David removes his glasses, cleaning them with methodical precision. "The IRS audit is expanding. They're now looking at transactions from seven years ago, requesting documentation we may not have kept. Someone is feeding them a roadmap, Roman. They know exactly where to look."
"And the banks?" I drain my vodka, feeling the burn settle in my chest.
"Two more institutions have frozen accounts pending compliance reviews." David replaces his glasses, his green eyes troubled. "We're running out of channels to move money. Every new entity we establish gets flagged within days."
Lev turns from the window, his expression grim. "The Chinese are threatening to break the alliance completely."
"And the Irish?"
"Demanding a sit-down." Lev's tone makes it clear what that really means. An ultimatum. "They want assurances about our territorial intentions."
I pour another vodka, my mind calculating options. "Yakovlev is behind all of it. The pattern is too consistent, too strategic. We need proof."
I lean against my desk, my hands gripping the edge hard enough that my knuckles go white. "We grab one of his soldiers, make him talk. Someone knows who's orchestrating this."
Lev nods, already pulling out his phone to coordinate. We spend the next hour reviewing intelligence reports and identifying potential targets. Planning the kind of operation that requiresabsolute precision. It's the work I'm good at—cold calculation, strategic thinking, ruthless efficiency. But my mind keeps drifting to Eva, to the way her sweater stretched across her breasts, to how her body felt beneath mine the last time I had her.
My phone buzzes. Security, calling from the lobby.
"What?" I answer, my voice sharper than necessary.
"Sir, we have a situation. A young man is demanding to see you. He's refusing to leave, causing a scene. Says his name is Tyler Chen and that it's about Eva Markova."
My jaw tightens. "Send him up."
Lev's head snaps toward me, his dark eyes questioning. I end the call and pour another vodka, my mind racing. Tyler Chen. Megan's brother. The lovesick fool who brought Eva flowers and got tackled by my security team for his trouble.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" Lev asks, his hand already drifting toward the gun concealed beneath his jacket.
"We're about to find out."
The elevator chimes, and Tyler Chen steps out. He's a scrawny man—boy, actually—with wire-rimmed glasses slightly askew and wearing jeans and a hoodie that make him look even younger than twenty-three. But there's determination in the set of his shoulders, in the way he walks toward my office despite the fear I can see flickering in his brown eyes.
The boy's courage borders on stupidity. Coming here alone, unarmed, to confront a man he suspects is dangerous. All for a woman who doesn't want him.
Lev moves with predatory silence, positioning himself between Tyler and me, his hand resting on his concealed weapon. I raise my hand slightly, stopping him. There's something almost admirable about this foolish bravery.
"Mr. Chen." I keep my voice neutral, controlled. "This is unexpected."
Tyler's hands clench at his sides, but his voice is steady. "I need to know your intentions toward Eva."
The question would be laughable if it weren't so earnest. I study him—this boy who loves Eva enough to walk into a lion's den, who's trying so hard to be brave despite the trembling I can see in his fingers.
"My intentions are entirely honorable," I say, my accent making the words sound almost mocking. "Eva and I are engaged. She's moved into my home. We're getting married."
"She doesn't love you." Tyler's voice cracks slightly, betraying his desperation. "She's only doing this because you're forcing her somehow. I know you are."
Lev takes a step forward, his expression dangerous, but I stop him with a subtle gesture. "Eva is an adult capable of making her own choices. She chose me."
"Because you gave her no choice!" Tyler's composure is cracking, tears threatening behind his glasses. "I've been researching you, Mr. Sokolov. I know what you are. What you do. Eva deserves better than a criminal."
The accusation hangs in the air between us. David shifts uncomfortably, his lawyer's instincts probably screaming at theliability this conversation represents. Lev's hand is definitely on his gun now, waiting for my signal.
But I find myself almost respecting this foolish boy's courage.
"You're right," I say quietly, and Tyler's eyes widen with surprise. "Eva deserves better than me. Better than my world. But she chose me and I will protect her with everything I have. That's my intention, Mr. Chen. To keep her safe and to provide for her in ways you never could."
The words hit their mark. Tyler's face crumples slightly, the reality of his powerlessness settling over him like a shroud. He has nothing to offer Eva—no money, no protection, no leverage. Just his desperate, unrequited love.
