Page 117 of Vendetta Vows

The air smells of old books and furniture polish, with undertones of something else... perhaps cigars, smoked long ago.

Liliya points to one of two wooden chairs positioned directly in front of the desk. "Sit."

I lower myself onto the hard seat, keeping my back straight and my hands folded in my lap. The chair is uncomfortable, and I have a feeling that I'm about to be interrogated.

Liliya closes the door behind her with a soft click that somehow sounds like a prison cell locking.

"Aurora Castellanos," she says as she turns around to face me, rolling each syllable of my stolen name on her tongue as if she's tasting them for authenticity. "If that is even your real name."

My heart stops for a second, then pounds wildly against my ribs. Jamie Fields screams inside my head, but I force my face to remain neutral.

But Liliya's eyes see too much. There's a slight tilt of her head, a knowing glint in those eyes that miss nothing.

Something tells me that she doesn't just suspect.

Sheknows.

"I recognize this marriage for what it truly is, an act that will provoke war," she starts. "But what I want to know is whyyouhave agreed to it."

I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady. "Because I care for Ruslan."

"Devushka,please." Liliya laughs bitterly as she steps closer. "Women do not marry into the bratva because they care for a man. They do it for one of two reasons: power or protection."

My fingers lace together, and my breath turns shallow as a drop of cold sweat rolls down the side of my ribs.

Her eyes narrow ever so slightly. "Which is it for you?"

Something in her gaze tells me she'll see through any falsehood.

"Protection," I admit.

She nods, satisfied with my honesty. "And what is it you need protection from?"

"My past." I take a deep breath.

She looks at me, waiting for me to continue. But I know I cannot tell her more.

"But it's not just protection for me," I say instead.

Confusion and disappointment cross her face.

"It's also for Mikayla, Sofia, and Stella," I say.

Liliya's eyebrows rise slightly, genuine surprise disrupting her composure. "Is that so?"

"Yes," I reply, my voice stronger now. "I've seen how much he cares for them. How much he wants to protect them from everything that happened to him."

"What exactly do you believe you're protecting my granddaughters from?"

"War," I say plainly. "Like you said. But not because it will be provoked by our marriage, but because it was inevitable the moment Gregor Belov made Ruslan pakhan."

Surprise flickers across her face, though she quickly masks it.

"The danger was already there," I continue, finding my confidence. "Mikayla, Sofia, and Stella have claims that make them valuable pawns. Semyon wants to rule through Mikayla while Gregor threatens to use the younger girls for his own aims. Both men see these children as nothing but assets to be manipulated."

I straighten my spine, memories of Mikayla's tears fueling my resolve.

"If Semyon takes control through Mikayla, Gregor will marry Stella and Sofia off to secure alliances and then unseat Mikayla. The only way to prevent the girls from being used against each other is this marriage."

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