Chapter 447: Because What Doesn’t Kill Me, Might

[FROLO]

Alek was going to Mrs. Smirnova’s house to check on her when Latif called.

He really wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, especially after all the things he’d come to make peace with. Things like him losing all his strategies and him having to go back to the drawing board.

"Don’t answer," he said to Kenzo, who was staring at the call.

There was always so much for them to deal with, and then a man who showed up out of nowhere, claiming to want to work with Aleksandr and giving him not that many options to work with.

It was like Aleksandr was stuck in a horror situation, and he needed to figure out a way.

"Masha begging the president to help when we were the ones who took her precious Katya is nasty," Alek chuckled at the absurdity.

It was honestly one of the most unhinged things he was seeing today, and frankly he wasn’t opposed to watching the Romanov camp suffer more.

It had been ages since he’d seen Svet and Andre, let alone what form them, which made Alek believe that this time not even the two psycho alphas who pissed him off on a regular would be able to help Masha Romanova with her tough situation.

Then again, who knew what the future held, right?

"He’s calling again, Alek," Kenzo said, and Aleksandr sighed.

Putting the phone on loudspeaker, he waited after picking it up.

"You’re playing a very dangerous game with me, Daniil," Latif warned, and Alek wasn’t even as bothered.

Today he was too tired to be stuck thinking of a man who had decided Aleksandr’s misfortunes weren’t enough, and he had to add to them. And the alpha was not going to bite.

Not this afternoon.

"You can have anyone you want, and you stick yourself to me. If you want to kill our families, join the line. Sergei wants them too, and if you’re new to town, I must tell you that Sergei doesn’t mess with his targets.

"You try snatching their prey from them and see how that goes for you," Alek said and then hung up.

He couldn’t believe what he had just said.

Sergei.

He was using Sergei’s threat over him as leverage with a man he knew nothing about. Maybe he was really losing his mind if he had to rely on Sergei for protection. But then again Alek was right.

The Myrtles were determined to torture Aleksandr in any way they could. And Alek was not so stupid as to believe that even now, as they were driving, there weren’t people watching their families.

After all, this was Sergei and Rastenkin’s operation. Of course they’d want to inflict the highest dose of pain on Alek and Kenzo.

That...

That was their solace, even if just for a moment.

Then Aleksandr’s phone pinged.

Footage.

Of Sergei in the bunker.

Worse...

Of Katya.

Katya emptying a mag into a soldier.

Katya.

Katya Romanov.

Katya...

The fuck???

This time, Alek called back himself. He couldn’t believe that shit. It made no sense. There was just no way the Katya he knew would pick up a gun and shoot someone.

"So you now want to talk, Daniil," Latif laughed on the other end, and Alek wasn’t in the mood for his games. There was just no way that footage was real.

Sergei couldn’t have found the bunker. It was well hidden. It would take a lot of years for someone to even figure out that there was a bunker at the old mill.

It just didn’t add up.

"Sending me fake footage just to get me to talk to you? I didn’t know you loved me that much, Latif," Alek mocked, his denial obvious.

Katya Romanov hated guns.

Katya Romanov always chose peace.

There was just no way Katya would pick up a gun for Sergei.

Sergei?? Of all the people?

And there was no way Sergei would let Katya pick up a gun.

Or would he?

"Marry me then. Join me, and I’ll give you what you want. Or, I could just release this footage and let the public decide whether it’s true or not. You do realize Masha Romanov made a statement today, right?

"What if I release this and watch the city burn her down for raising a monster?" Latif mocked, his voice jolly on a scorching afternoon. You’d think he was aspiring to be the happiest man in the realm.

Still, Alek refused to believe that Katya picked up arms for Sergei.

He couldn’t.

It just wasn’t possible.

"You wouldn’t dare," Alek said, calling the bluff, but Kenzo stared at him worriedly.

Latif wasn’t to be trusted.

However, at the same time, he didn’t look like the kind of guy who would fake that level of footage. Not to mention, his knowledge of the bunker should have been their concern, yet Alek was focusing on Katya Romanov’s sudden change.

"We both know I would, sweetheart. Anyway, our marriage is over. Let’s see how this shit burns, Aleksandrovich," Latif laughed sinisterly, and Alek...

He knew this was too dangerous.

The Romanov camp may have had psychos and shit, but...

The Romanovs had been kind to him. Welcomed him. Supported him even when they didn’t know that he was just using their son. They were good people away from the madness that bound them to Sergei Moskowsky.

As much as Alek was pissed that his Katya angle to bringing down Sergei was doomed, he wouldn’t be the reason a legitimate family was brought down.

Alek had done his homework alright.

When he learned about the Romanovs being owners of the Levinoviches.

He knew it was a long shot, but he also knew that Mr. Romanov had stepped back from the family business and that his twin brother was running the weaponry.

If Latif released that footage, it would ruin Katya.

It could mock a family that had genuinely not seen their child in five weeks.

It would break the heart of a mother who was desperate to see her son.

"What do you want?" Alek said, and Latif chuckled darkly on the other end.

"The same thing I’ve always wanted, Aleksandrovich. To get into Sergei’s head and extract some info from it. After that, you can do whatever you want with him.

"So will you help me, or do I release this footage of your failed love experiment to the world?" Latif asked, like there was even an option there.

Like he had already managed to get Alek in the corner.

"Fine. But just so things are clear, I do not love Katya Romanov," Alek said, and Kenzo stepped on the brakes.

Hard.

"You don’t have to lie to me, Daniil. I don’t care about your love life. If you’re worried about me using the Romanov omega against you, don’t worry. I have bigger fish to fry than using your pathetic romance against you.

"I only called to ask what you know about Katya Romanov, and if he really will be a problem for me. Or if the gun he picked up is just instinct because he saw his alpha hurt," Latif said coldly, like that was really all he needed.

Maybe it was true.

Maybe that was how life was bound to be for them.

But what were the odds that everything was falling apart because Alek couldn’t control himself?

"He won’t be a problem. What happened there was just instinct. Katya hates violence," Alek said confidently.

"Great. Have a good day, senator."

And Alek...

He knew he was doomed even as he looked at Kenzo’s accusing eyes.