Page 161 of Capuleto

"I told you before, what you do with your private life is your business. However, if you want my opinion, it's better to talk things out. Lies never lead to a good end and have a nasty habit of coming to light when you least expect them. Maybe Andrea can understand you, I don't know. That's something between you two that I don't want to get involved in unless you force me to." I wanted to make it clear that he was now dancing in the palm of my hand, and I decided whether to crush him with my fist.

"I won't."

"Very well. Then go. It's better if you're not here."

"Th-thank you for your understanding and help," he extended his hand, and I shook it.

Arasagasti quickly turned off his computer and gathered his things. I left the office and headed straight to confront the Russian.

The worst thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemy, but from the one who first hugs you and then pushes you away.

I was done being pushed around by Yuri Korolev.

66

Shoot

As soon as the vodka and pills came out of my mouth, I smashed the Grey Goose bottle right into his head.

I knew my brother had a hard head, but not hard enough for the glass to shatter and him to still be standing.

Yuri roared half-blind and furious, because, although eyeballing is fashionable, the thing about drinking alcohol through the eyes, my brother didn't seem to like it.

"Súka!" he spat, striking my face violently.

The metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.

I saw him reach for his weapon. He would have grabbed it if Cheng hadn't taken hold of a frying pan without Yuri noticing. The Chinese woman was close enough to hit him in pure Rapunzel style.

My brother fell to the ground onto the shattered glass.

A barrage of gunfire thundered against the door. Cheng and I looked at each other without understanding. Yuri had told us that his men had no idea we were in that place.

"Take cover!" I exclaimed, looking at the Chinese woman, who made the bad decision to squat down.

Yuri had pretended to lose consciousness, I knew it when I saw his hand rise to stab a long, thick shard of glass into the Asian woman's neck.

I had never seen Cheng's eyes wider. She reached for the glass and dislodged it, causing a stream of blood to gush from the wound.

Everything was happening too fast. I didn't have time to help her, compress the wound, and take her to the doctor as I would have liked.

I lunged at Yuri and received a hard kick in the abdomen.

"Súka!" he insulted me again, calling me a bitch. "You'll pay for this," he swore, drawing his weapon. The door flew open thanks to the kick of...

"Romeo!" I muttered, releasing the little air I had left due to the violence with which he had struck me.

My husband aimed at where I was, but Yuri was quicker and pulled the trigger. He was always very fast. My husband's figure disappeared from the frame. Had he hit him?

I didn't even wait to find out, I had to deal with that monster I had as a brother.

I threw myself on him. It didn't matter the stomach pain I was suffering from the blow I had received; I wasn't going to step aside. If anyone deserved to die, it was Yuri, not my husband.

"Get off, dirty traitor! I knew Irene was telling the truth, that you had fallen in love with that fool! You have sunk very low, Kalinka! You don't deserve to reign by my side."

"Of course, I don't want anything that comes from you. You disgust me!"

Yuri rolled, taking me with him. We struggled violently. That fight had nothing to do with the training of our childhood.

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