Page 76 of Triplet Babies
“Then we start a war.” I move to my desk and begin gathering the files we’ve compiled on Roman Sokolov and the financial irregularities. “I’m done playing politics with my life. Sarah asked me to choose her, and I hesitated because I was trying to be strategic. That hesitation cost me the woman I love.”
Valentin watches me stuff the documents into a briefcase with growing concern. “Where are you going?”
“To her apartment to tell her I was wrong, and she’s more important than any business arrangement or political alliance.” I grab my jacket and keys, already planning what I’ll say to convince her to give me another chance. “She thinks I’ll always put the business first, and I need to prove she’s wrong.”
He steps into my path, his expression serious. “What if she doesn’t believe you? If she’s already decided to move on?”
The question stops me for a second, touching on the fear that’s been eating at me for days. What if I waited too long? What if my hesitation wasn’t just a missed opportunity but the final proof she needed that I’m not worth the risk? I push past him , unwilling to entertain that possibility. “I’ll keep trying until she does believe me.”
“Yarik?” Valentin’s voice carries a warning that makes me pause. “You can’t build a relationship on desperation. If you go to her now, while you’re emotional and desperate, you might say things you can’t take back.”
I turn to face him, letting him see the resolve that’s been building in me since the moment Sarah walked out of this office. “I might also say things that save us both.” I’ll speak the raw, honest truth in my current state, and she deserves that. She needs to hear I love her, I’ve been a fool, and I want her back the right way, as my fiancée and eventual wife, with Katya displaced, and my future focused on what Sarah and I build together.
Before he can argue further, my phone rings. The caller ID shows Nina’s name, which surprises me since I’ve never given Sarah’s friend my direct number. I answer immediately. “Nina?”
Her voice is tight with worry and speaking faster than normal. “Yarik, I’m sorry to bother you, but is Valentin with you?”
I glance at Valentin, who’s watching me with growing alertness. “Yes, he’s right here. Why?”
She curses softly before speaking, her voice tight with worry. “Sarah got a text from him about meeting to return somethingshe left at your office. She went to meet him forty-five minutes ago, and I have a bad feeling about this.”
I glance at Valentin, who’s watching me with growing alertness. “From whom?”
“From Valentin, supposedly. She made me promise to wait two hours before calling if she didn’t come back. I’m breaking that promise because something feels really wrong about this whole situation.”
A chill spreads through me at her words. I look at Valentin, who’s already shaking his head before I can ask the question. I put the call on speaker. “Nina, Valentin didn’t send any text. He’s been with me all afternoon.”
Her sharp intake of breath tells me she’s reached the same terrifying conclusion I have. “Oh, god. Sarah said she was going to some warehouse. Industrial Drive, I think.”
“Which warehouse?” I’m already moving toward the door with Valentin close behind me.
“Warehouse 17. Yarik, if Valentin didn’t send that message...” Her voice breaks slightly.
My heart clenches, but I have to stay focused. “How long ago did she leave?”
“Forty-five minutes. Something felt wrong about the whole thing. The meeting location, the timing… I asked her not to go, but she was adamant about getting back the fold…thing from Valentin.”
I’m in the hallway now, my mind already working through the logistics of getting to the warehouse district. “You did the rightthing calling early. Stay at the apartment in case she comes back.”
“Yarik, if something happens to her...” Nina’s voice carries a sister’s fierce protectiveness despite not being related to Sarah.
“Nothing is going to happen to her.” I end the call and turn to Valentin, who’s already pulling out his phone. “How many men can we get to warehouse 17 in the next ten minutes?”
He’s scrolling through contacts, his usual calmness taking over. “Six, maybe eight if we pull them from the estate. You think it’s the ex?”
“Who else would impersonate you to lure her out?” I’m moving toward the garage, checking my weapon and mentally cataloging what other equipment we might need.
Valentin falls into step beside me, coordinating with our security team through rapid-fire text messages. “If he’s had her for forty-five minutes...”
He doesn’t finish the sentence, but he doesn’t need to. Forty-five minutes is enough time to move her somewhere else, to hurt her, or to disappear entirely. The thought makes my chest tight with panic, though I force it down. Sarah needs me focused, not emotional.
We reach my car, and I’m behind the wheel before Valentin finishes buckling his seatbelt, not bothering to send for Luco and the SUV. The drive to Industrial Drive should take fifteen minutes, but I plan to make it in ten.
“I wish I’d followed my instincts and dug into this guy,” I say aloud before slamming my fist on the wheel. “I was so damned busy focusing on all the wrong things.”
“You have responsibilities that predate Miss Clark,” says Valentin.
I fix him with a glare. “Let me be clear. There’s nothing more important to me than her. Nothing.”
