Chapter 7 - SCARS OF THE PAST
The morning after the ambush, the penthouse felt different. The invisible wall between us had shattered. We sat on the balcony overlooking the rain-slicked city, drinking coffee in comfortable, heavy silence. Nikolai’s arm was bound in a sling, but his presence was as commanding as ever.
“Julian crossed a line,” Nikolai said quietly, staring at the skyline. “Selling my route to the Volkov bratva means he’s willing to burn our family’s empire just to rule the ashes. The Council meeting is tomorrow. He will try to use the attack to prove I am vulnerable.”
I rested my hand on his good arm. “Then we show them you aren't. We show them he’s a traitor.”
He looked at me, a soft, genuine smile touching his lips. “You say 'we' as if you were born into this life, Evelyn. Why are you so fiercely loyal to a man who dragged you into a war?”
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“Because you didn't let me fall,” I answered honestly. I looked away, the old wounds aching. “My whole life, my parents groomed me to be the perfect, silent wife for a powerful man. When Julian humiliated me, they asked me to swallow my pride to save their reputation. They never protected me. You stepped into the line of fire for me, Nikolai. Literally.”
He turned his body toward me, his dark eyes intense and blazing with a promise that made my breath catch. “I will always step into the line of fire for you, moya dusha. My soul. I offered you a business deal to save your pride. But I am keeping you because I have never met an equal until I met you.” He kissed me, slow and deep, sealing a vow that no contract could ever bind. We were no longer playing a game. We were going to war, and we were going to win.
