Page 59 of Triplet Babies
I study the timeline of transactions, noting how they’ve accelerated dramatically since the engagement party. In the days since, there are new purchases in larger quantities of more sophisticated equipment. They’re not just preparing for conflict but conquest. “They’re moving faster than I expected, especially since Katya believes we’re still getting married.”
Valentin jerks his head once in a terse nod. “Which brings me back to my original point. You need to decide how to handle ending the engagement if you’re determined to do so and soon. This middle ground you’re trying to maintain isn’t sustainable.”
He’s right, though admitting it means accepting Sarah and I are running out of time. The fantasy I’ve been nurturing—that I could somehow have both her and a peaceful resolution with the Nikitins—is crumbling under the weight of reality and enemy surveillance. “What do you recommend?”
“End it. Break the engagement cleanly and quickly, then fortify our defenses for the inevitable retaliation.” Valentin closes the folder and meets my gaze with the directness that’s made him invaluable over the years. “Or marry Katya and let Sarah go. Those are your only options if you want to keep breathing. The second might lead to a more favorable outcome, but you’d be miserable.”
I nod in agreement, appreciating he’s realized that. The second option isn’t really an option at all, not anymore. The thought of marrying Katya while Sarah disappears from my life makes my chest hurt with something approaching panic. I’ve spent twenty years building walls around my heart, and Sarah demolished them in three months. I can’t go back to being the man I was before I knew her. “I can’t lose her.”
“Then you better be prepared to fight for her.” He stands and moves toward the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. “Once you break that engagement, there’s no going back.”
After he leaves, I sit alone in my office and stare at the security footage of Sarah walking away this morning. She looked small and vulnerable in the early light, wrapping her arms around herself like she was trying to hold something together. Theimage bothers me more than it should. There was something in her posture that suggested she was carrying a burden I don’t understand. It has to be that I asked her to wait months for me, but what if it’s something more?
I should have asked her to stay. I should have made coffee and convinced her to spend the morning with me instead of sending her back to an apartment I’ve never seen, and to a life that doesn’t fully include me except in stolen moments and secret dinners.
The intercom on my desk buzzes, interrupting my thoughts. Mrs. Nykova’s voice comes through the speaker with professional calm. “Mr. Barinov? Miss Nikitina is here to see you.”
I force my expression into neutral lines. “Send her in.”
Katya enters wearing a deceptively simple cream-colored suit that was no doubt expensive. Her platinum hair is pulled back in a severe chignon, and she carries herself with the confidence bordering on arrogance. Everything about her appearance is planned. The color makes her skin look porcelain, the cut emphasizes her figure, and the jewelry whispers old money and even older power.
She settles into the chair Valentin just vacated and crosses her long legs. “Good morning, darling. I hope you don’t mind the impromptu visit.”
I keep my tone inscrutable. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to discuss wedding details. We need to settle on the venue, the guest list, and the timeline.” She pulls out her phone and scrolls through what appears to be an extensive set of notes.“I was thinking early spring. March, perhaps? The gardens will be beautiful then.”
“That seems rushed.”
“Rushed? We’ve been engaged for a week already. People will start to wonder if we keep delaying.” She looks up from her phone with eyes that miss nothing. “Unless there’s a reason you want to postpone?”
The question carries an undercurrent of suspicion that makes me careful with my response. Katya isn’t just beautiful and well-connected. She’s intelligent, observant, and dangerous. If she suspects something about Sarah, she won’t hesitate to use that information as leverage. “I want to make sure we’re both committed to making this work. It seems more time to figure out if we’re compatible is wise before such a permanent commitment.” It’s pure lies I’m spinning, needing some reason to slow this down while planning my exit strategy and how to handle the fallout after breaking the merger…uh, engagement.
“Commitment.” She sets down her phone and studies my face like a predator evaluating prey. “An interesting word choice. Tell me, Yarik, what does commitment mean to you?”
“Loyalty, trust, and mutual respect.”
“And fidelity?”
The word hangs between us like a challenge, loaded with implications and threats. I maintain eye contact and keep my expression neutral, though every instinct screams that she knows more than she’s revealing. “Of course.” Another lie. I couldn’t imagine ever touching her, let alone touching only her for the rest of my life. There’s only one woman I want in my bed,who deserves my trust and that I prove I’m trustworthy, and it isn’t Katya.
“Good.” She smiles, though the expression doesn’t reach her eyes and carries the chill of arctic wind. “I would hate for there to be any misunderstandings about what marriage means to me, or what the consequences would be for betraying that trust.”
The threat is subtle but unmistakable. Katya knows something, or suspects it, and she’s letting me know she’s watching. The question is how much she actually knows versus how much she’s fishing for with this carefully orchestrated visit. “I appreciate your directness.”
“I thought you might.” She stands and smiles thinly. “I’ll have my assistant send you the preliminary guest list for approval. I do hope we understand each other.”
The words carry multiple layers of meaning, all of them threatening. She knows about Sarah. Maybe not everything, but enough to be dangerous. After she leaves, I pour myself a glass of vodka despite the early hour. The conversation was a chess move, a careful probe to test my reactions and gauge how much I might reveal about Sarah. Worse, it was a warning that the Nikitins are done playing games.
I return to the security photographs of Sarah walking away from me this morning, but my thoughts are preoccupied by Katya threatening me, and Valentin warning me time is running out. The walls are closing in from every direction, and I need to make a choice before someone else makes it for me.
I pick up my phone and dial Valentin’s number. When he answers, I don’t waste time with pleasantries. “Set up a meetingwith our security team. I want a full briefing on Nikitin capabilities and known associates.”
“When?”
“Tonight and start drawing up contingency plans. I want us prepared for anything, because I can’t…won’t maintain this charade any longer.”
“I’ll make it happen.” He’s quiet for a moment before asking, “What about Sarah? Does she know what’s coming?”
