Page 76 of Ruthless Daddies

“No,” Ivan says, standing. “But don’t be late. We don’t have time to waste.”

Dmitri smirks. “When am I ever late?”

Ivan gives him a look that says he’s not in the mood for jokes, and Dmitri raises his hands in mock surrender.

I push back my chair, already planning the fastest route to the island in my head.

I run into Alice as I’m heading down the stairs.

She’s dressed in a soft, pale sweater and jeans, her hair tied back loosely. The sight of her makes my chest tighten, even before I catch the look on her face.

She’s nervous. No, more than that. There’s a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, like she’s not sure if she should say whatever it is she’s about to say.

“Hey,” I greet, pulling her aside and slipping my phone into my pocket. “What’s wrong?”

“You might think it’s silly,” she says, ducking her head.

“Nothing about you is silly. Tell me.” I glance at the paper in her hand. “What’s that?”

She glances down at the paper, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I…I thought it might be nice to plan something for all of us,” she says quietly.

It’s sweet, but it’s also the last thing we have time for right now.

“It’s a nice idea, really. But we’ve got some…complications to deal with today.”

Her brows knit together, confusion flickering across her face. “Complications?”

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Business. Staten Island. It’s not exactly the right time for a fancy dinner.”

“I thought it might be good for everyone,” she says quietly. “A way to…unwind.”

“It’s a nice idea, really, but things are a little…complicated right now.”

Her face falls, just slightly, but enough to make me feel like a complete asshole.

“Complicated,” she repeats, her voice quieter. “I just thought?—”

“I know,” I cut in, sighing. “But with Vadim, the estate, the business…there’s a lot going on. We can’t just drop everything for a picnic.”

I hate the words even as I say them, but they’re true.

She looks down, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve. “Right,” she says softly. “Of course. But what if you get off early?”

I laugh. “This isn’t an office job, Alice. You know that, right? Listen, I don’t know what happened, but I don’t like this new you…you’re being too needy.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth, I want to punch myself in the face.

Alice’s head snaps up, her eyes widening in shock, then narrowing into something colder. “Needy?”

“Wait,” I say, holding up a hand. “That’s not what I meant.”

She steps back, her expression hardening. “Forget it,” she says, clutching the paper to her chest. “Go handle your ‘complications.’ I won’t bother you again.”

“Alice—”

But she’s already turning away, walking briskly toward the stairs.

I stand there, cursing under my breath as guilt settles heavily on my shoulders.

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