Chapter 106 Whatever the Cost
❦ Rosalind ❦
I woke up to the faintest sound of shutters moving. I slowly opened my eyes, and there he was.
Viktor stood by the floor-length windows, the morning light casting a glow over his shoulders. His clothes looked the same as last night, but cleaner.
Crisp shirt, pressed slacks.
For a moment I wondered if he’d had them laundered by the hotel’s twenty-four-hour service or if he’d simply had an entire wardrobe brought in. With Viktor, either was possible.
He turned at my movement, and our eyes locked.
I shivered.
I’d noticed it yesterday, but exhaustion had clouded my mind too much to make sense of it. It wasn’t that he looked different, his face was the same, but the blankness I had grown used to seeing was gone.
Replaced with a steadier, surer sheen.
As if he knew something I didn’t.
I sat up slowly, pulling the sheets to my chest.
“Good morning,” Viktor said, his voice rough and warm. He leisurely moved around the bed, and sat beside me.
I angled my face away instinctively, self conscious.
“A little morning breath never hurt anyone,” he said, amused.
I gasped, horrified, as his palm came up to cup my cheek. Before I could protest, his lips brushed mine softly, and my stomach fluttered.
I giggled.
“Don’t,” I whispered, embarrassed, but smiling anyway.
“Going somewhere?” I asked, stealing a glance at him.
“Not right now,” he said casually. He had work to do in the house… I heard what he didn’t say. He wanted me to come back with him.
“Okay,” I said lightly. “But breakfast first?”
His lips twitched in a small smile. “You mean lunch.”
I blinked, frowning, then whipped my head toward the clock on the nightstand. My jaw dropped. Past noon.
I’d slept half the day away. Then again, I’d only gone to bed after two, when Viktor had come. It made sense, but still.
We ordered room service and ate at the small round table, a spread of eggs, pancakes, fruit, and coffee. The simple act of eating together smoothed my hackles.
By the end of it, I felt more like myself than I had in days. No pounding headache, no heavy fog pressing in my skull. Just warmth and more energy.
I let myself look at him. Like really look. He seemed well too. More solid. Stronger. For one selfish second, I let myself imagine that maybe, just maybe… we were good for one another after all.
The thought was too sweet, too good to be true, so I shook it off. Distraction.
“How’s your head?” I asked instead, surprising myself. “Any pain?”
His eyes flickered before he answered. “It’s easing up. No episodes lately.”
His clipped tone told me enough. He was lying, or at least not telling me the whole truth. But the way he clenched his jaw told me why. He didn’t want to look weak in front of me.
I let it go.
He waited as I showered and dressed, then we rode back together.
When the estate rose in the distance, my stomach twisted. The weight of the flash drive in my purse was ever present, making each breath feel heavy.
I hoped to God that I was making the right choice. That choosing myself, even just once, wouldn’t destroy me.
Viktor had left me no choice but to hunt for answers myself. It wasn’t my fault if he had to be collateral damage.
By the time we stepped into the house, sweat dampened my palms as I braced for what was waiting… the secrets Giannis promised, the truth about my father.
The air in the estate felt different when I walked in, full of eyes that wouldn’t meet mine.
The soldiers mumbled their greetings stiffly, and I kept my expression cold, letting them feel every ounce of my disappointment.
They’d played a part in prolonging my suffering with their silence and incompetence. And I wanted them to remember it.
“Donna!” Enza exclaimed.
Isa barreled toward me, knocking me back with the force of her hug. I let out a breathless laugh and wrapped my arms around her.
“I missed you too, Isa,” I murmured, smiling despite myself.
Her eyes shone when she pulled back, and then Enza reached me. She cupped my face in her hands like she was checking for damage.
“Grazie a Dio,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “you’re okay.”
“I’m fine,” I told her softly.
Enza straightened, wiping her eyes. “I’ll make you passatelli in brodo. It will strengthen you, make you well again.”
My lips twitched. “I’d love that, Enza. But maybe later? I already had a big lunch.”
She nodded firmly, already setting her mind to the task, muttering something about broth and chicken bones as she walked away.
Before I could move, Viktor’s warm hand closed around mine, his thumb brushing against my knuckles before he led me deeper into the house.
Adrian sat in the living room with his laptop balanced on his knees. At our approach, he turned the screen away, an almost imperceptible motion, but enough for me to notice.
“Rosa.” His voice was steady but softer than I’d ever heard it. He stood, closed the laptop, and for once he didn’t look indifferent. “I owe you an apology. We failed you. In protecting you. In bringing you back sooner. I’m… truly sorry.”
The intensity of his stare made my throat tighten. I wasn’t used to Adrian speaking to me openly, almost earnestly. It felt like standing under the heat of a spotlight.
I looked away and said quietly, “It’s okay.”
He didn’t seem convinced. “How did you get away?” he pressed, echoing Viktor’s earlier question.
I shrugged. “I paid them off. Money was all they wanted. I’m really okay.”
His calculating eyes lingered. He didn’t believe me. I could see it.
“Drop it,” Viktor’s voice cut in.
Adrian looked at him, then back at me, and nodded.
Viktor bent, his lips brushing my cheek. “Do you want anything? Snack? Drink?”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, my chest aching at the concern in his voice.
He searched my face, then straightened. “I’ll change. I’ll be back.”
I gave him a light smile.
He disappeared up the stairs. My gaze slid sideways to Adrian, still seated, his laptop shut but close at hand.
I imagined lunging at him and forcing the drive into his system, the rush of forbidden truths pouring out. The image was so strong I had to curl my fingers against my thigh to stop myself from moving.
But Giannis had specifically said Viktor's laptop, not just any.
Two days. That’s all I had left. Two days to make the choice, to either give Gianni what he wanted or refuse him outright. My mind spun with the possibilities and the dangers.
What would he do if I didn’t?
I was lost in my own head when the voice of the newscaster broke through my thoughts.
The story made my blood chill, the sudden death of a beloved doctor. Rich and powerful with hospitals under his name. A philanthropist in the eyes of the public, but behind it, he ran an organ and human trafficking ring. A monster who wore a respectable white coat.
I felt my stomach tighten with nausea.
Adrian glanced toward the screen with disinterest, then toward me. He looked like he’d already heard the story before.
“Should I change it?” he asked gently, as if the news was too heavy for me. “Something lighter, maybe.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I want to watch.”
He nodded, but I could feel his gaze linger.
As the report went on, I imagined my hotel falling into the hands of men like him. My inheritance being turned into a butcher’s shop.
I couldn’t breathe. Every choice I considered felt like a trap. If I sold the hotel, I would damn NewYork. If I kept it, I would damn myself.
At this point I’d have to fabricate a third option.
Dragging my attention from the screen, I fixed my gaze on Adrian.
“Any leads? On the people who attacked Viktor?”
To my surprise, his eyes sharpened. “Yes. We know who it was. We’ll deal with him when the time is right.”
My heart stuttered. They knew. If they took Giannis down first, then maybe I could use the flash without consequence. My fingers twitched toward the bag that still felt like burning coal against my side.
And then Viktor reappeared.
He came down the stairs in his signature black slacks and a dark shirt. My thighs tightened at the sight before I could stop them.
He caught my eyes immediately, the weight of his attention so heavy I almost forgot how to breathe.
“Are you tired?” he asked, scanning my face, his voice deep and delicious.
“I think I’ll rest inside for a while,” I managed.
He stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel his heat against my skin. His hand gripped my wrist, testing my pulse.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
I hated the way my body leaned into him. But I forced a smile, shaking my head. “I’m fine.”
His stormy gray gaze pinned me still, so intense I almost started to confess everything, but I slipped past him before I could drown in that look.
The master bedroom was the same as I’d left it that unfortunate morning. My pulse jumped as I dug out my phone and laptop, both screens flaring to life at once.
My fingers hesitated over the keypad for only a moment before I typed to Dante: Be ready. Send me the account information.
My thumb hovered, then I pressed send.
My jaw locked.
I was getting my fucking hotel back.
Whatever the cost.