Page 36 of Triplet Babies
I type and delete several responses, none of them appropriate for the professional relationship we’re supposed to maintain. Finally, I send back a simple “Thank you” and set aside the phone.
The contract sits open on my desk, waiting for a signature tomorrow night that will change everything. Once I sign it, the joint venture between our families that the engagement represents becomes legally binding. The wedding will follow within six months, and whatever this is between Sarah and me will become nothing more than an affair that has to end.
I’ve always known what to do in business situations. Every decision I’ve made as head of this family has been strategic and ultimately successful. Personal feelings don’t factor into those choices, but this feels personal in ways I didn’t anticipate.
I think about Sarah’s quiet confession three days ago. She said she loved me like she was sharing a secret she couldn’t keep anymore. I think about the pain in her expression when she recommended Nina’s catering company, knowing she was helping ensure my engagement party wasn’t disrupted.
Most of all, I think about the way she looked at me when I didn’t respond to her declaration, like she expected the rejection but hoped for something different. I should have told her I love her too. The words have been there for weeks, maybe longer, but admitting them feels like acknowledging a vulnerability I can’t afford.
Men in my position don’t get to choose love over duty. We don’t get to prioritize personal happiness over family obligations. We certainly don’t get to blow up strategic alliances because we’ve fallen for someone who was never supposed to matter.
Except Sarah does matter. She matters more than the Nikitin alliance, more than business stability, and more than anything I thought was important before I met her.
The realization stuns me. I’m in love with a woman I can’t have and planning to marry someone I don’t want, all in service of obligations that suddenly feel meaningless.
I close the contract without signing it and walk to the window overlooking the gardens. Tomorrow night, I’ll smile and play the role of devoted fiancé and have to sign the wretched contract with Katya as Leonid and the lawyers oversee it.
The thought makes me sick.
My phone rings, interrupting my brooding. Valentin’s name appears on the screen, so I answer.
“The background checks came back.” His voice carries tension. “We have some concerns.”
“What concerns?”
“Three of the guests on Katya’s list have connections to European intelligence services. Two others have questionable ties to arms dealers we’ve been avoiding. Most are probably legitimate, but we should keep watch.”
I move away from the window. “Any immediate threats?”
“Nothing that suggests danger to you personally, but some of these people will definitely be gathering intelligence while they’re here. I recommend we proceed with the security plan we discussed and perhaps add a few more men to shadow.”
“Agreed. Anything else?”
“One name I couldn’t get complete information on is Roman Sokolov. He’s listed as a business associate of the Nikitins, but his background is surprisingly thin. It could be nothing, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.”
I remember my previous meeting with him, stirring unease, but Valentin doesn’t seem overly concerned. “You remember my meeting with him, and my impression, so add him to the watch list.”
“I just did.” His voice changes slightly, become less brisk and more concerned. “The party is still on schedule for tomorrow night?”
I stiffen, sensing he’s subtly asking me if this is what I really want. Or perhaps I’m projecting my thoughts onto him. Either way, I keep my tone firm. “Yes. Everything proceeds as planned.”
Without giving him a chance to ask more uncomfortable questions, I hang up and return to my desk, where the unsigned contract waits. The marriage agreement with the Nikitins, formally binds our two families in an alliance that makes strategic sense on every level except the personal one. Tomorrow night, I’ll sign this agreement. I’ll put the ring on Katya’s finger and smile for the cameras while my heart breaks. The woman I love will probably leave me, and rightfully so.
I pick up the contract one more time, scanning the terms that will govern the rest of my life. Marriage within six months. Joint business ventures. Children within three years. It’s a future mapped out in legal language that leaves no room for love, and I’m certain love can never grow between Katya and me.
I set aside the contract without signing it. I’ll deal with it all tomorrow while wallowing in what I want but can’t seem to justify having tonight.
11
Sarah
I’m gathering my things to leave at five o’clock when Mrs. Nykova appears in my office doorway with the same composed expression she always wears, though something in her manner suggests urgency. “Miss Clark, we need all available staff to remain this evening to assist with the engagement party.” She adjusts the papers in her hands. “I hope that won’t be a problem.”
My stomach drops. The last thing I want is to spend the evening watching Yarik get engaged to another woman, but refusing would raise questions I can’t answer and potentially cost me my job. “Of course not. What do you need me to do?”
“You’ll be overseeing refreshments and guest services. Coordinate with the catering staff to ensure drinks are replenished and guests’ needs are met.” She hands me a small radio. “This will keep you in contact with the kitchen staff.”
I take the radio, wondering if she notices how it trembles slightly in my hand. “Should I change clothes?”
