Page 65 of Tainted Empire
After Viktor nods and departs, Kazimir approaches me. I listen, feeling a cold dread settle over me. The realization that someone could get so close, undetected and leave such a horrifying message in our home, is deeply unsettling. It’s a blatant challenge to the security and power we believed we had.
“You’re facing a trial by fire, Gabriette,” he begins, his voice carrying a hint of empathy but no coddling. “Your second day in command, and you’re already being tested in the harshest ways possible.”
“How am I supposed to move on from this?” I ask, my voice strained with a cocktail of emotions. “I wasn’t close to them, but... this is monstrous. It demands retribution.”
Kazimir sighs as he takes his hand in mine. There’s an odd look on his face, something similar to pain and something tells me he’s about to tell me something personal.
“I’ve been where you are now. My first wife, Mikhail’s mother, was kidnapped. We paid the ransom, but she was never returned to us. It was a devastating blow, one that I thought would break me.”
I listen, horrified, yet finding a strange solace in his shared experience. “How did you cope with it?”
He places a hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly comforting. “You find a way to channel that pain into strength. For me, it was focusing on Mikhail, on my family’s future. For you, it’ll be ensuring that those responsible for this act are brought to justice.”
His words resonate within me, igniting a spark of resolve. “I want to make them pay, Kazimir. I want justice for not only what they did to my parents, but for what they’ve done to Mikhail. These incidents cannot be isolated; they’re linked.”
“And you will have your revenge. For now, you rely on the strength of those around you,” Kazimir says firmly. “You lean on your allies, and you remember what you’re fighting for. Right now, that’s justice for your parents, and keeping Mikhail’s and your legacy intact. Ours is a brutal world, Gabriette. You’ve known that. But this... it’s a message to you. They’re testing your resolve.”
His words strike a chord within me. I nod slowly, feeling a cold resolve settling in my heart. “If they want to see me fall, they don’t fucking know me that well, do they?”
Kazimir nods, approval and a hint of caution in his eyes. “I expected no less from a Baranova,” he smiles and claps me on the back. “I knew you were a perfect match for my son.”
But I feel like a fraud. I may be showing strength on the outside, but on the inside I’m a fucking mess.
Mikhail… I need you now more than ever.
Chapter 34
Gabriette
Sitting alone in my bedroom, Mikhail’s cologne lingers in the air, a constant reminder of his absence. It’s been a week since I was discharged from the hospital, a week filled with turmoil and uncertainty. Mikhail is finally out of his coma, but the waiting game continues as he slowly recovers.
As I sit here, my mind races through the events that have unfolded. I think about my father, how he once promised to set me free, only to have me followed and then dragged back into a life I didn’t choose.
He forced me into marrying Mikhail, then played a part in having Mikhail drugged, and to have him kill me.
Dasha’s brother being alive is another twist I didn’t see coming. It’s a revelation that adds to the complexity of our situation. There are so many pieces to this puzzle, and I can’t seem to fit them together.
The room feels too big, too empty. Mikhail’s presence is everywhere, yet his absence is painfully tangible. I’m trying to fill his shoes, to be the leader he would want me to be, but the weight of it all feels crushing.
I feel helpless, frustrated. Especially when Mikhail’s men won’t listen to me. I’m supposed to be leading in his absence, but every ignored order, every dismissive glance, makes me feel more and more useless. It’s a struggle to assert myself, to be the leader he believed I could be.
The weight of responsibility, the fear for Mikhail’s health, the uncertainty of our enemies – it’s a heavy burden to bear. But I can’t let it break me. I have to be strong. I need to find a way to piece together these fragments of chaos, to protect what he’s built.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my thoughts. I can’t afford to be overwhelmed. I need to be the calm in the storm, the steady hand guiding us through this turbulence. Mikhail needs me to be strong, and I won’t let him down.
Lee’s call comes as a brief distraction from my swirling thoughts. “Gabriette, I’ve got some information on Devon’s adoptive family,” she says, her voice sounding strained over the phone. “They’re based in Berlin, but they’re not easy to get to. Very private, very guarded.”
I sit up, trying to process this new piece of the puzzle. “Berlin, huh? Thanks, Lee. I’m not sure what to do with this yet, but it’s a start.”
Ending the call, I’m left pondering what to do with this information. Devon’s connection to Dasha’s missing brother, and now his elusive adoptive family in Berlin – it’s like peeling layers off an onion, each one leading to more questions.
Feeling drained and needing to be close to Mikhail, I decide to visit him. “Alexei,” I call out, “can you take me to see Mikhail?”
“Of course, Mrs. Baranova,” he responds, his voice steady and reassuring.
The drive to the hospital is quiet, the city lights blurring past the car window. When we arrive, I head straight to Mikhail’s room, where he lies in a quiet, steady slumber. Seeing him like this, so vulnerable yet fighting back in his own way, gives me a sense of solace.
I pull up a chair next to his bed, taking his hand gently in mine. The steady beep of the heart monitor is a comforting background noise in the otherwise silent room. I watch him, hoping for any sign of improvement, any indication that he’ll come back to me soon.