Chapter 0200

“It is always good to be amongst our countrymen,” Natalia replies smoothly, not friendly but not cold.

The four of them begin to chat lightly, then, and I quietly slip away from my spot beneath my father’s arm, moving to Daniel’s

side. I nod back to the little alcove that we left, asking him as subtly as he can to take me there. Daniel glances at his father, who

gives a tiny nod that I think no one else notices, letting him know he should.

So quickly, without fuss, Daniel and I move away.

“What the hell is going on,” I hiss to him, looking anxiously around the party — searching, if I’m being honest, for a blonde head of

hair amongst this sea of dark-haired Italians, and failing.

“It's an ambush,” Daniel whispers back, glancing over his shoulder. “That was well done on you, though, greeting your dad like

that. It put us in a good position.”

“Good,” I murmur, stopping when we reach our little bench but not sitting down on it, instead smoothing my hands anxiously

down the length of my dress. “What did you mean when you said it was an ambush?”

“Everyone who just came in is from a rival family,” Daniel replies, shaking his head a little and looking around at everyone. “They

were not invited, but somehow figured out that Alessi and Natalia are visiting, and that they'd be here tonight. If I had to guess,

I'd say these other families are going to make some kind of play to turn the Bianci family against my dad and towards them.”

“Christ,” I curse, clenching my teeth. “What can we do?”

“Nothing,” Daniel sighs, likewise anxious. “Or — get whatever information we can, I guess. And make sure we don’t fuck up.”

I look at him with worried eyes. “Not my strong suit,” I mutter.

“You're better than you think, Fay,” Daniel replies passively, not looking at me and surveying the party instead. I see his eyes

flash a little. “Seriously?” he whispers to himself. “They're here?”

“Who?” I ask, eager.

“The fucking Russians,” Daniel replies, his voice low and angry. “The Kozlovs. Your boy lvan must have brought them — they’re

his biggest tie, besides Alden. God damn it.”

“Is that bad?” I ask.

“Yes, Fay,” Daniel replies, looking at me a little angrily. I glare back, because how the hell was I supposed to know that when no

one tells me anything. “They've notoriously got the weakest hold in the city’s underworld. It used to be Ivan, but he surpassed

them when he got in the drug game. But if they’re willing to come here, in open defiance of my dad?” Daniel shakes his head,

worried. “They're feeling bold.”

“Which ones are they?” I ask quietly, and then — as I suddenly spy lvan moving towards me through the crowd with a beautiful

brunette on his arm — I think that I can probably guess.

As the two approach, the music

changes, going from pleasant

background music toahgronastiel

epygocnsn te party guests to

ar from a dance floor that I hadn't

realized was there. A few couples

take to it, beginning to spin around

expertly. Please read the original

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As lvan approaches, his trademark

smirk already on his lips, he holds my

gaze without ways [geet os

nese tidin BY ake my head,

but I can’t help my own lips from

twitching up towards a smile, even as

I stand with my arm clasped in

Daniel's. Please read the original

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“Fay,” lvan says, nodding to me and then shifting his gaze to my fiancé. “Daniel. I’m so pleased to hear that you two have...

patched things up.”

“We were never apart,” Daniel snaps in reply, causing Ivan to shift his eyes back to mine, his smirk deepening.

“Really,” lvan replies, his words slow enough to be infused with a deep doubt. “Fay gave me a... different impression.”

Daniel glowers at Ivan and my

heartrate picks up as I sense that

rare temper snes birpeycees Yo

e-agi feel Daniel ball his fist next

to me and I realize that Daniel is

about five seconds away from

punching Ivan right in the face.

Please read the original content at

.