Page 94 of Mafia King's Bride

The drive is a blur of adrenaline and fury. I race down the highway, weaving through traffic, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. Every second feels like an eternity, but finally, I screech to a halt outside Nikolai’s building.

As I stride toward the entrance, I spot a cop, his gun visible in his waistband. He doesn’t approach.

Smart man.

“Cocky bastard,” I mutter. If Nikolai thinks being in a public place will save him, he’s sorely mistaken. My influence reaches far beyond his petty attempts at protection.

I burstinto the outer office, making his secretary jump. “H-hi,” she stutters.

“Leave,” I bark. She doesn’t need to be told twice.

Without hesitation, I kick open Nikolai’s door. He looks up, a false calm on his face. “Dmitri.” He nods, as if we were meeting for afternoon tea.

I refuse to return the courtesy. “You bastard,” I snarl, advancing on his desk. “You knew where she was all along. You sent me on a wild goose chase.”

Nikolai leans back, unfazed. “I merely reclaimed what was mine. If you disapprove of my methods, well...you would have done the same.”

His casual demeanor only fuels my rage. I slam my fist on his desk. “How long have you been playing this game? How long have you been treating Ana like a pawn instead of your daughter?”

A flicker of...something crosses his face, but it’s gone in an instant. “And who’s going to believe you, the tyrant? Even if Ana speaks on your behalf, who would listen?”

I’m about to retort when he delivers the killing blow. “You’re finished, Dmitri. I’ll happily sell you to your enemies, just like I did your father.”

The world stops. My ears ring as if a bomb has gone off. “What did you just say?”

Nikolai’s smirk widens. “You heard me. Your father’s death? That was my handiwork.”

Something inside me snaps. With a roar of liquid fury, I vault over the desk, grabbing Nikolai by his shirt and slamming him against the wall. “You son of a bitch! He trusted you!”

For the first time, fear flickers in Nikolai’s eyes. Good. He should be terrified.

“He would’ve done the same,” Nikolai gasps. “We’re all thieves!”

I shake him violently, years of pain and grief surging to the surface. “He was your best friend!”

My fist draws back, every fiber of my being screaming for vengeance. But a small voice in the back of my mind stops me. This isn’t what Ana would want. This isn’t who I am anymore.

With monumental effort, I release Nikolai, shoving him away. “I planned to kill you myself,” I growl. “But death would be too merciful for you.”

Nikolai straightens his shirt, his composure returning. “Then you’re a bigger fool than I thought, Dmitri.”

A soft click echoes through the room. I turn to see a hidden door sliding open, revealing a man with a gun trained on my head.

Nikolai’s laugh is cold and triumphant. “Did you really think I’d face you without insurance? It’s over, Dmitri. You’ve lost.”

But as I stare down the barrel of the gun, a calm settles over me. Nikolai thinks he’s won, but he’s forgotten one crucial detail.

I’m Dmitri Orlov.

I always have a plan B.

Nikolai steps forward, his lips spreading into a smug grin that makes my blood boil. “Why do you think I didn’t order you killed on sight, Orlov? This moment, right here, is what I’ve been waiting for.”

He circles me like a shark, his confidence palpable. “I’m going to end you myself. And thanks to your dramatic entrance, I can claim self-defense. Poetic, isn’t it?”

My hand instinctively moves to the gun tucked in my waistband. Nikolai notices, wagging his finger like he’s scolding a child.

“Ah, ah, ah. The second that gun comes out, my friend here will put a bullet through your skull. Let’s keep things civil, shall we?”

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