his dark obsession

putting together the pieces

"Vladimir's POV..."

"Come to me, kitten." I command, my voice a low growl as I watch her rise slowly from her seat, her eyes never leaving mine. I can see the trust she has in me, blind and foolish, but it's a trust I've earned and one I intend to keep. She stands before me, her small hands still clutching the guns, but I know she won't use them on me.

"I could kill you right now, kitten," I say, taking a step closer, my eyes darkening as I invade her personal space. "But I won't. Do you know why?"

She shakes her head, a small voice laced with confusion escaping her lips. "No, I don't."

"Because you told the truth, and I believed you," I explain, my tone softening slightly. "I also wanted to see if you would lie. I already knew about Hector and his father, Felix. But your story has filled in the gaps I didn't know about. If you had lied, I would have snapped your neck before you could comprehend what happened."

I pause, letting my words sink in. "A solid foundation is built on trust, you see. That's what I failed at with the first woman I let into my life, Natalia. And I refuse to waste another two years on a shaky foundation built on lies. Do you understand?"

She nods, her eyes wide with understanding. I continue, "You've told me your story. Now it's fitting I tell you mine. Natalia was the last woman I dealt with long-term."

"She's the one funding the Albanians, right?" Angelmarie asks, her voice steady despite the guns in her hands. "The one Vasily spoke about." I nod once, and she continues, "She seems to have a personal score to settle with you. What happened with her? And why did you lie to me about her that night before you left?"

I sigh, running a hand through my hair as I remember the complicated situation that was Natalia. "That situation was complicated, and it honestly still is. Natalia is a jealous little bitch who lashed out whenever she couldn't have what she wanted. The only reason I kept her around as long as I did was because she was the daughter of a Russian crime boss who ran just about every drug throughout Russia and the United States at the time I first started building my empire. I needed an in, and having her meant unlimited connections that knew how to get shit done. It also gave me a line into the gun smuggling trade. Plus, at the time, she wasn't a bad lay. Fucking her ensured her compliance."

"But?" Angelmarie prompts, her eyes never leaving mine.

"But after about a year and four months, I had established my own connections that superseded hers and her father's combined," I explain. "So at that point, Natalia wasn't needed or wanted. She was a spoiled, entitled bitch. Whenever I didn't get her what she wanted, she threatened me with her father. I'm no one's bitch boy, and her father didn't scare me. So her threats were just noise. Until one day, she pushed me too far, and I blacked out, nearly crushing her windpipe."

(Flashback: Russia, 2018)

Natalia paces my office, her face red with anger. "I can't believe you did that! How could you say in front of everyone that you'd never marry me, Vladimir? Are you out of your mind? Do you know how this makes you look? How it makes me look?"

I lean back in my chair, unimpressed. "And how does it make you look, Natalia? Because as I recall, we were never engaged or even in a faithfully committed relationship."

She huffs, crossing her arms like a spoiled child. "We've been together almost two years, Vlad! When our associates get wind of this embarrassing stunt you pulled, I'm going to be a laughingstock amongst the world's most powerful cartels, gangs, and drug lords. You're making me look like I'm not good enough to be a queen in this business. I put a lot of thought into that proposal, and you basically shit all over it."