Chapter 120 Natasha’s Game Begins
Chapter One Hundred and Twenty
Dimitri’s POV~
I thought going to the business dinner would help me clear my mind. I thought being around other people would distract me from the weight inside my chest. But it didn’t. Every step into the restaurant felt heavy, and every sound felt louder than it should.
The waiters were moving around with trays. Board members were laughing and talking. Everyone seemed normal. I felt anything but normal.
I kept seeing Val’s face from earlier that day. The way she snapped at all of us. The pain in her eyes when she said she wanted space. I kept seeing the way Stefan looked at her. Like he still had the right. Like she belonged to him. It made something inside me twist in a way I didn’t want to admit.
I took a seat at the far end of the table and forced myself to breathe slowly.
One of the members leaned toward me. “Dimitri, we are glad you’re here. We weren’t sure, given… everything.”
He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. My father’s death was still too fresh.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I needed to be out.”
I tried to listen to the speech being given at the front of the room. But my head kept drifting. To Val. To Stefan. To the mess of feelings I didn’t want to face.
Then the room changed.
The front doors opened.
Natasha walked in.
Every conversation stopped for a moment. Even the board members straightened in their chairs. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked, calm and sure of herself.
I cursed under my breath and looked away at once. I didn’t want to talk to her. I didn’t want to be anywhere near her. I kept my head down and tried to pretend I didn’t see her.
But of course, she saw me.
She always did.
She walked straight toward me like she already knew I wouldn’t run fast enough.
“Dimitri,” she said, her voice sweet in a way that made me suspicious.
I didn’t bother hiding my annoyance. “Natasha.”
She took the seat beside me without asking. “You look tired. Rough week?”
“I’m not here to talk about my week,” I said. “I’m here to work.”
She smiled, but it wasn’t warm. “Good. Because I have work too. Important work.”
“I’m not interested,” I replied.
She leaned closer. “You didn’t even hear what it is.”
“I don’t need to,” I said. “If it involves you or Stefan, the answer is no.”
Something dark flashed in her eyes for a second. Then she laughed softly.
“I like how you think you can avoid the truth,” she said.
“I’m not doing this with you,” I said and stood up.
Before I could take a step, her hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
“Sit,” she whispered.
Her voice was low and threatening. Against my better judgment, I sat back down.
“What do you want?” I asked.
She tilted her head and lowered her voice. “Stefan spent the night at Val’s house.”
Everything inside me froze.
“What?” I said, even though I heard her clearly.
She leaned in a little closer. “He was drunk, helpless, broken… and he went straight to her.”
I stared at her, unable to say anything. My chest started to hurt in a way I hated.
Natasha watched my reaction with interest. “You didn’t know,” she said slowly. “That means she didn’t tell you.”
I forced my voice to stay steady. “She didn’t have to tell me anything.”
“Right,” Natasha said. “Because you’re just her ex-husband. Nothing more.”
Her words hit harder than I liked.
She continued, “Stefan always runs to her. Always. Even when he was supposed to marry me. He left me at the altar because of her.”
I didn’t want to hear any of this, but she kept talking.
“And Val let him stay. She let him sleep under her roof. She didn’t push him out. She didn’t call anyone for help. She chose to comfort him.”
I wanted to walk away, but my legs wouldn’t move. Something inside me felt tight.
“Why are you telling me this?” I finally asked.
“Because you’re watching him take everything you still want,” she said. “And you’re doing nothing.”
I clenched my jaw. “I don’t want anything.”
She laughed again. “Please. You looked ready to break his neck earlier today.”
“I was protecting Val,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows. “Protecting… or wanting her back?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t know the answer myself.
Natasha softened her tone. “Dimitri. Help me bring Stefan down. If he falls, he won’t be around Val anymore. He won’t have the power to pull her into his mess.”
I pushed back my chair again. “I’m not helping you destroy someone.”
“You already are,” she said. “You’re the one she married. The one she left. The one she still looks at when she thinks nobody is watching.”
My heart skipped.
She stood up. “Think about my offer.”
I walked away from her.
But her words didn’t leave me.
Two hours later, I stepped outside the restaurant to breathe. The cold air hit my face, but it didn’t calm the heat inside me.
I walked a few steps and froze.
Stefan was standing in the parking lot.
With Val.
She was standing close to him. Too close. Her arms crossed tiredly. She looked stressed but she wasn’t pushing him away.
Stefan leaned in and brushed her hair away from her face. She didn’t stop him. She looked right into his eyes as he spoke to her.
Something inside me twisted so tightly that I stepped behind a wall before they could see me.
I watched them silently.
Stefan said something that made her lower her head. He touched her arm softly. She let him.
My throat felt dry, and I hated how this felt.
I hated how fast old emotions came back. How fast jealousy slipped under my skin.
Stefan walked her to her car and opened the door for her. She nodded at him before getting in. Her face looked tired. Soft.
She drove away a moment later. Stefan stayed there for a long time staring after her car like he wished she hadn't left
I stepped back, trying to breathe.
Then I felt someone behind me.
“See?” Natasha whispered. “She lets him close. She never shuts him out.”
I didn’t even turn around. “Go away.”
“You saw it yourself,” she said. “She trusts him. She cares about him. Maybe she even loves him. And you’re just standing here doing nothing.”
I clenched my fists.
Natasha stepped beside me. “Help me. We can ruin him. We can break him the way he broke both of us.”
I didn’t answer.
She added, “I can offer a partnership. One move that weakens his company. One move that pulls his attention away from Val.”
She watched me.
“You know it’s the only way.” I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to do this.
But I also couldn’t stand the sight of Stefan touching her. Of Val letting him.
It hurt more than I wanted to admit.
Slowly, I turned toward Natasha.
Her eyes lit up.
My voice came out quiet, steady, and dangerous, “Tell me exactly what you want me to do.”