Page 94 of Sinful Lies

After thirty minutes of staring blankly at my computer screen, it’s clear that my focus is shot. I get to my feet and decide to go and check on Zara again.

She’s half asleep in the tub, the bubbles long since dissolved. The sight of her looking so relaxed makes me smile. It’s been a stressful few weeks for her, and I hope that from here on out she’ll start to feel better.

“I think it’s time for bed,sladkaya.” I chuckle as I reach for a towel.

Zara is asleep before her head even hits the pillow.

I tuck her in, making sure she has plenty of water and a small snack in case her appetite returns, before softly closing the door behind me.

My phone buzzes in my pocket with a notification from my security system letting me know that Alexei has arrived.

I input the code that opens the door and head back into my office to pour us both a drink in anticipation of our little talk.

Alexei’s footsteps come down the hall a few moments later.

I quickly down my glass of vodka and pour myself another before he opens the door to my office.

“Come in.” I glance over my shoulder.

From the look on Alexei’s face, I decide to turn my double vodka into a triple. “What did you want to talk about?”

Alexei closes the door behind him. “I want to know why the hell you are looking into this shit with our father and Ivanov?”

“You came all the way from Forest Hills to ask me that?” I scoff, reaching for the drinks and strolling over to the couch. “There’s a thing called texting,brat.”

I set Alexei’s drink down on the table and move to settle myself on the couch.

Alexei glances around the office, and the muscle in his jaw flexes as he spots the wall of family photos behind my desk.

“Texts can be hacked, Dimitri. I don’t want to risk this information getting out.”

I shrug. “Then you shouldn’t have told me.”

Alexei’s nostrils flare as he turns to face me, folding his arms across his chest.

“Would you rather I kept this a secret?”

“Honestly? Yes.” Taking a sip of my drink, I lean back and throw my right arm along the back of the couch as I cross an ankle over a knee.

Alexei glares at me, but I don’t look away.

“Who the fuck did you have look into this, Dimitri?”

“Rurik.”

“Fuck.” Alexei runs his hand through his hair. “Seriously, Dimitri? If this gets out?—”

“Rurik’s more fucking reliable than Frederik! He sent me concrete proof which is more than your guy did.”

Alexei blinks.

“What?”

“I wanted to prove you wrong,” I admit. “I just couldn’tbelieve that our father would do this, so I had Rurik dig deeper. But it turns out, you were right.”

“Show me. Now.”

I get up, grabbing Alexei’s drink off the table and strolling over to my desk.

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