Page 156 of Stolen Empire
"Then we move forward. I'll coordinate with the family. You prepare her for the meeting. She needs to be ready."
"She will be."
"And Dimitri?" Rolan pauses.
"Be careful. The Radich crew is going to come for her. Harder than before."
"I know." My voice is flat. "But they won't get her. I won't let them."
"I hope you're right."
He hangs up.
I stand there for a moment, the phone still in my hand.
Then I walk back into the room. Katya looks up, her expression tense.
"What did he say?" she asks.
"The Morozov family wants to meet you."
I sit down across from her.
"This is it. Once you meet them, once they see you and recognize you, there's no going back. You'll be Ekaterina Morozova. Fully. Permanently."
She nods slowly. "I know."
"Are you ready?"
"I don't know."
She looks down at her hands.
"But I don't have a choice, do I?"
"You always have a choice."
I reach across the table, covering her hand with mine.
"But I need you to understand something. Once you claim your name, you become a target. Not just for the Radiches, but for anyone who wants to use you. You'll never be anonymous again. You'll never be able to disappear."
"I understand."
"Do you?"
I squeeze her hand gently.
"Because once this starts, I can't protect you from everything. I can't shield you from the consequences of who you are."
She lifts her head, meeting my gaze.
"I'm not asking you to shield me. I'm asking you to stand with me."
Her fierce determination sparks in my chest and I feel pride swelling.
"I will," I tell her.
"I promise you that."
