Page 62 of Crown of Hate

Leaking that news to the Russian Bratva would strip Akim of respect for betraying his Pakhan. It would also put him at odds with Boris, who’ll try to save his puppet throne, which would give me the perfect opening to strike.

But I can’t bring myself to use that plan now, not when I know how much it will hurt Alya. She’ll never forgive me if that happens, and God knows I’d rather give everything up than have her hate me.

“Fuck me…”

Both Semyon and Alexei are gaping at me like I’ve grown horns.

Minutes have passed—Alya is most likely out of the shower by now. Whatever questions they have for me will have to wait until tomorrow. “Alexei, have updates on tonight’s orders by morning.” I shift my focus to Semyon. “You’ll get the listening device tomorrow. Akim will expect us to hack it tonight if Alya betrays him. He can’t know she did until her mother is safe.”

They nod, still reeling, and I turn around to leave, mind already racing with strategies and alternatives. But as I open the door, I freeze. Big brown eyes meet mine, wide with shock and… something else—betrayal? Fear? “Alya?”

She looks past me to Semyon and Alexei, then back to me. Her voice is barely a whisper, but it might as well be a scream. “Did I just hear you say Akim Petrov is my father?”

19

ALYA

I didn’t hear Mikhail right. The thought pounds in my skull, refusing to take shape. Akim Petrov… My father? No. Fucking. Way. It’s got to be some sick joke. As if that monster could ever be related to me. The very idea makes bile rise in my throat.

But if it’s true, then… Mikhail… he knew. He’s known all this time and kept it from me, probably just waiting for the perfect moment to pull the trigger on Akim. On me.

Mikhail takes a step towards me, and I take two steps back. My vision fogs with hot tears. “You’re lying, aren’t you? Akim isn’t my father, is he? He can’t be…”

“Alya,” he whispers, reaching for my hand.

I jerk away. His touch—once a comfort—now just feels like a betrayal. “No! Tell me you’re fucking lying!”

But the look on his face tells me he’s deadly serious. The bastard…

I spin on my heels and bolt up the stairs. When I reach the bedroom, I slam the door shut and collapse on the bed.

Akim isAlya’s biological fatherplays on a loop in my head.

I don’t want to believe it. I won’t believe it. Ivan Orlov was my father—the only father I’ve ever known or needed. He loved me,protected me. The man who raised me would never have used me or tried to pawn me off as a peace offering to his enemy. If he were still alive, he would never have allowed this whole twisted situation.

My chest heaves to a point where each breath is labored. Too much has happened today. Too much to process. It’s too fucking much.

The door flies open and Mikhail barges in. I turn my head the other way. I refuse to look at the lying snake. My husband. The man who only married me to use me as a weapon against Akim.

“Alya.” His voice is cautious, probing. “Can we talk?”

“No. Get out.”

“I was wrong,” he admits. His feet are shuffling on the rug as he approaches the bed. “But I need you to understand, I didn’t keep this from you to hurt you. I didn’t plan to use it against you. Still, it’s fucked up, I know, and I’m sorry.”

“Bullshit!” I whirl on him, vision swimming with fury. “You were ready to use that information regardless of how it affected me. It doesn’t matter that you didn’t care about me then—I’m still human. You can’t just hurt people however you want just because they mean nothing to you.”

“You’re right, Alya. I’m a selfish asshole.”

Damn straight.

“You’ve hurt me too much, Mikhail. First, you killed my papa, and now this.” I grit my teeth, struggling for some control.

“I didn’t kill Ivan Orlov.” His shoulders slump, but his eyes don’t leave mine. “I would have if I’d gotten the chance, but someone else beat me to it.”

“Who?”

“I suspect Akim,” he says, and my world tilts on its axis. “Your father deserved to die for all the things he did. He was a monster, Alya. One who’d kidnap young girls and traffic them.Yourpapaused children to traffic his drugs. He tore those kids from their families, destroyed their lives, and left them to die.”

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