MasukNorah stood in the middle of the living room, arms crossed tight against her chest.“I thought you said you had this under control,” she said. “So why are we here?”Ivan leaned back against the doorframe behind her, calm as hell….looking devastatingly handsome. Watching her like she was the only thing moving in the room.Mary clocked him instantly.She exhaled once, already reaching for her bag. “Yeah,” she said lightly. “I’m gonna leave you two alone.”A beat. A knowing look between them.“Looks like you’ve got a lot to talk about.”She didn’t wait for permission. The door clicked shut behind her.The room shifted.Ivan pushed off the frame and leaned back against the edge of the table instead, hands slipping into his pockets like he had all the time in the world.“As soon as everything’s under control,” he said calmly, “I promise—you go back to school.”Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not an answer.”“It’s the only one you need right now.”She exhaled sharply and turned away, pacing once
Ivan felt the weight of her arms around him. The hug was firm, deliberate, but there was something in it—softness only reserved for him. He didn’t move, didn’t speak. Natalia held him like she meant it, like this was the only moment that mattered.When she finally released him, stepping back just enough to look at him, her eyes held a faint intensity.“You want to know about your father’s past?” she asked, voice low, measured, but carrying a subtle edge of pleading.Ivan nodded once.“I’ll be right back,” she said, her heels clicking as she moved into the next room.Moments later, she returned, holding a framed photograph carefully in her hands. She set it in front of him.Ivan’s eyes narrowed. The picture showed a younger man—his father—standing side by side with Roman. Both of them looked inseparable, effortless, like they’d ruled the world together.“They were close,” Natalia said simply. “Inseparable, really. Your father… and Roman. You see that?”Ivan’s gaze lingered on the photo
The car rolled to a quiet stop in front of the hotel.Noon light glazed the glass exterior, turning it into a polished mirror. Ivan stepped out, adjusted his jacket once, and walked inside like he owned the place—or like places had learned not to question him.The lobby noticed.Conversations dipped. A phone slipped from someone’s hand. At the reception desk, two women froze mid-sentence, eyes tracking him openly as he approached.“Good afternoon,” Ivan said.Both straightened at once.“Yes—good afternoon,” the first receptionist replied too quickly, her smile already bright, already interested. “How can we help you?”“I’m here to see someone,” Ivan said. “Ms. Banks .”Something flickered between them.“Oh,” the second receptionist breathed, eyes lighting up. “She’s staying with us.”She leaned forward slightly, elbows on the desk, gaze roaming him with zero shame. “You’re her son?”Ivan nodded once.“Well,” the first receptionist said, voice warmer now, slower, “she must be very proud
Jay was still watching Ivan through the mirror when he spoke.“So,” he said lightly, “you’re really not going to tell us what went down in there?”Ivan didn’t answer.The city lights slid past the window, blurred streaks of gold and shadow. His jaw was tight, shoulders rigid—like his body had already decided something his mouth hadn’t caught up with yet.Then Philip’s voice hit him again.I have men watching your girlfriend.Ivan’s breath punched out of him.“Shit,” he muttered.Then, louder—sharp and sudden—“Shit. Shit. Pull over.”Liam didn’t argue. He swerved to the side of the road and stopped.Ivan leaned forward, palms braced against his knees. “Listen to me carefully.”“I want you at Norah’s school. Now.”Both men froze at the sudden edge in his voice.“She leaves with you,” Ivan continued, low and sharp. “No delays. No excuses. Do whatever it takes to make sure she comes with you.”“And you?” Liam asked.Ivan opened the door. “Drop me here. I’ll take a taxi.”Jay frowned. “Iv
The car rolled to a slow stop in front of the building.Elegant didn’t even begin to cover it.Tall iron gates. Stone walls trimmed with ivy. Wide windows that reflected the morning sun like watchful eyes. It wasn’t a hotel—this place felt private. Old money. Quiet money. The kind of place where people disappeared behind closed doors and no one asked questions.Liam leaned forward, studying it carefully.“This is the address he gave us.”Jay let out a sharp laugh from the back seat. “That’s it?”Then, grinning like he’d been waiting for this moment, he added, “Why don’t we just bust in there and kill these motherfuckers? End it right now.”Liam snapped his head around. “Are you out of your damn mind?”Jay shrugged. “I’m serious.”“No, you’re stupid,” Liam shot back. “Do you have any idea who these people are? You think we kill them and walk away?” He shook his head hard. “They’ll hunt us down. Every single one of us. That would be the end—no hiding, no running. Just coffins.”Jay scof
Norah’s words hit him like a spark to dry flame—small, quiet, but enough to burn through the last thread of restraint he’d been holding on to.Something in his expression shifted.He stepped into her space, one hand sliding to her waist, drawing her against him slowly—almost like he was giving her a chance to breathe, to stop him, to choose.She didn’t.She couldn’t.And that was all it took.His mouth found hers.It started like a soft, aching press—like he’d been memorizing this moment long before it happened.But the softness didn’t last.The moment she sighed against his lips—just that tiny, helpless sound—he broke.His kiss deepened, grew hungry, deliberate, the kind of kiss that stripped the room of air. His fingers curled at her waist, holding her close as if letting her go wasn’t an option.A sharp tremor rushed through her. God…She hadn’t expected this.She hadn’t expected him—so intense, so controlled yet undone at the same time.And the worst part?The most devastating par







