None of the laughter.
None of the dramatics.
This is not the Matteo I know.
This is someone else entirely.
Someone calculating.
A stranger.
Something inside my chest cracks—quiet, but deep.
Because this one…this one I didn’t see coming.
Not him.
Not Matteo.
I take a slow step back.
Then another.
My heart is pounding now, loud enough that I’m sure he’ll hear it through the door.
I don’t wait to hear more.
I turn.
And walk away, steps wobbly, like the ground beneath me has shifted and I’m still trying to find my balance.
By the time I reach the hallway, my chest feels tight. Because this isn’t just betrayal. This is exposure. Everything Matteo knows. The estate. The routines. Me. All of it….
In Anton’s hands.
My jaw tightens.
There’s only one place I need to be right now.
I turn sharply and head toward Timofey’s office.
He needs to know.
Now.
I don’t knock.
I push the door open and step inside.
Timofey is there—with Lukyan and Misha.
All three of them turn at once.
Timofey is already half-standing before I fully step in.
“Are you alright,zolotse?”
The endearment hits me. It’s soft and unexpected. It makes my heart skip.
