"You can protect her airtight for one year," he said. "But after? Contract expires, she walks out of this estate—then what? She's been publicly introduced as Pakhan's fiancée. She's already on Marchetti's radar. That doesn't vanish when the contract ends."
My fingers tightened.
"Protecting her is one way," Sasha continued. "But no one can be protected forever by someone else. Instead of letting her stumble blind, teach her. Let her see what danger looks like. Let her know what to do when threats come. Let her truly understand what it means to stand where she's standing now." His tone wasflat, deliberate. "That way, whether you're beside her or not, she can protect herself."
The study went quiet.
I stared at the lamp's halo on the desk and didn't speak for a long time.
Sasha was right about every word. Rationally, he was correct. The most dangerous thing on this line was never known threats—it was the moments you didn't predict, when the other side had already struck. Vivienne spotted that scout tonight because her observation happened to collide with his mistake. Next time, they wouldn't leave that opening.
But protecting her versus pushing her to the edge of this line—
I couldn't reconcile those two things in my head.
I stayed silent until the grandfather clock struck twelve heavy chimes. Then I decided.
"Give her the best security," I said, voice low. "Starting tomorrow, double the detail. I want at least four people in the shadows wherever she goes."
I paused, fingers tapping the desk faster. "And... teach her. Teach her how to spot danger. How to protect herself in emergencies. But remember, Sasha—"
I looked up, gaze sharp. "She never participates directly in any operation. She only needs to know how to stay safe. That's it."
Sasha nodded. "Understood, Pakhan."
He turned to leave, but stopped at the door.
"Pakhan," he looked back, something almost gentle crossing his hard face. "Ms. Cole is lucky to have you protecting her like this."
The door closed.
I sat alone in the study, looking out at the estate in the night.
My heart was full of contradictions—I wanted to build her an ivory tower, yet knew that tower no longer existed; I wanted to keep her from darkness, yet understood she'd already chosen to stand beside me—darkness itself.
All I could do was my best: teach her to protect herself while ensuring she'd never truly face the cruelest things.
I found Vivienne.She was pacing her room excitedly, notebook fluttering in her hands. Tonight's experience had clearly given her an adrenaline high—that genuine thrill made her radiate blazing vitality.
She was too young. Didn't truly grasp what "mob conspiracy" really meant.
I walked up to her, jaw tight.
"Vivienne." I looked into her eyes. "Tonight was dangerous. If Marchetti's people had been contained one step later, there's no telling what would've happened to you."
She looked up, met my gaze, and instead of fear, hunger flashed in her eyes. "But we succeeded, didn't we? Nikolai, in that moment, I felt alive. Not the writer stressing over rent and royalties—someone real, standing at the center of the power storm."
I listed every danger she'd face if she kept assisting me—the bloody details, the assassination risks that could end her life any second.
Vivienne listened quietly, nodded casually. "I know."
That naive—almost stupid—expression made me intensely frustrated. I looked at her, nearly rough in my attempt to shut down this recklessness. "Do you understand what this means? Next time could be kidnapping. Assassination. If you back out now, I can protect you. Send you far away."
But she laughed. That smile was so bright it almost blinded me.
"Nikolai, what are you afraid of?" She stood, closed the distance naturally, those blue eyes holding an overwhelming purity. "I'll always be with you. You'll protect me, right?"
Not a shred of hesitation. That trust hit like a tidal wave, punching through every cold reason I'd prepared to refuse her.
