Page 522 of Reign

“I know.”

That quiets her for a second.

Because I do know.

I got to choose.

Whatever arrangements existed before Elena, whatever political marriage might have been useful to me, none of it mattered once I decided she was mine.

Now I’m asking my sister to consider something I refused to do myself.

There’s no version of that that feels fair.

But fair and necessary have never been the same thing.

“What about Papá?” she asks. “He’s still my father. So shouldn’t he have a say?”

“He can have an opinion. But I’m running the cartel now,” I say. “Anything that affects our alliances comes through me.”

“I’m not one of your cartel decisions.”

“No. You’re my sister. Which is why I’m going to be involved.”

“I’m not a fucking transaction.”

“Enough.”

She stops.

“You can be angry with me. You don’t get to stand in my office and talk to me however you want because you’re angry.”

Her eyes flash.

For one terrifying second, she looks exactly like Adriana.

“I’m not getting fucking married.”

“Valentina.”

“No.”

Her voice cracks.

The anger in me disappears immediately.

Her eyes are bright.

Fuck.

She blinks quickly, obviously trying to stop the tears before they fall.

I stand. “Come here.”

“No.”

She steps back.

That hurts more than it should.