1.1 ʟᴏᴠɪɴɢ ᴍᴀʏʜᴇᴍ | ✓

61 | the beloved marionette

S I X T Y - O N E | the beloved marionette—

C A P R I C E

The confidence in Katya's every step told me everything. She had followed me from Spain to get dirt on me after failing to get anything from Indy. I didn't know how deep was her drive to get SM from me but seeing her now... Maybe she was indeed fit to be called my rival.

"Who the fuck are you?" Colt's demanded, forehead creased in irritation.

I took a deep breath and decided to hit the pause button to my problem with Colt. Katya was a formidable enemy that required my whole attention.

"She is Katya Udinov." I folded my arms, looking straight at the camera. "She wants to take my place so..."

Colt clicked his tongue. "I see. You're the one who approached the greedy old man."

Old man? Was he talking about his father?

Damn it. I should've come clean the moment I saw him again.

"Colt... can you let me handle this?"

Colt turned to me. His face remained unreadable that I didn't know where he stood in this mess. My only hope was that... he still cared for me.

He lowered his gun, a sigh leaving his lips. "Do whatever you want."

"What's this? You're not on good terms?" Katya put the camera down. She tilted her head. "I wouldn't have worked so hard if you don't intend to marry."

I scoffed. "Even if I don't marry, I assure you that my seat won't ever be yours."

"Ah, you seem confident. Whatever." She gestured to her right. I followed her movements and saw several men in suits. They passed through the broken glass wall, their eyes barely visible under black ski masks, and stood behind the woman.

One of the men placed a folder on Katya's outstretched palm in exchange for the camera. "I know you fell in love, Señorita. It's not an act to fool your grandmother. I know because your best friend—the man who claimed to love you! He fell into bed with me!"

What.

"Indy... slept with you?" I muttered in shock.

"He wouldn't have done that if he wasn't heartbroken." She laughed. "Anyway, this is the deal I want in exchange for your fiancé's secret."

I eyed the folder, swallowing my apprehension before I took it. I read the contract, my nails digging into the paper as I reached the end part. "You're asking me... to give up on SM?"

"Is that surprising?"

I glared at her. "I don't have anything on SM aside from positions that are given to me. But you don't even want me to stand on the ring?"

"I'm thorough," Katya declared, voice unwavering, and yet, I saw a thinly veiled fear as she handed me a pen.

Was this the only way she could win?

I smirked. "No, thanks."

The fire in Katya's eyes was renewed with my rejection. "You won't give up? Why? What did that place ever do for you?"

Her questions left me dumbfounded.

"I know everything, Caprice. Your grandmother never let you out unless you memorize a whole book. She forced you to take art and music classes. She made you learn languages. She hired countless tutors. And to top it all off, you grew up being followed by bodyguards, never allowed to ever have friends."

I gaped at her.

How did she know all this?

"Do you remember those times you came home to an empty house? The times you had to eat alone? The times you cried yourself to sleep?"

"Stop." I swallowed hard, feeling the harsh burn in my throat. "Stop it. You don't know anything..."

"Oh! How about that time when nobody remembered your birthday?"

I gasped. Hot tears forming on the edge of my eyes.

"That's hard to forget," Katya continued. "Because that kind of loneliness is crippling. If not for Aeon, I wonder how you have turned out. You owe him everything and yet, what did you give him in return? Nothing! You turned your back on him—"

My breath hitched. My chest squeezed in discomfort. Blood and fire erupted before my eyes. Sound of gunshots. Aeon taking his last breath. Warm liquid flowing between my fingers.

I opened my mouth for protests but Colt beat me to it.

"Can't you get to the point, woman?" He stepped forward. His towering figure caused Katya to stumbled backward. "What is it you want?"

Katya sneered. "I already said what--"

"No." I slapped the folder to her chest, determination surging in my veins. "My answer is no."

"Are you serious? That place is a—"

"You're right," I said, my voice trembling with emotion. "Everything my grandmother did was to ensure that I become a person worthy of SM. It was painful. It was sad. But I was saved."

"Saved?"

"Aeon saved me and he loved SM so much. He poured his life on it and I'll be damned if I give it to you."

Katya shook her head in disbelief. "He told me this would work.

He?

Her gaze snapped up to mine. "If that's your answer, then the whole world will know that SM harbors criminals and murderers!"

Katya whirled around to snatched the camera back but—

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. It got deleted."

The voice sounded familiar that I let out a small grin.

"It got what!" Katya screeched. "I uploaded it straight to my cloud."

"Yeah, well. It got hacked."

"What!" Shock and dread muddled Katya's beautiful features. Her back hit a steel column as glasses crunched under her heels. "Don't tell me you're—"

The bodyguard gestured with a wave of his hand that the other men parted instantly. He pulled off the ski mask, running a hand through his dark cropped hair as his silver eyes hardened with rage.

"Is that...?"

"No way. Why is he here?"

"Shit. Let's scram."

Murmurs drifted in the cool night air. The men Colt had defeated scrambled backward, pushing themselves flat against the white walls.

"Who?"

"It's Indiana Zobel!"