But what could be more valuable than ensuring that the people who’d hurt him understood the consequences of their actions? Adrian had stolen four years from Viktor’s life, had manipulated Anka into believing lies that had torn them apart. The man deserved every moment of suffering Viktor could devise.
The rationalization felt less convincing than it had weeks earlier, but Viktor pushed his doubts aside and focused on more immediate concerns. Marcus had compiled intelligenceon Adrian’s latest independent venture—a shipping deal with Eastern European partners that existed outside the family’s consolidated operations. It was perfect for Viktor’s purposes: significant enough to cause real damage, isolated enough that its failure wouldn’t implicate other family members.
One phone call to the right contacts, one carefully placed piece of information about regulatory concerns, and Adrian’s deal would evaporate. Another lesson in the consequences of crossing a Nikolai.
Viktor was reaching for his phone when his office door opened without warning, admitting Matvei with the kind of purposeful stride that suggested this wasn’t a social visit.
“We need to talk,” Matvei said, closing the door behind him with deliberate force.
Viktor set his phone aside, studying his brother-in-law’s expression with growing wariness. Matvei looked like a man who’d been putting pieces together and didn’t like the picture they created.
“About what?”
“About why my brother looks like he’s been systematically destroyed by someone with extensive resources and specific grudges.” Matvei settled into the chair across from Viktor’s desk, his posture radiating the kind of calm authority that had made him an effective leader. “About why Adrian’s business ventures keep encountering improbable obstacles at precisely the wrong moments.”
Viktor kept his expression neutral, though his mind was already calculating responses and contingencies. “Adrian’s business difficulties are unfortunate, but hardly my concern.”
“Really?” Matvei leaned forward, his dark eyes carrying intelligence that Viktor had learned to respect. “So it’s just a coincidence that every setback can be traced back to contacts you’ve cultivated, regulators you’ve influenced, partners you’ve compromised in the past?”
The detailed knowledge was unsurprising—Matvei hadn’t built his position by missing important patterns. But Viktor had been careful, had ensured that each individual action could be explained away as routine business maneuvering.
“You’re seeing connections that don’t exist,” Viktor said, though the words felt hollow even to him.
“I’m seeing a man who’s letting revenge poison his judgment.” Matvei’s tone was blunt but not unkind, carrying the weight of someone who understood the costs of unchecked anger. “Adrian made terrible choices four years ago. He manipulated Anka, lied to both of you, and caused damage that’s still affecting your marriage. But this path you’re on—it’s going to destroy more than just Adrian’s business ventures.”
Viktor felt his control beginning to fray at the edges. “Adrian took her from me. He stole four years of our lives based on lies and manipulation. He deserves whatever consequences follow.”
“Maybe he does,” Matvei agreed, which was not the response Viktor had expected. “But what about the rest of us? What about Anka?”
“This doesn’t involve Anka—”
“Everything you do involves Anka now. She’s your wife, she loves her family despite their flaws, and she’s going to be caught in the crossfire when this escalates beyond your ability to control it.” Matvei’s voice carried the kind of certainty that made Viktor’s chest tighten with unwelcome awareness.“Because it will escalate, Viktor. Men like Adrian don’t just accept systematic destruction passively.”
The implication hit Viktor like cold water, forcing him to consider angles he’d been deliberately avoiding. Adrian was still a Volkov, still connected to one of the most powerful crime families in the region. His tolerance for Viktor’s campaign had limits, and those limits were probably closer than Viktor had calculated.
“Are you threatening me?” Viktor asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.
“I’m trying to save you from making a mistake that will cost you everything that actually matters.” Matvei stood, his expression shifting to something that looked almost sympathetic. “You have Anka back. You know the truth about what happened. You have the chance to build something real with her, something that could last for the rest of your lives. But if you keep prioritizing revenge over everything else, you’re going to lose her again.”
The words lodged in Viktor’s chest like shrapnel, painful and impossible to ignore. He could see the truth in Matvei’s analysis—Anka had already begun pulling away, had started looking at him with the kind of wariness that suggested she was recognizing patterns she didn’t like.
But understanding the risks didn’t eliminate his need for justice. Adrian had caused immeasurable damage to both their lives, had allowed Viktor to believe for years that the woman he’d loved had simply grown tired of him and discarded him like used entertainment. That kind of pain required acknowledgment, required consequences that went beyond simple forgiveness.
“Some things can’t be overlooked,” Viktor said finally, his voice carrying conviction he wasn’t entirely sure he felt.
Matvei paused at the door, looking back with an expression that combined understanding and disappointment in equal measure. “The question is whether your need for revenge is worth destroying your marriage. Because that’s what you’re choosing between—making Adrian pay, or keeping Anka. You can’t have both.”
Alone in his office after Matvei left, Viktor found himself staring at the phone he’d been about to use to sabotage Adrian’s latest deal. The conversation had introduced complications he’d been avoiding, questions about priorities and consequences that made his previously clear path seem murkier.
But clarity returned when he remembered the devastation he’d felt four years ago, the months of believing himself fooled and discarded by the one person he’d trusted completely. Adrian had orchestrated that pain through lies and manipulation, had stolen something precious without regard for the damage it would cause.
Viktor picked up the phone.
The call took less than five minutes. A brief conversation with a contact in the regulatory department, a casual mention of concerns about certain shipping manifests, and the suggestion that closer scrutiny might be warranted. By tomorrow, Adrian’s deal would be dead, another casualty in Viktor’s campaign of systematic justice.
The satisfaction felt hollow this time, tainted by Matvei’s warnings and his own growing awareness that his marriage was becoming collateral damage in his pursuit of revenge. But justice demanded sacrifices, and Viktor had never been someone who backed down from necessary unpleasantness.
He would deal with Anka’s disapproval when it became unavoidable. For now, Adrian needed to understand that his actions had consequences that extended far beyond the immediate moment of manipulation.
