Page 130 of Money Reigns
He leans forward, forearms braced on the table, voice dropping into something that coils around my spine. “Her name is Katya Korsakov.”
The name hits me like a punch. I frown, blinking. “Maksim Korsakov’s sister? I thought you hated him?”
My mind races. Pieces spinning too fast to catch.
“Was she here to get the Parker Building for him?”
Warren chuckles, low and sharp, like I’m amusing him. “Slow down.”
I flush hot, biting my lip.
“She doesn’t dabble in her brother’s business,” he continues smoothly. “She has her own.”
His hand dips into the inside pocket of his jacket. When it comes back up, he sets a small, sleek white box on the table between us.
My pulse stutters.
“Open it,” he says.
My fingers shake as I lift the lid.
Inside, nestled against velvet, is a cuff bracelet. Gold, delicate but strong. Etched with peonies—tiny, intricate blooms carved in sweeping detail. The metal catches the light, petals shimmering like they’re alive.
It’s gorgeous. Staggering in its beauty.
“She custom makes them,” Warren says quietly, his gaze fixed on me, not the bracelet. “Carves the designs by hand. It’s truly an art.”
I run my thumb over the engraving, breath caught in my throat for an entirely different reason now. The flowers seem to bloom under my touch, like she knew exactly what they meant to me.
Peonies.
My peonies.
The knot in my chest loosens.
“She’s not a threat, Olivia. No one could be.”
My breath catches. The bracelet still cradled in my hands. “I just wish you would have told me.”
His expression doesn’t change. “And spoiled the surprise? No. You just have to remember that I wouldn’t betray you. I don’t want to.”
I flinch.
But he doesn’t say it to wound.
He says it like truth.
Simple. Unadorned.
Then he leans forward and lowers his voice.
“Next time you’re spiraling, do me a favor.”
“What?” I breathe.
He leans in just a bit closer. Taking the bracelet from my hands and slipping it on my wrist.
“Come to me. I’ll clear your mind.”
