Chapter 58 Nikolai
I stared at the invitation in my hands.
Alexei and Anya are getting married.
The words burned into my brain like acid.
"Pakhan?" Viktor's voice came from the doorway. "Are you alright?"
"Get out," I said quietly.
"But..."
"I said get out!" I roared.
He left quickly. The door slammed behind him.
I read Alexei's note again.
I do hope you will return the favor and attend our wedding.
He wanted me there. He wanted me to watch as Anya married him.
My hands started shaking. The paper crumpled.
Then I laughed.
A dark, bitter laugh that echoed in the empty room.
"He wants to play games?" I said to myself. "Fine. Let us play."
I pulled out my phone and called Mikhail.
"Yes?" He answered.
"I need you to do something for me."
"What?"
"Find out everything about Alexei's wedding. The date. The venue. The security. Everything."
"Why?"
"Because I am going to attend. And I am going to make it a wedding he will never forget."
"This is a bad idea."
"I do not care."
"Nikolai, think about this. If you go there, if you cause trouble, people will die. Anya could get hurt."
"Anya is already hurt!" I shouted. "She is marrying a man she does not love! She is trapped! And I am done sitting here doing nothing!"
"So what is your plan? Storm the wedding? Kill Alexei? Take Anya by force?"
"Maybe."
"That is insane."
"Good. I am feeling insane." I stood up and started pacing. "He took her from me, Mikhail. Twice. He manipulated her. Used her brother against her. And now he wants to parade her around like a trophy?"
"And you are marrying Katya out of spite. How is that different?"
I stopped pacing. "It is completely different."
"How?"
"Because I do not love Katya! I am not pretending! Anya loves me and I love her! And Alexei is forcing her into this marriage!"
"Are you sure about that?" Mikhail's voice was calm. "Are you sure she still loves you? Or are you just hoping?"
The question hit me like a bullet.
"She loves me," I said.
"Then why did she leave? Why did she choose her brother over you? Twice?"
"Because Alexei manipulated her!"
"It's because she loves her brother more than she loves you."
"Shut up."
"I am just being honest, Nikolai."
I grabbed the whiskey bottle from my desk and threw it against the wall. It shattered.
"Find out about the wedding," I said through gritted teeth. "That is an order."
"Fine. But when this blows up in your face, do not say I did not warn you."
He hung up.
I stood there, breathing hard. My heart was racing. My mind was spinning.
Anya was getting married to Alexei in three weeks.
The same time as my wedding to Katya.
The door opened. Katya walked in. She looked at the broken glass on the floor. Then at me.
"What happened?" She asked.
"Nothing."
"That does not look like nothing."
"I said it is nothing!" I snapped.
She flinched. But she did not leave. Instead, she walked closer and picked up the invitation from my desk.
Her face went pale as she read it.
"He is marrying her," she whispered.
"Yes."
"And you are upset."
"No."
"Liar." She set down the invitation and looked at me. "You are furious. And jealous."
"Get out, Katya."
"No." She crossed her arms. "We are getting married in three weeks. I deserve to know the truth. Do you still love her?"
"That is none of your business."
"It is my business! I am your fiancée!"
"Only because you forced your way back into my life!"
"You let me!" She shouted back. "You could have said no! You could have thrown me out! But you did not! Because you wanted to hurt her the same way she hurt you!"
I grabbed her arm roughly. "Careful, Katya. You are treading on dangerous ground."
"Then hurt me." She looked me straight in the eyes. Tears streaming down her face. "Hit me. Choke me. Kill me. Do whatever you want. But stop pretending this marriage is anything other than revenge."
I tightened my grip on her arm. She did not even flinch.
"You are right," I said quietly, releasing her arm. "This marriage is revenge. Against Anya. Against myself. Against the whole damn world."
"Then why go through with it?"
"Because what else is there?" I turned away from her. "Anya made her choice. She chose her brother. She left me."
"So you are marrying me to forget her."
"No. I am marrying you because it does not matter anymore. You, Anya, anyone else. It is all the same."
Katya was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, "You are going to his wedding, are you not?"
I did not answer.
"You are going to go there and cause trouble. Maybe even try to stop it."
"Maybe."
"And what about our wedding? What about me?"
I turned to look at her. "What about you?"
"Do you even care? Or am I just... nothing to you?"
"You are something."
"What?"
"A distraction. A warm body in my bed." I walked closer to her. "But love? No, Katya. I will never love you. So if that is what you are hoping for, you should leave now."
She slapped me.
"I hate you," she whispered.
"Good. That makes two of us."
She started crying. Her whole body was shaking with sobs.
And I felt nothing.
I just stood there and watched her break down.
Finally, she wiped her tears and looked at me. "Fine. Marry me. Use me. I do not care anymore. But know this, Nikolai. When you lose her forever, when you watch her marry Alexei, you will have nothing left. Not even me."
She left the room.
I stood alone in the silence.
She was right. I would have nothing left.
But maybe that was what I deserved.
The next two weeks passed in a blur of wedding preparations and violence.
I attended meetings with Katya, smiled for photos and approved flower arrangements and seating charts.
All while planning my attack on Alexei's wedding.
Mikhail gathered information. Blueprints of the venue, security details and huest lists.
"His wedding is two days before yours," Mikhail said, spreading papers on my desk. "At his private estate there will be three hundred guests and heavy security."
"How heavy?"
"Fifty armed guards. Plus another hundred on standby. He is expecting trouble."
"Good. I would hate to disappoint him."
"Nikolai, this is suicide. You cannot just walk in there and..."
"Watch me."
"At least bring an army. Bring all our men."
"No. This is personal. I will go alone."
"Alone?" Mikhail stared at me like I was insane. "You will die."
"Maybe. But I will take Alexei with me."
"And Anya? What happens to her when you are both dead?"
I had not thought about that.
"She will be free," I said finally.
"Or she will be traumatized forever. Watching the two men in her life kill each other." Mikhail shook his head. "This is not love, Nikolai. This is obsession."
"Call it whatever you want. I am going."
The day of Alexei's wedding arrived.
I woke up early. Put on my best suit. Black. Like I was going to a funeral.
Katya was still asleep in the guest room. We had not shared a bed in weeks.
I went downstairs. My men were waiting. Concerned looks on their faces.
They bowed their heads as I walked past.
I got in my car and drove to Alexei's estate.
The wedding was at sunset. I arrived an hour early.
The gates were heavily guarded. As expected.
I drove up calmly, rolled down my window.
"Invitation?" The guard asked.
I handed him the cream envelope. Alexei's invitation.
He checked it, nodded and waved me through.
I parked and walked towards the main entrance.
My heart was pounding. My hands were steady.
I was about to walk into enemy territor
y. Surrounded by people who wanted me dead.
But I did not care.
Because somewhere in that estate, Anya was getting ready to marry another man.
And I would rather die than let that happen without a fight.
I walked through the doors.
And straight into hell.