“Come in!” I call out, hand pressed against the cap’s visor.
My father’s broad frame fills the doorway. He scans the messy bed, the closed curtains, my pajamas, and my cap, all in one glance. Then, without waiting for permission, he shuts the door behind him. “I want to talk, Nicole.”
I let out a sigh. “Of course, Dad.”
His lips press into a thin, displeased line. “Deliberov’s death was a move I didn’t see coming. And one that’smessing with my plans.”
I’m not surprised he refers to someone’s death as a “move.” Will he discuss my death in the same way?
My gut churns. I picture him in front of the media:‘Taking my daughter’s soul? An unforeseen move by the Black Joker.’The image makes me want to laugh and cry all at once.
No, I scold myself,you’re his only child. Of course, he’ll care.
I focus back on him and ask, “Why? Did they pause the project?”
He lowers himself onto the edge of my bed, legs spread wide. Even sitting, his presence fills the entire room. “On the contrary. The project’s moving forward withDaniel Deliberov atthe helm now. That little punk is trying to play hardball. Acting all untouchable, thinking he can twist my arm forever.”
I frown, feigning sympathy. I couldn’t care less about his latest deal.
“Daniel forgets one crucial difference,” my father continues. “It’s one thing to be the golden boy of a tycoon. It’s another to lead an empire. Especially an empire that doesn’t deal in fashion, art, or some fluffy foundation nonsense. We’re talking infrastructure. Massive investments. Arab money. Russian money. The kind of people who need to see stability in you. And stability, sweetheart, still looks best in a suit, with a well-mannered wife, and a couple of kids smiling on a yacht.”
Now he has my full attention.
He adjusts his gold watch. “Of course, young Daniel’s no fool. He caught on fast that instead of locking horns with me, we’d be better off helping each other. Daniel agrees he’ll hold more weight in society if he has a beautiful wife at his side…”
The air rushes out of my lungs in a quick burst. “No,Dad! He wasdisgustingto me at the ball. That man doesn’t want a wife. And he definitely doesn’t wantme.”
“You’ll get a chance to see for yourselves during dinner in two nights.”
“I don’t want to have dinner with him!”
He waves a hand. “Consider it helping me with business.”
I fold my arms across my chest, shaking my head. “Why don’t you just tell the Deliberovs and their project to go to hell? You’ve got plenty of others. You’re well-known and respected—”
“It’s not that simple, Nicole,” he interrupts, his voice lower now. He glances away for a second, as if searching for words. “Yes, I’ve got dozens of projects behind me. Hundreds, if you count the deals that never hit the headlines. But lately…things aren’t as solid as they appear from the outside.”
He runs a hand through his hair and stands, pacing. “One partner pulled out. Another shifted his business to Greece. The financing for the Serbia route? Up in the air. The damn bureaucrats at the Construction Commission are interfering too much. And now Deliberovis dead.”
My skin prickles. My father… has financial problems? “You had coffee with the head of the Commission the other day”
“That bastard wasn’t satisfied with the stake I gave him in one of my projects. He wants more. I’ve got him under control, but I don’t know for how long.”
He stops in front of me, locking eyes. “Nobody else is aware of this, Nicole. Not the journalists, not the competitors. If word gets out that I’m in a weak position, they’ll tear me apart. And you’re here, in my house. My only daughter. And instead of asking how you can help, you’re telling me you ‘don’t want dinner.’”
His voice tightensnot with anger, but with strain. It’s a tone I’m not used to hearing from him. “You think I’m asking you to marry for money? Wehavemoney. And this is bigger than that. I’m offering you a place in something much older—and far more powerful—than money. The Deliberovs don’t just have wealth, Nicole. They have history. Ties. The kind of connections that outlive governments. I don’t even know if he will agree, damn it! He said he’d decide after dinner. Arrogant little bastard. But if hedoesagree…” He leans in closer. “If this marriage doesn’t work out, we’ll find a way out. If itdoes, we’re not just rich anymore. We’ll be part of a family withrealpower. We’ll be…untouchable. No more scheming, backroom deals, manipulations. A single word, and scumbags like that ass-kissing parasite from the Construction Commission are gone.
My chest burns. He’s dangling what I’ve always wanted in front of me. Being untouchable.Instead of leaping at the opportunity, I shrink back. The truth is, I don’t want their power, not at the expense of a husband who views me as nothing more than a bargaining chip.
He places a hand on my shoulder. The warmth of his palm on my bare skin startles me. I can’t remember the last time he touched me with such gentleness. “Well, sweetheart? Are you going to help me?”
* * *
I can’t pull my thoughts together. My father is having financial problems. I could solve them by impressing a man who, in our single encounter, regarded me with nothing but arrogant disdain.‘Now that he understands the situation, he’ll be different,’my father claims.
And Dad has no idea that in less than two weeks, I might not even exist.
If I stay cooped up in this room for one more second, I’m going to lose it.
