Page 10 of Bride By Coronation

"I'm serious."

"You don't think that's what I've been working on?"

He sits back and crosses his arms, glaring daggers at me.

I scoff. "You're something else."

He snarls, "What's wrong with my sister? Most guys would drool at the prospect of marrying her. You think you're better than her?"

Just the opposite,I think, but keep it to myself.

"My family isn't going to allow her to marry a Petrov," Sean adds with more disdain.

I curl my fists at my sides, threatening, "You seem to not understand how The Underworld works. For someone who has a seat at the table, I suggest you study the rulebook your father put together."

His face hardens before he turns and stares out the window.

I continue, "The point is to work together, not continue the families' wars."

"Yeah, I know," he claims, pinning his greens on me again.

I finish my beer, then grab another out of the fridge, cracking the cap off.

Sean asks, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save Zara and me."

My heart races faster.

Tense silence fills the air.

"Well?"

I put the beer down, then admit, "I promised your father."

The blood drains from Sean's face. He holds his breath, studying me, then questions, "What are you talking about?"

My gut clenches, but I push the emotions down. "Your father helped me once when no one else would. I wanted to pay him back. He made me promise that when the day came, and you and Fiona needed help, it would come from me," I confess.

Sean gapes at me.

I step back and lean against the counter, squeezing my fingers against the quartz, taking deep breaths, and remembering the day I wish I could erase from my memory.

But I can't.

It'll never disappear, nor will the dominoes that fell after it.

"Don't fuck with me, Kirill," Sean warns.

"I'm not. Trust me, if I could erase that day, I would," I snarl, grab my beer, and return to the window. The blanket of cold snow I previously wanted to escape, I now wish I could disappear into forever.

Sean seethes, "I doubt my father would approve of you marrying Fiona."

I snort. "Nope. I'm sure he wouldn't. But part of that isn't my fault, now is it?" I spin and lean against the cold glass, barely feeling it.

Fresh guilt pops up on Sean's face. He lowers his angry voice, stating, "I couldn't let them do that to Zara."

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