“Care to tell me why my wife is upset?” he asks, glaring at Mikhail.
“I guess I recommended a book she didn’t like,” Mikhail says.
I turn, looking between the two of them, the tension so thick adrenaline shoots through me like a spring. I know how Wolfgang handles situations like this—I saw it firsthand in the church. Still, this is his brother, and that should mean something… right?
Time stretches for what seems like forever, neither of them willing to back down. Wolfgang holds me in place with his arm, so I wait, looking up at him with a frown. Hoping he’ll give in.
“Pick a better fucking book next time,” he says at last, then pulls me along.
18
WOLFGANG
I’m supposed to be working, but I find myself staring at my laptop instead. I tell myself I’m just tired and distracted by all the shit going on in the business—seizing Nikolai’s assets, deploying operations in the Irish territory we now own, and overseeing the usual.
But deep down, I know this has nothing to do with work. And everything to do with my wife.
Because she… defended me.
Mikhail ambushed her in the library, when he knew she’d be alone, and tried to poison her against me.
And instead of agreeing with him, like she should’ve, she bit his head off. She saw exactly what he was showing her. The jealousy.The resentment. The limits he’s willing to cross to step over me so he can get what’s rightfully mine.
But Victoria is smarter than he gave her credit for. And she stood up for me, even after I said that shit to her after our wedding night.
I pick up my phone and shoot Corinne a text, asking for my wife. After a few minutes, she replies.
C: she says she’s busy, and that you do not summon her
C: sorry, not sure what to do
I smile, turned on by the way she still defies me. This woman has been testing me every day since I brought her here, and it’s only made me want her more.
I don’t fucking understand it, but if that’s how she wants to play, I’m more than happy to indulge her.
W:She has two minutes to get here, or I’m sending someone to collect her
Then I switch over to my contacts and dial Ivan’s number, instructing him to find my wife when the two minutes are up.
Because I know Victoria. She won’t give a damn about my threat.
I get back to the work I’m supposed to be doing. Soon her agitated voice approaches from the hallway. Ivan opens the doorto my study for her, pressing his lips into a thin line, as if to say, “good luck with that.”
My eyes shift to Victoria, who dusts herself off and steps inside, arms crossed at her chest. Ivan leaves, and I sit at my desk, watching her.
“What part of ‘I’m busy’ don’t you get?” she sneers.
“Come here, Victoria.”
She huffs a breath of frustration, but otherwise walks deeper into the room.
“What do you want?”
I tap the top of my desk, loving the way she frowns when she understands where I want her to sit.
“No. I told you already, you won’t be getting anything from me anymore. If you want to fuck, get yourself a hooker.”
“Love… this is the last time I’m asking nicely. Be a good girl and sit on my desk. Now.”
