Chapter 40 Nikolai
The meeting room was filled with tension that was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Five heads of families were sitting around my table, in my house, judging me like I was some criminal.
Mikhail had gone ahead with his plan without my approval. And I would make him pay. Let me just deal with these assholes first.
Alexei Volkov sat to my left, smirking like he had already won some victory. Katya's father sat directly across from me, his face was hard and unforgiving. The other three family heads looked uncomfortable, shifting in their seats like they did not want to be here at all.
And beside me sat Dmitri, my new advisor. The snake who had orchestrated all of this chaos.
Mikhail stood in the corner with his arms crossed. He would not even look at me.
"We are here because of a serious matter," Katya's father began. His voice echoed in the silent room. "The Pakhan has been compromised. His judgment has been clouded by a slave girl."
"She is not a slave," I said coldly. "Her name is Anya. And she has done nothing wrong."
"She has bewitched you," Alexei said. He leaned back in his chair casually. "Everyone can see it. You cut off my guest's hand for her. You threatened your own fiancée for her. You embarrassed Katya's family for her. You are losing control, Nikolai."
"I am in perfect control."
"Are you?" Katya's father leaned forward. His eyes were hard. "Then why are you sneaking into the servants' quarters every night? Why are you risking the alliance for a nobody?"
I said nothing. What could I say? They were right. I had been reckless, careless and stupid.
But I did not care.
"We have evidence," Dmitri said suddenly. His voice was smooth and calm. He pulled out his phone and showed them some pictures of me outside Anya's door.
My blood ran cold. "Where did you get those?"
"I have been watching everything." Dmitri's smile was cold. "My job is to protect you, Pakhan. Even from yourself."
"You had no right..."
"I had every right. You gave me that right when you made me your advisor." He turned to the other families and showed them more photos. "As you can see, the Pakhan is not thinking clearly. He is obsessed with this girl. And it is affecting his decisions."
"She needs to be removed," one of the other family heads said. An older man with gray hair and tired eyes. "For the good of all the families."
"No," I said firmly, slamming my fist on the table . "She's going nowhere."
"Then you force our hand," Katya's father said. "We will vote. All in favor of removing the girl from the estate, raise your hand."
Four hands went up immediately. Alexei, Katya's father, the gray-haired man, and another.
Only one abstained. A younger family head who looked uncomfortable with the whole situation.
"It is decided," Alexei said with satisfaction. Victory dripped from every word. "The girl will be sent far away to a place where she cannot influence you anymore."
"You have no right to this." I stood up. My chair scraped loudly against the floor. "This is my house. My decision stands!"
"Not anymore," Katya's father said calmly. "You have proven you cannot make rational decisions. So we are making them for you. For your own good and all of us."
"This is insane!" I roared. My voice echoed off the walls. "She is innocent! She has done nothing wrong! Nothing!"
"Her existence is the problem." Dmitri said quietly.
I turned to him. Rage burned in my chest. "You planned this. You set her up. You took those photos deliberately. You wanted this to happen."
"I did my job." He smiled. "I protected you from yourself by taking your weakness away."
"I will kill you!" I lunged at him. My hands reached for his throat.
Four guards grabbed me from behind, holding me back.
"Calm down, Nikolai," one of the other family heads said. "This is not helping. You are only making it worse."
"Calm down?" I laughed. "You want me to calm down while you take away the only thing that matters to me?"
"She is just a girl," Alexei said dismissively. "You can find someone prettier and more suitable from a better family."
"She is not just a girl!" I roared. I fought against the guards. "She is everything! And you cannot take her from me! I will not allow it!"
"We already have," Katya's father said. His voice was final. "The decision is made. She leaves tonight. The guards are already preparing her transport."
"No." I stopped struggling and went completely still. A deadly calm washed over me. "No. I will not allow it. I refuse." My voice became calm.
"You do not have a choice." Katya's father replied.
"Then I will leave with her." The words came out before I could stop them. Mikhail's eyes shut up. "I will give up everything. The estate. The title. The power. The family name. All of it. Just let her stay. Please."
I was shocked at myself. What was I saying? Had I gone insane?
The room became silent. Everyone stared at me like I had lost my mind.
Maybe I had.
"You would give up your empire for a slave?" Alexei asked. Disbelief was clear in his voice. "Everything your family built for generations? For one girl?"
"Yes." My voice was steady. "Without hesitation."
What was the point? Anya was the only thing that keepsme sane. The only thing in my world that’s not chaos. I had chosen chaos for more than twenty years. Choosing peace now was fair enough.
"Then you are more lost than we thought," Katya's father said sadly. He actually looked sorry for me. "You are more broken than we realized."
"We cannot let you do that," another family head said. "You are too important. Your family is too important. The Markov name cannot fall because of one girl. It would create chaos. It would create a power vacuum. Even war!"
"Then what do you suggest?" I asked through gritted teeth. My jaw hurt from clenching.
"The girl leaves tonight. You will stay and marry my daughter as planned. You will fulfill your duty to your family. To all of us." Katya's father stood up, straightened his jacket. "That is the only option. The only way forward."
"And what if I refuse? What then?" I asked coldly. I was their leader anyways.
Dmitri leaned forward. His green eyes were cold and calculating, void of all emotion.
"Then we have another option," he said softly and quietly. But everyone could hear him. "Either she leaves peacefully tonight. Or we execute her right now. In front of everyone. Your choice, Pakhan. Choose wisely."