Page 31 of Fractured Empire

Lips twitching, I nod. “It wasn’t very subtle.”

“And did meeting me and my boys sway you in our direction, Katya? Could you see yourself here, being the person that we need?”

My breath catches, the seriousness of the conversation settling in once again.

“Because we do,” he continues. “Need you, that is. I’m willing to do, say, or pay just about anything to get you to say yes. You didn’t sound crazy when you said that you think coming here altered the course of your life, because I understand. Something about you is telling me that you’re exactly who I’m looking for, and anyone else will be second best.”

His earnest words make me stutter. “I-I…I don’t want to hurt Chloe, but I can’t deny wanting to say yes to you. You really wouldn’t choose her either way?”

Leon dips his head. “My father spoke to her while Rayna and Apollo spoke with you. Her Italian is rusty at best, and he got the impression that she’s interested in a lavish mafia wife’s life. I can’t fault her for that, but our goals don’t align. I’m sure your friend will find a good match eventually, but it’s not going to be me.”

Dante Moretti read her like a book, and I couldn’t blame him for being honest with his son about what he thought of my friend. Neither man seemed to judge Chloe, but they weren’t going to alter their needs for her either.

“Okay,” I finally relent, exhaling shortly. “Send a contract to Linus and I’ll tell him that I approve. Make it basic, and we’ll agree to terms together. Honor system, no need to have it all written down.”

“Thank you,” Leon says, his genuine gratitude almost knocking me off of my feet. “We’ll sort the paperwork and get you moved here as soon as possible. Do you want a big wedding?”

“I—”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

The sound of Chloe’s outrage makes me wince, and I turn to the side to find her looking between Leon and I with an expression of betrayal.

“Chloe, I⁠—”

She doesn’t give me a chance to explain before she starts storming out.

“Shit,” I hiss under my breath. “I—I’ll be right⁠—”

“Go ahead,” Leon encourages, nodding.

He doesn’t need to tell me twice.

Chapter Fourteen

Katya

“Chloe, wait!”

I almost trip on the front door steps trying to chase after her, but she doesn’t look back. She’s storming away so fast that her hair she spent so much time making perfect is flying all over the place.

“Chloe, stop!” I call out again, getting closer to her as I jog onto the pavement. “Come on, where are you going to go? We drove here together.”

She spins around in an instant, her expression murderous. “Exactly, Katya! We drove here together. We flew here together. I brought you here to help me, and you swooped in and took this from me!”

“I didn’t swoop in, I—” I shake my head, swallowing as I try to catch my breath. “Leon came up to me, he saw me with the boys and⁠—”

“You didn’t swoop in?” She scoffs, throwing her hands up. “What do you call playing with his kids and stealing their affection before anyone else could have a chance? If you wanted him for yourself you should have said that. I can’t believe you’d do this to me. Since when are you sneaky and vindictive?”

I flinch. “Sneaky and vindictive? Leo and Bastian came over to me. Did you want me to ignore the two little boys who just buried their mother? I didn’t try to steal anything from you, Chloe.”

She throws her hands out wide and scoffs. “Of course you didn’t, because perfect Katya doesn’t have to try to do anything. Things just get handed to you, and you don’t have any part in it. I can’t believe you did this to me, we’re supposed to be best friends.”

She’s never expressed this before, saying that things are handed to me. She’s never called me perfect Katya either. The resentment in her voice is even more shocking than her accusations, leading me to believe it’s been building for a long time.

But how could she feel this way for so long without me even having a clue?

“You can’t believe it because you know I would never willingly hurt you,” I argue, gut churning with discomfort and sadness. “I don’t even know how this happened. One minute I was talking to the boys, and then Apollo came over with his wife and they started testing my languages and getting to know me, and then Leon pulled me aside. I told him you would make a good wife and he didn’t want to hear it⁠—”