Page 62 of Ruthless Royalty

She’s going to be my weakness.

Weakness is something I can’t afford, not out there in the real world. Not once we leave Willow Bridge. My enemies would take one look at her and know exactly where to strike. But fuck, even knowing that, I can’t make myself pull away. She’s mine now, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone take her from me.

A part of me wants to wake her up, to tell her that this—whatever this is—can’t happen. That it’s too dangerous for both of us. But then she stirs, her hand reaching out to touch me in her sleep, and the thought of letting her go feels like a fucking knife to the gut.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, the sound cutting through the quiet. I reach over, careful not to wake Chiara, and glance at the screen. The number flashing across it makes my heart drop.

My father.

Fuck, I was wondering when he’d call. After yesterday, someone was bound to have told him I was flaunting Dmitri Mikhailov’s step-daughter as mine.

I untangle myself from Chiara, moving slowly so I don’t wake her, and slip out of bed. My heart pounds in my chest as I walk to the balcony, the cool morning air hitting my skin as I step outside. I close the door behind me before answering the call.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice low.

“Giovanni,” my father’s voice snaps through the line, cold and biting as always. “What the fuck are you doing?”

I grit my teeth, already feeling the anger rise. “I’m handling things.”

“You’re handling things?” He scoffs, and I can practically see the sneer on his face. “By chasing after Dmitri’s stepdaughter? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

My grip tightens on the phone, knuckles white. “It’s not your concern.”

“I didn’t raise you to be fucking stupid,” His voice is a sharp bark of laughter. “You’ve gone after the one girl you shouldn’t have, Giovanni. Dmitri isn’t going to stand by and let this slide.”

“I don’t give a shit what Dmitri thinks,” I snap back, my patience wearing thin. “I know what I’m fucking doing?—”

“No, you don’t,” he says, his tone harsh. “This isn’t some game, boy. Dmitri is like a brother to me, and you’re fucking with something that could get you killed. End it. Now. Before I have to step in and end it for you.”

His words is enough to make me fucking spiral, but I force myself to stay calm. I knew this was coming the moment Idecided to go after Chiara, but that doesn’t make it any easier to hear.

My jaw clenches so hard it hurts. “You’re not touching her,” I say, each word clipped, barely containing the fury boiling inside me.

“Do you honestly think I need to touch her in order to end this for you?” His tone is full of disbelief, like he can’t even comprehend that I’d stand up to him. “I didn’t raise you to be this weak.”

I laugh, the sound bitter. “You raised me to be exactly like this. To go after what I want and take it. You just didn’t expect me to turn that against you.”

“You arrogant little shit,” he spits, and I can hear the venom in his voice, the barely restrained rage. “You’re making a mistake, and when this blows up in your face, don’t come crawling back to me.”

“I won’t need to,” I say, my voice steady, even though my heart is pounding in my chest. “Because I’m not letting this blow up. I’m not letting her go.”

“And what happens when Dmitri comes after you?” my father demands. “When he puts a bullet in your head or worse, takes her away from you? What then, Giovanni?”

I lean against the balcony railing, staring out at the forest beyond Willow Bridge, my mind racing.

“You can’t let anything happen to me because you have no other fucking sons left,” I say finally, my voice cold. “Or did that little bit of information slip your mind?”

My father sighs, and for the first time, there’s something in his voice that almost sounds like disappointment.

“You’re making a mistake, Giovanni,” he says quietly. “One that could cost you everything.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I reply, my voice hard. I’ve already made my choice, and there’s no turning back now.

There’s another pause, and for a second, I wonder if he’s goingto say something else, something worse. But then, all I hear is a sharp inhale.

“You’re on your own with this. Choose— your legacy or a whore you know nothing about.” And with that, the line goes dead.

I lower the phone, staring out at the horizon as the words echo in my head.You’re on your own.

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