Page 120 of Immaculate Corruption (Romanoff Bratva)

Just as fast as she appeared, Vera is gone.

43

Dima

After the meeting is over and the men clear out, I head straight back to my office to think.

There’s a lot to think about. Ilyasov. Albanians. Arya and Lukas.

Before the final thought can fully form in my mind, my office door slams open and Arya is standing in the doorway, hands on her hips.

It takes me a moment to see the murder glowing in her eyes. “What is it?” I ask.

“I just spoke to Vera.”

“You what?”

“Your brother’s wife. Remember her?”

“Don’t fuck with me, Arya.”

“She waltzed right into my kitchen like there was nothing special about it.”

“She fucking what—?”

“She told me about the third Trial, Dima,” she interrupts. Arya crosses her arms over her chest. That’s when I notice the puffiness under her eyes. The slight smudging of her mascara.

She’s been crying.

Fuck me.This shit with the third Romanoff Trial has been keeping me up at night. There’s no good way to handle it. At least, none that I can think of.

How would she ever understand? And could I really expect her to?

Now, I don’t have a choice. I have to make her understand.

“What did Vera tell you?”

“The truth!” Arya yells. “Unlike you. What else are you lying about, Dima? I thought we were a team, huh? I thought I was yourqueen?What a fucking lie. You’re a liar.”

“Arya, you need to—”

“I bet you filled Gennady in, didn’t you?”

I frown. “Of course. But Gennady isn’t—”

“Isn’t what?” she cuts in. “Gennady isn’t a woman? Gennady isn’t hysterical? Gennady isn’t a victim like me?”

She’s hysterical. I can’t blame her.

But I also can’t deal with this shit right now.

The headache that has been hiding behind my eyes all day comes out in full force. I need quiet and darkness. I need to think.

“We need to do this another time,” I hiss.

Arya slams her hands on the desk. “We wouldn’t be doing this at all if it were up to you, would we? You wanted to keep me in the dark until it’s done. You wanted to lie to me and then act like everything was all rosy and perfect. What happened to your moral backbone? Remember when you told me you’dneversell someone? What happened to that?”

I stand up and crash my fist down on the desk. “This happened!” I bellow. “All of this shit happened. My Bratva was taken, my son was kidnapped, and my brother betrayed me. My world turned upside down, and suddenly, I became willing to make a few exceptions. I dare you to fucking blame me, Arya.”

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