Page 65 of A Monster Is Coming

“Once your family is taken care of, you should be able to make your choice,” Ivan said.

“My choice?”

“Yes. You’re not aware of it now, but you are a very wealthy woman. You’ve inherited the Byrne fortune. It doesn’t make you the richest woman in the world, but it will give you a good life.”

This made me frown. “What about my marriage?” I held up my wedding ring finger.

“That is your choice. There is going to come a time when the threat to your life is no longer there. I’ll have dealt with the Byrnes, after I get what I want from them. That is the only reason they are still alive.”

“Can’t you take what you want?”

“I like to play the long game. I go for what I want, people end up killed.” Ivan took a bite of his sandwich. “When the time comes, you’re going to have to make a choice. You can either stay married to Peter, or you can leave. I, nor Peter, will stop you.”

“That’s just what every woman wants to hear,” I said.

“I took the choice out of your hands once. I will not do it again.”

“Why do it to me in the first place?” I asked.

“I owed you one.”

“What? How is sending a man to lie and manipulate me, owing me one? I didn’t do anything wrong to you. I don’t even know you. I thought I was helping you.”

“And you did. More than you know, you have helped me, time and time again. It’s why I know Peter is a good match for you. I know he likes to believe he doesn’t know what love is, but we both know that’s bullshit.”

“Really? Because he told me some of what he has been through. I don’t expect any man to be able to love that easily. When he should have been loved as a boy, he was tested.” And here I was defending him. What the fuck was my problem?

“The same could be said for you,” Ivan said.

“I … it doesn’t matter.”

“You didn’t feel love. You’ve never known the loving embrace of anyone other than an old lady a few times in your life. Yet, you have a lot of love to give.”

“Please stop,” I said.

He talked about being able to give a lot of love, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the baby I had lost. It still hurt. The wound cut too deep.

“And that is another reason why your father is going to die.”

“Do you plan to wipe out the Byrne line?” I asked.

“No, because I have no intention of killing you.”

This conversation right now was blowing my mind. I didn’t know how any of the other wives had been able to handle Ivan. I didn’t know whether to laugh at him, or just weep.

“Did you give the other men’s wives this choice?”

“No, they were not in a position like you.”

“It all comes down to money?”

“No, it all comes down to what you desire, Niamh. If you want to be free of this world, I will help you find that way. If you want to stay married to Peter and join the Volkov, then that is open to you as well.”

“Peter doesn’t love me.”

“Yes, he does. He just doesn’t realize it yet.”

And then, the main door opened and closed. It didn’t sound too gentle either as seconds later, Peter entered his penthouse apartment. He didn’t look happy.

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