Page 66 of Depraved Royals

“As I said, Kal,” Fyodor says, advancing on me. “I forgive you. We will get past this and move forward. But I willneverfucking forget. I will always remember the pain you wrought and how I allowed you to weasel your way into our lives. But mark my words. Dani’s child will never know your fucking name, let only knowyou. You’re no one.”

I raise my hands. What’s the point of anything now?

“Fuck it. Kill me if you must, Fyodor. I can’t take any of it back. Without Dani and the baby, I have nothing.”

I’m looking down the barrel of the rifle when Dani steps in front of it, facing her father.

“I won’t let you do it, Papa,” she says. “Just let him go.”

“Get out of the way, Dani,” Fyodor snarls. “You’ve done enough damage as it is.”

She doesn’t move a muscle.

“No. If you try and shoot Kal, I’ll be in the way, and you’ll have to risk killing me. Do you want your pound of flesh enough?”

Dani turns to me. “You’ll go and never come back. Won’t you?”

I want to say no, but I have no choice.

“I’ll go,milaya.”

I hope she sees it in my face, in my eyes.

I didn’t do it. I’ve changed.

And I love you.

She turns away.

There’s a long silence. Dani doesn’t take her eyes off her father.

I admire her so much. She has the kind of strength and fortitude that I didn’t know fucking existed.

Fyodor shoulders the rifle and walks past me, opening the gate.

“Get out of here,” he says. “If you show your face again, you die.”

* * *

As I walk away towards the car, I don’t look back. I can’t.

Leaving Idina’s home forever was a cakewalk compared to this. I had a love that was one in a million, and she’ll have my baby. A child I won’t know.

I’ll never get the chance to be a good father. All I want is to be with Dani and raise our kid in a happy home. Give them an upbringing that’s a million miles from my own.

Way back, when I realized my entire life’s purpose and all the spoils were nothing compared to Dani’s love, all I had to do was tell the fucking truth. I could have told her and risked her wrath, but no. I stalled, thinking I was smart and could make everyone around me bend to my will.

Look where that got me.

My family all said I was weak, and they were right.

Well, I’m free now. I could go anywhere. Do anything.

My bank account is still full of Erik’s money. The inheritance that he refused to leave to Simeon and Vera, lest they think they mattered to him.

And me? Planted by force in the womb of a frightened young woman. It sickens me that Erik knew what happened to Idina - knew where I came from - and still treated her the way he did.

No wonder my mother and stepfather saw such potential in me to unleash hell on their enemies. They thought I was evil, right down to my DNA.