Page 79 of Mafia King's Bride

“But,” she sighs, and I brace myself, “I don’t think I can commit again. I’ve been there, done that, got the emotional scars to prove it.”

I wave my hand, trying to keep things light. “Hey, no pressure. I’m sure Viktor will be fine.”

Yelena’s face falls faster than a soufflé in an earthquake, and I mentally kick myself. Way to go, Ana. Real smooth.

“I didn’t mean that,” I backpedal. “But you can’t force feelings, right? That’s like...Relationship 101 or something.”

She nods, but her eyes are a million miles away. “The truth is, your brother is exactly the kind of person I’d love to be with. But I’m just not ready. My ex and I were supposed to get married.”

Oh. Oh no.

“Sounds like he was important,” I say, stating the obvious because, apparently, that’s my superpower today.

Yelena’s voice cracks as she continues, “I thought I could handle what he put me through. That his excuses were valid reasons for the things he did. But he broke me, Ana. It took months of therapy to even start putting myself back together.”

And just like that, I’m around the table, wrapping her in a hug tight enough to make a boa constrictor jealous. When Yelena came into my life, I found a sister and a friend. Now it’s my turn to be her rock.

After a while, she clears her throat. “It’s all in the past, though. Maybe I’ll be ready to take a chance in the future. But for now, I’m good where I am. And I don’t want to break your brother’s heart like I’ve done to others.”

I raise an eyebrow, and she adds quickly, “They had it coming.”

I can’t help but laugh. “Oh, I bet they did. Don’t worry, I’m not about to judge you for being yourself. That’s kind of the whole point of friendship, isn’t it?”

Yelena grins, then swiftly changes gears. “So, back to you. What’s the game plan with Daddy Dearest?”

I shrug, suddenly fascinated by the pattern on my napkin. “Honestly? No clue. Something’s broken there, but fixing it isn’t my job. Ball’s in his court now.”

She gives me a thumbs up. “That’s the spirit! Now, how about we order dessert? I think we’ve earned it after all this emotional heavy lifting.”

And just like that, we’re back to giggling over the menu like two teenagers on a sugar high. Family drama, romance woes—they can wait. Right now, there’s tiramisu calling our names.

THIRTY

DMITRI

The door to my office swings open, and I can’t help but chuckle mirthlessly at the sight of my unexpected visitor. Nikolai Petrov, in the flesh. How quaint.

“I never would’ve expected Nikolai Petrov to grace my humble abode,” I drawl, sarcasm dripping from every word. “What brings you to my office?”

He approaches my desk with the caution of a man who knows he’s walking into the lion’s den. “May I sit?”

“Sure.” I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “You came all this way. It would be rude for me not to offer you a seat.”

As he settles in, I fold my arms, giving him rope to hang himself with. I have a hunch this has something to do with Ana and their so-called reconciliation, but I trust Nikolai about as far as I can throw him. Once a traitor, always a traitor.

“I came to apologize,” he finally says.

A scoff escapes me before I can stop it. “For what? Stealing from my father? Threatening to usurp me from a position that was rightfully mine? How about for neglecting your daughter? Pick one.”

For a split second, I think I see a flicker of remorse cross his face. But I’ve been around snakes like him long enough to know better. It’s all part of the act.

He launches into some sob story about a conversation with my father before he died, about promises to look after the legacy and me. It takes every ounce of my self-control not to laugh in his face.

“My father,” I emphasize, my voice dripping with cynicism, “told you that he was worried about his legacy when he spent the entirety of my life, up until he died, training me?”

When he tries to deflect by bringing up Ana, I cut him off. “You know that’s not true. Ana told me you never wanted her to be a part of the Bratva, and she even had to fight you on allowing her to study law.”

He presses his lips together, clearly caught in his own lie. “That was before I knew she had what it took to follow in my footsteps.”

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