I take a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll stop by. For a short time. But that’s it.”
“Thank you!” she says, the relief in her voice unmistakable. “I’m so glad. I love you, Dad.” She blows me kisses over the phone and hangs up.
I turn to my men, blatantly ignoring the shuddering thief in front of me.
“Lock him up,” I say, my tone firm. “I’ll be back in a bit. I need to attend my daughter’s birthday. I’ll be back tonight.”
I enjoy taking thieves apart, limb by limb. I’d looked forward to doing it now, but first, my daughter. Later tonight, I’ll come back to finish this.
The party is loud. The music vibrates through the floor, the bass rattling in my chest as I step into the room. It’s filled with glitter, champagne, and people in their twenties, all brimming with energy I’m not sure how to tap into. The space is packed, crowded with laughter and conversation, the light reflecting off glasses and sequins.
This isn’t my crowd. At all. Not only am I probably decades older than the oldest person here, but young people are boring. Meaningless music. Tasteless drinks.
But I don’t show my discomfort. I keep my expression neutral, my eyes scanning the room, my posture rigid. I’m herebecause I have to be. It’s a father’s duty, a social obligation. And for the next hour, I can play the part.
Maria spots me immediately. Her eyes light up as she makes her way through the crowd, her smile so wide it almost lights up the entire room. She’s glowing, the excitement of her birthday radiating off her, and for a brief moment, I let myself feel a flicker of pride for her.
“Dad!” She loops her arm around mine, dragging me with ease toward a group of girls laughing nearby. I can tell they’re all young, in their twenties, caught up in the kind of carefree joy that’s foreign to me. Maria turns to them, glowing with pride.
“Zoe, meet my Dad, Lukin Rusnak.”
“Dad, my best friend, Zoe Monroe.”
At the mention of that name, my head snaps up and my blood runs still. There, standing in front of me, is Zoe.
It’s her.
The same woman from the club. The same woman whose full name I don’t even know, but whose image has been burned into my mind since the night we shared that fleeting moment.
I watch her face as she registers me. Her eyes widen in shock, and for a brief second, there’s an unmistakable recognition there—her gaze flickers over me, and I see it in the way she freezes, the way her breath catches.
The world around us falls silent, as if time itself has paused. Maria’s voice drifts away, muffled in the distance, her words lost to the moment. It’s just me and her. Frozen. Stunned. Unsettled.
I want to say something. Anything. But nothing comes out. I stand there, my chest tight, my mind racing. I don’t know what to make of this—this encounter, this situation.
I’ve made a mistake.
I shouldn’t have let myself get close to her. I should’ve walked away the moment I saw her. My daughter’s best friend? But I didn’t see her with Maria at the club on that first night. Neither did I see them together on the second night.
I wait, wondering what she would do next. Will she act like she doesn’t know me? Or will she tell Maria that we do know each other? Just not in the way she thinks.
For the first time in my life, I’m content to follow someone’s lead.
Chapter Seven - Zoe
I can’t breathe.
The moment Lukin Rusnak—Maria’s father—looked at me, everything inside me crumbled. The recognition hit me like a freight train, but I couldn’t react. I couldn’t even move.
His eyes locked on to mine with an intensity that made my stomach tighten, like he saw right through me. My heart starts to race, every beat echoing in my chest. How did I not realize it sooner? How did I miss it?
Lukin Rusnak. The man I spent a night with, the man whose touch still lingers on my skin, whose name I never even knew until now—is Maria’s father. My best friend’s father.
I want to run, but I can’t. I have to play it cool.
I force a smile, though it feels fake, thin, and brittle. My hands are shaking, and I do my best to hide it, pressing them into my sides as I try to steady myself. I hold out my hand to him, my voice unsteady as I force the words out.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Rusnak.”
