I exhale through my nose. “That’s why I’m here.”
Marko stays silent behind me. Watching. Listening.
“I want Viktor Mikhailov dismantled,” I say. “Carefully. Completely.”
Konstantin’s interest sharpens.
“He used my wife,” I continue, voice low, controlled. “Fed her revenge dressed up as justice. Then escalated. Forgeddocuments. Contaminated my provenance records. Triggered investor panic. Routed anonymous tips to Europol.” I meet his eyes. “He’s trying to bury me under my own name.”
Konstantin nods slowly, already following.
“I want everything,” I say. “His illegal galleries. His shell companies. His off-book shipments. His forged certificates. His money trails. His contacts in customs, in enforcement, in the black market. I want leverage so heavy he won’t be able to breathe without my permission.”
Silence stretches.
Then Konstantin turns away from us.
He moves to the laptop, fingers already flying, screens changing too fast for most people to track. Names. Files. Maps. Accounts.
“You’re asking for a counterstrike.”
“Yes.”
A thin smile curves his mouth.
“Good,” he says. “Because men like Viktor don’t stop unless he’s made to understand consequences.”
He looks back at me, eyes cold and calculating.
“And once we start,” he adds, “there’s no half-measures.”
I don’t blink.
“I don’t want half,” I say. “I want final.”
Konstantin nods once.
“Then sit,” he says. “And let’s see how deep the rot goes.”
Chapter 20 – Sienna
I’m sitting in Sebastian’s study, wrapped in suffocating tension. The room feels smaller than usual, the walls pressing in as I stare at my phone, composing the message Sebastian coached me through. Very neutral, hesitant, balanced on that dangerous edge between fear and vengeance.
Sebastian stands behind me, close enough that I can feel his presence, but he doesn’t touch me. He doesn’t rush me. He lets me find the courage on my own, and somehow that makes this harder—and easier—at the same time.
Not too eager,he’d said quietly.Not defiant. You’re conflicted. You want out, but you’re not brave enough to walk away clean. Let him think you’re at his mercy.
My thumbs hover over the screen. My pulse thunders in my ears.
It’s supposed to be simple.
Just one text.
“I want out. But I’ll finish what I already started.”
The words stare back at me, sharp and final. A lie wrapped around the truth.
My hands shake as I hit send.
