“Luca!”
“This conversation is over. Lina is handled. The information stops spreading. We move forward.”
“You can’t just?—”
“I can. And I did. If you have an issue with how I protect my interests, that’s your problem. Not mine.” He returns to the papers on his desk like I’m not even there.
I stand there shaking with rage and fear and the realization that I’m married to someone who will hurt people I care about without hesitation.
“Dinner is at seven,” Luca says without looking up. “Maxim will be joining us. Make sure the twins are presentable.”
“Why is Maxim coming?”
“Because I told him to. He’s been avoiding the estate since the wedding. That stops tonight.”
Great. An evening with Luca’s hostile son on top of everything else.
I leave his office and go find the twins.
Seven o’clock arrives too fast.
I’ve dressed Mila in a blue dress she hates. Alexei is in pants and a button-up shirt, which he keeps trying to untuck. Both of themare quiet, subdued. They’ve barely spoken to me since learning about their father.
We walk to the dining room together. Luca is already there, standing by the window. He’s changed into a dark suit, no tie. He looks at the twins when we enter. “Good evening,” he says.
Neither of them responds. Mila hides slightly behind me. Alexei just stares at the floor.
Footsteps in the hallway. Maxim walks in.
He’s thirty but looks younger. Tall, lean build, dark hair swept back. He has Luca’s sharp features, but without the coldness. Or maybe the coldness is there, just hidden better.
His eyes land on me first. Then the twins. His expression doesn’t change, but I see the calculation there.
“Maxim,” Luca says. “You remember Anna.”
“Of course.” Maxim extends his hand. “Good to see you again.”
I shake it. His grip is firm, professional. “You too.”
“And these are Mila and Alexei.” Luca gestures to the twins.
Maxim looks down at them. “Hello.”
Mila presses closer to my leg. Alexei doesn’t respond.
“They’re shy,” I say.
“Understandable. Must be overwhelming living here.” Maxim’s tone is pleasant, but there’s an edge underneath. “Big change from wherever they were before.”
“We lived with my parents.”
“Right. Viktor and Svetlana. How are they handling all this?”
“They’re adjusting.”
“I’m sure they are. Must have been quite a shock for everyone when the truth came out.”
The way he says “the truth” makes my skin prickle.
