Page 53 of Sinful Union

Her eyes dart between the two of us, fear evident. “I know it’s not enough, but it’s the truth.”

Nikolai exhales, clearly unimpressed but not dismissing her. “So Piotr’s cozying up to an enemy, trying to bring down the Fetisovs from the inside. We can’t act on rumors, though.”

I catch the slightest flicker of guilt crossing Darya’s face, like she knows we need more. “He’s been working on it for a while,” she says quietly. “He’s always said he’d find a way to make your men doubt you, that he’d bleed you dry from the inside.”

Her words slice through me, causing a fresh wave of anger to surge. My mind goes to Kat—her loyalty, her unwavering sense of family. She doesn’t believe Piotr’s an angel by any means, but does she know how evil he actually is? I recall the look in her eyes earlier, the urgency in her voice when she said we needed to talk after I handled things with Darya. What is she about to tell me?

My fists clench at my sides. I trust Kat, but a small part of me still wonders, if push came to shove, she’d pick her brother over me. That doubt coils in my gut, making me feel off-balance.

I turn back to Darya. “So that’s it? That’s the extent of what you know? He bragged about orchestrating attacks, dropping Viktor’s name?”

She nods. “That’s all. I’m sorry.”

Nikolai casts me a sidelong glance. We’re at an impasse. We can’t do much with words alone, but this, at least, confirms our suspicions. We needed some kind of lead, and now we have it, flimsy as it may be.

“It’s fine. As I said earlier, you can stay here if you want, or I’ll set you up in a hotel outside of town. Make your decision soon. In the meantime, you will not be going anywhere without an escort. Understand?”

Darya looks ready to protest, but after taking a look at my face, she nods, swallowing her pride or her fear, maybe both. “Understood.”

Nikolai clears his throat. “Want me to take her home, Boss?”

I nod. “Yes, make sure you check her apartment before she goes in, and that no one follows you there. Do not let her go anywhere other than work.”

Darya stands, smoothing her clothes, her posture stiff and guarded. “Thank you.”

I merely nod in response as I watch her leave my office, Nikolai at her side.He gives me one last look over his shoulder that silently says he’ll keep an eye on Darya, ensuring she obeys.

I answer his look with a slight nod, and the door shuts.I take a moment to allow the weight of what I’ve just heard to settle in. Piotr. The man who’s supposed to be Kat’s family, the man she could choose to protect if she had to, is conspiring with Viktor Novikov to destroy me.

Kat’s an Andreev, through and through, but she’s also my wife, in name if nothing else. She’s begun trusting me, something I didn’t think I’d value as much as I do.

How do I approach her with this? If I tell her Piotr’s orchestrating attacks, that he’s actively trying to bleed me out, will she believe me or will she run straight to him, demand an explanation, and blow my chance to gather real proof?

I pinch the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly. Another pang of guilt stabs me when I recall the look in Kat’s eyes earlier.She said she needed to talk. Something’s clearly weighing on her. Is it about Piotr or something else entirely? Regardless, this isn’t how I want to find out where her loyalty lies—forcing a confrontation between her husband and her brother. But if Piotr keeps pushing, such a confrontation is inevitable.

I let my hand drop to my side, glancing around the dimly lit room. The clock on the wall ticks steadily, reminding me time is something I don’t have much of. Sooner or later, Piotr will make his move. He’s cunning, calculating, and ruthless enough to wage a war in the shadows, turning my allies against me.

I can’t let him get that far. But I can’t risk alienating Kat, either. Not now, when her trust could be the key to stabilizing this entire mess. If I come at her with accusations about her brother and no solid proof, I could lose her. And if I lose her, I lose the chance of keeping the fragile peace I’m clinging to.

So I’ll wait and gather evidence. Let Darya stay under my roof, if that’s what she ultimately chooses. If she’s telling the truth, her knowledge might help me piece together enough to bring Piotr down. If she’s lying, well, I’ll handle that when the time comes.

For now, the stage is set for a confrontation that may decide the fate of two Bratvas—and the fate of my marriage, because if Kat has to choose between her brother and me, I need to make sure the truth is undeniable.

I take a few deep breaths before pushing away from the desk. The next move is Piotr’s, whether he knows it or not.

And when he makes it, I’ll be ready.

Chapter 24

Kat

“Come with me.”

Darya follows Pavel down the hallway, passing by me without so much as a glance. My heart twists at the sight of her, fragile and scared.

They vanish around the corner. Once they’ve reached the second floor, I step up a few stairs and hear Pavel say, “We can talk in my office.”

I sigh. I know that I should go back to the kitchen and leave them to their conversation, but I can’t.

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