Chapter 278: The Day The Music Almost Died

[SERGEI]

"No way that happened," Volkov said as he looked at the screen before them. He was stuck somewhere between shock and wondering what the fuck he and the rest of the surveillance team had just witnessed.

"That’s something else altogether... should we tell Mr. Moskowsky?" one of the employees in the surveillance room said, and Sergei’s ears perked up at the mention of his name.

He had been bored the whole afternoon since Katya was busy, and he didn’t want to go sit in his office, so he was in the surveillance room, watching old videos of Katya smiling like the world itself was the best place ever.

"Tell me what?" Sergei asked, pulling back from his feed just to look at his worried employees.

Lately, they didn’t know anything about how Mr. Moskowsky would react, and after the last few months, they were right to be skeptical. So, they all looked at Volkov, who was their team leader.

"Great, throw me to the predator, why don’t you?" Volkov sighed before he looked at Sergei, praying to the moon and everything out there that this didn’t turn into a disaster.

"Sir," Volkov began, and Sergei stared.

"Out with it, Volkov," Sergei insisted.

"Maybe it is best if I... show you?" Volkov said worriedly, and Sergei sighed exaggeratedly. Then he nodded, and Volkov projected a feed onto the huge surveillance screen.

"What am I looking at? Also, didn’t you say the senator’s house was not transmitting feed earlier?" Sergei asked casually, even though a part of him was sure this was not that easy.

That there had to be more to this if Volkov was that worried about what he would do or how he would react.

But surely it wasn’t that bad, right?

"Yeah, Kenzo came with scramblers, and we lost all audio and video footage of their meeting. But the feed was restored the moment they left the senator’s house.

"We didn’t get to hear what they were talking about," Volkov explained, as if this were about his life. And as if that was the moment the universe decided to torture him, Anya walked through the door.

"You bugged the senator’s house??" Anya asked like she was already tired before she could even hear whatever fuck-ass explanation Sergei Moskowsky was about to give her.

"Research purposes," Sergei piped up.

Anya stared at him like she couldn’t believe this was what she was stuck with for the rest of her life.

Like she was already contemplating locking Sergei somewhere no one would ever find him, only that she loved him too much, even when he was a disaster.

"Sergei. We agreed, didn’t we?" Anya reminded, and Sergei just sighed.

"Volkov said there was feed that we needed to see. Come on, don’t be a party pooper," Sergei said before Anya groaned and sat in the nearest seat, with everyone’s focus on the feed that was replaying.

For a moment, Sergei stilled.

"Solnyshka?" he wondered, and Anya let out a snort.

"I suppose you did think your precious omega would go back to his boyfriend, right?" Anya teased.

Sergei just pouted as if his happiness streak was slowly getting dwindled. Then again, he had decided to keep his distance earlier on. He would not ruin that.

It wasn’t about to change, no matter what he saw on that feed... right?

"He is happy with Alek, that is all that matters," Sergei said as they watched the alpha and the omega talk about things that Sergei wasn’t even interested in.

"Are you rubbing it in my face that my omega loves that bratva puppet?" Sergei asked flatly, and Anya laughed at him this time.

"Hush now, you man-child. You planted surveillance, now reap the fruit of your skills. And don’t you ruin this for me, I just came from a long meeting and need something less miserable," Anya warned.

Sergei let out a groan as he watched. And every frame that he watched had him wondering if Alek was stupid or just refused to use his brain. The conversation was unnerving for some reason.

Then Katya bared his neck.

And Sergei froze completely.

"No..." the alpha breathed in pain.

If Alek marked Katya, there would be no going back. There was nothing there for him anymore, even if they loved each other.

Because he could see it.

Katya wasn’t resisting.

Katya wasn’t being forced.

Katya was willing, and boy, did it hurt to watch Alek kiss, suck, and nibble the scent gland that Sergei had always wanted a taste of. And he wondered if wanting was costing him this.

Anya, who had been out a moment earlier, seemed to have gone quiet, too, because even she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Granted, she knew that they couldn’t interfere, but if Sergei lost Katya, there was nothing they would ever be certain of anymore.

"T... turn the audio up," Sergei said, and Volkov stared at him defeatedly, like this was not the time to ask for more pain, but Sergei had made his choice.

So Volkov turned up the volume, the surveillance feed being heard across the floor.

The sound of Alek’s kisses filled the now dead quiet room that was only filled with Sergei’s ragged breathing.

The cushion Sergei had been holding onto was squeezed tightly as the alpha forced himself to watch what was determined to doom him.

This was not the best day of his life anymore.

This was his greatest nightmare.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" Sergei asked bitterly, his voice low, and Anya sighed.

"There’s still five more minutes. Shut up and let us watch," Anya said, even though she knew that this could either break or make Sergei. And right now, all pointers were to the former.

This was going to break the alpha’s heart, damn.

"Alek..." Katya called out softly, his neck still bared.

"Let me mark you, little rose, please," Alek begged, his teeth scraping Katya’s neck.

"We’re not married yet," Katya chuckled, and Aleksandr kissed his neck one more time before he pulled back and looked into Katya’s eyes like the man was worth every war he’d fight.

"Then marry me, little rose," Alek said as he pulled a ring box from his coat.

The alpha then went on his knees, right in front of Katya, eyes hopeful, smile on his face, devotion evident.

Sergei hated what he was watching, but he couldn’t even will himself to look away. He had to see for himself.

"Sergei..." Anya called out, and Sergei didn’t say a word.

So, they watched as Alek pulled the ring from out of the box and showed it to Katya, saying the words Sergei was sure he would never say to Katya anymore if Alek beat him to it.

But then it was obvious, was it not?

Alek had beaten him to the proposal on the same day that Sergei had terminated the contract marriage between them.

Oh, how fate was a cruel bitch.

"Katya Romanov, my beautiful little rose," Alek began.

Sergei didn’t move.

Didn’t breathe at all.

"I love you. I always have. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you," Alek continued.

Sergei held on, his eyes filling with silent tears as he watched his beloved be handed over to someone else.

This was a truth that he would never heal from.

Never.

"Will you please marry me?" Alek asked, voicing the words that would forever haunt Sergei.

And Katya...

He smiled at the alpha.

Then Sergei’s first tear in years fell.

"No," Sergei heard from the screen, and everything changed.

"Wh... what did he say?" he asked as he looked at the people around him who were smiling while the mad barbarian wiped the defeated tears from his eyes.

"He didn’t accept the senator’s proposal," Volkov said as everyone in the surveillance room clapped as they looked at the barbarian.

Sergei didn’t trust them.

So, he replayed it.

Once.

Twice. Seventeen times.

"No," Katya said, and Alek stared in shock.

"What?"

"I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you, Alek."

By the thirtieth time, Anya grabbed the controller from him.

"He said NO, okay? NO!" Anya grumbled before she walked out of the surveillance room, leaving behind an excited Sergei.

The alpha had never laughed that hard in his life.

"HE SAID NO!!!" Sergei cheered before adding, "Your monthly stipend has been increased three times. Have fun!!"

Katya may not have chosen Sergei, yet he didn’t reject him either.

This was absolutely the best day in Sergei’s life.