Chapter 59 #2
We clinked our glasses just as the servers walked in and began placing bowls of soup in front of us. It always amazed me how they not only had the meals ready, but also knew exactly when to serve and remove dishes. It was like a dance.
“So…brother,” Dimitri started. “I’m truly curious what has brought you all this way to America? And without any notice. I thought you would never leave that stuffy mansion back home?”
“As I mentioned before, I thought it was time that I got to know my granddaughter,” Vadin said, looking at me.
“You sure that is the only reason? You wouldn’t be running from anything, would you? We don’t need you bringing trouble to our doorstep, and I find it strange that you’ve chosen now to come here.”
“In our line of work, there is always someone chasing us. What other reason can you be referring to,” Vadin asked.
Nash tensed up beside me. He was focused on the conversation, not blinking or breathing like he’d taken a breath and refused to let it out.
“You’ve gone this long without taking any interest in Lilya. You could’ve made amends years ago. Mind you…you did force your only daughter to marry someone she hated and then ran her out of the country when she wouldn’t conform to your wishes,” Dimitri said, and my eyes went wide.
I thought it would be Eddie firing the shots, but Dimitri seemed all too eager to do the job for him.
Vadin smiled.
“How are things in California, brother? The last I heard, half of your family is not speaking to you. Or is that just a nasty rumor?”
“We are a large family with many opposing views and personalities. But we are Mikhailov first and foremost, and we will stand together always because we are loyal. Can you say the same?”
“Maybe we should have a round of toasts,” Emmett said.
He cleared his throat and lifted his glass, the sound soft but somehow enough to stop the brewing argument.
“I’m not great with speeches,” he said easily, glancing around the table. “And I won’t pretend to understand half the politics or expectations for the evening.” A faint smile tugged at his mouth. “But I do know why we’re here.”
Emmett looked toward Eddie, his tone steady.
“Birthdays aren’t about business or old grievances. They’re about the people who show up. The ones who sit at the table even when it’s uncomfortable.”
His gaze swept the room, not lingering on anyone long enough to feel pointed.
“Family isn’t always neat. Friends even less so. But if there’s one thing worth raising a glass to, it’s choosing to stay connected when it would be easier to walk away.”
He lifted his glass higher.
“To Edmundo. To another year. And to the hope that, whatever comes next, we face it together.”
“To Edmundo,” everyone said together.
The tension didn’t vanish, but it lessened enough to breathe again. I knew it wouldn’t last long, and it was only a matter of time before the next round started. It was as if we were sitting inside a gunpowder keg and the fuse had already been lit.
“So, Vicky, where do you see yourself after high school,” Romeo asked.
“I’m still trying to decide,” she said.
I took a mouthful of the Italian wedding soup and moaned. It was delicious.
“Have you applied to a college or university?” Romeo continued to probe.
Vicky fidgeted under Romeo’s condescending stare.
“No, not yet. I may not go to college. Is that a problem for you?”
“Just trying to gauge how you see yourself as a wife. More traditional or independent? Your strong…opinions don’t really make you suitable for traditional,” Romeo said.
The statement landed softly, almost politely, which somehow made it worse.
Vicky looked like she was ready to breathe fire at Romeo.
“I see. Well, would you rather marry someone who challenges you, or someone who knows their place and never says a word?”
The table went still. Not silent. I could hear everyone breathing, cutlery still shifted, and the pounding of my heart in my ears was loud—but the air was heavy. I felt it in my chest before anyone answered.
Ronan chose that moment to join the conversation. He leaned back in his chair, fingers laced, expression composed in that distant, assessing kind of way.
“Challenge is useful,” he said evenly. “But only when it comes from discipline. Chaos isn’t the same thing. I think what Romeo wants to know is, what do you bring to the union?”
Vicky’s smile flickered like she refused to let anyone see the hit land. It was true, Vicky could be all chaos, but there was a lot more to her than that. It was how she protected herself, what you saw first, what she let you see, but if you got to know her, there were many more layers.
Romeo’s gaze slid to Vicky. He didn’t look at her with interest, but with something closer to evaluation.
“Yes, exactly. A wife should understand the role she’s stepping into. Partnership doesn’t mean friction. It means listening, knowing your place, and perfect alignment.”
Alignment? What the hell did that mean? Think like me and never talk back. Never have an opinion.
Vicky laughed.
“So, what you’re both saying is that you want a woman who challenges you—just not too much,” she said, with a charming smile on her face.
“Someone impressive, but only when it’s convenient.
Basically, arm candy that can chat up a room full of business associates, flash some cleavage, and make you look good.
But…only if she knows when to shut up. Be seen and not heard. Don’t speak unless spoken to, right?”
Romeo shrugged, unapologetic.
“I want peace in my home, and if that means that my woman learns her place, then so be it.”
Vicky’s fingers tightened around her glass, knuckles whitening.
“Then you’re not looking for a partner,” she said, voice steady but brittle. “You’re looking for furniture. Maybe buy yourself a couch instead. That way, you can even let your friends use it.”
That did it.
Romeo’s eyes locked on Vicky, cool and unreadable.
“And you seem…exhausting.”
His words hit harder than shouting ever could. I felt it ripple across the table. This wasn’t courtship. This was a polite rejection, delivered with surgical precision on Romeo’s part.
“Wow…what century were you born in,” Vicky asked, slowly standing to glare at Romeo.
I was silently cheering for Vicky. “I am not afraid to say that I’m incredible, or that I have a lot to offer, whether you want to see that or not.
And not that I owe you an explanation, but I have not chosen a college or university yet because, if I choose to go, I want to attend a school close to the home that I will share with my husband.
I want to be useful in my marriage and not simply sit around the house.
Where I go to school and what courses I take will depend on my future husband’s location and business.
If you want to paint me as some useless, brainless gold digger, then go for it, but I dare say that I have a lot more to offer than you do. ”
Vicky sat back down, her spine straight, lips pressed together, absorbing it all like armor forged under heat. And for the first time, I didn’t see her as dramatic or reckless or too much. I saw her as a fierce woman, and I smiled. That was impressive.
Romeo picked up his drink and then turned to Vicky, obviously ready to keep the argument going.
Dad placed his hand on Vicky’s and took the lead.
“Romeo, you work for your family. You voice your opinions and suggest ways to improve. Sometimes, I’m sure you would feel better off without the overbearing guidance of your father. Would you refuse valuable insight from a female family member because of their gender, even if they were right?”
“Well, that’s more complicated—”
Eddie cut him off.
“That is a no. In your current position, you are quite similar to Victoria. You are both looking for a marriage, living off your family, and very opinionated about what you believe in.”
“Yes, but we are talking about a marriage, not a business contract,” Romeo said.
Dad smirked.
“We are discussing both, are we not? How foolish of me to think that,” he said, his voice taking a hard edge.
“I suppose the large dowery, business connections, and allyship are not enough for you to wed, love, and care for your wife without treating her like an object you tolerate. I see now how you view marriage, Romeo, and I thank you for attending.”
“I didn’t say that I wasn’t interested,” Romeo said.
This was like watching an intense tennis match.
“And yet you have. If you can’t see the extraordinary qualities that my daughter brings to any union, well…then you’re not the man for my daughter,” he said, leaving no room for Romeo to argue further.
Romeo glared at Saul, who was snickering under his breath. He was enjoying his friend being knocked down a peg a little too much for Romeo’s liking.
“Well, I for one do not think that you can have a marriage with both ambition and loyalty. One always ends up sacrificed,” Vadin said.
Eddie’s eyes turned as violent as two raging storms when he looked at my grandfather. I swallowed hard.
“Well, you would certainly know the firsthand truth of that, Vadin. You have lived and sacrificed everyone around you for your ambition.”
You could hear a pin drop as the two men glared at one another.
“It is much harder to lead when those who follow you expect greatness,” Vadin said, and Dad smirked.
“Please, brother, what would you know of it? Everything you had was either given to you or stolen. You certainly never built anything original,” Dimitri fired back.
“I’m not sure having them all in the same room was a good idea,” I whispered to Nash.
He glanced at me, rubbing his thumb over my hand.
“Yes, like you’re so much better, Dimitri.
You’re still going on about the same old quarrels, like they happened yesterday.
Ancient history. You can’t truly believe that you need love to have a good and profitable marriage.
Considering all you were given when you wed Helena and the four children you had together,” Vadin said.
Dimitri looked like he was going to shoot him.
“I did,” Ethan suddenly said, and all eyes turned to him.
“I had it all. The love of a lifetime. And she was as caring, loyal, and ambitious as any woman I’ve ever met.
She was way out of my league. But as my right hand, she kept me in line and made me better.
Ella challenged me to be the best I could be, and she loved me fiercely.
” His hand balled into a fist. “She was taken from me by the actions of a greedy man, but I wouldn’t trade one minute of the pain of her loss or what we shared for a larger bank account, an extra deal, or anything else. Not ever.”
He stood and dropped his napkin on the table.
“Excuse me for a moment, I need some air.”
My heart ached, and I wanted to chase after Ethan as he walked out, but Theo got up and left with him.
It was quiet, and I ran through fifty things I might say to turn the conversation to something less problematic. But everything I came up with could easily lead to another argument.
Lip’s hand suddenly shot into the air, and my dad’s scowl cracked.
“Go ahead, Lip. You don’t need to put up your hand.”
“Well…I was just thinking. What is the point of marrying someone you don’t like?
I mean, that sounds like a bad plan and one that will never work out.
I don’t like Jenny at school. She is overly loud, thinks she knows everything, picks her nose, and is just really annoying.
She makes me want to throw pudding at her.
I wouldn’t want to marry someone like that. ”
Dad chuckled, and soon everyone was laughing.
“From the mouth of babes, we have the most logical and honest answer to an age-old question. Thank you, Lip, for reminding us of what is really important.”
Things settled down after that, and I actually caught Ronan chatting with Vicky. They didn’t look like they were going to stab each other, and that seemed like a win for one of our meals.
Now…if it could only stay like this for a few more hours.