Chapter Forty-six
Alessia
The plane floated higher, the city shrinking beneath us until Los Angeles was nothing but a smear of lights fading into the dark.
I pressed my forehead to the window, watching as the night swallowed everything familiar.
And the fear I had been outrunning pressed heavily into my chest. My life had stopped the moment we took off. I couldn’t take it back.
Tears fell, grief bleeding through me. I had left nothing but ruins behind.
My actions hurt my parents. The memory of my father’s tears was unbearable.
I had never seen him cry before, and when he did, it wasn’t only sorrow I saw but betrayal and rage.
He would never forgive Rodion, and it was all my fault.
Carina’s voice still rang in my head, pleading with me to call this off.
But I ignored her, just as I did to Matvet.
His words, desperate and heavy, still pressed on my chest. He told me they could find options beyond Leonid’s reach, that I didn’t have to bow to this.
He asked me to think again, to consider what Rodion would want.
But I didn’t listen. I told myself time was killing Rodion faster than promises could save him.
Matvet was the only one who saw through me. He knew about the lie Dmitri and I had spun in two days. I watched him resent me to the point that he refused to let me see Rodion again. And now I sat across from the man I hated, with his son beside me.
Leonid leaned back with an easy smirk, his glass swirling with liquor. He chuckled as if we were sharing some private joke. “You should accept it,” he said. “That’s who Rodion is.”
My throat ached. I was crying because I had destroyed everything I loved, but Leonid thought it was over the deal. He didn’t know we had tricked him. Neither did his son, Vincenzo, who sat quietly, drinking.
Leonid snapped his fingers, and one of the women workers hurried over. “Bring her something to calm her down.”
I didn’t need a drink, but I remained silent. My hands twisted together in my lap. I was miles away from everyone, but I hoped they wouldn’t rush to act. I had it all planned, even though it was all in Dmitri’s hands.
Rodion would get the kidney. That was all that mattered.
The worker returned with a glass of water. I took it, not wanting to argue. My hand trembled as I set it in the holder built into the armrest. My eyes drifted back to the window.
We were headed to Italy. Vincenzo said he wanted an Italian wedding, and his father agreed. I was only playing along, staying obedient so nothing would come up to destroy everything.
I folded my arms and told myself again that someday it would make sense. All this pain had a reason. Even if I wasn’t sure, I believed it.
By the time the plane touched the ground, I felt lifeless. Hours in the air had drained me, and even when I closed my eyes, I was only pretending to sleep.
A driver took us straight to Leonid’s mansion, a sprawling beach house. It should have been beautiful, but exhaustion dulled everything. My body ached for a shower and a bed. But Leonid said I had to freshen up and join them for dinner. I would obey; it was the only way to survive.
My relatives here didn’t know I had come. I wouldn’t drag them into this, even though I knew Papa would make calls. Carina had also asked me to look for Alonzo since he had returned, but I didn’t even know where in Italy he was. And what would I tell him if I did? It wasn’t like we were close.
The room prepared for me faced the sea. I stood in the doorway, my bag heavy in my hand, but my mind barely registered the comfort. My thoughts were already in California. It must be morning there. If things had gone well, Rodion was either in surgery or being prepared for it.
I missed him so much it hurt, yet instead of despair, I found myself smiling.
If the surgery went well, he would finally be free from gasping for breath.
There would be no more oxygen masks waiting by his side, no more pills he swallowed thinking no one noticed.
The only medication he would take then would be for recovery, not survival.
That was all that mattered, that the surgery would go well.
I sighed and went for a shower. After a quick rinse, I dressed and left the room. I was still unfamiliar with the house, but I found my way to the dining table easily. The sooner dinner ended, the sooner I could return to bed—to sleep, think, or simply breathe alone.
As I walked in, a lady greeted me. “Buona sera.”
I managed a smile. “Buona sera.”
She led me to the table, where Leonid was already seated. His smile deepened when he saw me.
“You are here,” he said.
I lowered myself into the chair across from him, my hands folded in my lap.
He turned to the woman. “Call Vincenzo.” She hurried off while Leonid leaned back, his eyes fixed on me. “Do you like the room?”
“Yes,” I answered.
“I thought so.” He took a sip from his glass. “You have family here?”
“Yes.”
“I will let you know if you are allowed to meet them,” he said. “I want you to have a normal life, as long as you remember our agreement.”
His voice was calm, but every word felt empty to me. Before I could respond, Vincenzo entered the room and pulled out a chair beside his father. He dropped into it with a glance at him. “You’ve already started with the threats?”
Leonid smiled. “Just reminders.” His gaze swept over Vincenzo’s attire. “You are all dressed up. Going somewhere?”
“Yes,” Vincenzo said. “I have people to meet.”
Leonid’s jaw tightened. “We are not delaying this wedding. Within a week, I need everything ready.”
The words sank into me, panic crawling through my stomach. In seven days, would I have found a phone to reach home? Would our plan work in time?
Vincenzo’s lips curved in a smirk. “I thought it was my wedding?”
Leonid’s eyes narrowed. “It is.”
“Then I need time,” Vincenzo said. “A week or two with her will be enough to know who she is.”
That should have eased me, yet it gnawed at me instead.
His words felt dangerous. Often, I caught his eyes on me, lingering too long, his mouth curling into a smirk as if he enjoyed watching me squirm.
His father controlled everything in this house; that much was clear.
But there was something else in Vincenzo.
He looked more calculating, and I had to admit it scared me.
The dinner went on in silence. I barely tasted the food. My mind stayed on Vincenzo. First, he had insisted the wedding must happen here in Italy, and now he was demanding time so he could get to know me. Not that it wasn’t to my advantage, but it unsettled me.
When dinner ended, I excused myself and returned to my room. I had no phone. That had been part of the plan. If we wanted Leonid to believe the plan, I had to act as though Rodion still saw me as someone disposable—a woman without privilege.
I had asked Carina to do a few things for me, and I knew she would, even though she was mad at me. One task was to email me updates on Rodion. The plan would count as successful if his surgery went well.
Two days went by in a blur. Most of the time, I stayed in my room since Leonid and Vincenzo seemed to have busy days. We only met at dinner, where Leonid spoke about the few people who would be invited to the event. Vincenzo didn’t seem to care.
A knock sounded at the door just after I woke from a night of nightmares. I thought it was Giulia, the maid I had grown close to, but Vincenzo stepped inside instead. I slipped off the bed, tugging at my pajamas.
“Can I help you?” I asked, my voice low and careful.
His eyes swept the room, sharp and knowing. “Comfortable, aren’t you? Strange for someone forced into this.”
I dropped my gaze, folding my hands together. Obedience was the only shield I had.
“I’m trying to figure something out,” he continued. “Because you reek of something suspicious, and I will uncover it soon.”
My head stayed low. I didn’t move, but I noticed him approaching, his shoes edging closer. My heart raced, each thud louder than the last.
“Look at me,” he said. When I hesitated, his fingers gripped my chin, forcing me to lift my gaze. His eyes weren’t cold, but he was curious. “There is a reason my father is forcing this wedding,” he said, his voice lowering into a hiss. “But that’s not the best part, like to know you played him.”
My stomach dropped. I blinked fast, words catching in my throat. “I... don’t know what—”
“Shhh.” His breath brushed my cheek. “Calm down. You’re interesting. That’s why I wanted an Italian wedding. I’m going to dig information out of you.”
This was bad.
He smiled then, leaning in so close I could smell cigarettes.
He whispered, “Just you and me, I know Rodion Konstantinov will come for you. I know you’ve grown close to him.
Alessia, you are about to start a serious war between the Konstantinov Bratva and the Italians.
And darling, you will burn in the middle.
Your people and everyone you know will burn. ”
Why was he smiling? Did he know my plans?
His thumb traced my jawline, making my skin crawl. “I can’t wait to see this,” he whispered. “The moment he sets foot in Italy, you will understand why I brought you here. What better way to defeat him?”
“I don’t know anything,” I whispered, tears blurring my sight. “But your father promised to protect my family.”
“Oh, did he?” His smile thinned. “Why? What is so valuable that you are giving to that old man?”
I looked away, biting back a sob. Vincenzo didn’t know his father was using this marriage to make it seem the child would be his. When in truth, it would be all for Leonid. But what I didn’t understand was, didn’t Vincenzo know he was sterile? None of it added up.
“Don’t worry,” he said smoothly. “Just as long as you do everything I say, my father won’t know the little tricks you pulled.”
His hand slid lower, brushing my neck, trailing down to my chest. My breath stuttered.
“I won’t lie,” he murmured. “Rodion is right to want you. You have it all.”
I tried to step back, but he caught my waist, drawing me against him. The force knocked the air out of me.
“One more thing, Tesoro,” he said, his eyes fixed on mine. “I’ll keep you safe as long as you follow my lead. Do I make myself clear?”
Nodding was the only answer I could give.
“Very well.” He released me, the ghost of his touch still burning on my skin. “Get ready, we are going out.” He looked me up and down. “You smell good, by the way.”
His cocky smile lingered as he turned and walked out, leaving the door ajar.
I stood frozen, letting his words sink in. This was bad. Vincenzo knew. Somehow, he knew everything. And that terrified me.