Page 29 of Bratva Brother’s Bride

“Yes. He came to me last week with a proposal. Very thorough. He understands the value of keeping assets close.” Konstantin smiles. “Once the Zabota period is over, she’ll be transferred to his care as his fiancée. I’ve already given my approval.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My vision narrows until all I can see is my father’s smug face staring at me. Asshole.

I’m out of my chair before I know I’m moving. My hand closes around Konstantin’s collar and I’m pulling him toward me, desperate to wipe that smile off his face⁠—

He shifts sideways with a speed that belies his age, slipping free of my grip. His chair scrapes back as he stands, straightening his jacket with deliberate calm.

“Temper, Roman.” He tugs his cufflinks into place. “You’re making a scene.”

“I’m not done with you.”

“You are.” He gestures to Katya, who’s already on her feet, her face pale. “We’re leaving. Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

He tosses bills onto the table without counting them. Katya grabs her clutch and hurries after him, her heels clicking rapidly across the floor.

Vera’s hand touches my arm. Her grip is firm. “Let him go,” she says quietly.

I watch my father disappear through the restaurant door. The silence around us is deafening.

He’s won this round, and he knows it.

9

VERA

“Iwant to go home.”

The restaurant is still too quiet. Conversation resumes around us, but I can feel the weight of stares on my back. The staff are pretending nothing happened, but their eyes keep darting to our table.

Roman straightens and pulls out his wallet. He drops several bills on the table, more than enough to cover the meal we barely touched, then helps me up from my chair. His hand is warm against my arm and I hate that I notice.

“Then we can go ho—” He looks away. “Artyom will take us to the penthouse.”

I stop walking. My heels skid slightly on the polished floor. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve had your things moved to my home. I did say you would be moving in on Friday. Today is Friday, isn’t it?”

The words take a moment to register. When they do, something hot and sharp lances through my chest. “You took me out to dinner so you could go behind my back and pack my things?”

Roman’s jaw tightens. A muscle jumps beneath his skin, and I can see him fighting for control. “I took you out to dinner because we needed to be seen together. The move was practical.”

“Efficient.” I yank my arm free from his grip. My voice comes out louder than I intend, and a nearby couple glances over. “You could have asked.”

“Would you have agreed?”

I open my mouth to say no, of course not, but the truth is more complicated than that. I might have agreed. I might have seen the logic in it, but he didn’t give me the chance.

I want to scream, but what good would it do? Instead I follow him out of the restaurant, to where Artyom is waiting with the car.

The drive is silent. I sit next to Roman in the back seat and stare out the window so I don’t have to look at him. My hands are shaking and I can’t tell if it’s anger or fear or something else entirely.

Anton wants to marry me. Konstantin has already approved it. In ninety days, I’ll be handed over to another man. Why does this keep happening? The thought makes my stomach turn.

We pull up to a high-rise building in River North. Artyom opens my door and I step out onto the sidewalk, looking up at the glass tower. The lobby behind us glows with warm light, but the building itself looks cold and impersonal.

“This is it?” I ask.

“This is it.”