Chapter 36
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
ALYONA
“What a wonderful surprise it must have been to learn about your father,” the wife of the interior minister says to me, a blank smile on her face.
Her husband chortles his agreement. “And what luck,” he winks. “You certainly won’t want for anything ever again.”
I choke back a sarcastic reply. “Yes,” I say between clenched teeth, “a happy surprise.”
The whole night’s been like this. Distinguished guests whose names I forget the minute I’m introduced fawn all over me, telling me how damn lucky—lucky!
—I am to be Belov’s heir. To be brought into his strange and suffocating world.
The guest list is a testament to the spheres he straddles— business tycoons, politicians, and organized crime heads mingle like it’s the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it is.
But fuck, it’s not a world I want to be part of.
As the couple drones on, I scan the opulent ballroom, searching for Kira, my anchor in all of this.
I need to feel like myself again, even if it’s just for a moment.
It’s not hard to find her, not with that vibrant-red dress, the color of blood. A fuck you to Belov if I was to guess.
She’s in a corner of the room, talking to my father, and it doesn’t seem to be a friendly chat. Belov appears irritated, his hands gesturing, brows pressed together.
This again.
Even though I’ve told her to drop it; I have no doubt that they are arguing about me. She’s on thin ice here. Because if Belov is pushed too far, he will come out swinging, and I don’t want her to be on the receiving end.
“Would you excuse me,” I say to the older couple. “I need to have a word with my father.”
They wave me off, and I head in their direction, sticking to the edges of the room to avoid being sucked into any more useless conversations. Just as I make it to the edge of the room, a big male body carrying a tray full of hors d’oeuvres steps into my path.
“Shrimp toast, madame?”
“No thanks,” I say, and then stop. Because that voice, I know that voice. That body, the broad shoulders and hulking frame a head taller than almost anyone else in here, it’s more than familiar.
It’s mine.
“Leo, what the fuck are you doing here?” I whisper-yell. Dressed as a server, he’s wearing a ridiculous blond wig and thick black-rimmed glasses, a tray delicately balanced in his enormous hand. And even though I’m horrified that he’s here, I also desperately want to fall into his arms.
“I’m offering you an appetizer.”
“Jesus, you’re going to get yourself killed.
” Desperate not to attract attention, I pull him further into the corner.
“You need to leave. Turn around now and go.” Fear curls low in my belly.
I’m terrified what will happen if Belov’s guards see him, if they realize who he actually is.
Belov will interpret this as a declaration of war.
“That’s right, I do need to leave. With you and Kira. My brothers and Yulian are all here and we’re not leaving without the both of you.”
“I’m serious,” I plead. My voice edged with hysteria. “You can’t be here, Belov … You don’t know what he’s capable of. He won’t take kindly to you crashing this party.”
“Has he hurt you? Are you okay?” He scans my body, looking for welts or bruises but there are none.
Because Belov didn’t have to use physical force with me.
He used a much more persuasive method. Threats that I have no doubt he will make good on.
Which is why Leo, my brother, the Kozlovs, they all need to go.
And there is only one way for me to make sure that happens.
“I’m all right, I promise. He hasn’t hurt me. In fact,” I take a breath, gathering steel for the acting job of the century. “This was my idea. It’s what I want. A life with my father.”
“Bullshit,” Leo explodes, loud enough that heads turn.
“Shhh,” I beg, fear clawing up my throat. “Please—”
“Belov abducted you, and he’s forcing you into this,” Leo continues, his voice unwavering. “I know you. All you’ve ever wanted is to live a normal life. Even if he is your father, you’d never choose to run his empire alongside him.”
Unwelcome tears burn behind my eyelids, but I fight them.
Just as I fight to maintain my composure.
“My father is … surprisingly flexible. He cares about my happiness.” The words ring false, and Leo’s doubtful expression is proof that he’s not buying it.
Before I can try for a more convincing tone, his head jolts upwards as his hand grazes his ear.
“Chert” he bites. “Andrei gave me the signal, we need to move.”
“Take Kira,” I plead “but I can’t leave.” Not without serious repercussions.
“Please, baby. I’m not leaving without you,” he insists, his words thick with raw emotion. “I can’t live without you, Aly. I won’t.”
“You have to, Leo. You have to.” A lone tear escapes, which I quickly brush away. Then from behind Leo, I see my father heading towards us, a smile on his face, his arm outstretched like he’s been looking for me.
“Go,” I beg under my breath. “Belov is coming.”
“There’s a wine cellar in the basement. Meet me there. Down two floors to the right. If I don’t see you in ten minutes, I’ll come back up and look for you. There’s nothing you can say that will make me leave without you. Nothing.”
I can’t respond, not with my father’s eyes on me, so I take another toast off the platter, and breeze past him like he’s actually just a server and not the man I love.
“I’m glad you had a chance to grab a bite. It’s a long night, and the champagne continues to flow,” Belov says, grasping my elbow.
My nerves are frayed, but I force a serene smile onto my face. “Me too. The food is delicious,” I say, walking in the opposite direction of Leo. “You’ve really outdone yourself.” I’m laying it on thick, but I want to put Belov at ease. If he thinks I’m happy, maybe he’ll lower his guard.
"Could it be?” He gives me a wry smile. “You’re not actually enjoying yourself, are you?"
“Maybe a little.”
“How about a dance?” he gestures towards the middle of the room filled with couples swaying to the music of a string quartet.
“Of course,” I say, because there’s really no other acceptable answer. I take my father’s hand and allow him to lead me to the dance floor. Placing his hand at the small of my back as we begin to dance, he projects the air of a perfect gentleman.
But I see through his act. For all the wealth, prestige, and confidence he displays to the world, I see the beast lurking within him—hungry and fierce.
"I need to confess something," Belov starts, his voice unsettlingly soft. I stiffen, my nerves wound tight as a coiled spring. “I was married once. It didn’t go all that well, to be honest, and I had no interest in trying again or having children. But when I learned I had a daughter … it shifted my perspective. There’s no point in any of this if I have no one to share it with.” He falls silent, his gaze drifting into the distance.
“As you grow older, you start to grasp the value of family. When all is said and done, blood is the only bond that truly matters.”
I suppose this is Belov’s idea of a father-daughter bonding chat, though if anything, it just highlights how delusional he is. But I don’t have time to engage; I need to wrap this up and meet Leo in the basement before he does something reckless.
Well, more reckless.
So I force a smile and murmur, “Sure, Dad, that would be nice.”
He stops dancing and gives me a quizzical look. “Dad?”
“Since we’re bonding and all …” I lift my shoulders but can’t look him in the eye.
He seems satisfied with my response, and we soon fall back into step, even as I will this song to end so I can make a break for it.
“I know this isn’t the life you’d necessarily choose, but I’m confident you’ll find your place.
You were impressive on your own, but alongside me, you'll be unstoppable. The world will be yours to command."
“I was doing just fine until you came along,” I say, unable to hold back the words.
Because this man has his head so far up his ass if he thinks I’ll ever find happiness by his side.
I found my happiness, and I’m about to lose it a second time.
Belov doesn’t respond, but the pressure of time weighs on my shoulders.
“Have you seen, Kira?” I ask Belov, in what I hope is a casual tone.
His jaw tightens at the mention of her name. “Not for a while.”
Could she have pissed him off enough that he did something to her? “I saw Kira talking to you earlier. I hope she wasn’t giving you a hard time. She’s protective of me.”
“Yes, I can see that. She’s …” His eyes darken. “Stubborn. But no, we weren’t discussing you.”
Strange. What else could they have been arguing about if not me? But before I can ask, the song ends and a group of men close in on Belov, clearly desperate for his attention. “I’m going to visit the ladies’ room,” I say before I step aside.
I take advantage of his distraction to make my escape.
My eyes bounce all over the room, but Kira is nowhere in sight.
Leo or one of the others must have gotten to her already …
I hope. I keep my eyes lowered and my steps measured as I make my way to the basement.
One wrong move could alert Belov’s guards that something is going on.
The wine cellar isn’t hard to find. Stepping inside, I’m enveloped by the cool, musty air. The room is dimly lit with flickering sconces casting shadows on the walls. Tall wooden shelves are lined with wine bottles that are, I’m sure, equivalent to the GDP of some countries.
Leo is leaning against one of the shelves.
When his eyes meet mine, he straightens, his face a mix of relief and concern.
"We don’t have much time,” he says, stalking towards me.
“We’ve jammed the signal to the security cameras down here, but someone will notice soon enough.
Kira and the others will be here any minute, there’s a back door that we need to—”