Page 35 of The Pakhan’s Unwanted Bride

He takes the whiskey but doesn't drink it immediately and explains the plans.

"Good." I settle behind my desk.

"Armed guards at every entrance and exit. Plain clothes security mixed with the guests. Benedikt will be positioned near Princess Anastasia throughout the ceremony." He pauses, and I see something shift in his expression. "Is this marriage truly necessary?"

The question catches me off guard. Gregory has never questioned my decisions before. Not once in all the years I've known him.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because bringing a royal heir into the organization changes everything." He finally takes a drink, his jaw tight. "The Rostovas have always been more about tradition and bloodlines than practical business. Princess Anastasia is used to a certain lifestyle, certain expectations. What happens when she realizes what this life really entails? What happens when she becomes a liability instead of an asset?"

He meets my eyes directly, and I see frustration beneath the surface. "I'm just afraid you're making the very mistake you've always warned me about." When I raise my eyebrows, he continues. "Letting personal feelings interfere with business."

"This isn't about personal feelings," I argue. "It's about duty and responsibility. If this were any other man or Pakhan, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves, but this is Prince Ivan Rostova. I can't turn down royalty like that—not without causing a whole boatload of problems."

My phone rings, preventing Gregory from saying anything else. I look at the number and frown. It's one of my captains I'd assigned to keep an eye on Ivan.

"What is it?" I ask.

"A sniper opened fire on Ivan Rostova's motorcade twenty minutes ago. Three men are dead."

19

ANA

I'm in the sitting room reading when Samuil appears in the doorway. One look at his face tells me something is wrong. The controlled calm he always wears like armor is gone, replaced by tension that makes every muscle in his body rigid.

A chill of foreboding runs down my spine. Setting my book aside, I stand and face him. "What happened?"

"Your father's motorcade was attacked." His voice is flat and controlled. "A sniper opened fire about thirty minutes ago."

The world stops. Everything around me goes silent except for the sound of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. And that sound is so loud, it's almost deafening.

"Is he alive?" The words come out barely above a whisper.

"Yes. But three of his men are dead. Two more are critical." Samuil moves into the room, his dark suit perfectly pressed despite the urgency of the moment.

"I need to see him." I'm already moving toward the door. "I need to go to him right now."

Samuil steps into my path, blocking the doorway with his considerable frame. "You're not going anywhere."

"Get out of my way." I try to push past him, but he doesn't budge. "He's my father. I need to see him. I need to make sure he's okay!"

"If someone is willing to attack Ivan Rostova in broad daylight, you could easily be next." His hands close around my upper arms, firm but not painful. "You're staying here where I can protect you."

I wrench away from his grip, anger flooding through me hot and fast. "You have to let me go to him!"

His jaw clenches. "Your father survived," he reminds me again. "And he's going to stay alive because he has an entire security team protecting him. If you go running after him, not only will you be making yourself a target, but you'll also be putting your father in more danger."

His words give me a second's pause, but that's it. I can't think straight. Everything in me screams to go to my father. I'm not worried about myself. Maybe I should be, but right now, all I can think of is that someone tried to kill him and I need to see with my own two eyes that he's really okay.

The argument escalates, both of us refusing to back down. I demand to leave. He refuses to let me go. I accuse him of using the attack as an excuse to control me. He counters that I'm being reckless and stupid.

"Enough." Benedikt's voice cuts through our argument. He's standing in the doorway, and we were both so focused on our argument, we didn't even hear him. I know this because Samuil looks surprised as he whirls around, his hand going to the waistband of his pants where I know he keeps his gun. He slowly lowers it when he recognizes Benedikt.

"The Pakhan is right, Princess," Benedikt says, his expression grim. "You can't leave the estate right now."

I turn to stare at him, betrayal sharp in my chest. "You're taking his side?"