When I finished, the silence was even longer than it had been with Demyan.
"The timeline is problematic," Kirill said finally. "She appears in your life three weeks ago. You become fixated on her. And now, conveniently, she turns out to be the exact person the Petrovics are hunting." A pause. "You don't find that suspicious?"
"She didn't know who I was. I used a false name."
"So she claims."
"I believe her."
"You keep saying that. Belief is not evidence."
"I was there, Kirill. I saw her face when those men came through the door. She was terrified. Whatever game you think she's playing, that fear was real."
"Fear can be performed. You of all people should know that."
The words landed like a slap. He wasn't wrong—I'd spent my whole life performing, hiding behind charm and smiles. But Keira wasn't like me. Her masks were different. And I'd seen behind them.
"She's not performing," I said. "Not about this."
"How can you be certain?"
"Because I've spent three weeks watching her strip away my defenses, piece by piece, until I had nothing left to hidebehind. I know what it looks like when someone's walls come down. And I saw hers fall the moment those men said her real name."
Kirill was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was marginally less cold. "You care about her."
It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"That makes you vulnerable. Vulnerability is dangerous."
"I'm aware."
"And yet you're proceeding anyway."
"Yes."
Another long pause. I could almost hear him calculating, weighing variables, running scenarios in that frozen computer he called a mind.
"The marriage makes strategic sense," he said finally. "If she's our family, she's off the board. The Petrovics lose their prize. The Irish lose their leverage. Cormac's alliance falls apart before it begins."
"That's what I'm counting on."
"But it only works if she's genuine. If she's been planted—if she's feeding information to our enemies—we've just invited a viper into our house."
"She's not a viper."
"You can't know that."
"Then I'll take the risk."
Demyan cut in. "This isn't just your risk to take. If this goes wrong, it affects all of us. Our families. Our operations. Everything we've built."
"I know." I kept my voice steady. "That's why I'm telling you. Not asking permission—I'm not a child, and this is my decision. But I'm telling you because we're family, and family should know."
The silence that followed was different. Heavier. I could feel them both weighing my words, deciding whether to push back or accept.
Demyan spoke first. "You're certain about this?"
