Page 43 of The Debt

“But then I realized,”—Jarek’s modified voice remained eerily calm, though violence tremored beneath each word—“a man like you who maims and kills on almost a daily basis wouldn’t recall the devastation he had caused one night twenty years ago on the streets of Atlanta.”

The room grew impossibly still. Even the morning birds seemed to have fallen silent. Elizabeth sat frozen with an unreadable glimmer in her eyes. Gregor’s expression shifted from rage to confusion with his brow furrowing as he visibly searched his memory.

“Twenty years ago…” Gregor’s voice lowered as his eyes turned distant. “That was the year the Mexicans tried to infiltrate my territory.”

“Ah, so you do remember.” Jarek turned to Tatiana. His heart unconsciously clenched at her pallor. She sat fixed like a statue with eyes wide.

Comprehension dawned. The sheltered woman was finally glimpsing the monster behind her grandfather’s mask.

“Ask him what happened that night, Tatiana.”

She flinched at the sound of her name from this stranger’s lips. Her gaze darted between Polov and him. The perfect wedding day glow had vanished and was replaced by the harsh reality of who her grandfather truly was.

“Just who is this man,Dedushka?” She looked at Jarek but saw an older man who didn’t bother to hide the darkness that had taken over his soul. “What is he talking about? What happened twenty years ago?”

“Darling, it’s got nothing to do with you,” Elizabeth said as she took Tatiana’s hand.

“He says differently,” Tatiana shot back in a clipped voice.

Jarek was startled as he looked at Elizabeth, and for the first time, he noticed the same hard and cold look as her husband’s mirrored on her face. He had focused his hatred on Gregor, but now it seemed like his dear wife wasn’t all that innocent. Her reaction was a clear indication that she knew exactly what kind of man he was. More than that, she knew what had happened that night.

“Well,” he drawled. “Now, isn’t this interesting?”

Both Gregor and Elizabeth started at his dark retort.

“I’m waiting,Dedushka.” Tatiana’s voice shattered the tension growing in the room.

The morning sun now seemed to mock the darkness that descended over the room. Jarek’s hatred, carefully nurtured for two decades, pulsed through his veins like poison.

“We’ve wasted enough time.” His voice was heavy with the remnants of twenty years of grief and rage. “You took my wife and child from me, Polov.”

“Bullshit.” Polov’s face contorted. “I have never dealt in human trafficking.”

“You’re right.” Jarek’s modified laugh was hollow, devoid of humanity. “You didn’t sell them. You did one better. You murdered them in cold blood during your precious territorial drug war. Your bullet tore through my family like they were nothing but obstacles in your path.”

The memory ripped through him as he relived the sound of gunfire, Lisbet’s scream, and Emma’s tiny body going limp in his arms.

“The street had run red that night, but you hadn’t even broken stride.”

“Grandfather?” Tatiana's voice cracked. “What is he talking about? You promised at Uncle Nicolai’s funeral... you said you never… that you only dealt in white crime!” Her world was crumbling, each revelation another crack in her foundation.

“Come now, Tatiana.” Jarek’s contempt sliced through the air. “Such willful blindness must be exhausting. Your grandfather’s hands drip with blood. The feared Pakhan, whose very name makes men tremble. Did you really believe his empire was built on kindness?”

“He’s lying,” Elizabeth snarled, but fear had crept into her eyes. “He’s trying to justify—”

“I was there!” The mask couldn’t contain Jarek’s fury now. “I watched your husband gun them down without hesitation. It was his bullets, aimed at a cartel member ahead of us in the street, that first wounded me and then killed my wife and daughter. My wife, my child, and their blood sprayed across the pavement while he stepped over their bodies like they were discarded trash. No pause, no remorse. Just another day in the great Polov’s war.”

Elizabeth rose, her face flushed with anger. “Who are you to judge? You’re The Dark One! Your reputation—”

“My reputation?” Jarek’s laugh was razor-sharp. “I built it purely for this moment. Twenty years of preparing, waiting, and becoming the monster necessary to bring down a giant murderer… except I am so different from either of you.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Now, I’m here to collect.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Polov’s composure shattered. “I’ve lost everything. You’ve already ruined my reputation and destroyed alliances. I’ve lost millions of dollars in the process. The Polovskaya Bratva is on the verge of collapsing.”

“Almost everything.” Jarek’s gaze shifted to Tatiana, watching realization dawn in her eyes. “The empire was just the beginning. You owe me more, Polov. Much more.” With deliberate slowness, he removed the wig and mask.

The gasps were symphonic. Tatiana’s hand flew to her mouth. Her diamond wedding ring caught the light in a mockery of yesterday’s joy. Her face drained of color as her world imploded.

“Yes, Polov.” Jarek’s real voice carried all the venom he had suppressed during their courtship. “You personally handed me your precious granddaughter. A wife for a wife.” His lips curved in a cruel smile. “And soon, she’ll give me a child to replace the one you stole. Your own flesh and blood, carrying the name of the man who destroyed you.”

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