Chapter Sixteen - Lukin
I lean back in the leather seat of the car, my fingers tapping idly against my thigh as the city lights blur past. The neon glow streaks across the window, but my mind is a thousand miles away. It always is, lately. My thoughts are consumed with one thing, one person.
I can’t get her out of my head no matter how hard I try.
It’s maddening.
Beside me sits Nadia—elegant, sharp, but ultimately hollow.
A perfect distraction. She’s been hanging off me for the past week, always in the right dress, saying the right things, doing exactly what I need her to do.
She’s the type of woman who can fade into the background, unnoticed, but her touch is always present. Always eager to please.
She isn’t Zoe.
And that’s the point.
Her hand slides over my thigh, teasing, slow and deliberate, her fingers brushing against the fabric of my trousers, sending a flash of heat through me. She leans in, her breath hot against my ear as she whispers something filthy.
Her voice is smooth, practiced. It’s meant to turn me on, to pull me back into the moment.
But it doesn’t.
I don’t stop her. I don’t push her away.
I let her do what she wants, knowing full well that it won’t make the ache inside me go away.
Her lips brush against my neck, but I don’t feel it. The touch is cold, distant. It doesn’t matter. I can’t focus on her. Not when my mind is still tethered to Zoe, to everything she’s done to me, to the way she’s taken up so much space in my life without even meaning to.
I turn my head slightly to look at Nadia, her face framed by the dim light from the streetlamps outside. She’s beautiful, in that way that’s easy to look at but impossible to feel. She offers comfort, an illusion of control, but it’s nothing compared to the way Zoe made me feel.
She sinks to her knees and slowly unbuckles my belt, her eyes holding mine. Her tongue runs over her bottom lip and in another world, that’d be enough to send me over the edge. But if she wants to get me there tonight, she’ll have to work a little harder than that.
She takes my cock in her mouth and sinks it deep into her throat. I feel myself stir, but the moment I shut my eyes, the erection disappears when I see Zoe’s face. Nadia frowns as my dick goes flaccid. She starts to work on me again, but it’s too late. We’ve arrived at the gala.
“Get up. We’re here.”
There’s disappointment and hurt in her eyes as she stuffs me back in my pants and redoes my buckle.
The sleek black car comes to a stop in front of the red carpet, the doormen already stepping forward to greet me.
I’m composed, my face unreadable as always.
I adjust my cuff links, the delicate metal glinting under the lights, before glancing at Nadia beside me.
She’s fixing her lipstick in the small mirror, her movements slow and deliberate, making sure she looks the part.
She’s been a pleasant enough distraction, but right now, I don’t care about her appearance or her presence. I have other matters on my mind.
I open the door first, stepping out into the evening air, the lights of the gala reflecting off the pavement. Nadia follows, ignoring the doormen as they offer their respectful nods, but it’s all just background noise.
“Welcome, Mr. Rusnak,” they greet as I throw them my car keys and herd us toward the interior of the main event. I see Nadia staring longingly at the carpet, but she better not get ideas into her head.
I don’t need to be here. I don’t need this. But my role demands it. The gala, the high-society functions—they’re just part of the game I play. And right now, I’m playing it like a master.
Inside, the building is a sea of glittering dresses, wealthy men, and expensive alcohol.
The grand hall is bathed in soft golden light, the air thick with the scent of perfume and luxury.
People swirl around me, their laughter and chatter a constant hum, but none of it matters.
I move through the crowd with ease, my posture straight, my gaze sharp.
Exchanging nods here and there, I acknowledge the ones who are important, the ones who understand the weight of my presence. The rest? They don’t matter. I don’t waste time on small talk, on pleasantries, and fake smiles.
I’m not here for the event. I’m not here for the conversations, the meaningless chatter of the elite.
I’m here because my presence means power.
Because even in silence, I’m a force to be reckoned with.
Every step I take, every subtle shift of my gaze, is a calculated move.
People notice. They always do. If it wasn’t important that I be here, I’d have sent Adrian.
Hell, I’d even send Arseny if that would save me this stress.
A few try to approach, offering their greetings, their shallow compliments, but I keep moving, my eyes scanning the room. They know better than to push me for more. They’ve learned that when I want to engage, I will. And when I don’t, I remain a shadow.
After a few minutes of moving through the crowd and ignoring the trivial conversations that come with events like these, I finally see someone coming towards me.
Abraham Louvrr.
The CEO of TechAi. One of the most successful tech companies in the country. His presence is hard to ignore, not just because of his success, but because of the way he carries himself. Confident. Calculating. He’s made a name for himself, and tonight, he’s here to make another one.
“Lukin,” he greets, his voice smooth and composed, extending his hand with a practiced, confident smile. “It’s good to see you. I didn’t expect to find you here tonight.”
I take his hand, the firm grip a sign of mutual respect. “Abraham,” I say, nodding, my voice low, deliberately casual. “I try not to miss events like this. They have a way of bringing the right people together.”
He chuckles, stepping a little closer and directing a smile at Nadia.
“Exactly,” he agrees. “And speaking of that, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Go on.”
“I know you’ve been keeping an eye on TechAi,” he begins, his voice smooth, like he’s already prepared for this pitch.
“We’ve been expanding, and we’re looking for the right investors to help us scale.
I know you’ve got your fingers in a lot of different pies, Lukin, but I think there’s a place for you at the table. ”
I know where this is going. Abraham Louvrr is smart, and he knows how to play the game. He’s offering me something—more power, more control—but I’m not someone who gets swayed easily.
“An investment in TechAi?” I repeat, my voice low. “What makes you think I’d be interested?”
“You go where the money is, Lukin. I’ve been keeping an eye on you too.” He doesn’t hesitate. “TechAi is about growth. About moving forward. You’re always ahead of the curve, and we’re the future of technology. Together, we could make something unstoppable.”
I look at him, sizing him up. His words are persuasive, smooth, and calculated. He’s used to this. He’s used to getting what he wants.
And I can see the appeal. But I’m not about to let someone like him think he’s going to win me over with just charm.
I lower my glass, leaning in slightly. “You want me in your corner,” I say, almost in amusement, “you’re going to have to work for it.”
Abraham doesn’t flinch. His smile only grows. “The best things don’t come easy, Lukin. Hit me.”
“Not here, let’s not be rude now. This is an art gala.”
“I can come to your office,” he says, unable to hide his excitement. “I’ve been dying to.”
I dip my hand into my breast pocket and take out my card. “You won’t be let in without one of these.”
“Thank you, Lukin.” He slides the card into his pocket. “You won’t regret this.”
“I hope so.”
As he disappears, Nadia groans beside me. “This is boring,” she says. “I need a drink.”
“Go get one.”
She frowns up at me before yanking her arm away from mine and marching towards the bar. I watch her go, wondering why I even decided to bring her with me. As she goes, my gaze lifts to the section of the hall near the bar where a flicker of movement catches my attention.
My gaze sharpens, my instincts kicking in. There’s a woman laughing, her voice rising above the noise.
Familiar posture. Familiar dress sense. Familiar curves.
It takes less than a second for my brain to recognize her.
Zoe.
I can’t breathe. My chest tightens as my eyes lock on to her.
She looks different—her hair styled differently, softer, framed around her face—but it’s unmistakably her. Even from across the room, she still draws me in, like she always has. There’s a fire in her that I can’t ignore, that I can’t escape.
She doesn’t notice me yet, doesn’t realize I’m watching her, studying every move she makes. She’s too caught up in whatever conversation she’s having with the people around her, too immersed in her own world to see that I’m here, that I’m aware.
For the first time in weeks, my blood doesn’t feel cold.
The tightness in my chest eases just a little. Nah. I’ve just realized it now. She belongs with me. To me.
Suddenly, Jason appears beside her, his hand touching her lower back possessively.
My breath almost stops. Of course, he’s the rich kid.
He’s the one who invited her here. Fucking jerk.
She raises her head to whisper something in Jason’s ear and the bastard laughs so loud, his arm tightens around her.
She’s laughing too. What in the hell could be that funny?
The ease in my body is replaced by something else—a primal, possessive instinct that has been building inside me since the moment I saw her in that photo with Jason.
She’s here now. She’s in front of me, and every part of me wants to step forward, to pull her away from him and make her understand what she’s doing.
But I don’t move. I stay rooted to the spot, watching as she smiles, unaware of the storm brewing inside me.
She’s mine. I’ve already claimed her, whether she knows it or not.
And the last time she was with me, I told her to never cross paths with me again because I wouldn’t let her go again. I guess she isn’t a very good listener.
Her eyes suddenly lift, and for a moment, everything else in the room fades. Our gazes lock, and it’s like time slows. The space between us narrows, charged with something neither of us can ignore.
The second she sees me, her body freezes. Her smile falters, then dies completely. She pales, the color draining from her face, and for the briefest of moments, she looks like a deer caught in the headlights—like she didn’t expect to see me, like she didn’t expect me to be here.
I don’t move. I don’t speak. I just watch her, savoring the shift in her body language.
Slowly, deliberately, I cock my head to the side, letting her feel the weight of my gaze. She can’t escape it. I know she can’t.
And then, I grin. A lazy, dark grin that stretches across my face, full of warning, full of something possessive that only I can understand. It’s the kind of smile that says I know you, Zoe. I know everything about you.
She steps back, as if I’ve physically struck her, the shock of my presence hitting her like a blow. She stumbles slightly, knocking into Jason, who stands beside her, utterly confused.
He tries to steady her, but it doesn’t matter. He’s irrelevant. The only thing that matters right now is Zoe, and the way she’s reacting to me.
She mumbles something to him—something I can’t hear—and without missing a beat, she turns and starts weaving her way through the crowd, desperate to get away from me.
But I don’t move. Not yet.
I stay where I am, watching her every step, my eyes never leaving her. She thinks she can disappear. She thinks she can run from me, but I know better. And I know she won’t get far. Not after I’ve made my final decision. No more being a good guy. I will chase after what’s mine and keep her.