Chapter 206: They will come with us

And what would happen if the Don discovered she was alive? Viktor’s jaw tightened. He looked toward the door. He couldn’t think about it here. Not while Sienna was sleeping.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Sleep, my little librarian." She didn’t hear him. Viktor stayed for another moment. Then he slowly stood.

He walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him as quietly as possible. The moment he entered the hallway, his expression changed.

The softness disappeared. He reached into his jacket and touched the photograph. He needed answers. And there was only one person he trusted enough to help him get them.

Viktor pulled out his phone. He called Marcus. The call connected almost immediately.

"Boss?"

"Come to my office." Marcus paused.

"Now?"

"Now." The call ended. Viktor slipped the phone back into his pocket and walked toward his office. For the first time since Carina had spoken to him, he was ready to face the truth. Whatever it was going to cost him.

—

Carina returned to the hotel late in the morning. By the time she stepped into the room, Don Konstantin was already there.

He was standing near the window with his back toward her, one hand resting against the glass as he looked down at the city below. Carina stopped just inside the door.

She knew immediately that something was wrong. The Don turned his head slightly.

"Where have you been?" His voice was calm. Too calm. Carina swallowed. "I was at the emergency center."

She slowly removed her coat. "I was following their researchers. I wanted to know how far they had gone."

The Don turned around. Carina forced herself to meet his eyes.

"And?"

"They cracked it." The words came out quietly. "The researchers found a way to make the cure work. They will start producing the vaccine soon."

She pressed her lips together. "I’m sorry, Don. I tried my best to stop it."

Her fingers tightened around the coat.

"I spent almost the entire night trying to interfere with their work, but they were already too close. I couldn’t stop them."

For a moment, the room was silent. Carina waited for the anger. She expected shouting. Perhaps even a punishment. Instead, the Don simply looked away. Lucky for her, he wasn’t looking at her.

Or perhaps he was simply too distracted by something else. His mind seemed to be somewhere far away. "Get our men," he said.

Carina looked up. "We’re leaving."

"Leaving?"

"The people in the north, south, and east have called." He walked toward the table and picked up his phone.

"The number of infected has reached hundreds." Carina listened quietly.

"I already made the deal to sell them the vaccine," the Don continued. "So if these people have cracked the code, there is no reason for me to remain here." He glanced at the phone in his hand.

"I already have my money." There was almost no emotion in his voice. That worried Carina more than anger would have.

"Understood, Don." She immediately pulled out her own phone. "I’ll arrange everything." Her fingers moved quickly across the screen as she began sending orders to the men.

But then she stopped. There was something she needed to know.

"Don?"

"Hm?" Carina hesitated. "What about Miss Katalia?" The Don’s expression changed. Carina carefully watched him.

"Are we taking her back home with us?" The Don stared at her for several seconds. Then he answered.

"She is not Katalia." Carina’s heart skipped. She lowered her eyes for a moment before looking back at him.

"She’s not?" She made her voice sound surprised. The Don’s jaw tightened. "You were right," Carina said nothing.

"My desperate search for Katalia made me careless." His voice became colder. "I allowed that woman to make a fool out of me." He walked slowly across the room. "But they made one mistake."

He stopped. "They fooled the wrong man." The anger finally appeared in his eyes. Carina remained still.

"Should I deal with them?" she asked. The Don looked at her. "No." Carina raised an eyebrow.

"Killing them would be far too easy." He picked up a glass from the table but didn’t drink from it.

"They will tell me everything." His voice was quiet. "They will vomit all the money they spent." He set the glass down. "They will come with us."

Carina’s expression remained controlled. "All of them?"

"Aliya." He paused. "Elena." Another pause. "And Capri." His eyes hardened.

"They lied to me." Carina understood immediately. "They will receive the ultimate punishment for that." She nodded.

"Right away, Don." She returned to her phone and began giving the orders. Men would be waiting. Cars would be prepared. The private jet would be ready.

Everything would move according to the Don’s command. But there was one more name Carina needed to ask about. She looked up from her phone.

"What about Viktor?" The Don became silent. For the first time, Carina saw something almost like amusement in his expression.

"Viktor." He repeated the name slowly. "Tell him he has three hundred and sixty-five days." Carina stopped typing.

"Three hundred and sixty-five days for what?"

"To find my daughter. My real daughter," Carina’s fingers froze above the screen.

"And?"

"He will marry her."

Carina’s face remained expressionless. "And if he doesn’t?" The Don looked directly at her. "Then I will come for him with everything I have." Carina slowly nodded.

"Yes, Don." She typed the instruction into her phone. Three hundred and sixty-five days. One year. Carina knew exactly what that meant. The Don wasn’t making a suggestion. He was giving Viktor a deadline.

And when Don Konstantin gave someone a deadline, failing was rarely an option but they both knew the truth, they didn’t need the 365 days; the little princess had already been found.

Carina put her phone away. The Don walked toward the door.

"Now." He adjusted his jacket. "Let’s get out of this cursed country." Carina followed him. Then he stopped. "And have my fake daughter ride with me in my private jet." Carina’s steps slowed.

She looked at him.

"Aliya?" The Don didn’t turn around. "Yes."

"Understood." Carina’s voice was steady. But something inside her had gone cold. She knew what it meant. The Don was not taking Aliya with him because he had forgiven her.

He was taking her because he wanted her close. Close enough to question. Close enough to break. Close enough to learn exactly how much she had lied to him.

Carina watched Don walk away. Then she looked down at her phone again. Around her, the orders were already being carried out. Cars were being prepared. The men were moving. The private jet was waiting.

And somewhere in that same city, Viktor had no idea that the Don had just given him one year to find the daughter he didn’t even know he was married to.

Carina slowly lowered her phone.

For the first time that morning, she wondered whether she had made the right choice by hiding Sienna. Because now Don Konstantin was going home. And he was taking the people who had betrayed him with him.

The game had just changed.

Less than an hour later, the private jet was already in the air. West Philadelphia disappeared beneath them as the aircraft climbed into the night.

Elena and Don Capri had been taken aboard while still unconscious. They had been sedated before being moved, their bodies carried silently through the private terminal and secured inside the jet.

Aliya, however, had been brought aboard differently. She had been told that the Don wanted her to accompany him on a shopping trip. She had believed it. In fact, she had been pleased.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get more money from him before disappearing for good. She had no idea that she was walking directly into a trap. Inside the private jet, Aliya sat across from Don Konstantin.

She looked around the luxurious cabin. Everything was strangely quiet. She had already asked three times where they were going. "Are you sure we’re going shopping?"

The Don didn’t look up from the documents in his hands. "You’ll see." Aliya forced a small smile.

"A surprise?"

"Something like that." She nodded, but the nervous feeling in her stomach refused to disappear. After several minutes, she finally asked again.

"Daddy..." The Don slowly lifted his eyes.

"What?"

"Are you angry with me?"

"No." His answer came too quickly. Aliya relaxed slightly. "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"I’m not." He returned his attention to the documents. Aliya watched him carefully. Something wasn’t right.

The Don closed the folder. "Are you nervous about being alone with your father?" Aliya blinked.

"No, Daddy."

"Then why do you keep asking where we’re going?"

"I just wanted to know." The Don leaned back.

"Do you still remember nothing about your childhood?" Aliya’s heart began beating faster.

"No."

The lie came automatically. "Nothing?"

"Nothing important." The Don studied her face. "And your mother?" Aliya hesitated. "What about her?"

"Do you remember what she looked like?" Aliya knew exactly what he was doing. She lowered her eyes.

"Not really. It’s all very faint." The Don reached into the briefcase beside him. He removed an old photograph.

Then he held it out to her.