“Yes, of course, I will,” she answered.
The line clicked, and I held on to the phone for a moment, a smile playing on my lips.
Kyle was in Belvaria. How had he followed me?
I shook my head. It didn’t matter. He was here.
My stomach twisted as I worried that maybe he hadn’t followed me because we had a connection, but I shoved it aside. It couldn’t be anything else.
I grinned to myself, my hands tightening around the phone until Stefan yanked it from my hands. “I believe this should be returned to me.”
Normally, that would have made me frown, but I was on top of the world. Even Stefan refusing to let me keep the phone couldn’t bring me down.
“Keep it, Stefan. Escort me to the private office.”
His features remained stoic, unwavering. “Mind filling me in?”
“Of course,” I said, lifting my chin as I grinned. “It appears Dr. Carter has come to Belvaria. And just in the nick of time. We need him to help with Papa.”
“He has not yet been properly vetted,” Stefan informed me.
“I have vetted him. I will handle any of the final details myself.”
“Nyet,” he answered, flinching. “You will not expose yourself to him until he has been properly vetted by my team.”
I wagged a finger at him. “You do not make the call. I have already told Nadia to have him brought to the private office. She said she would. She must trust him.”
Stefan shook his head. “So you say. But we have not confirmed this, and I–“
“Enough!” I shouted, allowing heat to enter my voice. “He is our best chance to save Papa. Iwillgo see him now. If you want to continue your verification, I suggest you do that quickly.”
“Malenka–“
“Do not,” I warned, my voice turning sharp again. “You seem to forget who is in charge here, Stefan. I have allowed you to treat me like a child, to do what you feel you must to protect me, but I will not allow you to stop me from doing what I must to save my father.”
His nostrils flared as he sucked in a deep breath. “Allow my people to finish our checks before you tell him too much.”
I weighed the words, mulling my choice over in my mind. I wanted to plow straight into what I needed from him. And I needed so much.
But Stefan was correct. My brother had just had his hands around my throat, ready to squeeze the life out of me. I couldn’t be too careful.
I slid my eyes closed. If Kyle Carter was working for Nikolai…
Shaking my head, I curled my fingers into fists. That couldn’t be the case. I simply wouldn’t allow it.
With a sigh, I snapped my eyes up to Stefan’s. “Fine. Finish your checks, but they had better be expedient.”
“We are nearly finished.”
“See that youarefinished by–“
“Tomorrow,” he ended for me.
I narrowed my eyes at him. Was he stalling or being thorough? “Fine,” I answered. “Now, let’s go.”
As we made our way through the halls, my mind raced. Would Kyle prove true? Or would this be another ploy by my brother to rob me of a crown he desperately wanted?
Time would tell, though I worried my heart wouldn’t be able to handle the answer if it was the former.
