Page 127 of Beautiful Agony

She's right. The reality of our situation settles over me like a lead weight.

We're trapped.

"Rutledge is asking for the impossible," Lacey whispers, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Caroline will never rescind her statement. Never."

I pull her into my arms, feeling her shoulders shake as she cries. The wound in my side throbs, a reminder of how close I came to losing everything in Los Angeles. Now it seems I might lose it all anyway, not to Kirsan's knife but to a spurned woman's vendetta.

"I just got you back," Lacey breathes against my chest. "And now they're going to take you away from me again. It's not fair!"

I pull back from Lacey, my mind already racing with possibilities. "What if we could make Caroline see Nathan for who he really was?"

"She won't listen to me." Lacey shakes her head, wiping tears from her face. "She thinks I'm lying about everything."

“It won’t matter what she thinks, because we have proof." I cup her face gently. "Zvyozdochka, everything we need is at Pankration."

“The bible…” Her eyes widen with realization. "Your list.”

"Caroline was Nathan's secretary." I brush my thumb across her cheek. "She would have handled all his paperwork, arranged his meetings..."

"She would have processed the deals..." Lacey's voice grows stronger as understanding dawns. "The trafficking contracts would have gone right across her desk."

"Exactly." I nod, encouraged by the spark returning to her eyes. "If we can show her the evidence that Nathan made her an unwitting accomplice in human trafficking..."

"She'll realize what kind of monster he really was." Lacey grabs my hand, squeezing it tightly. "And once she understands that she was helping him sell women and girls."

"Her loyalty to him might finally break." I complete her thought, hope blooming in my chest.

"We have to try." Determination replaces the fear in Lacey's voice. "If we can make her see the truth about Nathan, maybe she'll withdraw her statement."

I press my forehead to hers, breathing in her familiar scent. "It's worth a shot,zvyozdochka."

"What if she still doesn't believe me?" Lacey's voice trembles. "What if we show her everything and she still chooses to stand by Nathan?"

I trace my thumb across her lower lip, remembering how fiercely she defended Mrs. Klossner's dry cleaners that first day we met. The fire in her eyes then matches the determination I see now, even if she doesn't recognize it herself.

"Zvyozdochka, you'll know what to do when the moment comes." I cup her face, forcing her to meet my gaze. "You're not that scared catering girl anymore dreaming about becoming a fashion designer. You're my wife. The mother of my child."

Her hand drifts to her belly instinctively. "But?—"

"No." I silence her doubt with a gentle kiss. "You're Lacey Stravinsky now. And a Stravinsky either finds a way or makes one."

The ghost of a smile plays at her lips. "Is that what you tell yourself when things look impossible?"

"I didn't need to tell myself anything once I had you by my side." I brush away a stray tear from her cheek. "You've already proven yourself more than capable of doing the impossible. The bible heist? Surviving Kirsan? Those weren't luck,zvyozdochka. That was all you."

Her eyes soften as she leans into my touch. "I just... I can't lose you. Not now. Not when we're so close to having everything."

“Then don’t let Caroline take this from us." I rest my forehead against hers. "Show her who you really are – the woman who brought a bratva pakhan to his knees."

"On your knees?" Lacey's eyes sparkle with renewed determination. "I'll hold you to that."

Then, she leans over and presses her lips to mine. The kiss is soft but carries a fierce promise.

I watch her leave, memorizing the graceful way she moves, the subtle sway of her hips, the protective way her hand rests on her belly. The door clicks shut behind her.

Heavy footsteps announce Rutledge's return. He settles back into his chair, studying me with those sharp eyes. "Anything else you'd like to say, Mr. Stravinsky?"

"We're done talking." I meet his gaze steadily. "You can take me to bookings now."

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