Page 68 of Hunter

The realization hits me before I even see the droplets. I open my eyes to find him crying—silent tears cascading down his face.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

I shake my head. The pain in my chest is unbearable. “Sorry isn’t going to fix this, Maxim.”

I try to pull away, but his grip tightens, his hold on my hair pulling me back to him. “Ya tebya lyublyu,” he says in a broken voice. “I love you. Please, don’t shut me out. Let me explain.”

Before I can process what he’s said, his lips crash onto mine. For a moment, I forget everything—the pain, the hurt, the betrayal. I let his kiss consume me, but only for a moment. Everything comes rushing back—the anger, the heartbreak.

“Stop!” I scream, slamming my palms against his chest, using every bit of strength I have left. “Stop!”

He releases me, but my heart feels like it’s cracking in two.

“We’re done, Maxim,” I say, my voice shaking. I gesture to him, then to myself. “You let me walk out of that fucking car. You can’t expect to get any part of me after that.”

The tears I’ve been holding back—waiting until I was alone—finally fall. I don’t try to stop them. They burn down my cheeks as I stare at him, my heart shattering with every second that ticks by.

“I’m sorry, Sophia. I didn’t think this through.”

I close my eyes, my body heavy, my spirit exhausted. “No. You didn’t, Maxim. You couldn’t get past the need to keep me safe.”

I scoff bitterly, shaking my head. “You would rather destroy us than be honest with me. You’d rather end everything between us than let me fight by your side. Do you know what the worst part is?”

His silence is deafening.

“I thought your obsession with my safety had ended,” I whisper, the pain lacing my words. “We had the conversation. I told you I could protect myself. So why the hell did you start training me? Why did you fill my head with endless ‘what if’ scenarios? If you were still going to try to be the hero of my story, every damn chance you got.” I pause, breath catching inmy throat. “For fuck’s sake, you saw me defend myself against Danny the other day.”

Maxim runs a hand through his hair, taking a deep, pained breath, his eyes closing, as though the weight of his guilt is too much to bear.

“If there’s nothing else left to say, please leave.” My voice is cold, but my chest is tight, suffocating from the tension between us. I turn to head back inside, but before I can move, he grabs my wrist, his grip firm.

“Maxim, please, let me go.” My voice trembles as I speak, and it takes everything in me to keep my composure.

“I’m sorry about the way I handled the situation, but I’m not sorry for why I did it. Your safety is my number one fucking priority. It is my only priority.” He sounds desperate, but I won’t let it sway me. “I’m sorry if that makes you angry, but for my own peace?—”

“Don’t you fucking dare finish that sentence.” My heart races, my voice breaking with the weight of every word. “Don’t you dare use my own trauma to justify your obsession with my safety again, Maxim Volkov.” I spit the words out like venom, hoping he hears the rage and contempt in my voice.

The sound of slow clapping interrupts us, and both Maxim and I turn sharply toward the noise. A familiar voice rings out, dripping with sarcasm. “You guys truly know how to put on a show.”

I swipe at my eyes with the back of my hand, trying to regain my composure while simultaneously pulling my arm free from Maxim’s grip before Luca and Andrei get any closer.

They arrived faster than I expected. After I left Maxim in the hospital room, I called Luca first to ask if he knew what was wrong with him. Maxim had looked haunted—his eyes lingered in my mind, filled with something I couldn’t shake. I knew the accident had rattled him, but there was something darkerbeneath the surface. Luca mentioned Andrei told him Maxim had lost it earlier and destroyed his office, and we both realized this was about more than just my accident. Something was driving Maxim to the edge.

Luca suggested searching through Maxim’s papers and computer files for any clues involving Andrei. It wasn’t my place to tell Luca Maxim was worried his brother might have been involved in my kidnapping. I wasn’t sure if Maxim had told Luca himself, so I stayed quiet and agreed when he said he’d call Andrei. We all decided to meet up at my house and try to piece together whatever the hell was going on with Maxim.

I’d thought they would take longer to get here—Luca had said he was two hours away, but maybe it has already been longer. Time hasn’t been my priority.

“Was there a need to slow clap like you’re in some shitty ‘90s movie?” Andrei asks Luca. His expression pinched in irritation.

Luca winks. “I need to make an entrance.”

Andrei sighs heavily and shakes his head. “Of course you do.”

Maxim shifts slightly, shooting daggers at them with his glare before letting go of my arm. “What the fuck are you morons doing here?”

“I told them both to come,” I answer Maxim, preparing for another fight, but to my surprise, it doesn’t come.

“You invited them?” His voice cracks with disbelief, the words laced with a raw edge of anger. His eyes widen, and I can see the hurt flashing in them—like a knife twisting in his gut.

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