Page 123 of Beautiful Deception

“It will take a few weeks to plan the wedding,” Dante says. “Erik and I agreed that it should be a big affair to show the combining of our forces. The Bratva and the Mafia, truly working together.”

Finally working together. Somehow, I know it won’t be that easy.

“Let’s set the date,” Dante continues. “Then we can go from there.”

June 10this the date of mine and Aria’s wedding. It will give me enough time to get a divorce from Inessa. Even I can’t get past legal marriage proceedings.

Julia is waiting for me when I get home.

“Viktor, I think this is a mistake.” She follows me into my office and flutters around me after I sit down.

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, Julia.”

“I’m going to give it anyway. I’m your sister. I’ve always given it and you’ve always listened to me. I thought that was the kind of relationship we had.”

“Not right now it isn’t. I have work to get to.”

“You always have work to get to.” Ignoring my glare, she sits down in the chair across from my desk. “I’m not leaving until we talk about this. I come home yesterday, confused about where Inessa is, and you refuse to give me answers. And now I find out that you’re trying to marry some Mafia girl… for what? What reason? What happened, Viktor?”

“I’m not in the mood to talk.”

“I’m going to make you.” Julia has a quiet confidence about her. She’s never felt the need to raise her voice to make her point. “What happened? When I saw you on your wedding day, I’ve never seen you happier.”

“Don’t,” I growl.

“No.” She sits up straighter in her seat. “I know you love Inessa. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I know how happy you are with her. So why are you doing this?”

“She lied to me, Julia. About who she really was. She’s a Bratva daughter. Gleb Petrov is her father. He tried to kill me once. She never told me and yet, she knew about what her father had tried to do. She let me believe she was some innocent victim in need of work when she was really just deceiving me the entire time.”

Julia is quiet for a moment before she says, “Both things can be true at once.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Inessa. She could have known about her dad. What he tried to do to you and she could have also been in desperate need of money. Just because she kept a secret doesn’t make her a villain. To me, it sounds like she was scared and she needed money and you offered her a job.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I turn back to my computer. “Just go.”

“I got to know Inessa a little bit when I came back for your wedding. I could tell she was sincere. That she loved you, Viktor. I don’t think she was making any of that up.”

“How do you know? You’ve never been in love.”

“That’s because you’ve never let me date anyone.” She grabs my hand, forcing me to look at her. “You cant control everything in life. I know Inessa hurt you. That much is obvious to me. But you claimed you loved her. You made vows to her. You’re really going to throw all of that away just because you’re upset?”

“She lied to me. I can never forgive that.”

“And you tried to kill her father. I remember you telling me about Gleb Petrov. I remember he tried to kill you and you tried to kill him in return. I think the fact that you almost killed her dad makes you even.”

“I only went after Gleb because he went after me first. And I didn’t kill him after I found out Inessa lied to me. I could have and I didn’t. That makes me and Inessa even. Not love.”

She lets me go and looks me over with curious, too bright eyes. “Why didn’t you kill her father after you found out she lied? I’ve known you my entire life. I know how ruthless you can be. I know you’ve committed murder.”

“I kept those things from you.”

“Not well enough. Not in our world. So… why didn’t you kill her father?”

Inessa’s warm, beautiful face flashes behind my eyes.

“It doesn’t matter,” I mutter. “Now go.”

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