Chapter 21 – Sasha
I can’t believe he actually agreed. I half expected him to laugh, to tell me I was being ridiculous—but instead, one call later, there’s a jet, a flight plan, and men moving like the world is ending.
Now we’re on our way to Athens.
The cabin feels heavy, thick with tension. Mikhail sits across from me, rigid, jaw tight, eyes flicking toward Lev like he’s waiting for a command. Roman hasn’t said a word since we boarded, only checking his phone, fingers drumming against his thigh.
I can feel the shift—the world around me no longer hums with quiet luxury; it vibrates with danger. Even the silence feels sharp, like it could cut.
Lev sits beside me, his broad shoulders tense, gaze fixed on nothing. He hasn’t spoken since we got on board. Not a word. Not even when I reach for his hand earlier—his fingers close around mine, but his eyes never meet mine.
I don’t ask questions. I just watch him, knowing whatever waits in Athens isn’t business. It’s war. And for the first time, I realize I’ve chosen to step right into the middle of it.
And he let me.
Part of me is grateful for the freedom, part of me guilty that I pushed him to the wall.
Then, without a word, Lev rises to his feet. My stomach tightens as he pulls me up with him. The cabin feels smaller suddenly, the hum of the engines louder, heavier.
He leads me down the aisle, past the leather seats and polished surfaces, to the private suite in the back of the jet. The door slides shut behind us, sealing us away from the rest of the crew and the sterile quiet of the cabin.
I glance at him, heart hammering. I wish he’d kiss me. Instead, he glances at me.
“The Greeks won’t negotiate fairly,” he says, blunt, eyes locked on mine. “They will lie, threaten, and try to take you by force. You stay by my side. No matter what.”
The words are brutal, but I don’t flinch. Somehow, just being here, by his side, makes me feel safer than I ever have. My chest tightens, a mix of fear and trust coiling together.
“I won’t do anything stupid,” I promise, my voice steady despite the storm of adrenaline in my veins.
He studies me for a long moment, like he’s weighing the truth in my eyes. Then he nods, satisfied. I know he means every word he just said, and that’s enough. I know he’ll keep me safe. And somehow, in the middle of this looming danger, I feel a strange, fierce calm.
As he watches me, images flash unbidden in my mind—my mother’s hurried movements in the kitchen, late-night phone calls in hushed, hurried Greek, envelopes that appeared and vanished like ghosts.
I remember fragments: a word here, a glance there, shadows in my childhood that never made sense before.
I stare at Lev, standing tall and unreadable beside me, and for the first time, pieces of the past click into something darker than I could have imagined.
The Greeks. My parents. That name—Viktor Markovic—echoes through my memory, sinister now, wrapped around all the questions I’ve been too young to ask.
I take a breath, steadying myself, trying to push the fear down.
“Lev?”
He frowns, his hands coming up to cup my face. “Are you okay?”
“I…I don’t know why, but I remember little things now,” I start, voice tight. “Late at night, I’d hear Mom talking on the phone in Greek. I couldn’t understand most of it, but it sounded urgent. She sounded…scared.”
Lev leans forward slightly, his eyes sharp. “Go on.”
“There were envelopes,” I continue, swallowing hard. “Hidden under floorboards, in drawers she never wanted me to touch. I didn’t know why she hid them, but…I saw her looking over her shoulder sometimes.”
Lev’s jaw tightens, but his voice is calm when he speaks. “Sasha…your parents weren’t just innocent bystanders. Especially your father. He didn’t die like you believe.”
I freeze. “What…what do you mean?”
“He ran,” Lev says, leaning closer. “Took a shipment, valuable ledgers, millions in blackmail leverage, and disappeared to save himself. Your mother—Callista—she fled to America to protect herself and you. That’s why the Greeks are after you now.”
I shake my head, disbelief catching in my throat. “All these years…I thought he died.”
Lev sighs.
“I…I can’t believe this,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “It…it actually makes sense. We never even had a funeral for Dad. And Mom—she left so suddenly for America. I always thought she was just scared, or maybe running from grief.”
Lev’s gaze is steady, unblinking. “She was running, Sasha. Running to protect you.”
I shake my head, my fingers twisting in the fabric of my dress. “But…she never took anything. No money, nothing. I grew up middle-class. Mom worked two jobs just to keep us afloat. She…she was always struggling.” My voice catches. “Until…until she got sick. Cancer.”
Lev hums, his eyes sad.
“Even…even during her treatment,” I say, my voice tight, “she had to take out loans. After she…after Mom died, I started working right away to pay off what we owed. It was so hard for me.”
Lev’s eyes narrow, a mix of shock and concern flashing across his face. “Why didn’t you ever tell me any of this?”
I shrug, looking down at my hands. “I…I was embarrassed. It felt like my burden, my failure to keep us afloat. I didn’t want anyone to know how much I struggled.”
He steps closer, voice low but firm. “Sasha…you don’t have to carry this alone. Not ever again. I’m here, and I’ll make sure no one touches you—or what’s yours.”
I swallow hard, feeling a strange mix of relief and shame. “I thought I could handle it all myself,” I whisper. “I thought I had to.”
Lev shakes his head slowly, his hand brushing against my cheek. “You never had to, Sasha. Not with me.”
I nod, feeling the familiar pressure of tears. But I choke it back. This isn’t the time.
“Is the debt…all paid?” Lev asks.
I hesitate, swallowing hard. “Some of it…it’s still left.”
He steps closer, tilting my chin up with one finger. “Not anymore,” he says, his tone firm but gentle. “Once we’re back home, after we solve this…I’ll take care of all of it. Everything.”
I feel a lump in my throat and hug him tightly, burying my face into his chest.
He wraps his arms around me, holding me as if I might disappear. “All my money…it’s yours, Sasha,” he murmurs against my hair. “If you want it all, I’ll give it to you. Every last bit.”
I pull back slightly to look at him, eyes wide. “You…really mean that?”
“Every word,” he says, his gaze unwavering. “Everything I have, it’s yours. And nothing or no one will ever take it from you.”
I cling to him again, feeling a strange mixture of safety, relief, and awe. Somehow, despite everything, it feels like I’m finally allowed to stop carrying the world on my own. I don’t know why I didn’t throw it all on him before.
We land in Athens under heavy guard. I keep my eyes sharp, scanning the crowd and the vehicles waiting for us. Roman leans close to Lev, voice low but urgent.
“Viktor Markovic,” he says, glancing at me once, “he could already be here, making side deals. Keep your eyes open.”
Lev’s jaw tightens for a fraction of a second. He doesn’t flinch, just nods, his fingers brushing mine briefly before he pulls me toward the exit.
Roman lingers at the doorway. “I’ll find my way around and contact you later,” he says, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp.
“Okay. Keep me posted.” Lev leads me out of the plane and into a waiting car, the city lights of Athens spilling across the windows as we head toward the airport exit.
I glance at him, curiosity creeping in despite the tension. “Where are we going?” I ask.
Lev’s eyes flick to mine, sharp and steady. “The Rusnak villa.”
I blink, caught off guard. “You…have a villa here?”
He shrugs casually, almost nonchalant. “We have properties almost everywhere in the world.”
I can’t help but laugh, half-nervous, half-incredulous. Of course they do. Of course he does. My chest tightens as I realize the world I’ve stepped into is vast, dangerous, and controlled by people like him.
I glance at him again, trying to read his expression, but there’s nothing, only that calm, lethal confidence that makes it impossible to look away. Somehow, it makes me feel ready. Ready to face whatever comes next.
The car winds up a private drive, flanked by tall hedges and sleek security posts. My hands press against the leather seat, knuckles white, and I can feel Lev’s eyes on the road, sharp and unyielding.
We pull up to the villa—a sprawling, modern fortress with clean lines, hidden behind high walls and guarded gates. I’m about to exhale when movement catches my eye across the street.
A man. Dark suit, too calm for the chaos of the city around him. He’s watching me. Smiling. That smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
I freeze, my stomach knotting. Before I can react, he slips into the crowd, swallowed by the afternoon bustle. My pulse spikes, but I don’t breathe a word. I can feel Lev’s gaze on me, and I don’t want him to worry—not now, not before we even step inside.
I stay silent as we park the car and exit, letting the villa’s imposing security swallow us whole. Every instinct screams to speak up, to warn him, but I clamp my lips shut. I’ll deal with the fear quietly, like I always do.
We step through the front doors of the villa, and the air changes immediately. Cool, crisp, almost antiseptic, but there’s a hum of power here that makes my skin prickle. Lev’s hand finds mine, firm and unyielding, and I instinctively squeeze back.
I try to steady my breathing, but my chest still feels tight from the man I saw outside. My mind spins, imagining all the ways someone could have gotten close, how easily the Greeks might slip in unnoticed. Every shadow feels heavier, every movement sharper.
Lev leads me further in, his grip never loosening. “Stay close,” he murmurs, just for me, his voice low, calm, like it’s the only anchor I have in this sudden storm.
I nod, forcing my body to relax even as my mind races. The tension in my shoulders refuses to go away. I want to tell him about the man, about the smile, the way he disappeared—but the words die in my throat. I can’t let Lev worry; he has enough to handle without me adding to it.
We move through the hallways, the sound of our footsteps muted against the polished marble floors. Every turn, every glance out of the windows, sets my nerves on edge.
My eyes keep darting, scanning, anticipating—alert to anything that feels off. And all the while, my fingers stay entwined in his, gripping him like a lifeline, silently hoping his calm can anchor me through what’s coming.
Lev guides me to the room, his hand still holding mine tightly, grounding me. “Freshen up,” he says softly, but there’s that underlying edge, the command beneath the words that makes my heart flutter. I nod, my legs stiff with tension, ready to finally let my body relax.
I start toward the bathroom, thinking about a quick shower to wash off the lingering anxiety from the flight and the airport.
Before I can step in, Lev’s hand wraps around my waist, pulling me back.
His lips crash against mine, and for a moment, everything—the villa, the guards, the danger outside—disappears.
“I love you,” he murmurs against my lips, his voice raw. “I want your life to be better than this, Sasha. I’ll make sure of it.”
The words hit me in the chest. I lean into him, letting a shiver run through me. “Lev…” I start, my voice trembling, then pause. I can’t hold it in any longer. “There was a man. Across the street before we got here. He…he was watching me. Smiling. Then he disappeared into the crowd.”
Lev stiffens immediately, his jaw tightening. His eyes darken, scanning the room like he wants to burn a hole through the walls just to make sure no threat remains. My pulse races as I watch the shift in him—from tenderness to predator.
He brushes a strand of hair from my face and cups my cheek gently. “You didn’t tell me before because you didn’t want me to worry,” he says, his tone soft, each word carrying the weight of concern.
I nod. “I…I didn’t want you to worry.”
His thumb traces my jawline, and he leans closer, his forehead resting against mine. “It’s okay.”
Lev pulls me into his arms again, and I rest my head against him, feeling the heat of his body and the strength of his presence. And I know I’ll follow him anywhere, through anything, because my heart has already chosen him.