Page 60 of Queen’s Gambit

“It’s what I do best. Well, if you two are done with the bromance, I have an idea.”

“Oh, shit. I need to sit down.”

Grumbling, I wandered over to my bed while Marcus launched into his plan to turn our rooms into an onsite arcade. He went into great detail about how much money we would make as Paul told him over and over that it wasn’t happening.

I’d completely tuned them out when my phone rang, and I answered without looking at the Caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Edmundo, it’s Vadin Mikhailov.”

Marcus and Paul stopped talking as I bolted upright.

“Mr. Mikhailov, thank you for calling me back,” I said, my heart beating faster than if I’d just sprinted a mile.

“Yes, well, I figured that if I didn’t, you would continue to call every day and annoy me.”

“Yes, I would’ve.”

“Then say what you want to say.”

Opening my mouth to apologize yet again, I stopped myself and decided to take a different approach.

“I know that it was Christov Ivankov who called you. I insist on telling you what happened so that you can make an educated decision about me. Instead of believing rumors and lies.”

“Yes, you’re correct, it was Christov who called me. How did you find out?”

“He told me. He rubbed it in my face that he’d ruined any future I could have with Yulianna.”

“Why would he do that?”

Starting from the beginning, I divulged that I’d been secretly in love with Ana for years but never thought that I was good enough for her or her family. I explained how I wanted to prove to him and everyone else that I could become a powerful Don and worthy of consideration.

“This is all well and good, and I appreciate you telling me. But what does it have to do with Christov?”

“Lawrence Collier attacked Yulianna when she was leaving the library. She fought him off, but she didn’t tell me or report it because she was scared you would force her to go home, and she badly wanted to finish her time at Wayward.”

“You mean spend more time with you?”

“Partly, but that is not the only reason. The why doesn’t matter, what does matter is that Lawrence saw a way to get back at Yulianna for evading his advances and turning him down. He went to Christov. We’ve been rivals since we first met, and I now consider us enemies. Together, they hatched a plan to smear both mine and Yulianna’s reputation. But I swear to you, sir, and I will stand by it to my grave, I did not dishonor you or Yulianna. Yes, we kissed. The photo is real, and I won’t deny it. But I will do anything for your daughter. Tell me how to earn back your trust.”

“Yulianna told the same story, and I have confirmed that this Mr. Collier did indeed hurt my daughter.” I held my breath as Vadin spoke. “I will not permit her to return to Wayward, but I’ll still consider you for her marriage. Prove to me that you’re worth the risk.”

“I will, sir, thank you. And Mr. Mikhailov...”

“Yes?”

“Please tell Yulianna that…well…that….”

“I will tell her you miss her,” he said and then hung up the phone.

For the first time in days, my blood pumped through my veins with purpose. I looked at Marcus and Paul who hadn’t moved the entire time that I was on the phone.

“He’s going to give me a second chance.”

“Fuck, yes,” Marcus yelled. “Okay, so what do you think of the arcade?”

“No!” Paul and I yelled at the same time.