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“I’ll let Adrian know when to come,” Yegor calls out before disappearing back into the shadows. “And when he does, maybe I’ll let you watch me kill him too.”

“He won’t come for me,” I say quietly, forcing the words past the pounding in my head.

Yegor turns slowly, pausing in the doorway. “What was that?”

I lift my chin, even though everything hurts. “You’re wasting your time. Adrian won’t come for me.”

His mouth curves into a twisted smile, but there’s no humor in it. Just cruel certainty. He strolls back toward me, slow and deliberate, until he’s standing right in front of me again.

“Oh, Jennie,” he says, like I’m some pitiful thing. “You really don’t know, do you?”

I blink at him, frowning.

“He’s obsessed with you.” His voice is sharp, certain, laced with something that almost sounds like disgust. “Your face is probably the only thing keeping that man sane. He’s torn half the city apart just to keep you safe—and now that someone’s taken you?” Yegor leans in closer. “He’ll come. He’ll burn the world if that’s what it takes. He’ll walk through hell itself just to get to you.”

My breath catches in my throat.

No.

He grins faintly. “I didn’t care about Logan at first. He was just a loose thread. Useless. An excuse.” He crouches in front of me now, his tone turning confessional. “But then I realized…Adrian cared. And when a man like him protects someone that hard—it means something.”

He leans in closer. His breath is warm against my face. “It meantyou.”

My stomach drops.

“I knew if I threatened Logan, Adrian would show his hand. I thought I’d lure him out, kill him, finish what should’ve been done years ago when he took my brother’s life.” Yegor’s voice lowers, almost a whisper. “But he kept shielding Logan. Hiding him. Risking everything to protect him.” He cocks his head, studying me. “And do you know why?”

Oh no!

I’m such an ingrate.

As Yegor’s dead eyes drill into mine, all I can think about is how I called out Adrian’s protection and accused him of doing nothing for Logan. Even after he promised me so many times that he would protect him.

“Because of you.” He backs away. “Every move he’s made, every decision—was for you, Jennie. The one thing he cares about. And that’s the fucking point.”

Something cracks open in my chest.

It’s not affection in Yegor’s voice. It’s venom.

He hates me. Because Adrian loves me.

And that’s when I know. Really know—this man is completely unhinged. And he won’t let me walk out of here alive if it means he doesn’t get what he wants.

I draw in a breath, quiet and slow, willing my hands not to tremble. I can’t wait for Adrian.

I can’t just sit here like a pawn between men who see me as a tool in their war.

If I want to survive this, I need to move. I need to think. I need to act. Before it’s too late.

To my satisfaction, Yegor continues talking. While he talks, I think, glancing around with my peripheral vision for anything that can help me get out of here.

“At first,” he says coolly, “I thought I could turn you against him. Make you hate him. All I needed was to plant a little doubt, twist a few truths, let you see the monster in him.”

He shrugs. “But it turns out that’s not so easy, is it?”

My breath catches in my throat.

He smirks. “You’ve already seen the monster, haven’t you? You know what he’s done. Who he is. You still didn’t run.”