Page 125 of Reign of a Billionaire
“But you’ve always refused to go there,” Sasha pointed out.
“For her, I’ll go to Russia.” Fuck, for her, I’d visit all nine circles of Dante’s inferno.
“Are you sure Sofia would hurt her own daughter?” Byron questioned.
“Sofia had her brainwashed, making her believe she’s her twin,” I gritted. “She’ll try it again.”
I couldn’t allow it to happen. I couldn’t allow Sofia to erase my Lou. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. Her strength helped me survive every fucking storm throughout my miserable life. My heart beat only for her, in the rhythm of hers, and this need for her was part of my DNA.
“I’m going after her.” I slammed my fist against the table, everything on it rattling in protest.
It was so fucking hard to think rationally when I knew exactly what kind of torture Sofia was capable of. I’d endured it. It was the kind that broke your body and spirit, molding you into something unrecognizable.
The dread in my chest grew with each passing minute. I feared if I didn’t go after her immediately, I’d explode.
I couldn’t even hear what Alexei, Royce, and Byron were saying outside of the buzzing in my ears.
“Sofia’s probably counting on it.” Alexei was right, but I didn’t give a shit. I’d lose my fucking mind if I didn’t get to her.
I stood up and strode to the window, releasing a heavy breath as I stared at Lisbon’s glittering night lights. “You never saw what she did to her eight years ago. Nobody can survive that twice.”
Chapter 60
Louisa
Iblinked against the bright light burning my eyeballs, my whole body registering pain. The stench of death and mold brought back memories, pointing to where I’d been taken, and I almost choked with fear.
My eyes roved over the room, the familiar walls coming into focus. It was the very same basement prison where I’d died eight years ago. It was still filthy, the whispers of all the innocent boys and girls who died here loud. Goosebumps broke over my skin, and I shifted to wrap my arms around me only to stop short. I was bound to a chair.
History was repeating itself.
The only saving grace was that Kingston wasn’t here. Nobody could hurt him.
I looked down at my hands, scratched and bloodied, as memories came flooding in. My heart started to beat faster, my worry for Lara overwhelming, but I immediately shoved it into a corner. They couldn’t have gotten to her.
On the tail end of that thought, the door opened with a loud creak and my mother walked in. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her posture belonged on the catwalk as she sauntered overto me, diamonds glittering around her neck. As if she were about to attend a royal ball, not torture her daughter.
Drago, that sick bastard, strutted behind her like a fucking dog, smiling like he was about to get a bone. A shudder rolled down my spine, realizing that I was probably that bone.
Swallowing down my panic, I straightened my shoulders and narrowed my eyes on the monster that was Sofia Volkov. There were rare moments in our childhood when my twin and I had hoped she’d take us away and give us a normal life. She protected us from Ivan’s men only to use us for her own plans. Whatever they were.
She clucked her tongue. “Liana, Liana, what am I going to do with you?”
“For starters, you can call me Louisa.”
Her eyes flashed with something dark as she took the seat opposite me, crossing her legs elegantly. Jesus, give her a fucking cigarette holder and send her to the opera.
“I should have ended thatstronzo.”
My mother’s Italian heritage never came out except for when she was scared and panicked. The knowledge that she was both gave me enough courage to flash her a smile.
“Don’t worry, Mother, thatstronzowill finish you.” She scoffed, but the worry on her face remained. There was no hiding it behind the layers of makeup or plastic surgery. “You fucked with the wrong man, now you’ll taste the wrath you’ve been bestowing on others for so long.”
“Let me teach her a lesson,” Drago hissed, looking at my mother with hope as he hopped on his feet like he was in a boxing ring.
She raised her palm and he stopped. Like I said, a dog. When my mother said “Attack,” that lunatic went to town.
“Where is Liana?” I demanded, locking eyes on Sofia.
