Page 45 of Dark Seduction
I fix him with a look, my voice flat and direct. "It’s a security measure," I answer sharply.
Luk and Yuri share another look, the kind that says they know more than they're letting on, and this time I'm quick to cut them off.
"Things are fine with Dalia," I state firmly, "but don't start planning the wedding just yet. For all I know, she might want her independence, even prefer being a single mother—with my support, naturally."
I'm adamant about respecting her choices, making it clear. "If that’s what she decides, then that's how we'll play it."
Yuri, undeterred by my stern front, pours another round of scotch. "And what's this one for?" I ask, eyeing the golden liquid.
"To love," Yuri declares with a flourish, "or at least the prospect of it."
Their laughter fills the room, but the weight of my responsibility—and my hidden hopes—settles deeper in my chest as I sip the scotch.
An hour later, I make my way down to the IT department located in the basement. The high-tech hum of the server room fills the air as I navigate through the rows of flashing lights and humming machinery. At the end of the corridor, I reach Elena’s office.
I knock briefly and her voice, crisp and clear, invites me in. The room is a fortress of technology—dark, windowless, cluttered with high-end gear—an entire wall obscured by monitors displaying streams of data.
Elena, our head of IT and the youngest of my siblings, doesn’t look up as she types away furiously, code filling the screen in front of her.
“Lev,” she finally acknowledges without turning. “Come in, sit down.”
I pull up a chair across from her, taking in the organized chaos of her domain. This place is her battleground, where she wages wars on digital fronts with a cool, commanding presence. She pauses for a moment, fixing me with a look that’s all business.
“What brings you down here?” she asks, her fingers poised above the keyboard. She stops, her nose twitching slightly. “Is that thirty-year-old Glenfiddich I smell?”
I nod. “Guilty as charged. Want a glass? It’s one elevator trip to the C-suite away.”
She shakes her head, a wry smile playing on her lips. “Thanks, but no. I never drink on the clock, it dulls my edge.”
She swivels her chair to face me fully, her eyes narrowing slightly. “But neither do you, big brother, unless there’s a reason to celebrate.” Her gaze is penetrating, expecting.
I exhale slowly, guilty as charged. “Nothing gets by you, does it?”
“That’s right,” she confirms, her arms crossing over her chest. “And I’m going to keep pestering you until you spill, so you might as well lay it out now.”
I meet her gaze, the gravity of the news weighing on me as I prepare to share. “Alright,” I relent, leaning forward slightly. “Dalia’s pregnant.”
Elena's eyes widen dramatically before she lets out a delighted squeal, springing from her chair to throw her arms around me, her embrace surprisingly strong for her tiny frame.
"Oh my God, Lev! That’s amazing!" she exclaims, her voice bubbling with excitement.
She pulls back, her energy palpable as she bombards me with questions. “When’s the baby due? Are you ready to be a dad? How’s Dalia feeling?" Her questions fire off like rounds from a gun.
I raise my hands, trying to slow the barrage. "Hold on, I haven’t got all those answers yet. Truth be told, I feel a little guilty for not letting Dalia be the one to share the news.”
Elena pauses, a thoughtful frown crossing her face. "Wait a minute," she murmurs, "I just tried to call Yuri and Luk, but they were busy in a meeting with you." Her eyes narrow as the pieces fall into place, and a flush of realization colors her cheeks.
Suddenly, she punches my shoulder, her annoyance clear. "You told them before me?"
"Easy, Elena," I say, raising a hand to temper another strike. "I didn't exactly plan to spill the beans to them either—they wrangled it out of me."
I chuckle softly, leaning back in the chair across from her cluttered desk. "Seems like everyone’s got a knack for reading my mind these days," I muse, shaking my head. "Sorry I didn’t tell you first. You know now, and I promise to keep you in theloop. Within reason, of course."
She nods, her earlier flare of annoyance softening into a satisfied smile. "You’re damn right you will," she asserts. Her face brightens into a broad grin, the earlier excitement returning. "And I’m so happy to know I’m going to be an aunt again!"
I smile, appreciating her quick recovery and boundless energy. "There'll be plenty of time for celebrations," I say, my voice turning serious again as I stand to pace a little in the cramped space. "But right now, there are more pressing matters we need to discuss. And I think you know what they are.”
She nods. "I've been deep diving into the bike situation," she says, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she pulls up several windows on her monitors. "I managed to track the VINs through some back door channels, then hacked into the DMV database to pin down the registered owners."