Chapter 003

No. He couldn't do that to me. How could he say no to me?

"Please, you don't mean that," I said, moving closer to him.

"A few days ago, you rejected me." He shrugged. "No one says no to my proposals."

Real fear rushed through my heart. I had spent my last money to come to him. Without him, I would lose my sister. She would be entangled in the reckless life of Andrei Andreevich.

She would be his possession forever. A slave. Tears gathered in my eyes, and without thinking, I flew toward him and grabbed him by his arms.

"Please, you said you would do anything for me to get the land back. That you made a dying promise to your mother." Although I was pleading for him to accept me, I couldn't help but wonder how much weightlifting he did.

He looked at me, and I slowly let go of his arms. I had forgotten for a second that he was a mafia lord. He looked down at me like he cared, and I wished he did.

But he was no lover boy. Viktor was a survivor, and that made him dangerous. He was not a man to be toiled with and would crush me with one hand if I did. Although I felt desired around him, I had to remind myself he didn't fit into my whole idea of a perfect husband.

He reached out and brushed my chin. I tried to pretend I didn't feel the tension and the tingling sensation of his touch. He lifted my face to meet his gaze. "Tell me, why did you change your mind?"

I could tell he didn't trust me. A man like him had a lot of enemies. He was probably assuming that his brother had sent me. Only if he knew I was penniless and hoping for a miracle from him to save my sister.

I breathed. "My sister."

"Illyra changed your mind?" He asked with shock. He dropped his hand from my face and walked around me. "Judging on her past relationship with my brother, I find that hard to believe."

I took a deep breath. "Your brother kidnapped her. He took her hostage three days ago."

He paused in his tracks and turned to me. "Bloody son of a bitch!"

"Yes," I answered, unsure what he truly meant by his last words. "I want you to rescue her from him."

I waited for his expression to change. I waited to see his anger, shock, rage, or anything at all. But his expression remained impassive.

"You..." He started, then paused. "Wait. Andrei kidnapped her?"

I bit my lips, then my shoulder slumped. "She wagered herself to him in a poker game, and she lost. But he forced her to go with him. Same thing."

"I see." He said, eyeing me warily.

"Yes. I wouldn't be here if he didn't kidnap her."

"It was a lover's game." He said. "She wouldn't wager herself to him if it wasn't. I mean, they have always been obsessed with each other. It only makes sense that they have decided to come back after ten years apart from each other."

"What?" I blurted, my eyes wide open. "Illyra hates him."

"Did she tell you that?"

"He forced her to go with him."

"It doesn't matter how he took her." He replied.

"It's all my fault that he took her in the first place. I want my sister back." I said slowly.

"When did you start gambling, Lyra?"

"You ask that like you have known me all my life," I responded sharply.

"I may have met you four days ago, but two minutes is enough to know you are the most naive and innocent lady I have met."

"That's not true." I fired back. "Illyra said I'm tough."

He cocked an expectant eyebrow at me, and I sighed. I couldn't even boost of my toughness without bringing my sister into it.

"What happened?" He asked again.

"The night after you proposed, my boss invited me to a private poker game. I snuck out while Illyra was working to play because I believed I would win some money to pay off our debts. She stopped me from ever gambling, and she also warned me about Mr. Aldric."

"Why?"

"I don't know. My sister is always suspicious of everyone. Maybe it was how he hired us quickly and paid for our flight to Hawaii." I answered. "Anyways, she was right. There was something weird about the poker game, and I wish I had listened to her. She lost everything to that son of a ..."

I stopped once again, careful not to infuriate him further. "Please help me."

"Why do you think I can save her?"

I cleared my throat. "Because you are the only one who can stand up to Andrei Andreevich. You are the only one who can take him down because you hate him the most." I took a deep breath. "You can take anything from me. I just need you to save my sister. I can't live without her."

He didn't say anything, and I knew he was thinking. He was probably considering if I was lying to him or not. I only hoped that he was desperate enough to get his hands on my land.

"Fine. We have a deal." He said, and I let out a deep breath.

"Thank you. You are the kindest person on earth." I voiced, almost jumping in excitement.

"After we are married, you will remain with me until the land is legally transferred to me." He stared at me straight in the eyes. "Then I shall bring your sister to you, and both of you will be free to leave." He held out his hands to me.

"Yes." I cried out. "Perfect." I reached out my hands to his. I felt his strong rough hands against mine, and I trembled. I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his and almost melted when I noticed he was staring at me with those electric blue eyes.

"Thank you for doing this," I said once again.

"You look like you haven't slept in days." He said, ignoring my appreciation.

"Oh, you can't imagine," I said. "You don't know what I've had to eat for the past twenty-four hours. I couldn't even afford a ..."

I broke off when I noticed he was slightly amused. Why did I have to blurt out every thought in my head? Why couldn't I be reserved like Illyra?

This time wasn't my fault. He was far too handsome, and no woman could think properly beneath the focus of his blue eyes.

"Come with me." He said, and I found my feet shuffling toward him immediately. He led me to a high-ceilinged room lined with books on one side. He walked over to the bar on the other side of the library. "What will you have?"

"Water, please," I replied faintly.

He frowned back at me. "I could order you coffee if you don't..."

"Just water, please," I replied, cutting off before I realized I did. "Sorry, water with ice if you want to be fancy."

He shook his head and poured water into a glass.

"Thank you," I murmured, taking the glass from him and downing its content.

"You're an unusual girl, Lyra." He said, observing me.

Unusual didn't sound good to me. I wiped my mouth and cleared my throat. "I am?"

"It's sort of exciting to be around a woman who makes absolutely no effort to impress me."

I chuckled. "Trying to impress you is a waste of my time. Men like you don't settle for women like me."

He looked down at me, his blue eyes breathtaking. "You're selling yourself short." And I felt that tension again.

"I hope it's not too embarrassing for you." I stammered. "Being married to me."

He smiled slightly, and I tried not to show how that affected me. "You'll be my only wife ever. I'm sure I'll enjoy you."

I gulped. "Enjoy me? Your only wife ever?" I asked. "You might meet someone else in the future and..."

"Oh, Lyra." He cut me off. "I am not a man to love. The only thing that awaits me in the future is more power and wealth. But you are the answer to my every prayer."