Chapter 20: Daniil

My G-Wagon pulled over outside a tall building called FinCorp. According to Vlad, this was one of the fastest-growing companies in the city, and they would be hosting this meeting today. It turned out that Mr. Petrov was not the only businessman interested in this deal; a couple others seeking to get familiar with the Bratva would also be present. I didn't care about them or where their interest lay; my mind was focused on sealing the deal so we could get to the money-making part.

Andrei opened the car door for me, and I stepped out, taking a moment to subtly glance around my surroundings. I saw Vlad stepping out of his Bentley. We locked eyes, and he majestically approached me. Clad in a blue suit, he looked serious now that this was time for business. His hair was neatly combed, and he, just like me, exuded wealth and power.

"This is it, brother," he said to me, patting my shoulder.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" I replied.

He smirked, and we all walked into the building with our security details, both before and after us.

We were greeted by a couple of men who led us to the conference room; Vlad and I were directly behind the men while Andrei trailed after us. As we walked into the conference room, there were already multiple men seated at the table, all looking serious and probably even a little bit mad at the time we'd arrived. However, they all stood and shook hands with Vlad and I before sitting back down.

In this business, we knew that most of our partners could turn on us in a heartbeat, but the fear and respect our family name instilled in them wouldn't let them try anything funny. They knew better than to misbehave around any Wolkov, let alone two.

Making enemies was a part of this life, and we had tons of those across the globe and even in this room. We struck deals with almost everyone, so long as it was beneficial to us, but we trusted no one.

"You're late, and we've been waiting for you," one of the men said to Vlad. He was clearly displeased, but he was sure to mind his words, even though resentment was rather palpable in his tone.

Vlad checked the golden Rolex around his wrist. "This meeting was scheduled for ten in the morning," he replied. "This is merely ten minutes past the agreed time." He took a seat, seemingly unmoved by the man's complaints.

I took a seat beside him, and Andrei took the vacant one beside me.

"You, of all people, Mr. Wolkov, should know the value of one minute in our line of work, or have you forgotten?" the man asked.

Bad idea!

His speech wasn't directed to me, but I was pissed by his pesky little question, and so was Vlad. My cousin frowned and leaned closer to cast a deadly glare at the man, who was immediately spooked by the look in Vlad's eyes.

He swallowed, intimidated as the others in the room began to exchange subtle glances, wondering what Vlad was up to. The Wolkov ruthlessness had spread far and wide, and they knew just what we were capable of individually; now, there were two of us in this room.

"Watch your tongue, Mr. Elvis, or I can guarantee that you will lose it." Vlad's glare was stern, and his voice when he spoke the words was cold—deadly.

Mr. Elvis seemed shaken, and fear was evident in his gaze. He must have wondered what he'd said wrong; he did only ask a question, after all.

Silence fell in the room, and nobody muttered a word until a voice from the entrance eased the tension a little bit.

"Gentlemen, trust me," the voice said, "two angry Wolkovs in one room will not end well." He laughed lightly.

"Mr. Petrov," Vlad called out with a smirk.

I turned to finally see the man who had gathered us all there, and that was when I had the biggest shock of my life, the most unexpected coincidence I'd ever experienced.

Oh, my God!

It was her.

My heart skipped for a moment; my head was hot and spinning from the effect of this random reunion. Never had I been so shocked before, and I didn't know how I was feeling, although I was certain it was an emotion I wasn't at all familiar with. I was too numb to speak, and as I processed the sight in front me, I noticed that Andrei wore the same expression.

The two of us were professionals at hiding our feelings, so no one else but the three of us knew what was happening. He glanced at me, unsure of what I would do, and honestly, I didn't even know what I was about to do.

She looked so different now, more mature; obviously, the past four years had been good to her. Vivian was so much hotter than I'd remembered. She was gorgeous, with an even sexier body, and just setting my eyes on her triggered my erection, but I quickly controlled it.

I was still mad at her for what she'd done, and looking like a goddess wasn't enough to make me forget all the pain and torment her betrayal had subjected me to. I wasn't going to let that go unpunished, and from her wide eyes, I could tell that she was petrified. She also hadn't expected for us to cross paths today.

Thank you, karma, for delivering her into my hands. And this time, I'm not going to let her slip through my fingers again.

I couldn't stop myself from staring at her, and I thought that she looked great, even as a blonde. She was no longer a brunette, which made me wonder what else she'd changed about herself; of course, she must have changed her name.

It was all unfolding before me like a dream, and time seemed to pause when our eyes met in a split second. She still had that charming pair of blue eyes and the same look when she was afraid. But I had to hand it to her: For a woman who was faced squarely with the dangerous man she'd long been avoiding, she sure had her composure in check.

She really was talented in the area of acting because despite the fear that I saw in her eyes, she still managed to pretend as though all was well. This was something that I'd always admired about Vivian Kennedy: her ability to maintain her cool and confidence even in the direst situations. She seemed to be in control, but I knew better; she was scared to death.

I leaned back in my chair, wearing a blank expression to keep her from guessing my next move. I wanted her to feel that terror, and I would bask in the satisfaction it would bring me. In my head, I was already cooking up ways to make her punishment sufferable. She had crossed the wrong man, and he was about to exact his vengeance.

This should be fun.

She looked me dead in the eyes in a feeble attempt to hide her hysteria, but I could see right through her. Her heart must be racing, her knees quaking, and her feet too weary to carry her weight.

I watched her menacingly, fixing an intimidating look on her as she subtly tried to avoid eye contact.

Vivian had the effrontery to look at me like she didn't recognize me, seeming unhinged by my glare. I scoffed—her guts.

"Gentlemen," Mr. Petrov said.

His voice resounded in my head, but I didn't shift my gaze from this fine damsel before me.

"This is Kiara Keith, the top financial analyst FinCorp has," he said, introducing her.

"Kiara Keith," I murmured softly, trying this new name out.

"Where's Mr. Rodriguez?" a man asked from his seat.

"He won't be joining us today; that's why she's here. She's representing the company," Mr. Petrov replied.

" Her ?" another man asked, shock flickering in his gaze. "She's no older than my first daughter." He glowered at her with a mix of jealousy and frustration. He clearly didn't like that she'd attained this much recognition at a young age. His daughter obviously hadn't gotten to this stage in her life.

"No one gives a shit about your first daughter, Calvin," someone else said to him. "If Mr. Rodriguez asked her to represent the company; it means he believes in her ability to do so. So, instead of debating about how young she is, why don't we get down to business?"

"Well spoken," Mr. Petrov said. "Shall we begin?"

He helped her with her seat, smiling faintly.

A frown graced my face, and I felt a dose of rage swelling inside me. Why was he nice to her? What was his game? I'd kill him and everyone else in this room if he didn't stop fooling around with her.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, taking a seat by his side, directly opposite me.

I was already so pissed at her, and now, she was trying to make me jealous? Had she forgotten so quickly what I could do when I was jealous?

I was seething in silence, especially when he stole a glance at her, discreetly checking her out.

My fists were balled and ready to drill his face, but as my eyes met with Andrei's, he gently shook his head at me. I got the message and inhaled deeply; then, I let it out slowly.

The meeting began in no time, and ideas were being shared. The men were negotiating, trying to reach an agreement, and while they were at it, I continued to feed my eyes with her gorgeousness. I was going to fill my head with thoughts of how I'd make her suffer, just as I had suffered, but her beauty was something that I could not ignore.

At intervals, she'd steal glances at me, masking her concern with confidence. It was admirable, and she was fucking hot.

"Ms. Keith." Mr. Petrov turned to her. "Your boss wouldn't shut up about how insightful you are. Care to help us out?" he asked.

Her boss wouldn't shut up about her? Is she having an affair with the man?

I fumed, and she could see it in my eyes that I was boiling. There sure were a lot of men that would feel my wrath.

She cleared her throat and glanced at me for a second before providing the board with her idea on the deal. While she spoke, my focus was on her, but this time, I wasn't staring at her on a personal note.

I was engrossed, captivated by the words of knowledge she was spilling. Her confidence, her aura, and her eloquence, not offering so much as a stutter, baffled me. She knew exactly what she was doing; she was well-educated, well-informed, and simply brilliant.

She was so good that everyone in the room was stunned, especially given that she was the youngest among us. Even Vlad was impressed, and he couldn't hide it. Andrei was smirking in his seat, and even when I cast a glare at him to stop, he ignored me and continued to listen to her, intrigued.

I had always known she was brilliant, smart, but this was on a whole new level, and a part of me was proud of her. Despite my anger, I was proud that she'd become this confident to address the likes of us.

The Wolkovs were hard men to please, and this performance really satisfied us.

As much as she could, knowing there was an impending doom awaiting her after this meeting was over, Vivian maintained her cool.

I wasn't surprised; she was a good actress. She'd managed to trick and, eventually, escape me. She was a force to be reckoned with.

I wouldn't lose her again. Destiny had brought her to me, and now, she was mine for the taking. I smirked at the idea of what I'd do to her.

The board members were all nodding their heads in affirmation of what she'd said; they were blown away. Words were spoken in hushed tones amongst themselves.

"She's a natural, this one," Vlad said to me.

I gave him a wry grin and returned my gaze to her.

"It's Kiara, am I right?" I asked her.

For a second there, I watched her breath cease.

Andrei glanced in my direction, and this time, it was my turn to ignore him.

"Yes," she replied.

"You seem very sound," I said to her. "Do you mind telling me where you got your education?"

She held eye contact with me and replied, "I will, if you tell me where you got your high school degree."

I brushed a hand over my jaw, a little embarrassed. She was only making her punishment worse.

"Your question isn't really in line with our discussion, sir," she added with a smile.

I raised my brows in disbelief.

Her guts, though….

"I believe we have a pending deal to seal," she added.

I caught Andrei looking down, and I knew he found it funny.

She'd changed the subject immediately after replying to me. It didn't anger me much because she'd done it with a smile and in a rather polite way.

I glanced at her, patiently waiting for the meeting to be over.