Page 151 of His Forced Bride
"Do you have a message for your mother?"
I push through the crowd, using my size and presence to create a path toward our car.
When one photographer gets too close, pressing his lens almost against Inessa's face, I grab his camera and shove him back hard enough that he stumbles into several others.
"Back off," I growl, my control finally slipping enough to show the violence that's been simmering beneath the surface all day.
These people are vultures, and while I'm irritated with them now, I can't wait to see the way they pick Viktoria apart when Inessa and I are done with her.
It’s the least she deserves.
The photographer recovers his balance but keeps his distance as we reach the car.
I help Inessa in, then slide in beside her as my driver pulls away from the curb.
Behind us, the crowd continues to shout questions and take pictures, but we're finally free of their immediate pressure.
Inessa slumps against the seat, her exhaustion finally showing now that we're away from public scrutiny.
"Is it over?"
"For now. She'll appeal, try other legal angles, but today's ruling establishes that you're acting of your own free will. That makes future challenges much harder."
She nods but doesn't respond.
The cost of defending our relationship so publicly has clearly drained her, and I make a mental note to ensure we have several days of privacy to recover from this ordeal.
I hate that she's being dragged through all of this, but until we squelch Viktoria's arguments, my hands are tied.
Back at the compound, I settle Inessa into bed for a nap and retreat to my office to collect my thoughts.
My phone rings.
When I see my brother’s name on the caller ID, my chest twists.
It's like he has a sixth sense about the worst time to call and ignores it on purpose.
"The whole family is talking," he says before I even get my greeting out.
"This courthouse drama, the media coverage, the way our name is being dragged through public speculation—it has to stop."
"The legal challenge has been resolved."
"For now. But this woman isn't finished, and every day this continues, we look weak. Like we can't control our own affairs."
I move to the window, watching guards patrol the perimeter.
"What are you suggesting?" I ask, though I already know where this conversation is heading.
"End it. Permanently. Tonight, if necessary. Make it look accidental, blame it on her criminal associates—I don't care how it's done. But this distraction ends now."
"No."
"This isn't a request, Yuri. This is family business, and you're letting personal feelings compromise our interests."
Dimitri is suggesting I murder Viktoria in cold blood, which I am not averse to doing.
But it would be too obvious and they'd connect it back to me in seconds.
