Chapter 271: With A Hand On My Heart, I Swore

[FROLO]

Thirty minutes.

Thirty minutes of a chairman and his CEO sharing breakfast in dead silence.

Thirty minutes of a pissed omega occasionally glaring at the alpha who had fucked up his boyfriend’s day and was not even the least bit bothered by it.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, mid-breakfast, Katya remembered something. One that didn’t help keep his rage at Sergei as alive anymore.

Something Sergei had said the day he almost wrapped them against an electric pole because he was overspeeding to convince Katya to never apologize to him again.

The morning before, Katya’s life was changed for the worse.

****

[Flashback, Three years ago, The morning of the Milan affair reveal]

"Did you really hate having breakfast with me that much that you would kill yourself?" Katya asked, silently praying for this shit to work.

"What?" Sergei asked, his confusion evident.

"I... I thought we’d share more meals together now that you’re back, but I guess I was wrong," Katya breathed.

Sergei had never applied the emergency brakes that fast.

"Y... You mean that? You want to have breakfast with me?" Sergei asked as Katya glared at him as if he wanted to strangle the barbarian for almost killing them both.

Sergei could see the displeasure on his omega’s face, and he knew it was probably because of the way he had broken fast.

"I would never hurt you," Sergei said as he flipped a button, and Katya’s seat came back upright, as it slowly and very carefully freed the omega who was looking at Sergei like he was already reconsidering what he had said.

"You can’t take it back," Sergei said, and Katya still glared.

What was he even supposed to do?

One moment, they were flying through risky traffic because Sergei Moskowsky had decided that Katya apologizing was the worst possible thing.

And the next, the barbarian was looking at him like there weren’t stacks of boxes that threatened to spill on both of them.

"The hospital is just around the corner. I could recommend a psychiatrist for you," Katya said very carefully, his words so genuine and his anger so real that it had Sergei feeling some type of way.

His omega cared for him.

That was the only thing he was seeing.

A man who wanted to share meals with him.

A man who was willing to get himself treated.

Sergei was a goner.

"I’ll go after work if that’s your wish," Sergei said calmly.

"Are you sure you’re okay in the head? Who are you and what have you done to the barbarian of Frolo?" Katya asked as if he was trying so hard not to get himself into shit that would have him apologize.

He just about had enough of apologies and consequences for the entire week.

"Focus on what’s important, Solnyshka," Sergei said calmly, like he hadn’t almost murdered both of them.

"Ugh, you’re impossible," Katya huffed as he took that chance to look out the window.

Many people were staring and minding their business at the same time. The drivers who were honking and road raging earlier had somehow learned that silence was an art when they got to the front and saw the devil of Frolo.

Everyone who had been cursing the alpha out suddenly went back to pretending like the morning was normal.

But Sergei didn’t care about that.

"Breakfast," Sergei reminded, and Katya looked at him like this was not the time.

Yet for Sergei, this was pretty much the time.

"Is breakfast with me more important than the fact that you almost killed both of us?" Katya asked, staring blankly at Sergei like he was not ready for this.

This version of Sergei was more unsettling than the version that he probably knew.

And Sergei could tell that from the look Katya was giving him.

But that didn’t matter, right?

"Yes and no," Sergei said as he sat upright, only to wince in pain.

Turns out even the mad barbarian wasn’t spared from the consequences of his madness.

"I’m fine," Sergei insisted.

"Did you mean it when you said you wanted to share more meals with me? Breakfast, I mean..." Sergei said instead, and Katya sighed.

"That is what you’re worried about when you could be dying here?" Katya asked tiredly.

"It’s important. I make it a point to remember important things," Sergei defended.

Katya didn’t understand.

It was written all over his face.

But Sergei had to know. Because just around the corner, there was a whole new reality waiting for them both.

Sergei was determined to stall for as long as he could. He wasn’t terrified, no, he was Sergei Moskowsky.

But the weekend hadn’t been kinder to Katya. And if breakfast was the Chapter of the day before, they had to face what the weekend had been, then he would stall for as long as possible.

He did want to have breakfast with Katya daily, though.

"If I say yes, will you get checked when we get to the company then?" Katya bargained, and Sergei chuckled.

"For someone who hates me, you sure seem to care about me," Sergei said passively, and Katya stared flatly at him.

"Or maybe I don’t want your swarm of loyalists coming after me, thinking I murdered you in your own car. I already have enough debts to carry," Katya said sincerely, his sarcasm making Sergei smile.

It had been a while since he had seen the version of Katya he had met in the hospital a month ago, and it was refreshing.

"Is that a yes to breakfast?"

"Yeah, whatever," Katya said, and Sergei stared.

"What."

"That’s not sincere."

"Do you want the breakfast to be willing, or do you want me to follow your orders? I can do both," Katya said tiredly.

And Sergei’s shoulder slumped.

Katya noticed, exhaling slowly.

"Yes, Vladimir. I would love to share the first meal of the day with you. Whenever you are available," Katya said, looking at the barbarian.

"Every day."

"Huh?"

"I’m available for you every day, Solnyshka."

****

[Today]

"Unbelievable," Katya huffed at the memory once he was done with his breakfast and Sergei was still staring at him like Katya hung the moon.

"You can now tell me what’s on your mind, little wolf," Sergei said as he cleared the table, something that was unusual for him. He always had people cleaning up after him.

At the office, Volkov always did that, yet for some reason, whenever he was with Katya, he seemed to be doing it all by himself.

Not that he did mind.

"What you did to Alek was low," Katya stated plainly, his anger showing up again, like he wasn’t thinking of the genesis of all these breakfasts and getting butterflies in his stomach.

"The senator’s people deserve the truth. Besides... he started it," Sergei said, adding the last bit with a pout like he was not talking about the fact that he had probably ruined Alek’s career with his remarks.

"Started it? What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you—" Katya began before he ranted at Sergei, like a man who was speaking his truth, expressing his anger.

At some point, he even got up and paced around the office while yelling at the alpha, who was not even paying attention to Katya’s rant. Instead, Sergei’s mind was just filled with:

’Still as beautiful even when angry with me.’

’Yeah, this little wolf will be the death of me.’

’He still smells good even when he’s raging.’

’I could listen to him tear me apart all day.’

’Those plump lips—’

"Are you even listening to me?!" Katya snapped when he noticed the way Sergei was looking at him with heart eyes.

It was frustrating, truly, because he was expecting a different reaction from Sergei.

Maybe for the alpha to at least snap at him for yelling and scolding him, yet the man was just looking at him like whatever Katya was saying was fine with him.

Gods, he was far gone.

"I’m sorry I ruined your morning, Solnyshka, but I’m not sorry about telling his people what their precious senator is doing behind their backs," Sergei said, and Katya sighed.

"You’re impossible."

"No. I simply gave him a chance to come clean. It’s not my fault that he went to the bratva," Sergei said calmly, and at that, Katya couldn’t help but let out a defeated laugh as he sat down next to Sergei.

"Actually... it kinda is," Katya snorted as he leaned backward on the couch.

And Sergei...

He saw a smooth neck.

Katya and Alek had been dating for three years.

Yet Alek hadn’t marked Katya...

...All this time.

"Solnyshka... we need to talk."