Chapter 174
Vladimir:
“I am curious, Konstantin, what are you trying to reach?” I asked, shaking my head at the man who was sitting in the living room, clearly waiting for me to come and snap at him. I wasn’t planning to, not this time at least.
The man was going to know what it was to be challenging me the way that he was, and I was going to be sure that he ends up regretting doing so. If anything, I knew that he would start thinking twice about approaching my mate, I just had to find the right approach to doing so.
Elena, who was now in the garden, roaming around with three maids keeping her company, was relaxed, happy, and more calm than she knew that I was home. But I knew that it wasn’t something that lasted for long, not when an enemy like Konstantin was here just waiting for me to leave the house for him to come and hurt her.
“I believe that you’re still aware that she is my slave. The woman might be yours, but it is only because I am allowing her to be. It doesn’t mean that I am going to allow you to take charge of what I do and not do to her.” He said, and I took a deep breath.
“You are sick in your mind, aren’t you?” I asked, shaking my head in question as I took a seat on the couch facing him. “I spoke to you, time and time, and I literally just spoke to you before I left, and then you come around and do everything that I told you not to. I don’t understand what it is that is bothering you?”
“I am bothered by the fact that it seems to me that you have a weakness toward the woman. You wouldn’t even think of touching another if brought to you. Son, that is going to be a problem for you, especially if enemies see to the fact that you have someone as special.” He said, and I was forced to keep myself calm so as not to tell him that the one enemy that I had right now was him.
“What you see as a weakness is someone that I am enjoying right now.” I said, choosing to play with my words. “As I said, when I grow tired, I am going to find another, just like any other man. But I do not prefer to find myself jumping from one to another. You never know what the market has and refreshing what I like might change, my taste would too, and I might choose a younger or even older woman depending on the experience that I want to have.”
It pulled my strings to be referring to my mate as someone that I would be willing to replace, and though she knew that I wouldn’t do it, I knew for fact that I would rather kill than choose someone else over her; but if I had to, even she knew and would have to understand that it would happen for her safety. At least, until I managed to get her to our Estate where I know that she would be safe of all of this mockery.
“I am amazed by your perspective, and though I personally might not agree with it, I know to respect you enough not to argue. But I am going to have to ask, when are you going to be changing your taste? As it seems to me that it has been stuck for a while.” He said, and I scoffed. I got up from the couch and walked toward the bar, knowing that my new drinks would have been placed by the maids.
“Scotch?” I asked, looking at the man who shook his head. “I am guessing that it is time for the two of us to speak of something that does not include my sexual life. As you may know, the two of us have to head off to Paris next week, and we have yet to discuss that.”
“I wouldn’t mind a glass. And that is because I am the one who is going. You are going to stay here. There is a meeting that I want you to run, and an auction that you are going to attend. Paris is less important than that, and I think that you are going to do better when you are here. You know people around and they know you.” He said, and I raised an amused eyebrow.
“You act as if the men in Paris don’t know my name.” I said, and he smirked, shaking his head.
“I know that they know your name, but Killian is coming here.” He said, and I frowned. “And considering the fact that he is going to be here, I am guessing that you are going to be better off tending to the business with him. I don’t want to find myself dealing with the man when I was supposed to take your corpse only to send you to him in a meeting.”
“You are running away from the man? A little unusual of you, don’t you agree?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Oh, not at all. But while you are tending to him here, I am going to bring the big jackpot home. You know, with everything that is going to go on, the two of us are going to do two things at once. Killian is not going to know that we are growing our power, income, and ground. You can even tell him that I am ill, and that is why I wasn’t able to attend.” He said, and I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to understand what he was on about. His eyes studied my expression, and the man took a deep breath. “The Paris auction is a private one, invitees only, and Killian is not one of them. I was sure of it.”
“What are you selling there?” I asked, knowing that it was something that we did not approve of. If he was having it out of Russia, and if it was away from the Ivanov eye, I knew the main reason behind it was for us not to stop it.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, smiling at me. I had to force myself to bite my tongue so as not to say a word before looking at the door as it opened, revealing Elena whose eyes met mine. I nodded at her to go to the room, I didn’t want her engaging with the man.
Konstantin smirked at the message that he caught before he looked at me.
“I keep growing more impressed by the training that she got.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now, or the auction here in Russia. Do you want me to give you the documents to read? Or are you going to go there and see for yourself before the event begins…?”