Page 36 of Shatter Me

"He's been distracted during family meetings. Nikolai says he's checking his phone constantly, which he never does. And yesterday?" She leans forward. "He actually showed up late to a business dinner. Dmitri's never late for anything."

The wine glass nearly slips from my fingers, red liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim. I set it down stiffly, hoping Sofia doesn't notice.

"Maybe he's just busy with work?" My voice comes out higher than intended. "The Petrov acquisition must be taking up much of his time."

Sofia's green-gold eyes narrow. "That's what I thought initially, but Nikolai says he's been like this since the charity gala. You know, the one where you two danced?"

I grab my wine glass again, draining it in one long gulp. The alcohol burns down my throat, but I welcome the sensation. Anything to distract from the memory of Dmitri's hands on my waist, his breath hot against my ear.

"I may have kissed your brother-in-law," I blurt out, the wine loosening my tongue more than intended.

Sofia's eyebrows shoot up, a knowing smirk twisting her lips. "Just kissed?"

I avoid her piercing gaze as I pour more wine into my glass. The memories of Dmitri's hands, his mouth, and how he'd pressed me against his office desk flash through my mind. Heat creeps up my neck.

"He's being a complete ass about it," I deflect, setting down my glass. "You should have seen him at the board meeting last week. Acted like I didn't even exist while he systematically shot down all my research I'd spent months on."

Sofia refills her own glass, settling deeper into the couch. "And what about yesterday? Nikolai mentioned something about a scene with Gregory Matthews?"

My stomach flips at the memory. "Your darling brother-in-law went full caveman when Matthews cornered me in the corridor during the donor event. Practically manhandled him."

"Matthews cornered you?" Sofia's voice carries a note of concern.

"It wasn't..." I trail off, taking another sip to hide my expression. I can't exactly admit I'd orchestrated the whole thing, timing my conversation with Matthews perfectly so Dmitri would see us from the main hall. The way his jaw had clenched, his eyes going dark with barely controlled rage—it had been exactly the reaction I'd hoped for.

"Tash?" Sofia prompts.

"It wasn't anything serious," I say quickly. "Matthews just wanted to discuss his collection. Dmitri completely overreacted."

Sofia's expression turns serious. "Tash... you need to understand something about Dmitri. He doesn't do ‘casual’ anything."

I try to laugh it off, but the sound catches in my throat. "What, he can't have a simple fling?"

"There's nothing simple about an Ivanov." She shifts closer, lowering her voice despite us being alone. "Especially Dmitri. You've seen how he is at the museum board—every detail planned, every outcome calculated. That's not just his business style. It's who he is."

"Control freak?" I attempt to joke, but Sofia's grim expression stops me.

"You have no idea. When their father was killed, Dmitri was only sixteen. He basically raised Alexi while helping Nikolai build their empire. He had to control everything to survive." She glances toward the window. "There are things about their past... let's just say Dmitri learned early that control means survival."

The wine turns sour in my stomach. "Sofia..."

"I'm telling you this as your friend. Getting involved with an Ivanov isn't like dating normal men. Once they decide something is theirs..." She reaches for my hand, squeezing it. "There's no ‘casual’ or backing out—no changing their minds. Nikolai was the same with me—the moment he decided, that was it. But Dmitri?" She shakes her head. "He's different. More intense. More..." She searches for the word. "Absolute."

The memory of Dmitri's possessive grip, the dark promise in his eyes when he caught me with Matthews. "You're starting to scare me."

"Good." Sofia's voice is deadly serious. "You should be scared. Because if Dmitri's showing this much interest? If he's breaking his own rules of control? You're already his in his mind. The only question is whether you're ready for what that means."

I stare into my wine glass, watching the dark liquid swirl. "I can't stop thinking about him. Every time I close my eyes, he's there. When I'm at work, I keep expecting him to appear around every corner. It's driving me insane."

Sofia's expression softens as she watches me fidget with my glass. "Oh, Tash..."

"And the worst part? Even when he's an absolute bastard, there's this... pull. Like gravity." I press my palm against my chest, trying to ease the ache. "I've never felt anything like it."

"Nikolai says he's never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you," Sofia says quietly. "You should see him when you enter a room. It's like... everything else disappears for him."

"That's what scares me. He has these walls, this perfect control, and sometimes, when he's with me..." I shake my head. "It cracks. And what's behind those cracks..."

"Terrifies you?"

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