Reign of a Billionaire : A Dark Mafia Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

“I’m glad you’re awake.” I turned to face her, standing and studying her blonde hair, the same shade as mine. Except hers was dyed and there were grays hiding in her mane, indicating her age, which her face refused to show. She’d had so much plastic surgery done—albeit quality work—that she could pass for being two decades younger than she really was. Until you looked in her eyes and spotted the bitterness and loss that no amount of surgery could erase.

“I’m awake,” I confirmed. “So are you.”

She nodded.

“I know we just arrived, but I need to go to Moscow tomorrow.” My eyes widened. It was unusual for Mother to share her itinerary or justify her activities. Unless… “I need you to come along.”

“Why?”

My mother narrowed her eyes. “Do you have something better to do?”

Yes. “No.”

“Then you’re coming.”

“We just got here,” I protested. “Why can’t you go alone?”

Whatever she was up to, I was sure her many victims were already shaking in their boots. Usually that was how it went. If you were in Sofia Volkov’s sights, you’d better fucking run.

She sighed.

“Why do you have to make everything so difficult?” I remained silent, our gazes clashing. Something wasn’t sitting right. Maybe it was the fact that she was here in my wing of the castle for the first time since my twin’s death. Or maybe my sixth sense warned there was more to it than she was sharing.

“I’d like to stay,” I repeated again, my eyebrows raised in defiance. I didn’t love this manor, but I could use some time away from her. It was easier for me to plan my missions when I was alone.

“No.” The single word had me reeling like she’d slapped me.

“What’s going on, Mother?” I asked her, prodding. “What are you not telling me?”

Her jaw clenched and my heart pounded, waiting for her reaction. The last time I defied her, I lost a part of myself.

“Be ready first thing in the morning,” she gritted out. “I’m not letting you out of my sight from now on. I won’t allow history to repeat itself.” She pushed her trembling hand through her hair, anguish in her plastic expression. “It always has a way of repeating itself,” she muttered.

Then she turned around without further ado and left me staring after her, more confused than ever. History is repeating itself

. The words echoed on repeat in my skull. What did she mean by that? She couldn’t have been talking about my twin. Could she? She had to be referring to her firstborn, Winter Volkov, who was kidnapped by the Irish.

I remained frozen, staring after her, the wheels in my mind churning. My mother kept so many secrets, I was starting to wonder whether she was suffocating beneath them too.

She wasn’t happy. I couldn’t remember her ever being happy. Not even when she was with her lovers—male or female. She didn’t have any friends. And she certainly wasn’t happy with the sperm donor, as she called my father. To this day, I didn’t know why my mother had chosen Edward Murphy to get her pregnant. There had to be something else behind it, aside from Mother wanting children.

There was no way that my father wanted to expand his family. The head of the Murphy mafia family had sons and another daughter. I’d never bothered to learn about them. I didn’t want to know what I couldn’t have.

My sister had been enough for me. Father certainly never attempted to save us from Sofia Volkov. Then my twin was taken. He didn’t swoop in to save her, and I couldn’t forgive him for it. Fuck, I couldn’t even forgive myself.

Memories twisted in my chest as I made my way out of my bedroom. Mother had a separate wing where she handled business and personal matters. I rarely ventured there, but now, I had to get answers. She couldn’t leave me in the dark. Not anymore. Not this time.

As I made my way deeper into the castle, the sound of thunder rumbled in the sky, almost as if announcing impending doom. This side of the estate was adorned in riches, all of the corridors filled with paintings of strangers. There wasn’t a single portrait of our family to be found.

As I turned the corner and came up to the door of my mother’s suite, I closed my eyes for a moment. My breaths were even despite my erratic heartbeat.

I sensed there were big things at play, and I didn’t have the luxury of ignoring it. I’d done enough ignoring to last me the rest of my life. No more.

Thunder crackled outside, almost as though the skies agreed with me. Or maybe they were warning me to run back to my side of the castle.

My palms sweating, I raised my hand but froze mid-air, hearing the voices inside.

“It had to be an inside job.” I recognized the accented voice of Perez Cortes booming through the phone speaker. “I’ve killed every man who knew about our shipment to ensure no traitor was left breathing. I expect you to do the same.”

“I’ll have the bodyguards killed,” my mother replied. Just like that. Perez, just like my mother, didn’t value human life.