Page 68 of The Russian Retribution

I’m here because I know exactly where it lies.

And despite my certainty with that choice, it still feels like a total and complete betrayal.

I chose Anastasia the second I walked out of that estate without talking to Viktor.

And he’s going to hate me for it.

28

ANASTASIA

“You fired Erik?” Viktor’s bellow is so loud that the glass in my hand slips from my grip and smashes down against the sink, spraying little bits of glass into every corner.

“Fucking hell,” I gasp, whirling to see Viktor striding through the kitchen toward me. “I’m right here, you don’t have to yell.”

“Is it true?” he snaps. “You fired him?”

Interesting. Viktor storms in here full of rage and he’s angry that Erik is gone, not that I killed Sergey.Does he not know?

Did Erik not tell him?

“Yes, it’s true,” I say carefully, studying his face as I move away from the sink now filled with broken glass.

“Why?” he demands. “What the fuck is going on?”

“You really think after his display the other night, I would keep him here?” I raise one brow, trying to appear as casual as possible. “I don’t need a security advisor who goes around punching my own people.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I thought you would be pleased?” With my glass gone, I move to the fridge and take out a bottle of water while sending a quick text to get someone in to clean up the broken glass.

“Why on earth would I be pleased?” Viktor throws his hands up. “I’m sick and tired of all your strange decisions and none of them making any sense. Don’t you have any critical thinking skills?”

“I’d be very careful about where you’re going with that thought,” I warn softly. “I’m on edge, Viktor. The gala is fast approaching and I still haven’t settled on a color theme for the staff. I have three new business ventures primed for launch and I’m tired, so I don’t have time to coddle you and make you feel important. Yes, I fired Erik. That’s all you need to know. So if you don’t mind…”

Bottle in hand, I try to walk past him, but Viktor catches my upper arm in his hand and stops me. “And the baby?”

My heart jumps into my throat while I fight to keep my face calm. Turning to face him, I meet his gaze. “What baby?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. I caught the doctor leaving the other night and I didn’t let her go until she told me the truth. You’re pregnant.” Viktor doesn’t even attempt to hide the sneer of disgust as his eyes flick down my body. “Whose is it?”

I grit my teeth. Of course he knows. It’s not surprising, but it highlights exactly how little privacy I have left in this place. If I’m not careful, Viktor will discover the truth about Sergey without Erik’s help.

“No one’s.”

“Bullshit.”

“It hardly matters.” Twisting out of Viktor’s grip, I take a step back. “All that bleeding the other night was me losing the damn thing, so it’s not a problem anymore.”

“Oh.” For the first time in a long time, Viktor appears to be at a loss for words. His eyes linger on my stomach. “Sorry.”

“It’s not a loss,” I say cooly. “And if there’s nothing else?” With my head held high, I leave the kitchen and head out into the garden where Faina waits for me among the rose bushes. With a book in one hand, she leans over a particularly voluminous bush and plucks out a rose as I arrive.

“Ew,” Faina sighs softly. “I’m tired of greenfly.”

“Something messing with your roses?” I ask as I reach her.

“Yes.” She tosses the rose down onto the ground and nudges it back into the soil. “Think I need a new pesticide.”

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