Page 18 of Mafia King's Bride

Because I am better than you. You tried to steal from me, and you failed miserably.

I chuckle softly, shaking my head.

Bianchi, ever the slippery one, laughs heartily, though I can see the calculation in his eyes. “We’re all equals here, gentlemen. Although, I did hear that my daughter once had her sights set on you, Dmitri. Too bad Anastasia Petrov snatched you up. Tell me, does your wife know how lucky she is?”

His words are a veiled jab, one meant to test me, but I give nothing away. “We value loyalty over familial ties,” I reply smoothly. “That’s why I chose Anastasia. Not for any gain from her father, but for the respect it brings.”

And because marrying her gave me leverage.

Leverage I’ll use when I decide to take everything Nikolai Petrov has left.

But I sense the suspicion rising around the table, so I pivot, changing the subject before they start probing too deeply.

“Now,” I say, my voice sharp, cutting through the tension. “Let’s get to the matter at hand.”

The room quiets instantly, and I see the fear in their eyes. They don’t trust me. Theyshouldn’ttrust me. Each of them has wronged me in some way, and each of them will pay.

But not today.

Today, they still think they’re in control.

And that’s just how I want it.

Hours later,I slide into the backseat of my car and tell the driver to take me home.

Home.

The word feels foreign. It’s been four weeks since I last slept in that house. Four weeks spent avoiding it, avoidingher. Except for that brief visit to grab an important document when I ran into Ana, spitting fire, throwing her words at me like they could hurt.

They didn’t.

At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

I’ve been staying in my penthouse in the city, keeping my distance to avoid getting tangled up in emotions I never intended to feel. Since the wedding, things have changed. I find myself thinking about her at random moments. The defiance in her eyes when she tells me I have no right to control her life. The stubborn set of her chin when she demands I fight my own battles, leaving her out of it.

I shouldn’t be thinking about her, but I do. Too often.

The worst part? I wasn’t even angry when she called me a hypocrite for doing exactly what her father did, only with more power. I should’ve been, but all I could think about was how she masked her fear and stood toe to toe with me, unflinching. No one’s ever done that before. Not even Alexey, who came crawlingwith an apology after today’s meeting to avoid the inevitable consequences.

But Ana got under my skin. She told me shehatesme. Those three words echoed in my mind all night, twisting and turning until I couldn’t sleep. Why the hell do I care? I’m not in the business of making people like me. I don’t need approval. I need power. Control.

I close my eyes, leaning back against the leather seat as the car speeds through the city.

It doesn’t matter. She’s Nikolai Petrov’s daughter, after all. A pawn in a bigger game. I’m not interested in her opinion of me.

The car stops in front of the house, and I open my eyes. With a sigh, I step out and head to the front door.

“Welcome, sir,” Janet greets me as she opens the door.

I hand her my bag and jacket. “I don’t need anything tonight,” I say, waving off her offer for food. “It’s late.”

She nods and disappears as I make my way through the foyer, fatigue settling in after the long day. When I reach the living room, I see someone curled up on the couch—a small figure, tucked into a fetal position, buried in the cushions.

Ana.

I take a step closer, curiosity pulling me in before I can stop myself. She’s sleeping, her face half-buried in the armrest, legs folded under her body like she’s trying to protect herself from something. The room is warm enough, so why does she look so small, so cold?

I click my tongue softly, considering waking her up. Janet could do it. I could leave her here and forget this ever happened. But I hesitate.

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