Page 87 of His to Own

Lana offers me a comforting smile and a pat on the hand. “Good. I don’t want to lose you, Elena. I’ll fight for you whenever I can. I’m always here for you, Never forget that.”

Before I can answer, I hear the front door open and the sound of male voices permeates the air. And then Nikolai and Maxim… and my father appear in the living room doorway.

They all stop talking when they see me and Lana.

“Elena,” Maxim says. “I didn’t know you were here. I thought you were at brunch.”

I can’t speak. Just knowing he didn’t tell me about Alisa pains me in a way I never thought I would feel when it comes to Maxim. Why do I have to care so much? I shouldn’t care at all.

“Lana,” Father says with his pinched lips.

“Father,” Lana responds in a cold tone, sounding just like the ice princess she was always known to be.

He doesn’t even acknowledge me. The pain of it makes tears prick at my eyes.

“Your other daughter is here too,” Maxim says, nodding at me.

That forces Father to turn to me. “Elena.” I can tell it takes everything inside of him to speak to me.

After everything that has happened today, I can’t take it anymore. I jump to my feet. “Why do you hate me so much?”

He looks startled. It’s rare for me to challenge him. “Don’t be rude, Elena.”

“What have I done?” I practically cry. “What have I done to you?”

The entire room is tense. No one else wants to speak. Maxim glares at my father while Nikolai walks over to Lana and murmurs something low I can’t hear.

Father turns his back to me. “I am going home. We have discussed business enough.” Each step of his shoes on the ground is like a gong in my ear as he walks away.

“You don’t have to be such an asshole to your daughter,” Maxim calls out.

Father whirls around and jams his finger at Maxim. “And you shouldn’t have forced her into a marriage.”

“You were going to marry her to some fucker who was going to beat her every day. You should be thanking me that it was me who married her. Unless you don’t care if your daughter is beaten every day.”

“Careful,” Father warns. “You and Nikolai already went behind my back when you saw Aleksander Baranov without me. Don’t say anything else to make me angry.”

“You are a pathetic little man, Gregory.” Maxim towers over my father and I can tell it only makes him more angry. “You go after your daughter, knowing full well how you hurt her. What is wrong with you?”

“Maxim,” Nikolai warns. “Be careful.”

“What is wrong with you?” Father snaps back. “You’re the one who forced her into a marriage. You killed Mikhail right in front of her. Don’t paint me as the bad guy.”

“What else are you then?”

My father’s face contorts into pure fury as he pushes Maxim back. Maxim swings his fist at my father’s face and connects. My father grunts and throws a hit, landing it to Maxim’s stomach, and making him double over.

Then they really begin to fight. Throwing punches. Shoving each other.

Nikolai runs towards them and grabs my father, holding him back. “Enough. Stop. Stop it.”

All I can do is watch the entire exchange in shock.

“You will regret this,” Father threatens, spitting blood towards Maxim’s face.

“Go home, Gregory,” Nikolai says. “Now.”

Father glares at both men and doesn’t even look at Lana or me before he storms away. The sound of the front door slamming shut makes me flinch.