Page 11 of No Longer Mine

They exchanged a glance, the silence between them stretching too long for my comfort. If I didn’t break it soon, they’d be here until sunrise—and I had no intention of letting them derail my schedule tomorrow.

“What do you both want?”

“You’ve changed,” Grandmother said softly, balancing her cane across her knees. Her tone was uncharacteristically gentle, and it put me on edge.

“Ever since your Cassie was killed?—”

Her name hit me like a freight train, emotions surging to the surface before I could stop them.

“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice sharper than intended.

The room fell silent.

I didn’t know how they’d pieced together the truth about Cassie’s death. I’d been careful. Yes, they’d known I was seeing her, but they couldn’t have known how serious it was. There weren’t many secrets you could keep from the grannies. Not even my father, who’d ordered the hit, had realized how much I’d loved her.

Nana sighed, her expression softening just enough to twist the knife. They didn’t need to say it outright. I could see it in their eyes—they just wanted to be here for me.

“I’m running for councilman,” I said, the words coming out heavier than I’d intended. “I don’t expect any of you to understand why.”

But the twinkle in their eyes and the shared look between them told me they understood far more than I’d given them credit for.

“I want to clean up the city,” I continued, my voice firmer.

Grandmother rose slowly, using her cane more for emphasis than support. “You’re playing a dangerous game going up against your father,” she said, her tone measured. “We’ll protect you, but he won’t take kindly to this.”

I pulled my phone from my pocket and tossed it onto the wooden coffee table. “He hasn’t tried to call me.”

“Neither has Ace,” Nana added, cocking her head. “That is dangerous, indeed.”

“I don’t need either of you to protect me,” I began, but they were already leaving my home.

Chapter Six

Dimitri

Another day,another campaign adventure.

I leaned back in the car, staring blankly out the window as the city lights streaked past. All I wanted was to be myself for one damn day. To run through the streets drunk if I felt like it. To walk into a strip club without a second thought. Hell, even sitting in a quiet theater watching a movie sounded like heaven compared to this circus.

But I couldn’t.

Not with my face plastered all over the news and my name whispered at every dinner table that mattered.

Revenge had become my prison, shackling me to a life of carefully curated appearances and calculated moves. And the worst part? I’d willingly built the cage.

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes, letting out a slow, measured breath.

I told myself that revenge would heal me. That I couldn’t move on from Cassie’s death until my father was brought to his knees. But deep down, I knew better. No matter how far I went, no matter how many victories I claimed, she wasn’t coming back.

The truth sat heavy in the back of my mind, whispering its poison. Revenge wouldn’t heal me. It would just leave me hollow.

But I couldn’t stop. Not now.

I dropped my hands and stared at my lap, the leather seats creaking softly as the car turned a corner. Another fundraiser done, another night of handshakes and fake smiles. I hated pretending. I hated rubbing elbows with the same politicians I despised.

And yet, the irony wasn’t lost on me.

They thought they were smarter than me, that they could mold me into another cog in their corrupt machine. They assumed I’d take their money, accept their gifts, and trade my integrity for their approval. They thought a Cristof would want nothing more than the power they were willing to wield.

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