Empire of Sin(Empire #2)(75)

But today, both of them were busy and I had to go. I had to cross the distance to the coffee shop and pretend that I wasn’t being shadowed by a scary man in a black suit.

It’s been like this for a week. Ever since I was ambushed in my apartment by Kirill and Adrian and told that I had a role to play.

That no matter what I do, I’ll never stop being the Bratva’s princess.

As promised, Adrian must’ve not told my father, or he would’ve sent his guards to fetch me.

Kirill kept his word about not leaving me unsupervised, which is why his right-hand man, Aleksander, has been following me around discretely. To people on the outside, it wouldn’t be noticeable since he changes car models, plates, and even the color of his clothes.

He’s a professional, after all.

Though this is a rare occasion where he’s not acting like Kirill’s shadow.

And because I’m attuned to him and to the danger he represents, I spotted him the first time Knox and I left his penthouse together.

I had to distract him from looking at the rearview mirror so he wouldn’t realize we were being followed. The last thing I want is for him to clash with the other men from my life.

Especially after I met his family, a welcoming one with their distinctive sense of humor and mannerisms.

That night, they stayed over. We had dinner together and played board games. Ethan and Elsa told me all sorts of stories about Knox’s teenage years and how competitive he was—still is. I listened with keen interest to every detail, every piece of information about a version of Knox I’ve never met.

No clue why I held on to every word, but it felt vital in a way. Like a memento I needed to keep close.

Or maybe I just care about Knox more than I want to admit.

Teal wasn’t much of a willing participant in telling stories, but I loved the seamless relationship she has with her brother.

The way they understand each other without having to say a word.

Before they left the following morning, she stood there with her hands crossed over her chest and told me point-blank, “You better not hurt my brother.”

That sentence stayed with me the most after their visit.

It’s as if she knew that’s exactly what would happen.

I don’t blame her for disliking me. I actually respect her for looking out for her brother. That’s what family does.

Unlike mine.

My gaze flits to Aleksander’s car. Even though it has tinted windows, I can almost picture him staring back with that cold gaze of his that only ever softens around Kirill.

He must’ve figured out my relationship with Knox, and if Adrian’s threat is any indication, they wouldn’t hesitate to use him against me.

To hurt him because of me.

Because that’s what they do in the brotherhood. They use people, break hearts, and crunch bones.

And I’m no exception.

If anything, I’m placed on a high pedestal for being the Pakhan’s daughter. It’s a cruel twist of fate that my mom got pregnant after a short fling with my father—the number one man in the Bratva.

She married my stepfather afterward and I should’ve been a normal citizen. But that jerk was abusing her, both physically and emotionally, and although she tried to protect me, she knew she couldn’t.

That’s why she took me to the park that day. I won’t forget it, ever. Not only because Mom was shaking, but also because she seemed relieved when a tall man with harsh features came.

And I remember how his shadow blocked the sun as he stood there, watching us. Or more like, watching me.

She told me he was my father and I grabbed onto her, thinking she’d leave me with him, but she didn’t.

They just talked while I played hide-and-seek with one of the other tall men who came with him.

Before Mom and I left, Papa patted my hair. I remember having eyes so big, they nearly reached my hairline. My stepfather never did that, never treated me like more than a pest in his path.

One he kicked around whenever he saw fit.

Papa also gave me a piece of paper with his number on it and told me to call him if I needed anything.

In hindsight, I should never have done that.

It’s why I got trapped in his world in the first place.

But it’s not like I had any other option that night.

Now that I think about it, the moment I called him, crying on the phone, was when I sealed my fate.

That was when I became part of the Bratva.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, bringing me out of my reverie.

It’s a text from an unknown number.

I don’t see the lawyer losing any cases. On the contrary, he’s coming on even stronger. Here’s a little incentive for you.

My thumb shakes as I click on the attached video. It’s taken from a parking garage’s surveillance camera. The building in which Knox’s apartment is. I recognize it from the yellow lines on the ground and the strong light.

It’s dimmer in the video, though, as if someone cut off the power on purpose.

My heart hammers in my throat when Knox steps out of his car, carrying his briefcase and talking on the phone. He’s wearing the black suit that I helped him put on yesterday. I clearly remember it because he decided to fuck me at the last second before we went to work and ordered me not to mess up our clothes.

This footage was taken when he got home last night, later than usual, since he had a long meeting with Lauren about Sandra’s case.