11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLdsNrnTdjfChapter 5
Nikolas ♠️
The library was quiet.
The dim golden light reflected against the crystal glass in my hand as I slowly swirled the whiskey.
My father stood near the large window while my grandfather sat comfortably in the leather chair, his presence filling the room with quiet authority.
My father finally spoke.
“Мы должны пойти к Волковым. Их наследник возвращается. Мы не знаем, что это значит для нас. Это может быть тревожной ситуацией. Сегодня вечером нам нужно наблюдать.”
We have to go to the Volkovs. Their heir is returning. We don’t know what that means for us. This could be an alarming situation. Tonight we need to observe.
I continued swirling the whiskey slowly.
I had never considered anyone a real threat to our empire.
The Russo Empire was powerful. Successful. Unbreakable.
Our influence didn’t stop at Russia.
It stretched across Europe… and beyond.
Which only made our name more valuable within the clan.
My father, however, had always been cautious.
Sometimes overly cautious.
He liked to appear strict and authoritative in front of others, but I knew him well enough to understand that he could easily collapse under pressure if something unexpected happened.
My grandfather was the one who truly carried the strength of our family.
He was the man I admired the most.
The man who had built this entire empire from nothing.
My thoughts disappeared when my grandfather finally responded.
“Не о чем паниковать. Я не строил династию Руссо для того, чтобы кто-то мог так легко ей угрожать. Им придётся заплатить цену гораздо выше своей жизни. А наследник Волковых вряд ли представляет угрозу. Мальчик большую часть жизни прожил за пределами России. Он ничего не знает о клане и о том, как здесь всё работает.”
There is nothing to panic about. I didn’t build the Russo dynasty so someone could easily threaten it. They would have to pay a price far greater than their lives. And the Volkov heir is hardly a threat. The boy spent most of his life outside Russia. He knows nothing about the clan and how things work.
I finished the last of my whiskey before speaking.
“Grandfather is right.”
I placed the glass down.
“He may not know much about the clan… but there must be a reason he stayed away for so long.”
My father might have been speaking out of fear, but he wasn’t entirely wrong.
“We should still observe them tonight.”
My father quickly added another concern.
“What about the Bloody Rose?”
Then he continued in Russian.
“Она опасна. Слухи о ней дикие по всему клану. Она хорошо обучена своим отцом и, как говорят, очень хитра для своего возраста.”
She is dangerous. The rumors about her are wild across the clan. She was well trained by her father and is said to be extremely cunning for her age.
I leaned slightly back in my chair and said
“Посмотрим, каким потенциалом она обладает.”
We will see what kind of potential she holds.
My grandfather looked like he was thinking about something.
Something deeper.
But the moment he realized I was watching him, that expression disappeared.
I noticed things like that.
I always did.
Observation was my strongest skill.
I could read people within seconds.
Their body language.
Their tone.
Their hidden intentions.
Which meant lying to me was nearly impossible.
After the conversation ended, I left the library and returned to my room.
A quick shower.
A formal suit.
Black.
Simple.
Clean.
I rarely attended public events like this.
Not because I was afraid.
But because I preferred to play my cards in the shadows.
People knew who I was without truly knowing me.
And that made them careless when they spoke around me.
Which made them vulnerable.
The car ride to the Volkov mansion was quiet.
When we arrived, the large gates slowly opened.
The mansion was brightly illuminated, every window glowing with warm golden light.
The decorations were luxurious.
Crystal chandeliers.
Tall marble pillars wrapped with red roses and gold ribbons.
Live classical music filled the air while guests moved through the ballroom dressed in elegant black and crimson outfits.
It was extravagant.
Exactly what I expected from Dmitri Volkov.
The doors opened.
And we stepped inside.
My eyes immediately landed on Dmitri Volkov himself.
He approached us confidently to greet us.
His posture was calm.
Respectful.
But proud.
He made it clear without words that he did not fear us.
Good.
Fear made people sloppy.
Confidence made them interesting.
As our fathers exchanged greetings, my attention shifted across the room.
Then I saw her.
Sitting at the bar.
A glass of vodka in her hand.
She was beautiful.
Strikingly so.
Her long hair flowed down her back in soft waves that looked thick enough to wrap around my fist more than once.
Her eyes were sharp.
Alert.
Her figure curved perfectly beneath the emerald dress she wore.
But what caught my attention most was the small tattoo on her collarbone.
A bloody rose.
So.
That was her.
Krovavaya Roza.
I had heard many things about her.
Truthfully… I had been curious.
Was she truly as dangerous as the stories suggested?
Or was she just another spoiled mafia princess protected by her father?
Either way…
She was still a potential enemy.
For a brief moment, she seemed uncomfortable.
I followed her line of sight.
Someone else was watching her.
A man.
His expression filled with something dark.
Jealousy.
Hatred.
Possessiveness.
Interesting.
But I quickly pushed the thought away when my father stepped beside me and gave me a look that clearly said:
Observe.
I nearly scoffed.
As if I needed the reminder.
Minutes later, Dmitri Volkov approached us again.
This time with his daughter.
She greeted my grandfather first.
Smart.
Respect the founder first.
Her expression remained calm.
Polite.
But beneath it, I could still see her real emotions shifting carefully.
A well-trained poker face.
After a short business discussion and an unpleasantly careless introduction with Alexei Volkov, the supposed heir, I eventually stepped away and began speaking with several senior members of the clan.
Business conversations followed naturally.
One investor spoke about expanding casino operations toward Prague and Vienna.
Another mentioned rising demand in illegal weapon trading across Eastern Europe.
I listened carefully.
Added short comments.
Corrected a few flawed financial predictions.
Within minutes, the older businessmen were looking at me with quiet respect.
They knew who actually handled strategy in the Russo empire.
Later that evening, I stepped into the washroom.
I was washing my hands when the door suddenly opened.
Alexei Volkov walked in.
He was too busy speaking on his phone to notice me.
His voice was low but aggressive.
“When will you manage it for me?” he snapped quietly.
“I need it as soon as possible.”
Then he continued angrily.
“I’m going to show that bitch what it feels like to take what was supposed to be mine.”
I couldn’t help the small smirk forming on my lips.
So.
There really was something wrong inside the Volkov family.
My suspicions were correct.
The moment Alexei finally looked up and noticed me standing near the sink, his eyes widened in shock.
He immediately ended the call.
Then quickly left the washroom without another word.
I dried my hands slowly.
This situation was becoming far more interesting than I originally expected.
I allowed a quiet smirk to form again.
This was going to be fun.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoXuMzd4Jg
and then Add to home screen.