The words hurt more than I expected.
"I'm going to meet with Viktor," I say, stepping back. "Get the security situation sorted. You should rest, eat something when Margareta brings it."
"Axel, wait." She reaches for me but doesn't quite touch. "Did you do the right thing? Telling my father?"
"I don't know."
"Neither do I." She looks so lost. "He called me a disgrace. Said I'm not his daughter anymore. And maybe he's right."
"He's angry. Give him time."
"How much time? Days? Months? Years?" Her voice breaks. "What if he never forgives me?"
"Then he's a fool."
"He's my father."
"And you're his daughter. That doesn't change just because he's angry." I want to pull her into my arms, want to promise her everything will be okay. But I'm not sure it will be. "Get some rest. We'll figure this out tomorrow."
"Will we? Figure it out?"
"We have to."
She nods, but she doesn't look convinced.
I leave before I do something stupid like beg her to tell me this was worth it. That leaving her father, destroying my friendship with Luca, burning everything down was the right choice.
Because right now, standing in this massive house that suddenly feels empty, I'm not sure of anything.
Viktor's waiting in my office, a room lined with monitors showing every angle of the estate. He's already pulled up security feeds, checking perimeters.
"Talk to me," I say, pouring whiskey for both of us.
"Doubled the guards. Put our best men on rotation. If Luca sends someone, we'll know." He takes the glass. "But boss, realistically, what's the play here?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you've got his daughter in your house. You've admitted to getting her pregnant. You've destroyed a twenty-year friendship and a major alliance." He leans back. "So, what's the endgame? You marry her? Raise the kid? Hope Luca eventually calms down?"
"I don't know."
"That's not good enough. You need a plan."
"I KNOW I need a plan!" The words come out harsher than intended. "But I don't have one, Viktor. For the first time in my life, I don't know what the fuck I'm doing."
He studies me. "You care about her."
"Of course I care about her. She's carrying my child."
"It's more than that."
He's right. It is more than that. But admitting it feels dangerous.
"She's twenty-six years old," I say instead. "She just walked away from her father for me. Left everything she's ever known. And I don't even know if I can give her a life worth that sacrifice."
"Can you?"
"I don't know. This world... it's violent, Viktor. Dangerous. She's seen glimpses, but living in it is different. What if she can't handle it? What if she realizes she made a mistake and wants to go back?"