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“She’s in Paris attending fashion week. Why she insists on being a part of that world is beyond me. Her life is here, in New York.” Dimitri was a concerned father. We both knew that Martina did not truly belong in the underworld, but it still frustrated him that she could not accept that part of her DNA. She refused to embrace it, unlike I had to.
I always envied that about her. She got to have the choice, while the responsibility just fell on me.
“Her life is where her heart says it is, uncle.” It was endearing to see him somewhat vulnerable when it came to his daughter. “You told her that she would get to choose. Don’t try to take that choice away from her.”
A deep, bitter laugh escaped his lips. “She would kill me if I did. She made it very clear to me from an early age what she wanted. I don’t intend to rob her of a life she desires, Vina.”
“Good.” A small smile played on my lips. “Besides, you have me. I know I may not be your blood daughter, but at least I have embraced what we do.”
“You are my daughter, Savina. I know I may carry another title, but a part of me feels like I helped raise you. I watched you grow alongside Martina like twins. I changed your diapers; I saw you on your first date. You are as much my daughter as Martina is.”
Memories of that time filtered into my mind. The nostalgia and the innocence of that time stirred a long-vacated area in my heart.
A moment of silence passed between us. There was an unspoken understanding between us. We were never overly affectionate or sweet, so moments like these were uncharted territory.
“I need to go now, uncle. I’m starting to feel a headache from staring at these videos all day.” What a way to slice through the tension. “Call me if you find anything.”
“Goodbye, Vina. I know you don’t need reminding but… take care of yourself. You are living in uncharted waters right now. Keep your guard up, always.”
“I always do.” I hung up the phone and threw it onto the desk.
I leaned back in my chair and tried to massage the pounding in my head away. I had been staring at those screens for days, and I had locked myself away from everyone while I investigated everything. Andres had made sure to make his appreciation of my lack of appearance in the penthouse very known. I had hardly seen him since his father’s birthday party.
Not that it mattered, of course.
I dropped my knife and stood to my feet. I knew something was wrong when my knees gave out and I had to brace myself against the desk. I slammed my hands on my desk, the air conditioning doing nothing for my heated skin. My head pounded relentlessly, the pain only increasing with every blink.
“What the hell?” I winced against the pounding.
When was the last time I had eaten? And why did my muscles hurt the way they did? I hadn’t worked out today, sure, but still, the soft flesh screamed at me as I tried to hold myself up.
The room tilted on its axis, throwing me off my equilibrium.
I vaguely remembered hearing the opening and the closing of the door, but I had no idea who had just walked in. My vision blurred momentarily, my hands slipped from the edge of the desk, and I went tumbling to the floor.
I braced myself for impact, but the pain I had been expecting never came. Instead of being met with a hard floor, I was met with two strong arms that wound themselves around my body.
If it had not been for the scent of leather and expensive spices that wafted into my nose, I would have thought it were an intruder.
I looked up and found my husband's eyes. They danced across my face and down my body, searching for a possible injury.
“What the hell happened?” His calm voice was a contrast to the raging emotions that swam in his eyes. “You’re burning up. When was the last time you ate or drank something?”
I was too delirious to answer him. The only thing I could focus on was the pounding in my head.
“For Christ's sake.” He lifted me into his arms, my head resting on his shoulders as he carried me through my study and out the door. “I thought we had a deal, Baratelli. You only die at my hand.”
I wanted to reply to his smart-ass comment with one of my own, but the pain subdued my voice and made thinking straight nearly impossible. I heard him giving orders in the distance, but I couldn’t even lift my head. The darkness slowly took me into its grasp, drawing me further into unconsciousness.
Chapter Eighteen
Savina’s POV
I crept down the dark hallway.
I was back at the family estate. The clouds had gathered in the sky, and thunder roared, shaking the walls of my golden cage. The air chilled, raising the hair on the back of my neck.
I moved against the walls of the hallway that led to my father's study. My heart thudded in my chest as the scene had been one that I had lived in and now haunted me for the rest of my life.
