Page 22 of Queen’s Gambit

He tilted his head as he stared at me.

“Is that all you think I want for you or this family? To add more wealth?”

“I’m no fool, Papa. I know and understand that it is a driving force, even if it is not the only one.”

He smirked. “Wayward has changed you. Sometimes, I hardly recognize the boy and only see a man. It is a good thing, just difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that my boy is now a man.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, Papa. Telling you has been on my mind for some time, and I’d love nothing more than to have your help. But you also have an agenda and it may not align with mine. So, either you agree to help me, and I share this with you, or I don’t. But there will be no marriage contract with anyone but her. It won’t happen.”

He stared at me, his finger tapping the top of his glass before he finally shook his head. Papa mumbled under his breath, having finished the fight with himself. I couldn’t tell who won.

“Tell me, son…do you love this girl? Are you willing to die for her?”

“Yes, I love her with everything in me, and I’ll endure eternal torture to be by her side. She is mine as I am hers.” I stared my father in the eyes. “No one, and I mean no one, will come between us.”

There was nothing else to say.

“You are certainly determined, Edmundo. We’ll do this your way. I swear that I won’t interfere with your decision. Who is this girl that you’re so in love with that you will do anything for?”

It was now or never. Licking my lips, I swallowed the fear. No decision for the better was made while listening to the little voice of doubt.

“Yulianna Mikhailov,” I said, just as Papa took a drink and started to choke.

“Here, I was worried you were punching down. I should’ve known you’d be punching up.” I smiled as he rubbed his eyes. “Edmundo, this is nearly impossible.”

“It was you who told me there is nothing in this world worth having that comes easy. I will make Yulianna mine, with or without your help, but I prefer to have you by my side for this fight.”

“And she feels the same? You two always behave as if you can barely stand one another.”

I smirked, and Papa chuckled.

“Devious, the pair of you.” He lifted his glass in the air like he was toasting me and nodded. “Alright, I’ll help. But you must prepare yourself. Vadin may never agree to a marriage, he is a difficult man at the best of times. If he gets it into his head to refuse you…there won’t be any changing his mind.”

“Yulianna is mine,” I growled.

Papa chuckled. “Okay, son. She is yours.”

Yulianna – Age 16

Nothing had ever felt as difficult as walking down my grand staircase, seeing Eddie, and not smiling. Pretending not to care about him while he was around was…painful. All I wanted to do was hold him and never let go. At any moment, it felt like the world would open up at my feet, swallow me whole, and I’d never see him again. The thought terrified me.

“Ah, there you are, Yulianna. Please don’t keep our guests waiting,” Father said as I reached the bottom step. I somehow managed to put one foot in front of the other with my eyes on my father.

Eddie’s heated gaze caressed my face and my heart was a runaway train in my chest. If I wasn’t careful it was going to careen right off the tracks and give us away.

“My apologies, Father.” I gave a small bow to Eddie and Mr. Genovese. “I meant no disrespect.”

“None taken,” Mr. Genovese said, offering a smile. “It is lovely to see you again, Yulianna.”

“Likewise.”

I turned my attention to Eddie finally and gave him the same disapproving glance over that I’d done every single time we saw each other since I was nine.

“Edmundo, I guess it’s good to see you again.”

“What? No Eddie to annoy me this time,” he said, lifting an eyebrow.

I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. He was so incredibly sexy. I’d watched him change right before my eyes over the years. He was no longer the cute boy with messy hair that I liked to tease. Eddie had grown into a man whose eyes alone could reach into my chest and stop the beating of my heart.