Page 70 of Dangerous Beginnings

“You’ve finally gotten yourself a woman, no?”

I nod, before taking a sip of the liquid in my glass. I need something stronger.

“Rumors said you’ve never had a woman before, I thought you didn’t expel yourself in this kind ofbusiness.”

My free hand finds the armchair. “A first for everything.” Keep it as short as possible. As my alliance comments on Isabella’s presence, I play along with his insinuations, masking my true feelings behind a facade of indifference.

“She seems quite spirited,” he remarks, his eyes lingering on Isabella’s trembling form. I offer a nonchalant chuckle, though my heart aches at the sight of her distress.

“That she is,” I reply, my tone carefully neutral.

My alliance smirks, leaning back in his chair with a knowing look. “I must say, I didn’t expect you to bring a woman into our midst,” he comments, his words laced with curiosity.

I shrug noncommittally, concealing the turmoil roiling within me. “She... fell into my path,” I responded vaguely, unwilling to divulge the true nature of our connection. Isabella’s sobs grow louder, her distress palpable even from across the room. I long to comfort her, to assure her that everything will be alright, but I dare not show any sign of weakness. Instead, I maintain the facade, engaging in idle conversation as if Isabella’s suffering means nothing to me. It’s a charade, a necessary deception toprotect her from the dangers of my world.

Suddenly his hand reaches out to the top of her head, and my reflexes have never been this fast, but in less than a second my hand catches his arm. A firm grip,

“Do not touch her.” It’s a warning, a threat.

“You don’t share your plaything, Mr. Karamazov?”

My grip tightens on his arm before letting him go. I’m going to fucking kill him.

“No.”

“What if I offered you 100,000 rubles for the girl?” My jaw tightens and I can feel her tense against my leg.

“I’d have to decline that offer I’m afraid.” The whole table now has an interest in our conversation.

He hums, “And what if I give you power over the last part of Russia you do not possess yet?” He twirls his glass in his hand, “The North.” My knuckles turn white. He’s only offering me to bluff, he wants to see my intentions with her. I click my teeth shut before thinking of an answer. It’s something he would never offer me. Not just like that, he’s provoking me. A gamble, a risk. If I am to say no, he’ll know I have more intentions with her than to just use her as a ‘plaything’. If I say yes, he’ll perhaps take the offer, and it could be that he’s not bluffing. People trafficking, and people trading, it’s a common aspect of organized crime.

My chest pains as the next word leaves my lips, hoping he’s bluffing.

“Deal,” my answer comes out authoritative, hard. Isabella stiffens. And right when I think I have made a grave mistake he croaks out a loud laugh.

He smirks so fucking evil before clapping his hands, “I almost thought you had a heart for thiswhore.” My blood turns to ice. Did he just callmy womana whore? Suddenly, in the heat of the moment, Isabella starts yelling atme.

Isabella’s voice pierces through the tense atmosphere, herwords a mix of anger, frustration, and desperation. “You heartless fuck! How dare you?! You think you can just sell me off like some piece of property?’“ Her voice is lashed with venom, this situation is getting out of hand. My anger boils with hers. I must set the tone one more time.

“Have you forgotten who you are speaking to?’“ My eyes darken, and the green perishes.

With a coy smile playing on her lips, she meets my gaze with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

“You know, Aslanov,” she begins, her voice dripping with faux admiration, “I’ve alwaysadmiredyour talent for intimidation. It must beexhausting, carrying the weight of youregoaround with you everywhere you go.”

My eye twitches. A ripple of tension spreads through the room as her words land. For a moment, the mask of superiority falters on my face, a flicker of irritation betraying me. The room is thick with tension, a suffocating blanket that seems to draw the very air from our lungs. Isabella’s words slice through the silence like a blade, each syllable a deliberate strike meant to provoke. Her coy smile only fuels my ire, and the mocking twinkle in her eyes is a challenge I can’t ignore.

She laughs bitterly, her lips curling in a defiant smirk. “You’re pathetic, Aslanov. All that power, all that control…and still, you’re nothing without fear.”

My jaw clenches. Her words strike deeper than they should. She’s pushing me. Hard.

For a moment, I just stare at her, my pulse pounding in my ears, and the anger that had been simmering now roars to life like wildfire. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and I can feel the darkness in me rising, a familiar companion that demands control.

Isabella rises from her position, standing, everyone in the room observing her. I rise from my chair too, closing thedistance between us until I’m towering over her. In two steps, I’m in front of her, my hand wrapping around her jaw, forcing her to meet my eyes. My grip is harsh, unyielding. “Say it again,” I growl, my voice low, dangerous. “Go on. I dare you.”

The defiance in her eyes flares up again, but there’s something else there now, something more—fear, perhaps, or maybe just the realization that she’s pushed me too far. Either way, it’s enough to make her take a small, almost imperceptible step back, but I immediately pull her back to me.

“Careful, Isabella,” I hiss, my voice low, vibrating with barely contained rage. I pull her even closer, our faces inches apart, my fingers digging into her skin. “You’ve got a death wish,” I whisper darkly, my voice dripping with menace.

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