He got on his feet and leaned over the desk. “You will divorce her, or I will kill her!” he roared.

My gun was in my hand without a moment’s hesitation. I pressed it to my father’s head. “Try it, and I’ll seize your empire right now, old man,” I retorted, my voice cold and unwavering.

A tense silence enveloped the office as we locked gazes, neither of us willing to yield. Then, to my astonishment, he broke into laughter, a sinister and unexpected response.

“You think I’m joking?” I seethed.

He cleared his throat and settled back into his chair. “If this woman is the reason you are less of asukin syn,then I’m grateful to her.” He exhaled heavily. “But I’d better see a baby in less than a year, or thatsukais dead. Wife or not.”

The weight of his ultimatum pressed down on me like a vice. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, before I had the chance to fully embrace the complex emotions that were stirring within me.

Did I dare admit it to myself?

Love?

No. It was too soon, too improbable. I barely knew the woman.

Yet, something about her ignited a fire within me that I couldn’t extinguish.

“Fine,” I finally agreed, resigned to the dangerous path we were embarking on.

I didn’t want to deal with my father any longer. He must’ve felt the same way, because his face twisted like he was in pain. “You’re dismissed.”

My father’s words repeated in my head as I returned to the dining room. Tiffany was alone. I reached for the bottle of vodka my father had been drinking out of all night.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Tiffany whispered.

It was so faint I didn’t think I heard her at first.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “Aren’t you driving back? I don’t want you too drunk to drive.”

I laughed. “I’m Russian,milyy. You think a few shots of vodka would mess with my driving skills?”

The way her eyes flicked between both me and the bottle was enough to make me put it back. Gut instinct and all.

I wrapped my arm around her. “Let’s get out of here, wife.”

She smiled up at me. “Certainly, husband.”

We headed out the front door and into the car. Once off the estate, Tiffany asked the question I knew was coming.

“What did your father say?”

“We need to do everything in our power to get you pregnant.”

Shocked, she asked, “Why?”

“If we don’t, he’s going to kill you.”

“What if he dies first?”

“My father is as healthy as an ox.”

“You never know nowadays. People get sick out of the blue.” Tiffany placed her hand on top of mine on the gear shift. “He’s older.”

Her warmth was everything.