30. Maxim
THIRTY
MAXIM
“ S on of a bitch,” Luca exclaims, his voice loud enough to make Sophia jerk upright, eyes wide, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. I can see her chest rising and falling too quickly, like she has just been yanked from a nightmare she didn’t want to wake up from. She had fallen asleep in the chair over forty minutes ago, but I couldn’t bring myself to wake her. We’ve been at this for over six hours now, pouring over these damn letters. When we left her mother’s house, it was already 5:30 PM. We put a few boxes in her car, ones she planned to go through later, and headed back to her place, where Luca and Andrei were already waiting. It hasn’t stopped since then. Andrei left a couple of hours ago, and now it’s just the three of us—well, more like Sophia and Luca keeping the grind alive. Me? I’ve been in this so long, I could recite the damn emails and letters from memory.
“What happened?” she asks, voice high with a mixture of panic and confusion, her gaze darting between me and Luca.
“Nothing. Everything’s fine. Luca just got a little too excited.” I shoot him a glare, trying to calm her down, rubbing her back in slow, soothing circles. He shrugs, mouthing a quiet sorry.
“What did you find?” Sophia asks, her voice shaking as she slowly starts to catch her breath.
Luca sets the laptop down on the coffee table with an almost theatrical flourish. “These emails weren’t sent by Andrei.”
I scoff, rolling my eyes. “You seriously made all that noise for something we already knew?”
He narrows his eyes at me, sighing like I’m the one wasting his time. “You’re going to tell me you don’t have a single doubt in your mind? Not even the smallest part of you questioning your brother’s involvement in this?”
The question hits me harder than I care to admit. The truth? There is a part of me—a very small, hidden part—struggling with it. Doubt’s a bitch, and it lingers even when you try to shove it down.
Luca keeps talking, ignoring my silence. “At first, I thought I could find inconsistencies between Andrei’s messages and the emails, but I couldn’t. Whoever sent these knows him inside and out. They’ve mimicked his style too perfectly.”
I lean forward in my chair, a tightness in my chest I can’t shake. Could this finally be the breakthrough we’ve been waiting for?
“That should be easy, right?” Sophia says, her voice calmer now but with a sharp edge I know all too well. “From my experience with Mr. Forthcoming over there”—she points at me with a half-smile—“you don’t let just anyone in.”
“She has a point,” Luca says casually, staring me down, a quiet judgment written in his eyes.
“Oh please, like you’re any different.” I scoff, rolling my eyes, annoyed at the jab. But it’s true. We’re both a mess of secrets, just different kinds.
Luca clicks his tongue three times, an exaggerated sound that does nothing to calm me. “On the contrary, Maxim, my pages have—” he starts, but I cut him off, unwilling to listen to whatever nonsense he’s about to spew.
“Is that all you figured out, or is there more? Because if this is it, we’re just wasting time.” I don’t care for the drama. Not now. Not when we’re so close to answers.
Luca disregards my irritation, diving right back in. “Once I realized the email patterns were consistent, I started writing down the dates and times each one was sent. Two dates stood out—July 3rd and July 8th.”
My stomach twists at the mention of those dates. July 3rd, the day she was taken. July 8th, the day we found her. It’s a constant reminder of the nightmare I lived through.
“I managed to prove Andrei’s innocence with the email sent on July 8th.” My gut sinks even further. The relief I should feel is clouded by the memory of what I did that night. I don’t regret it—not one bit—but I’m terrified of Sophia hearing about it. The truth is, there’s a difference between suspecting the worst and knowing just how far I’ve gone. What if she looks at me differently? What if she can’t stomach what I’ve done?
“How did you prove that?” Sophia asks, her voice shaky but desperate for answers. She’s getting too close to the edge of this, and I don’t know if I can hold myself together much longer.
You promised her full transparency, Maxim.
I let out a sharp breath, finally giving in. “When I saw you, lying in that bed, covered in bruises with machines attached to you…I snapped.” The words feel too heavy, like they’ve been waiting in the wings, ready to suffocate me. “The rage I felt… It took over. I couldn’t think straight. I needed to do something. Anything.”
Sophia stares at me, wide-eyed, her breath caught in her throat. “What did you do?” she asks, her voice tight, like she’s bracing herself for something she might not want to hear.
Before I can answer, Luca beats me to it. “He played a scavenger hunt with Donny Antonelli’s body parts.” His tone is disturbingly nonchalant. A part of me wants to strangle him for his casual delivery, but the other part—well, the other part is scared shitless of what’s coming next.
Sophia’s face pales, and she shakes her head, trying to process what he just said. “He what?” Her voice cracks on the words, high-pitched, and it breaks my heart to see her so affected, even though it’s nothing compared to what I’m feeling.
I open my mouth to stop Luca, to stop this entire conversation, but he just barrels through. “He cut up Donny’s body, put the pieces in gift boxes, and left clues for his father to find. My favorite part was shoving the last piece of Donny into Marcos’ wide mouth.” The words come out like they’re nothing. He’s acting like we’re talking about the weather, not the grotesque shit I did.
Sophia turns to me, her eyes wide with disbelief, her voice oddly steady. “Wait, wait. Hold on. You’re telling me you actually cut up Donny’s body and put the parts in gift boxes?” Her tone is calm, almost too calm, and I can’t figure out if I should be relieved or worried. Is she awe-struck? Or is she just trying to process it without losing her shit?
“He even went as far as to put a bow on the box with the head in it,” Luca adds, as if this whole thing is nothing but casual conversation. It makes my skin crawl.
Sophia just stares at me, and I don’t know what to make of the look in her eyes. Is she disgusted? Or is she—God, is she impressed?
I can’t do this anymore. I’ve had enough of this damn conversation. “Enough.” My outburst is abrupt and sharp, and it cuts through the tension in the room. Sophia flinches, but I don’t care. It’s her reaction that’s throwing me off now. My tone is what scares her, not the fact that I mutilated a man’s body.
“Can we fucking move on from this?” My voice is rough, tight with tension. My chest rises and falls like I’m suffocating. My jaw aches from how hard I’m clenching it. “We’re getting off-topic.”
“Luca, can you please leave us for a few minutes?” she asks, never taking her eyes off me.
Fuck. My shoulder slumps. Did my stupid outburst just ruin everything with her? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours, and I’ve already fucked it up. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up—constantly walking on eggshells, watching every word, every move—but she’s worth it.
She places a gentle hand on my shoulder, squeezing it before settling down on my lap. The moment her body presses against mine, my dick hardens involuntarily. All the coldness that had seeped into my skin melted away. I inhale deeply, burying my face between her neck and shoulder, intoxicated by her sweet scent. A calming warmth rushes through me, her fragrance like a drug, easing the chaos in my mind.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll do better. I promise,” I murmur, my hand brushing through her hair as I speak.
She strokes my head softly. “No, I should be the one apologizing, Maxim. I’ve made you feel like you have to apologize for everything. I don’t want you to feel like you’ll lose me if you lose control. I’ve been selfish, blind to your feelings. I blamed you for using my trauma to justify your need to protect me without considering how it affects you. I may not agree with everything, but I understand, and I’m done invalidating your feelings.”
Her words hit me like a blow to the chest, but this time, it felt like a release—a weight lifting. I wrap my hands around her waist, my fingers trembling. Since yesterday, I’ve been living in constant fear of losing my mind, and her accusing me again of using her trauma as an excuse—it broke me. The whole day had been a fucking nightmare, and I took it out on her. I don’t want to lose her.
“You’ve spent your whole life walking alone, only trusting yourself and sometimes your brother. I should’ve thought about that before I basically gave you an ultimatum, demanding you change at my pace. Our problems won’t be solved overnight. We have to work on this, one step at a time.”
I’ll never understand how she makes me feel everything at once. How, with just one word, she can shatter me or rebuild me. She is the only one who can bring me to my knees. And as terrifying as it is, I’d kneel at her mercy without a second thought. She is my everything—the light in my darkness, the love of my life.
“You told me about the scavenger hunt, even when it was clear you didn’t want to. That was a good start,” she says, her voice light, making me feel a spark of hope.
“Does that mean you forgive me?” I ask, though I know it’s not that simple. Still, I can’t help myself.
She laughs softly. “Forgive you? Not that easily. One honest moment doesn’t absolve you, Maxim. I said it was a start. You’ve got a lot to show me. And tell me.” We both chuckle, the tension breaking slightly.
“Are Mommy and Daddy happy again?” Luca’s sarcastic tone cuts through the air, making my teeth grind. It ruins the fragile peace Sophia and I were starting to rebuild.
“Must you always be a fucking thorn in my side?”
“You wanted me here, remember?” he snaps back.
I glare at Sophia, but she turns her face away, suddenly fascinated by the wall. Yeah, this is all her fault. I didn’t ask for him to be here.
“Can we get on with it? I do have a wife and kid at home, and they’d like to see me too.” Luca’s words hit me, the guilt gnawing at my chest. He’s right. He’s here, helping us, instead of being with his own family.
“Fine,” I say, gritting my teeth. “Let’s get back to it.”
Luca gasps dramatically, slapping his hand over his mouth. For fuck’s sake, can he not make a spectacle of everything?
“Alright,” Sophia says, trying to stand, but I hold her tight. She wiggles in my lap, but I don’t relent. Eventually, she gives up, seeing I won’t let go. I can’t focus on anything but the feel of her body against mine, the perfect curve of her hips beneath my hands. The need to pull her into her room and ravish her burns through me. I trace my thumb along her spine, her skin prickling beneath my touch. A low breath escapes her, a hitch in her chest so subtle, I barely catch it—except I’m inches from her, and every little sound, every reaction, drives me wild. Her thighs tighten slightly and fuck; I love how she responds to me.
“What did your IT guy say?” Sophia’s voice cuts through my lust-filled fog. Wait, what IT guy? What the hell are they talking about?
“What IT guy?” I blink rapidly, trying to shake off the haze clouding my thoughts.
“The IT guy. Luca sent the info to see if he could trace from where those emails were sent.”
My gaze snaps to Luca, who’s standing there like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “You sent all this information to someone I don’t fucking know?” My heart rate spikes. “You involved a random stranger?” How the hell could he? Who gave him that kind of permission?
Luca dismisses me with a lazy wave of his hand before plopping down in a chair. “I wanted a second opinion from someone who isn’t under your or Andrei’s thumb.” As much as I hate to admit it, that was a decent move.
“Your brain does work after all, Luca,” I say, the words laced with reluctant admiration.
He flips me off without a second thought, and I grin back at him.
“Children, please,” Sophia scolds, shaking her head. I stifle a laugh at the offended look on Luca’s face.
“What did the guys say?” I ask, getting back to business.
“They confirmed the money and emails came from your house, Maxim.” Luca’s voice is low, his lips pulled into a frown.
The room falls into an eerie silence. No. This can’t be happening. There’s been a mistake. Andrei promised me he had nothing to do with this. If he’s involved, I don’t know how I’m going to handle it.
“Does this mean Andrei is behind all of this after all?” Sophia’s voice breaks the silence, the question I’ve been too afraid to ask myself.
“No,” Luca’s reassurance cuts through the tension. “He’s not responsible.”
I release a shaky breath, and my heart finally starts to slow down.
“How are you so sure?” Sophia presses, still skeptical.
Luca leans back in his chair. “I checked Andrei’s location history and matched it with the dates I got from the emails. He wasn’t anywhere near the house.”
Sophia tilts her head, narrowing her eyes as she looks at both of us. It’s the kind of look that says she has something on her mind but isn’t sure whether she wants to say it out loud.
“What’s on your mind, krasavitsa?” I ask, knowing she’s about to explode if she doesn’t speak. The flush on her cheeks tells me she’s holding back.
She hesitates for a moment then finally speaks. “You guys are acting like Andrei can’t access his emails from anywhere.”
I snort a laugh before I can stop myself. She turns to me, one eyebrow raised. Let me explain before she takes that the wrong way. “Here’s something you should know about Andrei. He hates anything administrative. Sending an email? He’d rather die. He doesn’t even know the password to his email and refuses to open the account on his phone. He can only check it from his office at the house. I handle all that shit. He’d much rather be out in the field than dealing with payments or emails.”
Sophia’s eyes widen as she processes this. “Then someone has been sneaking into his office and using his computer.”
Luca and I exchange a look, both nodding in agreement.
Sophia stifles a yawn, but it escapes anyway. “I’m going to make some coffee,” she says, standing up from my lap. “Would you guys like some?”
We both nod, and she walks toward the kitchen.
I run a hand through my hair, my mind racing. Who the hell has the balls to do this right under our noses? They must know exactly where every single camera is placed, every blind spot in the house. I’ve reviewed the footage over and over, but nothing seems out of the ordinary. How the hell are we going to find this person? Maybe I need to station someone outside the wing with the offices 24/7.
Wait.
The hidden cameras.