Page 81 of Maddening Fixation

And judging by everything Yarina had said...

Romeo had returned as someone capable of breaking far more than hearts.

Father finally spoke.

“But, Yarina...”

His voice was calm, though noticeably sharper than before.

He studied my sister carefully.

“Does Romeo know that while he was in prison...”

Father’s voice remained calm, but every word landed with deliberate precision.

“...you were already involved with Sergei?”

Yarina met his gaze without the slightest hesitation.

A flicker of defiance brightened her eyes.

“Why would I tell him?”

Father’s expression hardened. “Answer the question.”

“No.” Her answer came without the slightest trace of guilt. “He doesn’t know.”

A muscle twitched in Father’s jaw.

“If Sergei were still alive,” Father asked evenly, “would you be this determined to hold on to Romeo?”

His gaze remained fixed on Yarina.

“Or is it not Romeo you love, but the power he now commands?”

The question lingered unanswered.

He turned to me. Beneath the composure expected of the Sokolov patriarch, I caught something far more human—a father cornered by duty, trying to protect both his family and the legacy entrusted to him.

“Juliet will marry Romeo.”

His decision was delivered without hesitation.

“It is only for two years.”

He rested a hand on the documents spread across the table.

“I have never asked either of you to sacrifice your future for this family.”

His voice softened, though it lost none of its authority. “I am asking now.”

He looked at me first. “In two years, you’ll be free to walk away and reclaim the life you’ve planned.”

Then his attention returned to Yarina.

“Two years from now, if Romeo still wants you, no one will stand in your way. But until then, you will stand down.”

A heavy silence settled over the room before he spoke again.