nowhere, and you are not open to a reasonable discussion, I believe the meeting is over,” I say, the disappointment in my voice clear.
“And for the record…I did not marry your sister. I was hoping we could come to a diplomatic agreement regarding that, but I see you are not a man I can reason with.”
Artur stands as well, pressing his hands against the table and leaning forward, his eyes menacing as he speaks to me.
“So, you lied. Know this, Andreev, you had better watch your back. I’m not like other people.
I don’t stand back and let anyone walk all over me for any reason.
I don’t care who you’ve tricked into trusting you. I will come after you. Watch out.”
“I didn’t lie. I never told you I married her. I just didn’t correct your assumptions.”
I clench my jaw, biting back the other comments I want to make. There’s no point, and the men ordering coffee have slipped their hands beneath their jackets, ready for my reaction. Artur says nothing more, just glaring at me.
I smile, nod once, then turn away and leave the coffee shop. Not walking fast. Keeping a steady pace and an alertness about me.
Surely Artur is not stupid enough to come after me when he’s the one who invited me here for what was supposed to be a diplomatic conversation. But then again, he has been brainwashed by Boris.
Even in his death, Boris Krolik is still a thorn in my side.
Driving home, my head is full of all the directions this could take.
Artur’s warning was clear. And while I don’t give a shit about him coming after me—he honestly doesn’t stand a chance against my family and our established position in this city—I do care about how all of this will affect Katerina.
Her brother might not be considering her in this game he’s playing. He seems to think he’s taken over the throne and entered an age-old war against my family. But the origin story he’s been fed is all wrong.
He isn’t thinking about her, but she’s all that matters to me.
Her happiness. Her future.
Driving home, I get the security notification that Katerina’s car has entered the gates at the mansion.
She’s home. What do I tell her about my meeting with Artur this afternoon?
Do I tell her anything? Nothing good came of it, but she has a right to know that.
I have no plans of hiding things from her.
She is my equal. She needs all of the available information in order to make an informed decision.
But I don’t want to burden her with more negative input for her already troubled thoughts.
Entering the estate grounds, the guard greets me with a nod as I drive past.
I nod in return, my eyes already searching the windows for a glimpse of Katerina.
The light is on in the living room. The flicker of color tells me she might have the television on, but Katerina doesn’t really watch it.
She’s usually sketching out ideas while something plays in the background, movies or music.
The only time she really watches a show is when I watch with her.
I park and climb out, eager to see her.
Seeing her is the highlight of every day for me.
When I walk into the living room, she smiles beautifully. Today, she doesn’t seem as plagued by her stress, and it’s a relief for me. I want her to be happy. I know she can’t fully be happy until it’s over, but even the moments in between, while we figure it all out, I want to see her smile.
“Hi, beautiful, how were things at the studio today?”
“I’m still working on the wedding dress design,” she laughs nervously, a shy giggle.
“I don’t know why, because…um…anyways. I got another new client.
A woman who is becoming a partner at some big law firm.
She wants a whole new wardrobe of power suits.
Bold and eye-catching. Reds, whites, electric blues.
It’s really exciting. She’s asked for seven different suits.
How wild is that!” Katerina is smiling from ear to ear, her eyes glittering as she tells me.
So this is what has her so happy today. Her dreams coming true, day by day.
I can’t possibly dampen this news with my news.
“We should celebrate,” I smile. “Let me take you to dinner?”
“Oh, that’s a great idea. This is my biggest client so far, simply because it’s not a one-off piece.
And she’s already talking about having dresses made after the suits, so I think it will be a long-term thing.
We should definitely celebrate!” she giggles, wiggling her hips in excitement, and my heart overflows with happiness at the sight of her glowing aura.
“Go get ready. Let’s go somewhere extra fancy. We’ll get overpriced champagne and eat steaks that are far too small for the plate they’re served on. Then afterwards we can stop at that burger place and get takeout, because that fancy food is never enough to fill me up,” I laugh.
Katerina bursts out laughing, too. “No one has ever been more honest than that!” She jumps to her feet, and to my surprise, she hugs me. Before I have much of a chance to react, she’s already bolting away, running upstairs to get ready for our date.