That was the day my sister and I swapped places. Ever since then, I became Rai Sokolov and she is Reina Ellis—well, Reina Carson now.
Ivan wanted to kill me as he did with Mom, but a younger Mikhail snatched me from his hands and told him that the Pakhan wanted me alive. Needless to say, Mikhail must regret saving me every day now.
Dedushka and I didn’t always get along. If anything, I yelled and screamed and scratched his beard for how he sent his men to kill my mom. He said that he only wanted to bring her home, and that he never wished for his only daughter to die. It took me months to believe how genuine he was, and I wanted to tell him that Ivan was the one who killed Mom, but I didn’t, because I had no evidence and a practical man like my grandfather only believed in evidence. Besides, Ivan would’ve sold me in the black market before I could endanger his position at the time.
A while later, my grandfather sat in front of him and told me the words that snapped me into focus. “The only way to protect yourself, your sister, and your father is to become powerful.”
Since then, I realized that I needed to take advantage of his power. Over time, I saw how rightful Nikolai Sokolov actually was, and how much my mother’s death ate at his soul. He often said that he regretted not being the safety she needed and that I was his second chance.
Just like that, my life became different—especially from that of my twin sister.
When I keep my distance from her, like now, she often says stupid things, like maybe she should’ve kept her name. My poor sister doesn’t know that she would be eaten alive in my world. She wouldn’t be able to live her event-free life with her hotshot lawyer husband.
I sit upright. “Yeah, different, as in you would be dead, Reina.”
“Are you telling me you’re not heading there yourself?” Her voice catches, eyes filling with tears. “I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I can take care of myself.”
“What if something happens and you can’t? Who will take care of you then?”
“I have my man and woman. You met them.”
“Ruslan and Katia are your guards, not your family.”
“Hey, they are. Don’t go insulting my right and left hands.”
She scoffs. “I don’t know if I should laugh or be sad that you consider your guards your family.”
“It’s because they’re loyal, Rei.”
She shakes her head. Right then, Gareth jumps from her lap and runs toward the door where his father comes in.
Asher scoops him in his arms and tickles his tummy, making him break out in uncontrollable giggles.
Reina’s husband is tall and handsome with dark hair and a broad build that he’s maintained since playing football in high school. He’s wearing a beige suit that gives him an approachable yet firm edge.
The camera moves a little when Asher lowers his head and captures Reina’s mouth in a kiss. It’s not only a peck or a mere brush of lips against lips. He goes all the way in, making her moan as she pushes away from him, cheeks flaming. “I’m talking to Rai, Ash.”
Asher grins at the camera, his green eyes twinkling. “Hey, Rai.”
“Hey, Asher,” I say in a tone that suggests I wasn’t the least bit affected by their PDA, but sometimes, it gets to me in ways I can’t explain.
All I’m sure about is that I need to protect the scene in front of me, Reina and her happy family. At least one of us needs to have that. One of us needs to love with all her heart as Dad taught us to.
Reina struggled for years to find her happy ending, and it’s my mission to make sure it continues.
There’s a knock on the door before Vlad waltzes in with both Ruslan and Katia. Right—I called this meeting.
“Listen, I’ve got to go,” I say, then hang up before Reina can say anything. Now that Asher is around, she won’t be too focused on bugging me about paying them a visit.
I join the other three in the sitting area across from my desk. Ruslan remains standing because he’s too into that ridiculous rule about respecting hierarchy. It’s not necessarily about me, but it’s about Vlad. He would never, and I mean ever, sit in his presence.
Katia heads to the cabinet to fix us drinks. She’s a fit, tall woman with dark brown hair she keeps gathered in a ponytail.
Her high cheekbones and freckled cheeks give her a distinctive look that can be adorable if only she loses the serious expression. She and Ruslan are cut from the same cloth.
“You don’t have to make drinks,” I tell her.
“Let me, miss.”
I shake my head as I flop opposite Vlad. The reason I trust those two with my life isn’t that they’re some guards Dedushka picked for me. No.
Ruslan has been with me since Grandpa’s time, but only because I handpicked him from the fighting rings myself. He was only twenty then, two years older than me, and won all his fights. I used to go with Dedushka to watch the underground fights and always kept an eye on ‘The Machine’, as they called him. In one of the matches, he had a head injury and was about to be taken out by his trainer like a dog. However, I stepped in and punched that trainer in the face, telling him if he didn’t respect his fighters, he didn’t deserve to be part of the brotherhood. Dedushka agreed. The trainer was out. Ruslan retired and asked Dedushka if he could become my guard.
Katia came after Grandpa’s death. She was smuggled in from Russia in a dirty container with drugs in her ass and was destined to become a whore in Mikhail’s brothels.
Since I was making it my mission to intercept Mikhail’s shipments and free as many women as I could, Katia happened to be one of those whom I was able to help out.
In order to save her from Mikhail’s rotten hands, I kept her close. Then I accidentally saw her training in kung fu and found out she has a black belt. She was sold to the mafia for a debt her dead father couldn’t pay.
Since then, these two have been the pillars I lean on, aside from Vlad when he’s not grunting, like right now.
“Now, what?” I ask.
“You’re really going to marry Kyle?”
I try my hardest to remain calm, even though everything inside revolts at the mention of his name.
Now that he’s back, it’s even worse.
If I’m being honest with myself, the reason I haven’t been able to work properly today isn’t only because of the marriage proposal. It’s mainly the way he invaded my space, touched me, and wrapped his hand around my throat as if he had every right to. Those long, lean fingers—
“Rai.”
“What?” I force myself out of my haze at Vlad’s strong voice. He rarely calls me by my given name, and when he does, it’s serious.
“I was asking if you’re going to marry the bastard.”
“I don’t have a choice. Either I do it or he’ll go after Ana.”
Vlad sucks in a breath but refrains from commenting. He’s the type who doesn’t like to meddle in others’ business unless he’s ordered to. “He’s not a tool you can play with as we planned.”
“I know that more than anyone. Dedushka put him as my guard at one point, remember?”
“Yes, I do. I also remember that you told me not to say his name again after he disappeared.”