Page 105 of Beautiful Cruelty

She's right. I promised her honesty, and I've been everything but completely honest.

The engagement to Sayanaa might have been arranged before I drew my first breath, but that's no excuse.

I should have told her everything from the start.

All I've done is drag her into this dangerous game without giving her all the pieces. Made her an unwitting player. Kept her in the dark under the excuse that it was the only way to keep her safe.

“Yes.” I step closer, and feel my heart squeeze at the way Lacey’s jaw drops to my response. “But also no. It’s complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it.”

“I didn’t want to tell you about Sayanaa, not because I believed you would back out at the thought that you were the other woman.” I take a deep breath. “But because I wanted to keep yousafe from knowing just what kind of person Sayanaa was. What kind of threat that she could pose to you.”

“And this whole time, you didn’t think that maybe I might want to know that?”

“I was trying to keep you safe.”

“If you wanted to keep me safe, you would’ve told me everything that I was up against.” She steps closer. “Everything thatwewould be up against.”

“You’re right. And I’m sorry for keeping that from you.”

“So.” Lacey’s eyes level at mine. “Will you tell me now?”

I draw in a deep breath, steadying myself, and nod. The weight of everything I'm about to reveal sits heavy in my chest.

"Pyotr and Kirsan were partners years ago." I start slowly.

"I know," she says. "Irina told me. Among other things."

My jaw tightens at the words.

Of course Irina told her. She must have told Lacey everything—from how her father was forced into Pyotr and Kirsan's service, to how she'd been sold anyways, and to how I saved her later, after it was too late.

The thought of Lacey knowing these dark chapters of my past fills me with an odd mixture of relief and shame.

Relief that she understands more of who I am, shame that I wasn't the one to tell her myself.

"Then you'll know that the two of them quickly recognized that the future of their operations was too precious to be splitbetween two separate bratvas." I meet her gaze. "They needed to combine their empire in a way that would ensure a lasting alliance. But neither man wanted to give up their position as pakhan. So they came up with a compromise."

"Marriage." Lacey's voice is barely above a whisper. "They wanted to bind their families together through marriage."

“Exactly.” I nod. “But there were complications.”

"What kind of complications?"

“Olga had trouble conceiving. After years of trying, she finally gave birth to a boy. Slava."

"Slava?" Lacey's brow furrows. "But I've never seen him around Pankration. Or anywhere else for that matter."

The familiar rage burns in my chest as I force out the next words.

“Because Slava has been in a coma for decades.” My fists clench at my sides. “Pyotr caught Slava kissing another boy at the age of ten and beat Slava so severely that he’ll never leave that hospital bed.”

"His own son?" Lacey's hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.

"Pyotr cared more about having the perfect heir than being a father." I force myself to relax my fists. "With Slava no longer able to be his heir, Pyotr became obsessed with having another son. Especially after Sayanaa was born. He started taking mistresses. But none of them gave him children either. The fool should've realized the problem was never the women, buthim.That didn't stop him. He kept trying, believing that he needed someone younger with every woman he went through. Until…"

"Your mother." Lacey's voice turns softer.

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