Chapter 16 – Danil
I left the suite, the taste of Katria’s defiance still sharp on my tongue.
But now, it was time to get back to business.
My steps were purposeful as I headed toward my office, my mind already sifting through the reports from the meeting earlier.
Feliks’s behavior was a glaring red flag, a neon sign pointing to treason.
As I descended the stairs, a sharp, angry voice cut through the otherwise quiet hum of the estate. Then, another. They were distinct, familiar voices that always seemed to find a way to clash.
I slowed my pace, my eyes narrowing. My first thought was irritation. It was always them: Konstantin and Irene. Their rivalry was a known commodity, an annoying background noise in the Yezhov household.
But this time, something felt different. The tone was sharper, laced with a raw edge I hadn’t heard before. This wasn’t their usual childish squabble over who had slighted whom. This felt…serious. The kind of serious that usually meant secrets. And in my world, secrets meant danger.
I veered off my path to the office, moving silently into the shadows of a large archway, concealed by a heavy velvet curtain.
They were in the main hall, near the drawing-room entrance.
Their voices, though still somewhat hushed, carried clearly in stillness.
I decided not to interrupt. Not yet. I needed to listen.
I needed to understand what’s truly happening.
This wasn’t about mediating a family spat. This was about intel.
“You’re being ridiculous, Konstantin!” Irene’s voice, usually so composed, was thin and strained. “You always think the worst of me!”
“And you always give me a reason to!” Konstantin shot back, his voice tight with frustration. “This isn’t about me hating you, Irene. This is about you being up to something. Something shady.”
My body went still.
Shady.
That was a word that demanded my full attention. My mind immediately connected it to Feliks, to the thumb drive, to the breach. Had Irene somehow gotten herself tangled in his mess? Or was this something else entirely? Either way, it was a problem I needed to unravel.
I waited for Konstantin to get specific.
“I hate you because you give me a thousand reasons to,” he shot back lowly. “I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m telling you what I saw. You were trying to sneak into Danil’s secret briefcase.”
My breath hitched. Not because of the accusation itself, but because it was exactly what I’d been thinking.
I’d always found her behavior off. A little too curious.
She had a way of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Her questions were never simple. She seemed to be probing for more information, for something she shouldn’t have.
I had attributed it to her innate curiosity. But this was different. This was a clear breach. A line she should never have crossed. My briefcase, kept in my study, was always cherished. It contained some of my most sensitive documents. She knew that. Yet she still tried to get into it.
Irene’s voice was sharp with fear now, her confidence wavering. “That’s a lie! Why would I do that? I was just straightening up the study!”
“Straightening up?” Konstantin laughed, a harsh, humorless sound. “With what? A lockpick? Your hands were all over the lock. And you looked terrified when you saw me. Don’t lie, Irene. This isn’t a game. You’re doing something wrong.”
She took a step back, her hands up in front of her. “Konstantin, you’re crazy. You’re making things up because you hate me! What would I do that? What would I even want to get from him?”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to find out!
” he roared, taking a step toward her. “You’re too eager.
You’re too damn curious these days. This cannot be coincidence.
There’s been a link. You’re too tied up with everything, always trying to snoop into Danil’s life.
What are you looking for, Irene? And Why? ”
I felt a cold, righteous anger building in my gut. He was right. Every word of it. I had been too lenient, too trusting. I had dismissed her behavior as a simple annoyance. But it was more than that. It was a threat.
Konstantin’s frustration boiled over. He was a man of action, not an endless argument. He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous growl. “And that’s not the only thing, is it, Irene? What do you truly think about your father, Feliks?”
Irene’s face went to the lake. The name, spoken so directly, was like a slap in the face. “What about my father? He’s loyal! You’re insane to even think—”
“I think he’s acting weird,” Konstantin cut her off, his eyes hard and unwavering.
“Other people have noticed. He’s been trying to take shortcuts.
He’s not following orders the way he should be.
He’s distracted. And you, you never seem to be following orders the right way either.
You’re always deviating. Other people notice. But no one ever speaks.”
Irene’s facade finally crumbled. Her composure shattered, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“You’re thinking too much, Konstantin! You’re just jealous!
You’re always thinking something is wrong when nothing is!
” Her voice rose, becoming shrill, a desperate, childish wail.
“My father is loyal! He’s always been loyal to Danil’s family! ”
And that was my cue. I stepped out of the shadows, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the stillness.
The moment I stepped out of the shadows, the argument died. Irene, who had been screaming moments ago, went completely silent. Konstantin stood there, his hand still on his cheek where she’d slapped him, his eyes fixed on me.
“What’s going on here?” I asked, my voice calm, but with an edge that cut through the tension.
Konstantin was the first to speak, his gaze unwavering as he looked at me.
“She’s up to something, Danil. I caught her trying to break into your briefcase.
And she’s been behaving erratically. She’s not following orders properly.
I’ve tried to talk to her, but she just denies it.
If you allow her to continue this way, she might cause a lot of evil. ”
I turned my gaze to Irene. Her face was a mask of innocence, her eyes wide and pleading. “Danil, he’s misunderstanding! He hates me, he’s just trying to make me look bad! I wasn’t doing anything.”
“Is that so?” I said, my voice dangerously soft.
I ignored her tears. They were a performance, and I was done watching her play games.
“Konstantin saw you. He doesn’t lie. Not to me,” My eyes locked onto her, cold and unwavering.
“What were you doing with my briefcase, Irene? And what orders are you not following?”
She flinched, her eyes darting away from mine. “I…I told him! I was just tidying up! I saw a loose paper and I—”
“Stop,” I cut her off. My voice was a low command that brought no argument. “You will ease up whatever it is you are doing. You will cease any unauthorized activities. And whatever you are involved in, Konstantin has a right to know. Just as I do. You will do exactly as I say. Understood?”
Her chin trembled, but she met my gaze, a flicker of defiance, quickly extinguished by fear. Understood,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“Good,” I said, my eyes still fixed on her. “This is not a suggestion, Irene. This is an order. And you will follow it. To the letter.”
Irene stood there, her head bowed slightly, her silence a stark contrast to her earlier theatrics. My voice was low, and it was a direct order. “You understand, Irene? This stops now. Everything.”
She looked up at me, a flicker of something defiant, quickly extinguished by fear. “Yes, Danil. I understand.” She turned and began to walk away. Without looking back, she murmured, “Be careful who you trust, Danil. You might find you’re more alone than you think.”
And then she was gone.
I turned to Konstantin. He stood there, his hand still on his cheek, his face grim. The silence stretched between us, heavy with all the unsaid words, all the suspicions that now had a face.
“She’s right, isn’t she?” Konstantin said, his voice quiet. “This isn’t just about her anymore…. She didn’t get this far alone.”
“She didn’t,” I confirmed, my voice as cold and hard as stone. “Feliks is involved.”
Konstantin’s eyes widened. “Feliks? You’re sure?”
“I’ve had my suspicions since the beginning,” I said, a bitter taste in my mouth. “He was acting strange. Trying to push through an operation that makes no sense. Trying to sell a company that has no reason to be sold. And now…now I know “
Konstantin ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. “What are they doing, Danil? What is it? What are they trying to cover up? What would Feliks betray your father’s trust like this?”
“Power,” I said, the word a simple, brutal truth. “He wants power. He’s been laundering money. He’s been selling out assets behind our backs. And now he’s trying to cover his tracks.”
“I knew it,” Konstantin said, a cold certainty in his voice. “I saw him with his hands in the treasury two weeks ago, and he just brushed it off. I know something was wrong. But Irene…what is she doing? She’s his daughter. She would never betray him.”
“She’s not betraying him,” I said, my gaze fixed on the spot where Irene had stood. “She’s helping him. She was trying to get into my briefcase. What do you think she was looking for? She knew I was suspicious of him. She was trying to get a head start. She was trying to erase the evidence.”
Konstantin shook his head, a look of pure shock on his face. “This is insane. This is bigger than we thought.”
“It is,” I agreed, a cold resolve settling over me.
“It’s a network. A betrayal from within.
We have traitors in our own home, Konstantin.
” I turned to him, my voice a low, fierce command.
“Keep your eyes open. On everyone. But especially on them. You will not let them out of your sight. You will not confront them. You will watch. And you will tell me everything.”
He nodded, his face grim. “I will. What do we do now?”
I took a deep breath, the cold fury that had been building inside me for the last two days finally settling into quiet, focused purpose. “Now,” I said, my voice quiet, “we watch. We gather our evidence. And then, we get to the bottom of this. All of it.”