It was my birthright. My duty.
And I still carry that duty on my shoulders every day.
The Rogov legacy is mine, not Aslanov’s.
So, whilst he wants me dead, I want him dead even more.
Chapter Five
Lauren
Father swipes a flute of champagne from one of the servers, indulging in the experience.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes and continue watching him as he meanders around the courtyard looking for another person to talk to. It doesn’t make sense. These people killed his wife, my mother. Why is he shaking their hands and giving them fake smiles? He shouldn’t even be here to begin with.
“They’re leaving soon,” says a guest, appearing out of nowhere. “Red-eye to Santorini.”
Shit.
Sophia’s flying out already?
Looks like my father will have to wait. If I want to talk to my bestie before she takes off to her honeymoon, it’s now or never.
I locate her in the crowd again—a simple task. She’s the only one wearing glittering diamonds, and the sea of criminals parts around her every time she takes a step like she’s royalty. I suppose she is now.
She finishes up a conversation with a guest and moves to the dessert table. My own stomach rumbles at the sight. A five-tiered wedding cake sits in the middle. Around it are smaller plates of desserts. Macarons. Chocolate-coated strawberries.
I advance forward and tug on her dress. She whips around just as she’s about to pop a chocolate strawberry in her mouth.
“Lauren? What are you—?”
“Chop that up first. I’d hate for you to ruin your lipstick on your big day.” I exhale and smooth my dress at my sides. “I just want to talk.”
Hesitation flashes across her face, and she looks over her shoulder, unsure. We exchange a long look before she nods, dragging me away from the courtyard, into a private hallway separated from the reception. She guides me away from the veranda so that we’re against the wall.
“Why?” The question flies off my tongue. “Why would you do this?” Her shoulders sag. “Why would you get involved withthem?” I press.
She exhales, and looks at me with those doe-like brown eyes. The makeup artist knew what they were doing, enhancing her hazel eyes with a pink, blended eyeshadow. She looks beautiful. And for some reason, it breaks my heart even more.
“My life,” she begins, “is more complicated than you think.”
“You know you can tell me anything.”
“I know.”
“Then tell me how it’s complicated.” I soften my voice, realizing I’m coming off too sharp. “You know I’m here for you, Soph.”
“I… You’ve always had it easy, Lauren. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
She relaxes her shoulders and stares at me for a moment. “Things with my family haven’t been the best recently. We’ve been struggling a lot, like, financially. You know what my father is like. He’s always been a bit of a loose cannon when it comes to the slot machines. The debts keep piling up, and Mom is struggling to pay for the damage. We needed a way out, and the Rogov syndicate offered to help.”
“Is this what they call help?” I fold my arms. It’s common knowledge those bastards are always chasing something in return. Favors are never given out of the kindness of their hearts.I grab her hand. “You could’ve come to me. I would have helped you-given you whatever you need.”
Sophia shakes her head. “I appreciate it, but you know I could never ask you for that.”
I stare at her a moment longer, trying to wrap my head around this and decide whether I’m annoyed, sad, or both. She should’ve come to me as my best friend, but also, I know she would’ve felt bad. She’s always had that in her.
