Chapter 198 MY BROTHER.
\~~~LUCIANO.
The silence stretched out like a noose tightening around my neck. Viktor just stood there, his back to me, his shoulders rigid under that dark jacket. The room felt smaller, the air heavier, and every breath I took laced with doubt. I couldn't let him walk away like this. Not yet.
"Stop there," I ordered, my voice sharper than I meant it to be. It cut through the quiet, making him pause with his hand on the doorknob.
He turned slowly, his face half-shadowed in the dim light from the single bulb overhead. Those eyes, usually so steady and unreadable, now held something raw.
Hurt? Anger? I couldn't tell, and that scared me more than any accusation.
"You're not going to defend yourself?" I pressed, stepping closer. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a reminder of how deep this cut.
Viktor's jaw tightened, and he let out a slow breath. "Defend? You think I'd sabotage you? Ruin everything we've built? Me, Viktor?" His voice cracked just a little on his name, and for the first time in all our years together, I saw real emotion flicker across his face. Pain, deep and sharp, like I'd driven a knife into his gut myself. "You're my brother, Luciano. Blood or not."
The word hung there, twisting something inside me. I'd always thought of him that way too but evidence piled up like bricks.
He added before I could say another word. "Or maybe I was just over my head," I admitted, the words tasting bitter.
"All you needed was to deny it. The call logs, the IP trails, everything leads back to you. The burner was traced straight to your line. I only need you to tell me no, and I swear I'll drop it. We will dig deeper, find the real rat."
He stared at me for a long beat, the silence roaring in my ears. Then, finally, his voice came out firm, no hesitation. "No. It wasn't me."
Relief flooded me for a split second, but it crashed against the wall of facts. "B…but…" I stammered, my mind reeling. How could it not be?
"Right, that's what I thought," Viktor said, smacking his lips in that way he did when he was done talking. He turned toward the door again, shoulders slumping just a fraction.
"It is my wedding tomorrow," he stopped, his voice softer now, almost pleading. He pivoted back to face me fully, eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that pinned me in place. "I'm going to marry the love of my life, your sister, tomorrow. I implore you, Luciano, let everything go as planned. No interruptions, no drama. No one betrays you and walks away Scott free, I know and I will face whatever punishment you think fits after. No matter what it is." With that, he yanked the door open and strode out, the sound of his boots echoing down the hall like finality.
I didn't say another word. I couldn't. My mouth hung open, words dying on my tongue. This was the first time I had ever felt trapped in this pit with Viktor.
Evidence screamed his guilt, clear as day. The traces didn't lie. But his denial? That look in his eyes? It shook me to my core. Deep down, I felt foolish for even entertaining the thought, even for a moment.
Viktor, the man who would take bullets for me, and who had watched my back when no one else would. Betray me? For what? Power? Money? It didn't add up, but the proof did.
I stood there, frozen, staring at the door he'd slammed shut.
Minutes ticked by and my mind remained a whirlwind of what-ifs.
What if it was him, playing the long game?
What if the wedding was a cover, a way to get closer to Alessia, and to us?
Or worse, what if I was wrong, and accusing him shattered everything?
Raina, and Alessia both saw him as family. The fallout would rip us apart.
The door pushed open again, jolting me back. Gabriel rushed in, his face flushed, and his eyes wide with worry. "Is something wrong, boss? Viktor left and he seemed… off. Like, really off. He didn't even answer when I called his name."
I rubbed a hand over my face, exhaustion hitting like a truck. "Get the car. We are leaving. Now."
Gabriel blinked, glancing back toward the hall. "But, boss… what happened? You two were in here forever. Did he say something about the traces?"
"Just do as I've said, damn it," I snapped, my voice low and edged with frustration. I didn't need his questions piling on. Not now.
He nodded quickly, I grabbed my coat from the chair, shrugging it on as I followed.
The drive home blurred into silence and Gabriel up front, stealing glances in the rearview but smart enough to keep quiet. My thoughts raced ahead at the wedding tomorrow.
By the time we pulled up to the house, it was past seven.
I waved Gabriel off and trudged inside, the weight of the night pressing down. Upstairs, our bedroom door was ajar, soft light spilling out.
I pushed it open, and there she was, humming to herself as she folded clothes into a suitcase on the bed.
She looked up, her face breaking into that grin that always melted me. "Lou," she said, straight and simple, crossing the room to wrap her arms around my waist.
I forced a smile, pulling her close, breathing in her scent "Hey, sunshine." I kissed the top of her head, holding on a beat longer than usual.
She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her hands on my chest. "How are you? I was worried I'd have left before you got back."
That's when I remembered she was packing for Alessia's place, and the bridal sleepover or whatever they call it, ahead of the wedding chaos tomorrow.
I nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Things dragged longer than planned. Deal stuff."
Her eyes narrowed, that sharp intuition kicking in. "Are you okay? You don't look… good. Like, really not good. What is going on?"
I hesitated, the words bubbling up before I could stop them. Part of me wanted to bury it and keep her out of the shadows.
I shook my head, trying to play it off. "It's nothing. Just a long night."
"Don't tell me it's nothing," she said firmly, her voice gentle but unyielding. She took my hand, leading me to the edge of the bed. "Sit. Talk to me."
I sank down, the mattress dipping under us. She sat beside me, close enough that our thighs touched. "Can you humor me on something?" I asked, buying time.
"Of course," she replied, squeezing my hand. Her touch grounded me, pulling me back from the edge.
"Let's say you and Alessia, yeah? You're very close, like sisters. So, something happens, and you kind of accuse her of sabotaging you or maybe leaking plans or something big. Evidence points right at her. What do you do?"
She tilted her head, a small smile tugging at her lips, but her eyes were serious. "What happened between you and Viktor?" she cut in, straight to the heart.
I rolled my eyes, caught. Nosy as ever, but damn if it didn't make me love her more. "I didn't even mention his name."
"I know it's him," she said, not missing a beat. "What happened? Spill it, babe."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I think I might have… accused him indirectly of sabotaging me. Some deals kept falling apart, and the traces kept leading back to him."
"Oh, babe," she breathed out, her face softening with sympathy. But then she shook her head, that fire sparking in her eyes. "Oh, come on. Viktor? Really?"
"All the evidence was directed at him, baby," I defended, though even to me it sounded weak now. "The contacts, and the calls were undeniable."
She leaned back, crossing her arms. "And you believed it? Just like that?"
"I didn't want to. But what if…"
"What if nothing," she interrupted, her voice rising.
"I think he took it pretty badly.”
Are you kidding me? You're practically brothers! What were you thinking, accusing him like that?"
I flinched at the volume, her words hitting home. She wasn't wrong. The hurt in Viktor's eyes replayed in my mind, twisting the knife. "Baby…"
"No, hands up to you, brother-in-law of the year," she said, grinning in that mocking way she did when she was half-mad, half-teasing. But there was no real humor in it this time. Just disappointment, sharp and real.
I shouldn't have told her. The doubt was back, heavier now, and with the wedding hours away, it felt like the ground was crumbling under my feet. What had I done?