Shattered Crown

CHAPTER TWO

Kira

The creak of the door breaks the silence, followed by the heavy tread of boots. My heart pounds like a drum as the lights flicker on, bringing Maxim
and his cold fury into sharp focus.

His guards stand behind him,
weapons drawn, and his own gun is aimed directly at Leo. “A family reunion. And I wasn’t invited?”

Leo glares back at him with hate. “You’re not her family, even if you do
share blood with her.”

My muscles tense, fear pooling low in my belly. We’re cornered,
outnumbered, and facing the wrath of a man who knows no bounds

Let them go,” Aly pleads with her father. “We had a deal. I’ll stay, but
you have to let them all go.”
The words are barely out of her mouth before Leo steps in front of her.

His eyes are fierce with challenge as he raises his arm, a pistol pointed at
his opponent’s chest. It’s a useless standoff, each man with a gun drawn at the other. The only difference is that Maxim has an army to back him up.
Maxim chuckles and casually lowers his weapon, a demonstration that
he has all the power. “What’s your endgame here, Kozlov?” he asks Leo,
reclining against a wine cask. “Do you think you can rescue Alyona and
gallop off into the sunset as a happy couple? You—the man who abandoned her for the brotherhood—are suddenly the knight in shining armor?”
A tingle of unease prickles my neck.

How Maxim knows about Aly and
Leo’s past is beyond me, but one thing is certain: he’s a man accustomed to
getting his way. What he wants is a partner to rule alongside him. Whether it's Aly or another, bound by blood or oath, does it really matter to him?
While Maxim and Leo continue to face off, an idea begins to take shape
in my mind, one that could alter everyone's lives here.

“This doesn’t change anything,” Maxim snarls, snapping my attention
back to the present. “Alyona is still needed by my side.”

“It is a choice. Her choice,” Leo roars. "I'll do whatever it takes to
secure Aly's freedom. Kill me if you must to make your point, but it will
only drive your daughter away and deepen her hatred for you."

Goosebumps dance across my skin. Provoking Maxim is like taunting a
lion in his den—it's only a matter of time before he strikes.

Andrei must have the same thought because he steps forward and tries a
diplomatic approach to negotiating Aly’s freedom, offering Maxim a
lucrative alliance with the Kozlov Bratva.

“More money, more power… That means nothing to me,” Maxim says
with a dismissive wave. He comes to stop in front of Leo, his face as hard
as granite. “While I applaud your loyalty to my daughter, I require an heir, a blood relation to lead by my side. And make no mistake” — his mouth settles into a hard line as he tilts his head towards Aly — “you may not
want this, but you will learn to be a leader. As my daughter, it’s in your
blood. Are you willing to walk away from our agreement, Alyona?”

Aly’s fear is palpable as Leo steps forward, looking ready to rip Maxim
limb from limb

“Stop!” All eyes are on me as I stride through the room and position
myself directly in front of Maxim. Curiosity dances in his gaze as it settles on me. “You want an heir, someone to rule by your side…” The room takes
a collective breath. “Then take me.”
I'm gambling on Maxim's willingness to consider a different
arrangement—one that offers Aly the freedom she craves while allowing
me to infiltrate his inner circle. Because what better way to unearth
Maxim's dark secrets than by his side ... as his wife?

“I’ll marry you,” I say, my nails pressing into my palms. “I will become
your wife and lead by your side, but let Alyona go.”
Maxim’s expression morphs into one of intrigue, his eyebrows arching.
One side of his full mouth quirks upwards.