I reach into my pocket and pull out a small box. Inside is a platinum band set with diamonds—expensive, beautiful, and bought specifically for this moment.
I’ve been planning this for weeks, ever since I confirmed her father’s location and executed him for his sins.
I take Sophia’s left hand.
It’s small and delicate in mine, the skin soft.
She tries to pull away, but I hold firm, sliding the ring onto her finger.
It fits perfectly.
I made sure of that.
“You may kiss the bride,” Father Bogdan whispers, and I can hear the prayer in his voice.Please don’t make me watch this.
I cup Sophia’s face in my hands.
Her skin is wet with tears, and she flinches at my touch.
But she doesn’t pull away. She’s learning already.
I lean in slowly, giving her time to see it coming.
Her eyes squeeze shut, fresh tears leaking from the corners.
When my lips touch hers, she’s stiff and unresponsive.
The kiss is brief, cold, nothing like a wedding kiss should be.
But as I pull back, I catch the scent of her again—that floral sweetness mixed with fearand something tightens in my chest. Something I don’t want to feel.
She’s the enemy. She’s his daughter. She deserves this.
“Congratulations,” Father Bogdan says miserably. “You’re now husband and wife.”
I release Sophia and step back. She sways on her feet.
For a second, I think she might collapse.
But she steadies herself, wrapping her arms around her middle like she’s trying to hold herself together.
“Thank you, Father,” I say, holstering my gun. “Sign the paperwork, then you’re dismissed.”
He scribbles his name on the wedding forms and practically runs from the chapel, his robes flapping behind him.
The door slams shut, leaving us alone with my men.
“Now,” I say, turning back to Sophia. “It’s time for your wedding gift.”
I pull out my phone and open the photo gallery.
My thumb hovers over the first image for just a moment.
Part of me—a small, weak part—doesn’t want to do this. Doesn’t want to see the light die completely in her eyes.
But I think of Nicole.
I think of finding her body in that bathtub, the water red with her blood.
