Chapter b15 /b

Niki’s POV:

I couldn’t help the quiet chuckle that slipped past my lips, though it died almost instantly when her mother’s re snapped to me like a de

drawn too bfast/b.

“Please don’t stress yourself,” I said bquickly/b, trying to sound as respectful as possible. “Your health is more important. As for my brother. I’ll see to it that he gets what’sing to him”

She didn’t respond right away. Her icy blue eyes stayed locked on me, assessing, calcting. She wasn’t like most of the older women I encountered in the upper social circles. There was something raw about her presence. Something no–nonsense and sharp, like the steel of a knife that had seen war. Even now, freshly post–op. leaning back into a hospital pillow, she bdidn’t /bseem weak.

Her features, though softened by age and fatigue, still carried a strength that clearly hadn’t dulled. Shoulder–length blonde hair that was streaked with silver, pale lips pulled into a firm lineb, /band deep–set eyes bthat /bflickered with something bjust /bshort bof /bfury. Not directed at me–yet–but certainly fueled by the bsituation/b.

She reminded me of Elena. But fiercer. bElena /bwas a me. Her mother? A goddamn wildfire.

“Thank you,” she finally said, though her tone was clipped. “But I don’t need anyone to stand up for my daughter. And as for all the help you’ve offered, I appreciate bit/bb, /bbut bI’ll /bbe repaying every penny

Right.

There bit /bwill.

This was the moment. How I handled this would determine everything. The direction this day would take. Whether Elena got steamrolled by guilt, or if I could smooth the path forward. I took a slow breath.

“I bunderstand/b,b” /bbI /bbsaid /bgently. “bAnd /bI admire bthat/b. bBut /bI bassure /byou, you bdon’t /bhave to worry about the money”

Her sharp gaze narrowed further. “And why, exactly, would you be so generous, Mr. Vetrov?”

She wasn’t buying the nice guy routine. Smart womanb. /b

I met her eyes steadily. “Because it’s my duty. As your future son–inw,”

“Niki!” Elena gasped beside me, her voice high with rm.

I knew it bwas /bfast. Too fast. But in my world, hesitation was weakness. And I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for her to build up to the truth in a neat, emotionally stable arc. I had deadlines. Thad control to regain over my own damn brain.

Because this woman–her daughter was bbing /bba /bproblem.

This morning I’d been thirty minuteste to my office because for the first time in years, I bhad /bslept in. I’d bskipped /bmy morning espresso and barely had anything to cat..

My secretary had to ping me five times–live–before I even realized I waste for the board meeting. And what the hell bhad /bI been doing that

entire timet

Sining at my bdesk/b, mindpletely nk, just.. reying the way Elena bhad /bleaned in. The look in her eyes. The faint tremble of her fingers. The way her lips had parted, hesitant but willing. It had been right there. Inches baway/b.

And I stopped her.

Why did I stop her!

I could we had her. Right then. Right there. No resistance. No excuses.

Hut binstead/bb, /bmy brain short–circuited like a bgoddamn /bteenager. Because I saw the dark circles under her eyes. The way her shoulders had sagged with caluustión. I hept staring at her, thinking–not with my bdick /bfor bonce/b–but with whatever scraps of morality I still had left,

bshe /bneeded sleep.

And for some idiotic reason, I let that matter nore than taking what I wanted.

Stupid.

Absolutely fucking stupid.

b1/2 /b

8:39 PM

I needed this contract to do its job. I needed to have her. To exorcise the pull she had on bme /bAnd

Beatrix, however, wasn’t cooperating.

“What do you mean?” she demanded, pushing herself upright, her jaw clenching

“Nothing, Mom, don’t listen to him-“Elena started, her voice brising /bin panic.

“You be quiet.” bBeatrix /bsnappedb. /bHer btone /bcut the broom /bin half. “I bwill /bspeak to Mr. Vetrov first.”

1 straightenedb. /bTime to sell it.

“bJust /bbas /bbI /bbsaid/b. Elena and I are getting married.”

The silence that followed was thick and immediate.

1 needed to move on. Fast.

Her mother’s eyes darted between us, disbelief etched into every line of her face. “Why? And how did this even happen“b” /b

Before I couldunch into my prepared story, Elena jumped in, her voice rushed. “I like him.”

Walt

What!

I blinked, stunned.

“I mean, we both like each other!” she added hastily, turning red as Beatrix continued bto /bstare.

It wasn’t part of the n. But bI /bwasn’t going to waste the opportunity

Beatrix looked baffled bas /bbshe /bbegan, “So you.were cheating—”

“No,” I said, stepping in quickly. “She didn’t cheat on your son. I found out a while ago that bDmitri /bwas unfaithful. I told Elena the truth. And yes, I’ve bhad /bfeelings for her for some time. I saw a chance, and I took it. Selfishly.”

Elena nodded along, her eyes avoiding mine.

“I was going to confront Dmitri,” she said softly. “Expose him. But then everything happened so fist”

Beatrix looked at her daughter bwith /ba hardened expression. “So you’re telling me.. you caught your bfiancé /bcheating, and byour /bsolution was to marry his older brother as revenger

Elena didn’t answer right away.

She just nodded but then shook her head. Obviously confused herself.

1 saw the fury build behind Beatrix’s eyes before she hissed, “Do you two think marriage is a damn jokeb?/bb” /b

And then she started coughing

bA /bbrough/b, dry sound that cracked through the room and made my bpulse /bspike. Elena rushed forward, reaching for her mother’s arm, but Beatrix shoved her back, wheezing.

Beatrix caught her breath, then red at us both, her voice low and trembling with brestrained /bfuryb” /b

色

bAD /b

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