He slid out without a word.
Alessia arrived, and I dragged the chair back, locking my eyes on hers. “Sit.”
She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Maybe I had. Still, she lowered herself into the chair.
The anger in my chest didn’t settle. I couldn’t even decide what enraged me the most. Her, for ignoring me. Vadik, for treating her like a servant. Or myself, for letting any of it show.
Alessia folded her hands on her lap, shaking, and her eyes lowered. She didn’t belong at this table, yet she felt more present than anyone here. That has always been true. And the longer I looked at her, the more I understood why I was burning with anger. She was the only one who never ran when I bared my worst.
She never recoiled when she saw me sick and broken. Her chaos infuriated me, but it cut through the rot. Even when Renatkept her chained, she never gave me up. Not once. She had every reason to. By all logic, she should have. Despite that, she didn’t. That made her belong more than anyone tied to me by blood.
My hand settled over hers. She didn’t pull away. Her eyes lifted, not to me, but to where Vadik’s body sagged lifeless in the chair. Around us, the room emptied in a rush of silence. Everyone slipped out with their heads low and mouths sealed tight.
“Now, Alessia. Tell me what the fuck is going on.”
Chapter Thirty-nine
Alessia
My father was right. Ididn’t belong here. This was Rodion’s bloodline, his family, and they had just laid one in the ground. Now he had put another down for talking back. My lungs fought for air. I couldn’t look at the body, at the blood spreading beneath it, sliding out across the floor.
My eyes slipped from the corpse to my lap, where Rodion’s hand rested over mine. The same hand that had pulled the trigger. Did he do that for me, or was it only the fury he always carried, burning through everything in his path?
Papa was right. Rodion’s world was far from mine. And no matter how many times he pulled me into it, I could never fit. I wasn’t built for this.
But damn it, a traitorous part of me hated to admit he was hot. The control in his voice, the way they all obeyed, the raw powerhe carried … it set my chest on fire with pride. And I hated myself for it. Was I losing my mind? He made me feel safe, cherished, and even proud to be shown off. I knew it was wrong. I shouldn’t want this.
After I left home yesterday, Papa’s words wouldn’t leave me. Each one kept grinding through my head. He said Rodion wasn’t my future. He was my downfall. I had to stay away, at least until he found a way to pull me out of this life. His last warning was clear: stay out of trouble.
That’s why I decided to keep my distance from a man who could make me melt with just a look or destroy me with the same.
I have been avoiding him. And of course, he noticed.
His voice cut through the silence again. “Trust me, Little Gem, we can stare at these plates all night. But I’ll sit here until you look at me and talk.”
I couldn’t look at him or tell him the truth. That his world was too dangerous for me, and I didn’t belong here.
Because what if I said it, and he snapped? What if he locked me up just to keep me?
My father’s warnings weren’t paranoia. I had seen what Rodion was capable of. And the worst part? I still wanted him.
He murmured my name. “Alessia…”
But the moment broke when one guard stepped in, uninvited. Rodion stiffened, ready to snap, but the man spoke fast. “This came in for you, boss.” He handed over an envelope and left.
Seizing the moment, I stood, my knees wavering. “I need some air. I don’t feel well.”
Rodion was on his feet before I could take another step. His grip closed around my hand, and I exhaled, knowing he wouldn’t let it end there. He stepped closer, his palm brushing across my forehead. I froze. He studied me with that subtle squint, a silence that always came before he decided what to do next.
“I can’t do this here,” I said quickly.
After a second, he let go, and I left.
My heart ached after leaving. A part of me wanted to stay and end it with words. I hated the war within myself. Leaving felt wrong, but telling him the truth terrified me. No matter how right he felt in moments, he still scared me. And I couldn’t love a man who kept me from being free.
I reached the girls’ room. The girls huddled together, but their heads turned the moment I stepped inside. The look on their faces told me they already knew what had happened.
I kept my head down and brushed past them, sinking onto my bed. I pulled out my phone to text Carina because I was going insane.