Page 71 of Maddening Fixation

“My life has already been planned. It doesn’t include marrying a complete stranger.”

A stranger.

The words echoed inside my mind.

Because I knew I was lying.

Lying to my parents.

Lying to my sister.

Most of all...

Lying to myself.

Romeo Flynn had never been a stranger to me.

He never had been.

He never would be.

“You’ll marry Romeo.”

My father’s voice carried such quiet certainty that it sounded less like an opinion and more like a decision that had already been made.

“As for this family...”

A faint smile touched his lips. “Leave them to me. I am the Capo of this Bratva. I know how to deal with my own people.”

His words were calm and measured.

I searched his face for the slightest crack in his composure.

I found none.

Father wasn’t a cruel man.

He had never been distant or abusive.

He had worked relentlessly to give Yarina and me every opportunity we could have wanted.

When Mother’s stroke stole her speech two years ago, he spared no expense searching for specialists across Europe and the United States, refusing to accept there was nothing more medicine could do.

He loved us.

I had never questioned that.

Which made this hurt even more.

Because today, I couldn’t tell whether he saw me as his daughter...

...or as the key to unlocking an empire.

My gaze drifted toward Mother.

She sat quietly beside the window, sunlight warming one side of her face.

Once, she had been the brightest person in any room, effortlessly commanding attention with her wit and elegance.