Sofia
My gaze sweeps the lobby. I’m always alert, but more now. I just left Anton’s bedside. He’s awake. Mad as hell, but alive and healing. He hates being laid up. But he hates leaving me exposed more.
“Wait,” Gregor mutters and steps in front of me.
Gregor has been extra-vigilant today. I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t want to be the next guard to be run down, or he’s genuinely concerned there’s danger lurking.
There’s always danger lurking.
He pushes the button for the elevator. We wait, both of us surveilling our surroundings.
We step into the elevator and for just a second, Gregor relaxes when the doors close.
“Do you know something I don’t?” I ask.
“No.”
“Gregor.”
“Anton called me.”
“And?”
“Said he would cut my balls off if something happened to you. And you know how much Anton loves his blades.”
I smile. “That he does.”
The elevator opens on our floor. Baranov Enterprises.
Gregor steps out. Left. Right. A moment to take it all in.
“Let’s go,” he says.
I follow him to my father’s office—my office. Yeah, his name is on the door, but we know it’s not long before it’ll be my name.
“Thank you, Gregor. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll be right outside.”
Of course, he will.
I close the office door and take a seat at the massive desk. I haven’t been here in a few days. I sit down and get to work.
And then I see it.
I freeze, staring at the notepad at the edge of the desk. It’s not the notepad that’s wrong. It’s the writing. Not mine.
I snatch the pad and attempt to read the notes. They’re in Russian. I’m not fluent. I can understand some and speak less, but writing and reading is not something I’m familiar with.
I know my father’s handwriting, and this isn’t it.
Yuri.
I don’t know how I know, but I know.
He’s been here. In my office.
I get to my feet and jerk the door open. Gregor jumps to his feet from where he was sitting outside the door.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need Allie.”
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I’m fine. Allie!”
She worked for my father’s assistant, Irina, when he was here. I fired Irina and promoted Allie. She’s young. Eager. And she’s loyal to me.
“Yes?”
“Who was in my office?”
She looks confused. “Your cousin. He told me he was taking over while you focused on school. I didn’t know you were coming in. I would have had your coffee.”
I have to bite my tongue to keep from yelling at her. She didn’t do anything. Not really.
“Allie,” I keep my voice low. Controlled. “He is not allowed in that office. Period. Do you understand?”
Her big brown eyes widen. “Yes. I’m sorry. He was so nice and he said he was your cousin and he came to town to help run things because your father—”
She doesn’t finish the sentence. She doesn’t need to. Everyone knows my father is too sick to be here. We all pretend it isn’t a thing, but it is.
“That’s fine, but no more. When was he here?”
“Yesterday. And the day before.”
“Did he meet with anyone? Any of our business contacts?”
She grimaces and nods. “Yes.”
I take a second to digest that. “I want a list.”
“I’m so sorry, Sofia.”
“It’s fine. Get me the list.” She rushes back to her desk.
Gregor is watching. “Yuri.”
“I need Viktor.”
He pulls out his phone. I go back into the office and look around with fresh eyes.
I want to know everything he touched. I notice immediately that things have been moved.
Not much—just enough that someone who didn’t spend hours at this desk wouldn’t catch it.
The stack of contracts I left aligned with the edge of the desk is moved.
My hands curl into fists.
I move to the computer and wake it up. The login screen appears, and I type in my password.
Access denied.
I try again, making sure I hit every key correctly.
Access denied.
“Son of a bitch.”
He changed my password.
I grab my phone and call IT.
I don’t bother with pleasantries. “My password was changed. I need it reset. Now.”
“Oh, uh, yeah. Your cousin called yesterday and said you asked him to update the security protocols. He had me reset all the admin passwords. “
“Lena.” I keep my voice level even though I want to scream. “I never asked him to do that.”
Silence on the other end.
“Lena.”
“I’m so sorry. He told me you asked him to.”
“How long will it take to reset everything?”
“I’ll get on it. Give me fifteen minutes.”
“Do it. And Lena? No one gets access to anything without my direct approval. I don’t care if my father himself calls you. You call me first. Understand?”
“Yes. Absolutely. I’m so sorry.”
I hang up and move to the wall safe hidden behind the painting of some Russian landscape my father insisted on hanging. I punch in the code—my mother’s birthday, something Yuri wouldn’t know—and hear the satisfying click.
The door swings open.
I reach inside and pull out the leather-bound ledger.
The real one. Not the digital records that can be hacked or altered.
This is old school. Handwritten entries in my father’s meticulous script.
Every transaction, every contact, every piece of leverage the Baranov family has accumulated over forty years.
This is the real ledger. The IRS isn’t going to see this one.
Relief washes over me. If Yuri had gotten his hands on this, he’d have everything. Every dirty secret. Every weakness. Every person on our payroll who shouldn’t be.
I flip through the pages. No signs of tampering.
He didn’t get it.
I close the ledger and put it back, next to the stacks of cash. I close the safe and then take a photo of the painting. If it’s moved even slightly, I’ll know someone tried to access the safe. I’m sure Yuri knows it’s there. Not exactly a creative hiding spot.
The door opens, and Viktor walks in. That was fast.
“Gregor said there was a problem,” he says, looking around the room.
“Close the door. Yuri was here,” I tell him. “He tried to lock me out of the accounts. Technically, he did. He’s trying to take over.”
“I know. I was on my way to talk to you. He’s making moves, Sofia.”
“Like what?”
“Vlad’s dead.”
I hear the words. I understand the words. But they don’t make sense.
“What?”
“Yesterday. His wife found him. Heart attack.”
“Heart attack? He wasn’t even forty.”
He shrugs. “That’s what I was told.”
“Have you seen the body?”
“The family had him cremated already.”
Of course they did. Because there’s no body to examine. No autopsy to reveal whatever actually killed him.
“Do you suspect the wife?”
He slowly shakes his head.
I lean back against the desk, my mind racing. Vlad was one of the few men in my father’s inner circle who openly supported my succession. He’d been vocal about it.
Now he’s conveniently dead.
“Who else?” I ask quietly.
Viktor frowns. “What?”
“Who else is dead, missing, or suddenly retired? I want a list of everyone in key positions who’s been replaced or removed in the last sixty days.”
He pulls out his phone, scrolling. “Ilya, obviously. Vlad. Konstantin took early retirement two weeks ago—said he wanted to spend time with his grandchildren.”
Three men. Three men who either supported me or were neutral enough not to back Yuri by default.
“And who replaced them?”
He looks uncomfortable. “Yuri’s people, from what I’m guessing. Never met them before.”
I close my eyes. This is worse than I thought. He’s been systematically removing anyone who might oppose him and installing his own network. By the time my father dies, Yuri could have manipulated control of the entire infrastructure.
“Get me the full organizational chart,” I say. “I want to know where everyone’s loyalties lie.”
“That’s going to take time.”
“Then start now.”
He nods.
“Viktor?”
“Yeah?”
“I need to know where you stand.”
“Here,” he answers without hesitation. “With you.”
That’s a relief.
“Thank you.”
Viktor nods and leaves. I’m alone in the office that’s supposed to be mine but feels more like enemy territory with each passing second.
Lena shows up looking just a little frazzled. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. I have to go. I want to know every keystroke he made.”
“That’ll take time.”
“Do it.”
I leave the office, walking fast toward the elevator. I hear heavy footsteps behind me.
Gregor reaches the elevator before me. Pushes the button and says nothing.
“Where we going?” he asks.
“I need to talk to my father.”
“What about class?”
“I guess I’m skipping today.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m storming into my father’s study. He’s in his recliner, TV on, eyes closed. I don’t care that I’m disturbing him.
“What.” His voice is barely a rasp.
“Yuri has been operating out of my office. Meeting with our management. Replacing key personnel with his own people.”
Silence.
“Did you know about this?” I ask.
“I suspected.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?”
“It’s your inheritance, Sofia. If you can’t protect it before you even have it, you don’t deserve it.”
“He’s dismantling everything from the inside.”
“Then stop him.”
“How? He’s already killing off our people!”
“I don’t care how.” His voice is stronger now. He’s sitting up. A shot of anger will wake anybody up. “You figure it out. You find leverage. You make alliances. You do whatever it takes to hold your position. That’s what being pakhan means.”
“I need your help.”
“You need to learn to fight your own battles.”
“Vlad is dead.”
Another pause. Longer this time.
“Heart attack,” he says, but I hear the question in it.
“You knew?”
“I’m still pakhan. Of course, I knew.”
For one ugly second, I know this feeling.
Not the bruises or the blood.
The helpless part. Knowing exactly what’s happening and not being able to stop it.
And my father knew.
That’s the problem. We’re not working together. There’s a war within, and Yuri is taking advantage. I hate that the thought pops into my head—but if he was dead, the struggle would be over.
“You could have told me.”
A sneer crosses his lips. He’s happy I’m on my back foot. He’s enjoying this battle.
“Yuri is playing the game. Are you?”
“I didn’t know I was playing a game until a week ago.”
“Then Yuri might be the better option after all. There’s always a game.”
“I won’t lose,” I say, forcing steel into my voice.
“Then prove it.”
I stare at the shell of a man. My father. The man who has instilled fear in millions for decades. But I never feared him.
Until now.
The little hairs at the back of my neck stand up. Is my father actively working against me?
I’m alone. Truly alone. The men I thought were loyal are either dead, bought off, or hedging their bets. My father has made it clear he won’t intervene. Anton is in a hospital bed. Gregor is competent, but he’s not Anton.
I need an ally. Someone outside the Baranov circle. Someone powerful enough that aligning with them sends a message Yuri can’t ignore.
I think about Sergei Sokolov’s proposal. Marriage. Protection. An alliance that would make me untouchable.
I dismissed it as arrogant and controlling. I told myself I didn’t need him.
But maybe I do.
Maybe that’s exactly what I need.
If Yuri wants a war, I’ll give him one.
And I’ll make sure I’m the last one standing.