Chapter 210: Trust me, you don’t

"I know she works with Don Konstantin," Viktor finally said. "And she’s not some simple girl who just works with the Don," Sienna said. "She’s Don Konstantin’s right hand. That makes me wonder what she was really doing there."

Sienna paused and studied Viktor. "You wouldn’t happen to know, would you?" Viktor raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, she works with Don Konstantin. I know that," Viktor said. "But you don’t have to worry about any of that."

"Why not?"

"Because they’re gone." Sienna stopped eating.

"Gone?"

"Don Konstantin, Carina, Don Capri, Elena, and Aliya. They all left."

"Just like that?"

"Yes." Sienna slowly put the chicken thigh back on her plate.

"That’s strange." Viktor watched her carefully. Sienna leaned back slightly in her chair.

"Never mind. I’ll find out." Viktor frowned. "Sienna,"

"I have a strange feeling." She looked down at the table for a moment, thinking. "Ever since I started digging into Carina, I feel like I’m getting closer to something. I don’t know what it is yet, but I know I’m close." Viktor’s expression became more serious.

"I’ll find out what happened," Sienna continued. "And when I do, I won’t spare Carina. I won’t spare Don Konstantin either."

She paused. "Or whoever is in the shadows pulling the strings." Viktor’s eyes remained fixed on her. She had no idea how close she was.

"Sienna, you don’t have to worry about any of that." She looked at him.

"It’s over." The words came out firmly. "There is something I must tell you." Viktor reached across the table and rested his hand over hers. Sienna looked at their hands, then back at him.

"What is it?" Viktor took a slow breath. He had rehearsed this moment in his head since Carina had shown him that photograph. He had imagined telling Sienna that Don Konstantin was her father. He had imagined her confusion.

Her anger. The questions. He had imagined everything except how difficult it would be to actually say the words.

"Sienna, your..." The sound of the front door opening suddenly interrupted him. Viktor stopped. Sienna turned toward the entrance. A moment later, two familiar figures walked into the dining room.

Her eyes widened. Viktor slowly turned his head. The words he had been about to say disappeared from his mind.

Then her eyes moved to the man beside him. "Manuel? When did you get here?"

"Just got here," Manuel replied with a smile. Sienna smiled back. Seeing him brought back memories of Italy. The danger. The uncertainty. Everything they had gone through there. There had been moments when she had honestly wondered if they would make it out alive.

Yet somehow, standing there now, those memories did not feel as painful as they once had. Maybe because she knew where she belonged. Right here. With Viktor. For some reason, that thought made her smile again.

Viktor, however, was not smiling. His eyes were fixed on Manuel. There was something about the way Manuel spoke to Sienna, the easy familiarity between them, that he didn’t like.

Not one bit. "Great," Sienna said. "Have a seat. I never thought I would see you again after Italy." She gestured toward the table. "That means something here needs your expertise."

Manuel chuckled. "I don’t even want to know."

"Trust me, you don’t." Sienna picked up her glass. "Just sit down and eat something. Viktor isn’t hungry anyway."

Manuel glanced at Viktor. Then back at Sienna. He smiled. "Of course." He pulled out a chair. Viktor cleared his throat. Manuel’s hand stopped on the back of the chair. He slowly looked at Viktor.

"Well... I actually just had something," he said. He pushed the chair back. "I think I’ll pass." Sienna turned to Viktor.

"What?"

"I didn’t do anything," Viktor said immediately. Sienna narrowed her eyes. "You didn’t?"

"No." Marcus looked away quietly, trying not to smile. He knew that look on Viktor’s face. Viktor was jealous. And he was doing a terrible job of hiding it.

Sienna shook her head and turned back to Viktor. "Anyway, what did you want to tell me a while ago?" The amusement disappeared from Viktor’s face.

He became serious again. "Your family." Sienna frowned. "What about them?"

"I mean your real family." She stared at him. "You want to find them?" Sienna was quiet for a moment. "No, actually." Viktor’s eyes remained on her.

"I just want to know what’s going on with me," she continued. "And if finding out what’s happening to me means finding them, then they have to answer some questions."

She leaned back in her chair. "But I assume my parents are probably dead."

Her voice became quieter. "And there is probably a relative somewhere who is hunting me." Marcus’s expression changed slightly. Manuel, who had been standing nearby, also stopped smiling.

Sienna gave a small shrug. "Well, that’s the only explanation I can think of." She tried to make light of it. "Or maybe my family wants to find me and kill me." She paused.

"That could also make sense." Viktor stared at her. Sienna gave a small, almost amused smile. "But I prefer to believe it’s just some relative who wants me dead."

"Sienna," Viktor said quietly. "What?"

"Why would you say that so casually?"

"Because I’ve gotten used to strange things happening around me." She picked up her glass again. "But why are you asking all of this all of a sudden?" Viktor didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he asked another question.

"And what about Don Konstantin?" Sienna’s eyes immediately sharpened. "Wait." She sat forward. "Have you found a way to get rid of him?"

Viktor blinked. "Tell me." She leaned closer. "How can I help?" Her voice held genuine excitement. "That evil man deserves to be punished for what he did to Aria and her parents."

She shook her head. "And thank goodness he has a fake daughter who turned out to be a snake." Viktor’s expression tightened. "But he still needs to pay for what he did."

She studied his face. Then her excitement slowly faded. "But..." Her eyes narrowed. "The look on your face is telling me something else," Viktor said. Sienna stared at him.

"You’re not asking me these questions because of Don Konstantin, are you?" The dining room became unusually quiet. Marcus glanced at Viktor. Manuel remained still.