Focus on your education

VIKTOR POV.

The scalding water ran down my back, washing away the scent of cigarettes and frustration. I braced my hands against the cool marble wall, letting the heat soak into my muscles.

Isabella’s voice still echoed in my mind, but I shut it out. She was a distraction—nothing more.

Finishing up, I dried off and dressed in black sweatpants and a fitted shirt, leaving my feet bare as I walked to the library.

Inside, the air was thick with the scent of leather and aged paper. Dim chandelier light cast long shadows over the mahogany shelves, and a half-smoked cigar rested in the ashtray beside me.

I leaned back in the leather chair, flipping through a thick medical textbook, the pages crisp under my fingers.

A sharp knock sounded. “Come in,” I said without looking up.

The door creaked open, and Nikolai stepped inside. “You called for me?”

I finally lifted my gaze. Nikolai stood tall in the doorway, dark hair neatly styled, his sharp jawline set with the quiet defiance I had come to expect.

At twenty, he was already a man, but in my eyes, he was still the boy I had sworn to protect the day our father and brother were sent back to us in body bags.

“Da, Koyla,” I said, motioning to the chair across from me. “Sit.”

He obeyed without hesitation, his sharp eyes flicking to the book in my hands. “Medical textbooks again?”

“Something wrong with expanding my knowledge?” I smirked slightly, closing the book. “Tell me about the businesses.”

He straightened. “The restaurants are stable. St. Petersburg had an issue with suppliers, but I handled it.”

I arched a brow. “Handled how?”

“They won’t be a problem anymore.” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that I didn’t like.

I inhaled deeply, my jaw tightening. “Kak ty eto sdelal? (How did you do it?)”

His expression didn’t change. “I handled it.”

I slammed the book shut, the sharp sound cutting through the quiet. “I told you to stay out of that part of the business, Nikolai.”

He met my glare, unflinching. “I didn’t do anything illegal. Just persuasion.”

“Persuasion,” I repeated coldly. “And what happens when persuasion doesn’t work? When the only way to keep control is with a bullet? Will you handle that too?”

He didn’t answer.

I leaned forward, my voice dropping. “I let you oversee the hotels, the restaurants, the clubs—not the other business. You are not part of the mafia, and you never will be. Ponimaesh’? (Do you understand?)”

He clenched his jaw. “Yes, Dyayda(uncle)”

I let the silence stretch before shifting topics. “And your education?”

He hesitated before answering. “Fine.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”

“Math is a pain in the ass. Chemistry too,” he admitted.

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. “Leave the business to me. Focus on your education.”

His frown deepened. “Viktor, I can handle both.”

“No, you can’t.”

“I already am,” he shot back. “I've been running the restaurants, overseeing the hotels, managing the clubs—all while keeping my grades up. You think I can’t handle it?”

I studied him, my fingers tapping against the armrest.

“You think balancing the legal business and school makes you ready for this life?” I said, voice low. “It doesn’t. The moment you get too deep, there's no way out. Do you think I wanted this life? I wanted to be in the university, like you. But I didn’t get a choice. You do.”

“I don't need a choice,” Nikolai countered. “I can do both.”

I exhaled through my nose, my patience thinning. “Poslushay menya, (Listen to me,) Koyla. You don’t belong in this world. You belong in boardrooms, not battlefields.”

“You always say power is about control,” he argued. “I have control. I know how to run a business, legal or not. Why can't I do both?”

“Because the moment you step too far in, you won’t get out.” I leaned forward, my voice sharp as a blade. “I want more for you. Not this.”

He looked away, frustration tightening his features. “So, what? You expect me to just sit behind a desk while you handle everything?”

“Yes.”

He scoffed. “That’s not who I am, Viktor.”

I studied him, silent. He was stubborn—too much like me.

“Fine,” I finally said. “But the moment I see you slipping, you walk away from the businesses. No arguments.”

His jaw ticked. “Agreed.”

I nodded, satisfied—for now.

“Khoroshiy mal'chik.) Good boy,” I said with a smirk.

He laughed. “Don’t push it.”

I chuckled, leaning back. “Now, Idi. Go.”

He stood, but before leaving, he glanced at the book on my desk. “You ever think about being a doctor instead of running an empire?”

I smirked. “Nyet. Too much blood.”

He lingered by the door, hesitating. I narrowed my eyes.

“Spit it out, Koyla.”

He shifted his weight, his expression unreadable. “I want to take Anya out of the mansion for a while.”

I stilled, my fingers tightening against the leather armrest. “Why?”

He shrugged. “She’s bored.”

I exhaled slowly through my nose, tilting my head as I studied him. “I keep her here for a reason, and you think I’ll let you take her on a field trip?”

Nikolai didn’t back down. “She hasn’t stepped outside since she got here. She needs air.”

“She has a garden, and everywhere else in the estate to roam to,” I said flatly.

He scoffed. “You’re acting like she’s a prisoner.”

I arched a brow. “Isn’t she?”

His jaw ticked, but he didn’t argue. Smart boy.

“So, no,” I said, my voice final.

Nikolai sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Viktor—”

“I said no, Koyla.” My tone was sharp, brooking no argument.

His lips pressed into a thin line. “Fine.”

He turned and left without another word, but I didn’t miss the frustration in his stride.

The moment the door clicked shut, I slammed my palm against the desk, jaw tightening.

Anya.

Even without getting too close to her, I knew what she was capable of. She was defiant, stubborn, and relentless.

And now she had Nikolai wrapped around her finger.

I leaned back, exhaling slowly. Was she trying to manipulate him into an escape?

It wouldn’t surprise me.

From the moment I chose her, she had fought, resisted, and pushed back at every turn. Even caged in luxury, her spirit refused to break.

And now she had Koyla fighting her battles? I clenched my jaw, my fingers drumming against the desk. She would do anything to leave this mansion. But I wasn’t going to let her.