He spreads his hands in a gesture that's meant to be apologetic, but it comes across as dismissive. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. But you have to understand—I couldn't walk into a meeting with a man like Andrei Petrov without protection. Surely you can see that."
"The agreement was no guards," Andrei says flatly "You broke your word."
"I'm a businessman, Mr. Petrov. I don't take unnecessary risks." My father's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Besides, you brought men as well. I saw the vehicles some ways back on the way in."
"For defense. Not offense." Andrei's hand moves slightly, and I realize he's positioning himself between me and my father. Protecting me even now. "You brought Volkov. That's a declaration in and of itself."
The older man—Volkov—steps forward. His smile is cold and predatory. "Smart boy. I always said you were smart, Petrov. Shame you're so young. So inexperienced. So... vulnerable."
"Dad." I step around Andrei, ignoring his sharp intake of breath. "Please. This isn't what I asked for. I asked you to come so we could talk. So we could end this war before more people die."
My father's expression softens slightly when he looks at me. "I know, sweetheart. And I appreciate what you're trying to do. But you're naive. You don't understand how this world works."
"Then explain it to me." I move closer, desperate to reach him, to make him understand. "Explain why you're willing to let this war continue. Why you won't just pay the ransom and bring me home."
"Because it's not about the ransom anymore, Liesl." He glances at Volkov, then back to me. "It hasn't been about the ransom for a long time."
Something cold settles in my stomach. "What do you mean?"
"Your kidnapping was actually very beneficial for me." He says it casually, like he's discussing a successful business deal. "Once Petrov is eliminated and the Volkov family takes over his territory, I'll have a new stream of income. New businesses. New opportunities. All because of the war that started over you."
The words don't make sense at first. I hear them, but my brain can't process what he's actually saying. "You're using me," I say slowly. "You're using my kidnapping as an excuse to—what? Expand your operations?"
"Not an excuse, sweetheart. An opportunity." He smiles—the smile I'm sure he's flashed in boardrooms when he's closing a deal that will make him millions. "Petrov made a mistake when he took you. He gave me the perfect reason to align with the Volkov family and take everything he's built."
"You never intended to pay the ransom." I stare at him. "You never intended to bring me home. Not from that very first call."
"Of course I want you home." He sounds almost offended. "You're my daughter. But I'm also a businessman. And this situation presented an opportunity I couldn't pass up."
My lungs seize, and I feel like I can't breathe. I can't quite process the fact that my own father—the man who raised me, who taught me to ride a bike and helped me with my homework and told me he loved me—has been using my kidnapping as a business strategy. Everything Andrei has said is true—it's all right here in front of me now, in my father's own words.
"You let men die," I say, my voice shaking. "People have died because you wouldn't end this."
"People die in war, Liesl. That's the nature of the business." He shrugs, like we're discussing stock prices instead of human lives. "I'm sorry you had to be caught in the middle of it. But once this is over, once Petrov is eliminated and the Volkov family has consolidated control, you'll be free. You'll come home. Everything will go back to normal."
"Normal." I stare at him, tears pricking at my eyes "You think things can go back to normal after this?"
"You're young. You'll heal." He takes a step toward me, and I instinctively step back. The movement makes him frown. "Liesl, I know this is difficult to understand. But in a few years, you'll see that I made the right choice. That sometimes we have to sacrifice short-term comfort for long-term gain."
"I'm not a business deal!" The words explode out of me. "I'm your daughter! And you're talking about me like I'm—like I'm just another asset to be leveraged! I've been indanger! People want me dead. And I could have been hurt.Anythingcould have been happening to me, and—you… all you care about is money!"
"That's not fair." For the first time, he looks genuinely hurt. "I love you, Liesl. Everything I do, I do for our family. For our future."
"No." I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. "No, you do it for yourself. For your empire. For your profit margins and your fuckingbusiness opportunities."
"Liesl—"
"You can't kill him." The words come out desperate, pleading. "Please, Dad. Please don't do this. Just—just walk away. End the alliance with Volkov. Let Andrei keep his territory. We can all just walk away."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Volkov speaks up, his voice cold and amused. "Your father and I have an agreement. Petrov's territory becomes mine. His operations, his men, his businesses—all of it. And in exchange, your father gets a percentage of the profits and access to my distribution networks."
"I don't care about your agreement!" I turn to my father, grabbing his arm. "Please. Please don't do this. I'm begging you."
He looks down at my hand on his arm, then up at my face. "Why do you care so much about what happens to him? He kidnapped you, Liesl. He held you hostage. He's a criminal."
"Because I—" The words catch in my throat. I can't say it. But my father sees it anyway. His expression hardens.
"Oh, Liesl. Tell me you didn't fall for him. Tell me you're not that naive."
