Page 65 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

Vlad checked the golden Rolex around his wrist. “This meeting was scheduled for ten in the morning,” he replied. “This is merely ten minutes past the agreed time.” He took a seat, seemingly unmoved by the man’s complaints.

I took a seat beside him, and Andrei took the vacant one beside me.

“You, of all people, Mr. Wolkov, should know the value of one minute in our line of work, or have you forgotten?” the man asked.

Bad idea!

His speech wasn’t directed to me, but I was pissed by his pesky little question, and so was Vlad. My cousin frowned and leaned closer to cast a deadly glare at the man, who was immediately spooked by the look in Vlad’s eyes.

He swallowed, intimidated as the others in the room began to exchange subtle glances, wondering what Vlad was up to. The Wolkov ruthlessness had spread far and wide, and they knew just what we were capable of individually; now, there were two of us in this room.

“Watch your tongue, Mr. Elvis, or I can guarantee that you will lose it.” Vlad’s glare was stern, and his voice when he spoke the words was cold—deadly.

Mr. Elvis seemed shaken, and fear was evident in his gaze. He must have wondered what he’d said wrong; he did only ask a question, after all.

Silence fell in the room, and nobody muttered a word until a voice from the entrance eased the tension a little bit.

“Gentlemen, trust me,” the voice said, “two angry Wolkovs in one room will not end well.” He laughed lightly.

“Mr. Petrov,” Vlad called out with a smirk.

I turned to finally see the man who had gathered us all there, and that was when I had the biggest shock of my life, the most unexpected coincidence I’d ever experienced.

Oh, my God!

It was her.

My heart skipped for a moment; my head was hot and spinning from the effect of this random reunion. Never had I been so shocked before, and I didn’t know how I was feeling, although I was certain it was an emotion I wasn’t at all familiar with. I was too numb to speak, and as I processed the sight in front me, I noticed that Andrei wore the same expression.

The two of us were professionals at hiding our feelings, so no one else but the three of us knew what was happening. He glanced at me, unsure of what I would do, and honestly, I didn't even know what I was about to do.

She looked so different now, more mature; obviously, the past four years had been good to her. Vivian was so much hotter than I’d remembered. She was gorgeous, with an even sexier body, and just setting my eyes on her triggered my erection, but I quickly controlled it.

I was still mad at her for what she’d done, and looking like a goddess wasn’t enough to make me forget all the pain and torment her betrayal had subjected me to. I wasn’t going to let that go unpunished, and from her wide eyes, I could tell that she was petrified. She also hadn’t expected for us to cross paths today.

Thank you, karma, for delivering her into my hands. And this time, I’m not going to let her slip through my fingers again.

I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her, and I thought that she looked great, even as a blonde. She was no longer a brunette, which made me wonder what else she’d changed about herself; of course, she must have changed her name.

It was all unfolding before me like a dream, and time seemed to pause when our eyes met in a split second. She still had that charming pair of blue eyes and the same look when she was afraid. But I had to hand it to her: For a woman who was faced squarely with the dangerous man she’d long been avoiding, she sure had her composure in check.

She really was talented in the area of acting because despite the fear that I saw in her eyes, she still managed to pretend as though all was well. This was something that I’d always admired about Vivian Kennedy: her ability to maintain her cool and confidence even in the direst situations. She seemed to be in control, but I knew better; she was scared to death.

I leaned back in my chair, wearing a blank expression to keep her from guessing my next move. I wanted her to feel that terror, and I would bask in the satisfaction it would bring me. In my head, I was already cooking up ways to make her punishment sufferable. She had crossed the wrong man, and he was about to exact his vengeance.

This should be fun.

She looked me dead in the eyes in a feeble attempt to hide her hysteria, but I could see right through her. Her heart must be racing, her knees quaking, and her feet too weary to carry her weight.

I watched her menacingly, fixing an intimidating look on her as she subtly tried to avoid eye contact.

Vivian had the effrontery to look at me like she didn’t recognize me, seeming unhinged by my glare. I scoffed—her guts.

“Gentlemen,” Mr. Petrov said.

His voice resounded in my head, but I didn't shift my gaze from this fine damsel before me.

“This is Kiara Keith, the top financial analyst FinCorp has,” he said, introducing her.

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