A mark.
“Territory.”
Another.
“Political protection.”
Another stroke.
“Nothing has worked.”
His jaw tightened slightly.
“The only thing Harris truly wants,” he said quietly, “is what he lost the moment you chose me at that altar and married me instead of him — the inheritance.”
His gaze flicked to mine.
“Which means your father might still come for you.”
The words landed heavy.
“If it’s the only path left to seal his victory.”
I lifted one eyebrow.
“You think he’ll force me to divorce you and marry Harris?”
Ruslan didn’t hesitate.
“If you weren’t still legally tied to me, he would’ve made it happen already.”
His tone was matter-of-fact — not emotional.
“He has leverage. He has threats. He has influence over judges, officials, and private security networks.”
He stepped closer to the board.
“If necessary, he’d orchestrate pressure behind closed doors — kidnapping, intimidation — anything to remove your choice.”
His eyes darkened slightly.
“He’d bundle you up and deliver you to Harris’s bed as a bride if that’s what it took.”
The bluntness of it didn’t shock me.
It angered me.
I smirked — cold, humorless.
“At this stage of my life,” I replied, “no one can manipulate me into anything.”
Ruslan didn’t argue. Instead, he continued outlining his strategy — explaining how he planned to dismantle the other Maria families and where his ex-military recruits would come into play.
He paced slowly in front of the white board, marker moving with precision.
His mind worked like a battlefield commander mapping out enemy positions.
He drew arrows between the five family circles — tracing economic dependencies.
