Chapter 16 : The Meeting

10:00 AM - THE PHONE CALL

The morning light filtered through the curtains of Kyrian's room, soft and pale.

He hadn't slept much. Maybe two hours total.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Lorenzo's face.

Heard that calm, collected voice from his nightmare saying "Then he's mine."

His phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Ivan: Dad wants us downstairs.

Now.

Kyrian dragged himself out of bed and got dressed mechanically.

Jeans. A soft white sweater. His hands shook slightly as he took his morning medication.

Two suppressants. One stabilizer.

The pills felt heavier today. Like they knew they might not be enough much longer.

Downstairs, his entire family was gathered in the living room.

Kirill stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear. His expression was tense.

Arina sat on the sofa, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

Ivan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, jaw set.

They all looked up when Kyrian entered.

"What's happening?" Kyrian asked quietly.

Kirill ended his call. "That was Vincenzo Moretti."

Kyrian's stomach dropped.

"They want a meeting. Today. Both families."

"Why?"

"To discuss terms." Kirill's voice was carefully neutral. "They're calling it a negotiation."

"There's nothing to negotiate—"

"I know. But if we refuse to meet, they'll consider ut their disrespect."

The room fell silent.

"So we're going," Kyrian said flatly.

Not a question.

"We have to. But this time, you're coming with us."

"What? No—"

"Yes," Kirill said firmly. "This is about you. You deserve to be there.

To hear what they're proposing. To have a voice in this."

"Or to be paraded in front of them like a prize," Ivan muttered.

"Ivan," Arina said sharply.

"It's true! They want to see him.

Evaluate him. Make sure their investment is worth it—"

"Enough." Kirill's voice cut through the argument. "We leave in two hours. The meeting is at the Hotel Métropole. Neutral ground."

Kyrian felt nauseous.

"I don't want to see him."

"I know, baby," Arina said gently.

"But this might be our only chance to negotiate real protections for you. Rights. Boundaries."

"You mean if I have to marry him,"

Kyrian said bitterly.

No one denied it.

12:30 PM - HOTEL MÉTROPOLE - PRIVATE SUITE

The Hotel Métropole was exactly what Kyrian expected from Monaco's elite.

All white marble floors and crystal chandeliers. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Mediterranean. Soft classical music playing from hidden speakers.

Expensive. Elegant. Cold.

A staff member in a pristine uniform guided them to a private suite on the top floor.

"The Moretti family is already here," she said politely. "Please, this way."

Kyrian's heart hammered as they walked down a long, quiet hallway.

His mother squeezed his hand.

"Breathe," she whispered.

"I'm trying."

The staff member opened double doors to reveal a large conference room.

It was decorated in soft creams and golds. A long table in the center. Comfortable chairs. Bottles of water and glasses neatly arranged.

And at the far end of the table, the Morettis.

Vincenzo sat at the head, looking every bit the powerful Don in his tailored suit.

Isabella beside him, elegant in a cream dress.

Matteo leaning back in his chair, looking uncomfortable.

And Lorenzo.

Lorenzo sat perfectly still, hands folded on the table, his dark eyes fixed on the doorway.

On Kyrian.

The moment their eyes met, something electric shot through the room.

Kyrian felt his pulse spike. Felt his suppressants working overtime.

He lifted his chin and met Lorenzo's gaze without flinching.

I won't be afraid of you.

"Kirill. Arina. Ivan." Vincenzo stood, gesturing to the chairs across from them. "Thank you for coming. Please, sit."

The Volkovs took their seats.

Kyrian made sure to sit as far from Lorenzo as the table allowed.

But he could still feel those eyes on him. Watching. Calculating.

"Let's get started," Vincenzo said once everyone was settled. "We're here to discuss a potential alliance between our families.".

"Alliance," Kirill repeated coldly.

"Is that what we're calling forced marriage now?"

"Nothing is being forced,"

Vincenzo said smoothly. "We're here to negotiate terms that work for everyone."

"Everyone except Kyrian," Ivan said sharply.

"Actually," Isabella spoke up, her voice calm, "we want to hear from Kyrian. What he wants. What he needs."

All eyes turned to him.

Kyrian swallowed hard.

"What I want is to go home and forget this ever happened."

"That's not an option," Lorenzo said quietly.

It was the first time he'd spoken.

His voice was exactly as Kyrian remembered from the nightmare—low, controlled, absolute.

"Everything is an option," Kyrian shot back. "You just don't like that one."

"You're right. I don't."

"Then we're at an impasse."

"Are we?" Lorenzo leaned forward slightly. "Because from where I'm sitting, your family is here. At a negotiation table. Which tells me they're considering possibilities."

"They're here because you threatened them—"

"I offered them a choice."

"A choice between marriage and destruction isn't a choice!"

"Isn't it?"

The temperature in the room dropped.

Dante cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should discuss the actual terms—"

"I want to hear them too," Kyrian interrupted. He looked directly at Lorenzo. "What exactly are you proposing? What do you want from me?"

Lorenzo held his gaze.

"Marriage. Legal and binding. You take my name. Live in my home. Appear publicly as my spouse."

"Like property."

"Like a partner."

"Partners have equal say. Equal power. Somehow I don't think that's what you mean."

A flicker of something—amusement? respect?—crossed Lorenzo's face.

"You'd be surprised."

"Would I? Because the man who sent threatening texts and forced this meeting doesn't sound like someone interested in partnerships."

"The man who sent those texts was angry," Lorenzo said calmly. "I'm not angry anymore."

"Then what are you?"

"Interested."

The word hung in the air between them.

Kyrian's mother spoke up, her voice shaking slightly. "My son has a serious medical condition. Did you read the files we sent?"

"Every page," Lorenzo confirmed.

"Then you understand—"

"I understand that Kyrian requires specialized care. Careful pheromone management. Medical monitoring." Lorenzo's gaze never left Kyrian. "I'm prepared to provide all of that."

"Why?" Kyrian demanded. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I want this to work."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only one I have right now."

Vincenzo interjected. "We've drafted a contract. It includes provisions for Kyrian's medical care, his safety, his autonomy—"

"Autonomy," Kyrian laughed bitterly. "While married to him? While living in his house, under his control?"

"You'd have your own space,"

Isabella said gently. "Your own rooms. Freedom to pursue your career—"

"My career requires travel.

International flights. Being around hundreds of people, including Alphas."

"We can work around that—"

"No," Kyrian stood abruptly. "You can't work around biology. You can't negotiate with HSPD. This is insane. All of it."

"Rian," his father said quietly. "Sit down. Please."

"Why? So we can keep pretending this is a normal negotiation? It's not! This is him—" Kyrian pointed at Lorenzo "—deciding he wants to own me because I embarrassed him!"

"I don't want to own you," Lorenzo said, his voice maddeningly calm.

"Then what do you want?!"

"You."

The simple answer hit harder than any threat.

"You don't even know me."

"No. But I'd like to."

"By forcing me to marry you?"

"By giving us both a chance."

Kyrian stared at him in disbelief.

"A chance? A CHANCE?!" His voice rose. "You threatened my family!

You sent creepy texts! You read my private medical files without permission! And now you want me to believe this is about giving us a chance?!"

"Kyrian—" Arina tried.

"No! I'm done!" Kyrian turned to Lorenzo, and all the fear and anger and helplessness of the past three days poured out.

"You want to know what I think? I think you're arrogant and controlling and so used to getting everything you want that you can't handle the word 'no.'"

Lorenzo's expression didn't change.

"I think," Kyrian continued, his voice shaking, "that you saw someone who didn't bow down to you and you couldn't stand it. So now you're trying to break me.

Own me. Control me."

"That's not—"

"I'm not finished!" Kyrian's hands clenched into fists. "You think you can just... research my condition and fix everything? Make it work?

I've lived with HSPD for six years.

SIX YEARS. Do you know what that's like? Every day is medication and monitoring and fear.

Every crowd is a potential threat. Every Alpha is a danger."

His voice dropped, but the intensity remained.

"And you're not just any Alpha. You're an Enigma. Your pheromones are literally the most dangerous thing for me. Being in the same room as you right now is making my medication work overtime."

"Then leave," Lorenzo said quietly.

"If being near me hurts you, leave."

"I am leaving. But not because you told me to." Kyrian looked at his family. "I'm leaving because this is pointless. You can negotiate all you want. Draw up all the contracts in the world. I will NEVER agree to this."

He turned back to Lorenzo one last time.

"And if somehow you force this to happen? If you somehow make me marry you?" His voice was cold.

Steel wrapped in silk. "I will make your life hell. Every single day. You think I'm difficult now? You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Lorenzo's lips curved into the barest hint of a smile.

"I look forward to finding out."

That smile was the final straw.

Kyrian turned and walked toward the door.

"Kyrian, wait—" Kirill started.

"Let him go," Ivan said, standing. "I'll go with him."

The brothers left together, the door closing with a soft click behind them.

The remaining families sat in heavy silence.

Finally, Arina spoke, her voice tight with emotion.

"That's my son. That's the boy you want to marry. Stubborn. Fierce.

Impossible to control."

"I know," Lorenzo said simply.

"And you still want to go forward with this?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Arina's voice broke slightly. "Please. Help me understand why you're doing this."

Lorenzo was quiet for a long moment.

"Because when he threw that drink in my face, he looked at me like I was just a man. Not a Don.

Not someone to fear. Just... a man who'd overstepped."

He paused.

"No one has looked at me like that in ten years."

"So this is about your ego—"

"No. It's about the fact that he's real. Unfiltered. He doesn't perform for me. Doesn't try to please me. He just... is."

Lorenzo looked at the door Kyrian had walked through.

"I've spent my entire life surrounded by people who say yes. Who obey. Who fear. And then he walks into my casino and says no."

"So you want to break him," Kirill said coldly.

"No. I want to understand him. I want to know what makes someone that brave. That reckless. That alive."

Isabella placed a hand on her son's arm. "Lorenzo—"

"I know this isn't normal. I know it's not romantic. I know he hates me right now." Lorenzo's voice was steady. "But I've made my decision. I want this marriage to happen."

"Even knowing it might kill him?"

Arina asked.

"It won't. I'll make sure it won't."

"You can't promise that—"

"Yes, I can. Because I'm not doing this halfway. I'm researching everything. Hiring specialists.

Creating a safe environment."

Lorenzo's dark eyes were absolutely certain. "If Kyrian becomes my spouse, he becomes my responsibility. And I don't fail at my responsibilities."

Vincenzo spoke up. "We have two days left on our timeline. We need a decision."

Kirill looked at his wife. She looked back, tears in her eyes.

"We need to talk to Kyrian," Kirill said finally. "Really talk. Figure out what he wants. What he can live with."

"And if he says no?" Dante asked.

"Then we find another way," Arina said firmly. "We don't sacrifice our son for peace."

"Even if saying no means war?"

Vincenzo pressed.

The question hung in the air, unanswered.

HOTEL TERRACE

Kyrian stood on the terrace, gripping the railing, trying to breathe.

Ivan stood beside him, silent.

"I can't do this," Kyrian said quietly.

"I know."

"He's insane. They're all insane."

"Yeah."

"And Dad's going to agree, isn't he? When it comes down to it, he's going to sign that contract."

Ivan didn't answer immediately.

"I don't know," he said finally. "But whatever happens... we face it together. You and me. Like always."

Kyrian's hands tightened on the railing.

"I meant what I said in there. If he makes me marry him, I'll make his life hell."

"I believe you."

"Good." Kyrian took a shaky breath. "Because I'm not going down without a fight."

Behind them, through the glass doors, both families continued their negotiation.

Without Kyrian.

Deciding his future.

And no matter how loudly he screamed "no," Kyrian was starting to realize something terrible:

His voice might not matter at all.

END OF CHAPTER 16

Happy reading ✨