Page 29 of Dark Obsession

Here we go.

“We’re worried about Grigori,” Lev starts, cutting straight to the point. “He’s nowhere to be found since the incident at the club.”

I can feel their eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. I take a slow bite of bread, pretending to be unfazed. “You said that last night.”

Luk leans forward. “Something’s going on with him, Elena. We don’t know what it is, but he’s not acting like himself.”

Before I can say anything, Alexei jumps in. “Look, there’s probably more to this than we know. Grigori’s a valued member of the family, and you know he’s never been reckless.”

“Are you suspecting something about him?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady as my pulse quickens. I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Grigori’s been nothing but loyal. He’d never betray us," I say firmly, my tone carrying more weight than I expected. I hate that I have to defend him, but I hate it that they’re even questioning him.

Yuri enters the room, his expression sharp, like he already knows what we’re talking about. He doesn’t say anything at first, just watches us, sensing the tension. After a minute, he quickly piles a plate full of food.

"It’s not like that," Alexei cuts in, raising his hands. "We’re not saying we don’t trust him. But you’ve got to admit, he’s been acting strange. He was involved in that shooting, and now he’s gone off grid, pulling some lone-wolf shit."

Luk nods in agreement, his brow furrowed. “He’s always been careful. But this time he’s avoiding us altogether, going rogue.”

"We’re worried about him," Yuri finally says, taking a seat. His voice is softer than usual, like the weight of it is getting to him, too. "We care about him. We just need to know what’s going on. Something isn’t right."

I glance between them, my heart thudding in my chest. They have no idea what’s happening with him, and I sure as hell can’t tell them. But the truth is, they’re not wrong to worry.

"Maybe he’s just handling things his own way," I say, trying to keep my tone casual. "You know how he is."

But deep down, I’m starting to wonder if I should be worried, too.

Luk leans forward, his eyes sharp. “Tell us everything you know about the shooting at the club.”

I sigh, annoyed by the interrogation but knowing I can’t stonewall them forever.

“Fine,” I mutter, sitting up straighter. “But it’s nothing you all don’t already know. It was chaos. We were at the club. Shots rang out, my guards were dropping like flies, and people were panicking. I told my friends to run, and I tried to make my way out.”

Luk listens, arms crossed, his gaze never leaving mine. “Where was Grigori during all of this?”

“He said he wanted to draw them away from me,” I explain, repeating Grigori’s words from that night, trying to stay as neutral as possible.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Yuri cuts in, frowning. “Why wouldn’t he stay close to protect you? That’s literally his job.”

I shrug, feeling cornered. “That’s all I know,” I say, which isn’t a lie. I don’t know the full story either, but I’m starting to question things, too. Why did he disappear before the attack?

Luk exhales, his frustration clear. “We’re not trying to grill you, Elena. We just want to protect the family.”

I don’t say anything, feeling the weight of their concern. Yuri slides a small box across the table toward me.

“Here. Thought you’d need this. Happy birthday.”

I open the box. Inside is the latest iPhone 16 in pink—the exact color I’d been eyeing for weeks. All my contacts are already loaded.

“Cute,” I say, holding it up with a smirk.

Yuri leans back in his chair, watching me closely. “We just want to make sure you’re connected. With you losing your phone the other night and after everything that went down, we need to know you’re safe. That means we need to be able to reach you at all times.”

I roll my eyes. “You mean keep tabs on me.”

“Call it what you want,” he shrugs, not denying it. “But the truth is, after what happened at the club, things are heating up. If Grigori’s involved in something bigger, we need to be ready. That means,youneed to be ready.”

Luk nods in agreement. “It’s not about control, Elena. We’re just making sure you’re safe. We don’t want you getting caught in the crossfire.”

I glance down at the phone, still a bit annoyed, but I can’t help feeling a little touched. As much as they smother me sometimes, I know they’re just looking out for me in their own overbearing way.

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