Page 36 of The Payment

“I’m confused,” Declan cut in.“Why are you concerned about Tatiana Polov?You only married her to get to the motherfucker.What does it matter whether she’s concerned about their welfare?”

Jarek paused, considering how much to reveal.These past weeks with Tatiana had changed everything.Since their scene at the club, she shared his bed, challenged his mind, and surprisingly, brought peace to his chaos.She was nothing like Polov.Her soul held a light that drew him in despite himself.What had started as a minimum five-year payment arrangement was becoming something else entirely.

“Since I decided to stay married to her,” he said finally.“I meant it when I said I wanted a child.Not to replace Emma but to have an heir to hand over my legacy one day.No child of mine is going to grow up without both parents in their life.Tatiana might be a Polov, but she is so far removed from that bastard’s psychotic endeavors that it makes her unique.Besides, she’s beautiful, highly intelligent, and a challenge I find I can’t resist.”

“You’re going to burn your entire fucking hand, my friend, never mind your fingers,” Nevil grunted.“Mark my words.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.”Jarek ignored the looks his two friends shared.Let them believe what they want.Tatiana Polov was his wife, and that wasn’t going to change...ever.

“Now, let’s get the ball rolling, shall we?”He turned toward the central command station.Polov had made a grave mistake in prodding the Dark One.

Jarek stood at the command center with his hands braced against the steel desk.The weight of what he was about to do bore down on his shoulders.Twenty years ago, when he had held his dying daughter in his arms, the compassion in him had shattered.That break had led him down a path darker than he had ever imagined for himself.As a mafia Don, he had ordered deaths, orchestrated violence, and manipulated power but always against those who chose to play in the shadows.Those who understood the rules of their world.

Using Tatiana—again—felt different.Wrong, even.She was innocent in all this, yet here he stood, ready to weaponize her pain against her own grandfather.The realization of how far he had fallen from the man he used to be hit him like a physical blow.Where once he had been a father who read bedtime stories and a husband who brought home flowers, he was now a bastard who married a woman to destroy her family.

His knuckles whitened against the desk.There was no turning back now.Gregor’s declaration of war forced his hand.The Russian’s retaliation meant Jarek had to accelerate his plans and tighten the noose before Gregor could strike again.Using Tatiana’s inevitable and permanent break from him would be the final nail in Gregor’s coffin.The last piece needed to bring down his entire empire.

But as Jarek thought of Tatiana, of her quiet strength, her sharp mind, and the way she had begun to thaw the ice around his heart, he felt something he hadn’t experienced in years—shame.Not regret, no, he was too far gone for that, but a hollow acknowledgment of what he had become.Still, he would see this through.He would finish what he had started, only faster and with more finality than originally planned.

And somehow, he would do it without losing the woman who had unexpectedly become his anchor in a world of chaos.The woman who, despite everything, made him want to be better than the monster he had become.

Chapter Fourteen

Tatiana

Three weeks later,TAP United Logistics, Boston...

Tatiana lifted the delicate porcelain cup to her lips and savored the rich aroma of the Brazilian coffee.The familiar taste brought a momentary calm as she studied the monthly reports spread across her desk.

“We need to schedule a visit to Atlanta, Levin,” she said as she trailed a finger down a column of numbers that made her stomach clench.

“Why?Everything is running smoothly, and their turnover has gone up ten percent since we left.”Levin lounged in the chair across from her desk.His casual pose belied his sharp attention.

“True, but these expenditures don’t add up.”She pushed several documents toward him.“Look at these fuel costs.They’re thirty percent higher than our projections, yet the mileage logs show standard routes.The maintenance expenses have doubled without any major equipment upgrades or repairs listed.And these administrative costs...”She tapped another page.“They’re scattered across multiple accounts in small amounts, but when totaled, they’re astronomical.”

“Are you worried about clever accounting practices?Perhaps involving your grandfather?”Levin’s gaze sharpened as Tatiana’s lips thinned.“So, youareconcerned he’s managed to manipulate Andre to run routes for him.”

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