Noelle’s expression shifts from confusion to disbelief. “I’m sorry—what? Isn’t that why Lev married you?”
I nod, my throat tight. “Lev told me last night. Apparently, they want me alive for…something. He didn’t say what. Then I saw Viktor Markovic at the reception, and Elara—this woman I met—she told me who he was. Lev lost it when he found out. Completely.”
Noelle pulls out a chair and sinks into it, her eyes wide. “Sasha….”
“That’s not even the worst part,” I whisper. “This morning, I opened my bag—my documents bag—and my passport is gone. Just gone.” I let out a shaky laugh, though there’s nothing funny about it. “He took it, Noelle. He actually went into my things and took it.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment, just stares at me like she’s trying to process everything at once.
“I get that he’s scared,” I continue, my voice cracking. “I get it. But he could’ve just asked. He didn’t have to force it from me. It’s like—” I stop, shaking my head. “It’s like he doesn’t trust me at all. Like I’m some problem he has to manage instead of a person he cares about.”
The words sting coming out, more than I expected. My throat burns, and I press my lips together to keep from crying.
Noelle reaches across the counter, her voice soft. “Sasha, he’s probably terrified. If what you’re saying is true—if the Greeks really want you—he’s just trying to keep you safe.”
“I know,” I whisper. “But it doesn’t feel like safety anymore. It feels like a cage.”
Her hand squeezes mine, but I can tell from the worry in her eyes that she understands exactly what I mean.
“Lev is more than he shows, Sasha,” she says. “If he’s acting like this, it’s because he’s in protection mode. And that’s…lethal.”
I swallow hard, staring at the countertop. “I don’t even know why the Greeks are after me,” I murmur. “I have nothing to do with them. I left Greece years ago. I’ve been living my own life. I’ve—” My voice cracks. “I’ve stayed away from all of this.”
Noelle tilts her head, studying me. “Do you remember anything? Anything at all that could explain why they’d be after you?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. Not really. I didn’t even know my parents were involved in any Bratva business.” The words taste strange on my tongue, like they belong to someone else. “I do remember….” I pause, sifting through the fog of old memories. “Years ago, my mother was on the phone. She was arguing with someone—in Greek. She didn’t know I was listening. She sounded…scared. Angry. But I can’t recall details at all.”
Noelle leans in, her brows furrowing. “That might be something, Sasha. Even if you don’t remember it clearly, that’s—”
The sound of footsteps cuts her off.
I glance over just as Lev strides past the kitchen, his expression like carved stone. Lev’s jacket is slung over his arm,his phone in his hand, already moving with purpose. He doesn’t look at me, doesn’t slow down, just heads for the front door.
I watch them leave, a weight settling in my chest. “See?” I whisper. “Always moving. Always planning something. And I’m just…here.”
Noelle squeezes my hand again, her eyes flicking from me to the door, then back. “You’re not just here, Sasha. Whether you realize it or not, you’re at the center of all this. And Lev is only doing this because he cares.”
I nod, but the weight in my chest remains.
Chapter 18 – Lev
I stride toward the car, each step heavy with the echo of Sasha’s words still slicing through my head.
She looked at me like I was the enemy. Like I’d stolen something from her instead of trying to keep her safe. And maybe I did—her passport, her freedom—but damn it, she doesn’t understand what’s out there. What I’ve seen.
I grip the keys tighter until the metal bites into my palm. The image of her standing in the kitchen—angry, beautiful, trembling—won’t leave me. The way her voice cracked when she said I didn’t trust her…that one hit deep. Because Idotrust her. I just don’t trust the world that’s circling her name like vultures.
I exhale, sharp and ragged. This isn’t about control. It’s about survival.
Just as I’m reaching the car, Mikhail’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “Lev!”
I stop and turn. He’s jogging toward me, laptop in one hand, his expression grim.
“What is it?” I ask, trying to shake off the frustration still simmering in my chest.
“I’ve uncovered something,” he says, breathing hard. “It’s best if you see it immediately.”
I glance at my watch. An hour until I’m supposed to meet Viktor at the docks. Timing couldn’t be worse. “Can it wait?”
