The CEO Who Won't Let Me Go

"Why don't you want to come with us, Zoe?" my sister asked again, peppering me with questions while I pinned her hair into an elegant updo. "All you have to do is put on one of my dresses, and you'd look gorgeous."

"Maybe. But my friends are waiting for me at the club, and I don't want to bail on them," I said, giving her a small, smug smile.

The mirror attached to the vanity reflected two complete opposites.

Valeri was light. I was darkness.

Somehow, though, our parents had gotten our hair colors backwards.

Valeri was a tiny brunette with a delicate figure, her soft curves hidden beneath a beautiful burgundy dress from some designer brand I didn't recognize. Fashion had never really been my thing. Every conversation about it made me feel like an idiot. I could admit her dress was gorgeous, but to me, it was way too proper.

I had more curves, wider hips, and no desire to hide any of it. My short black dress looked, in my mother's words, "like something a cheap slut would wear."

Naturally, I'd paired it with heavy makeup and loose blonde curls falling down my back.

"I don't like your friends, Zoe," Valeri said with a sigh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Especially Kriss. Honestly, you should stop hanging out with all three of them. Can't you tell they're only using you? The only reason they get into places like this is because of your last name."

Her words hit harder than I wanted them to.

Of course I knew they were using me.

But I needed them.

Needed them like oxygen, if only because they drove my mother insane. The only time she ever seemed to notice I existed was when I did something she hated.

Even tonight, the four of us were going to one of the most exclusive clubs in the city using a pass I'd stolen from Mom's purse.

Did I actually want to spend the evening with them?

Not really.

But no one had invited me to the company's anniversary party with the rest of the family, and there was no way I was going to beg.

"I'll think about it," I said, setting the curling iron down and unplugging it. "Your hair's done. Go. And good luck meeting your fiancé. I'm sure he's wonderful. Mom and Dad would never marry you off to just anybody."

Valeri got to her feet and turned toward me. One look at her face, and I braced myself for another lecture.

Instead, her expression softened, and she smiled.

You couldn't hide happiness like that. Not even when you were trying to scold your little sister.

"He's amazing, Zoe. I really want you to meet him."

"You'll get your chance eventually," I said. "Tomorrow you'll tell me everything."

Valeri pouted.

"So you're not coming home until morning? I wanted to tell you tonight." She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. "Don't get drunk. I won't survive waiting that long."

"I'll try," I said with a quiet laugh.

Not that it mattered. I didn't drink.

No matter how hard my terrible friends tried to talk me into it, I always refused. I liked knowing exactly what was going on around me. I smoked sometimes, sure, but cigarettes didn't make you lose control.

A few minutes before nine, my parents left the house arm in arm with Valeri, and I called a cab to the club.

I met my partners in bad decisions right outside the entrance to the most exclusive place in the city.

I knew Mom came here all the time.

It was her favorite club.

And tonight, I was finally going to find out why.

"Zoe!" a gorgeous redhead squealed, throwing herself around my neck.

Even in my heels, I was still way shorter than Kriss, and my face ended up shoved straight into her cleavage. She always tried so hard to look expensive, but the cheap perfume she drowned herself in ruined the effect.

"I thought you weren't coming."

"Like I'd miss this?" I said with a smile, glancing over at the guys standing a few feet away.

"So what are we waiting for?" Kriss asked. "You brought the pass, right?"

"Obviously."

I pulled the small black card with the gold crown out of my purse and flashed it.

Miron gave a low whistle. Sergey grinned, wrapped an arm around both Kriss and me, and steered us toward the entrance.

The bouncer looked us over with obvious suspicion. For a second, I thought he was going to stop us.

Then he saw the card.

Rules were rules.

Anyone with one of those got in.

His jaw tightened, but he stepped aside without another word.

Inside, soft dance music drifted through the huge, expensive-looking club. The place practically screamed money.

I followed the others toward the bar.

There weren't many nonalcoholic options, but there were a few. I ordered a milkshake and turned to look around.

Everywhere I looked, men and women sat in small groups, drinking, laughing, unwinding after the week. Among the rich businessmen, spoiled socialites, and women polished to perfection, there were plenty of girls who clearly weren't there for the free champagne.

I watched one of them leave with an older man and disappear upstairs.

What was up there? Private rooms? VIP suites? Something else?

"Try this. It's incredible," Kriss said, holding out a glass full of some suspicious dark-blue cocktail.

"No thanks. You know I don't drink." My gaze drifted across the room again before landing on a huge aquarium against the far wall. Instantly, I wanted a closer look. "I'm going for a walk."

"And I'm going dancing!" Kriss announced.

She shoved her drink onto the bar, grabbed Sergey by the arm, and dragged him toward the dance floor. He looked less than upset about it considering he'd been openly staring at one of the dancers a second earlier.

Carefully balancing on my heels, I made my way through the crowd, weaving between tables with my milkshake in hand.

I almost made it to the aquarium.

Almost.

A man stepped around the corner so suddenly I crashed right into him.

My drink splashed all over the front of his jacket.

"Oh my God. I'm so sorry," I blurted, looking up.

The man towering over me looked absolutely furious.

Another guy appeared behind him.

"Everything okay, Al?"

"No," the first man said coldly. "It's not."

Then he looked down at me like I'd just crawled out from under his shoe.

"How exactly are you planning to pay for that?"

I had always hated rich jerks who thought the world revolved around them.

Without breaking eye contact, I opened my purse, took out my wallet, and counted out enough cash for dry cleaning.

Then I slid the bills into the pocket of his jacket.

"There's a cleaner around the corner," I said coolly. "They'll make it look brand new. That should cover it. Keep the change."

Alan

"How do you like the bride?" a voice called from the driver's seat, pulling me away from the contract Levin and I had been going over all evening.

"Ordinary," I said flatly, trying to picture the girl he'd praised so enthusiastically earlier, as if he were selling something far more valuable than his usual worthless offers. Which wasn't surprising. This was just a deal. One that would save Philip's business. "It's obvious they think very highly of their daughter. That makes her perfect for what I need."

"You still haven't changed your mind?"

My friend let out a quiet sigh and looked at me in the rearview mirror. He didn't need an answer. It was written all over my face.

Over the years, my need for revenge had only grown stronger, and now that everything was finally in motion, nothing was going to stop it.

What made it even worse was that Levin remembered nothing.

He'd greeted me with that same bright, sickening smile, like we were old friends.

And now he was more than willing to hand over his daughter to the man whose life he had once ruined-without realizing he was sending his own child straight into the lion's den.

Children shouldn't pay for their parents' sins.

No matter how many times I reminded myself of that, every time I looked at that pretty little thing, I felt a flicker of contempt.

And something darker.

I wasn't going to hurt her.

But that was where my mercy ended.

"He has two daughters, doesn't he?" I asked, remembering I was supposed to have a choice tonight, even though only one of them had shown up.

"Yes. Two." Rinat glanced down at the tablet in his hands, then passed it to me. The screen showed nothing but a blurry photo of a girl from behind. "That's all we've got. I have to admit, he's been careful about keeping the second daughter out of sight. There are only two possible explanations. Either there's something wrong with her... or she matters more to him than the first one. Want me to look into it?"

"No. Don't bother." I handed the useless thing back and leaned my head against the seat.

It didn't matter which daughter Levin gave me. Either way, it would end with his downfall.

"Work on the new contract instead. Since we're not family yet, he'll go over every line. Make sure there's nothing he can pick apart."

"It'll be ready by Monday."

The car stopped in front of a nightclub.

The second I saw the bright neon crown above the entrance, the tie around my neck suddenly felt too tight. I loosened it with one sharp tug and stepped out of the car, leaving behind responsibility, control, and everything else that came with them.

I needed a break.

It had been far too long since I'd let myself have one.

This was one of the few places where the city's elite came to unwind. The service was flawless, the alcohol expensive, and there were always beautiful women around to make the night more interesting.

Expecting nothing more than a few quiet drinks, I headed down the hallway.

Then someone slammed right into me.

A clumsy little thing appeared out of nowhere and spilled her drink all over me.

Dark liquid splashed across my shirt and jacket, and for the first time in years, my irritation was directed at someone other than my worst enemy.

The girl looked up at me, eyes wide, one hand pressed to her mouth.

There was nothing fake about the expression on her face. None of that practiced sweetness escorts usually wore.

Just real shock.

And real regret.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

The blonde finally looked up at me properly.

She was beautiful.

And in that brief second, I noticed every detail-the curve of her body, the long bare legs, the ridiculously short dress that showed far too much and somehow still made me want more.

"Everything okay, Al?" Rinat stepped up beside me, immediately noticing the stain on my jacket.

It wasn't a big deal. I didn't care about things like that. I'd throw the jacket away without a second thought.

But those wide, frightened eyes...

I suddenly wanted to push her a little. Just to see what she would do.

"No," I said, keeping my eyes on her. "It's not. How exactly are you planning to make this up to me?"

Girls like her usually only had one thing to offer.

I expected the usual reaction.

Instead, she changed right in front of me.

The frightened little thing disappeared.

In her place was a tigress.

Her eyes sharpened, suddenly full of confidence and challenge, like she knew she had the upper hand. Without looking away, the blonde reached into her purse, pulled out a few bills, and slipped them into the breast pocket of my jacket.

Her fingers brushed the fabric.

A slow, satisfied smile curved her lips.

"There's a dry cleaner around the corner," she said coolly. "They'll make it look like nothing ever happened. That should cover it. Keep the change."

Then she turned and walked away, hips swaying with every step.

For one brief second, I wanted to go after her.

To stop her.

To put her back in her place.

But I pushed the thought aside just as quickly.

"You seriously let her walk away?" Rinat asked, sounding genuinely surprised as he watched her disappear into the crowd.

I pulled the money from my pocket and looked down at it.

It was more than enough.

Way more.

She'd probably just handed me half of everything she'd earned in the last few weeks.

"I know that look, Al," Rinat said with a grin. "Want me to arrange something?"

"If it's not too much trouble." I tightened my fingers around the bills. "I need to give this back to her. Maybe throw in a little extra. For being brave."

Rinat smirked and headed toward the group the blonde had been standing with.

Within minutes, the redhead in the group was already laughing at something he'd said.

I stayed where I was, slowly sipping my whiskey and watching from a distance.

The club wasn't very crowded tonight.

I didn't see anyone I knew, though there were a few familiar faces.

Like Tikhonov, the TV anchor, scanning the room with the cold, calculating look of a predator.

He wasn't here to have fun.

He was hunting.

And whoever became his story tonight was in for a very bad time.

"Half an hour. Second room," Rinat said when he came back and dropped into the chair across from me.

"Perfect. What are you going to do until then?"

"I'm thinking about joining that group over there." He nodded toward three slim girls standing by the bar. "I like the brunette."

"Fine. But keep an eye on Tikhonov while you're at it," I said. "I have no desire to end up on camera. Especially not the one he's probably hiding under that ridiculous lace collar."

"Of course," Rinat said with a grin. "Enjoy yourself."

The awful feeling finally started to fade, but a few drops of the spilled drink had stained my dress. They were barely visible, but I knew they were there. My hands hadn't escaped either-they were still sticky in the most humiliating way.

Locked away in the ladies' room, I tried to clean myself up, already knowing I wanted to go home. That rich asshole had looked at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe, then acted like I wasn't even worth a response. Way to ruin an evening.

My phone rang inside my purse, and I grabbed it while still holding the hem of my dress under the hand dryer.

"Zoe, when are you coming home?" Valeri's excited voice burst through the speaker.

I pulled the phone away for a second and glanced at the time. Yeah. I'd been here long enough.

"Soon, I think. Judging by your voice, meeting your fiancé went well?"

"Better than well! Zoe, he's gorgeous. Seriously, you should've seen him. He's so polite, so sweet... and the way he looked at me..." She let out a dreamy sigh. "It made me feel... I don't know... something."

"Turned on?" I offered with a laugh.

"Zoe!" she gasped, scandalized.

I laughed again.

If my sister liked him that much, then he was probably a good guy. I already respected him a little, even though we hadn't met.

"No, seriously," she rushed on. "I think I fell in love at first sight. Please come home soon. I'm literally going to explode if I don't tell someone everything."

"Are Mom and Dad home?" I asked, mostly out of curiosity. I couldn't help wondering if anyone besides Valeri had even noticed I was gone.

"No. They dropped me off, Mom changed, and then they left for some private event."

"Of course they did," I muttered.

Nothing ever changed. I was still invisible in my own house. Honestly, if it weren't for the surgery when we were kids-when I had to donate stem cells and blood to Valeri-I probably would've convinced myself I was adopted. The only thing proving we were related was the cluster of birthmarks across my back, exactly like Mom's and Valeri's.

"I'll be home soon, Valeri."

I ended the call, looked at myself in the mirror, and let out a quiet sigh. Was it really because of how I looked? The way I dressed? Why did they treat us so differently? Valeri was loved, adored, spoiled. I was just... there. An inconvenience nobody wanted.

I headed back into the club, planning to sneak out without anyone noticing, but basic manners won out. I should at least tell my friends I was leaving.

Kriss was sitting at the table with the two guys, and for once they weren't laughing or causing chaos. Sergey waved me over, and before I could protest, I found myself trapped between two stubborn idiots who clearly had no intention of letting me leave.

Not that they got a vote.

Once I made up my mind, that was it. Kriss knew that better than anyone.

"Come on, Zoe, stay a little longer," she whined, grabbing my hand like I was about to make a run for it. "I ordered you a mojito. Maybe that'll change your mind?"

She pushed a glass toward me. Mint leaves and lime slices floated in the pale green liquid. Usually it was one of my favorite drinks.

Usually.

"Sorry. I'm leaving. I'll leave my card with you so security doesn't give you any trouble," I said firmly, getting to my feet.

For a second, something dark flashed across Kriss's face, but it disappeared just as quickly. She covered it with a wounded look, her eyes immediately going shiny.

Typical.

Kriss was a manipulator. If begging didn't work, she'd move straight to guilt and tears.

Good thing she wasn't looking directly at me. One glance at my face and she would've known exactly what I thought of that act.

Miron slid the glass back toward me and lifted his own, full of something I couldn't even identify. I leaned closer and sniffed my mojito carefully. The three of them had tried to get me drunk before, but this time I couldn't smell any alcohol besides what should've been there.

I took a long sip.

Cold, sweet, refreshing.

Despite myself, I smiled.

"Fine. Five minutes. But that's it."

"Of course," Miron said, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

Kriss and Sergey grinned and went back to drinking like they were dying of thirst.

"I can walk you home later, Zoe," Miron added.

He switched into what he probably thought was his charming mode and took my hand.

My stupid, inexperienced heart had no idea what love was supposed to feel like, but I knew one thing for sure: when I did fall in love someday, it definitely wouldn't be with either of them. I knew my friends too well for that.

The next few minutes dragged on forever.

Little by little, I stopped feeling like myself. A heavy drowsiness settled over me, pressing down on my eyelids. My eyes burned like I hadn't slept in days. My body felt warm and heavy, and my thoughts started slipping through my fingers, slow and blurry.

Seriously?

Was I actually about to fall asleep in the middle of a club?

"I think I should go," I said, forcing myself to stand.

Only Kriss was still at the table. She was typing furiously on her phone, but when she noticed me, she got to her feet too, swaying slightly.

Yeah. We both needed to get home.

I managed to swallow the first yawn, but the next one hit me so hard my eyes watered.

"Are you okay, Zoe?" Kriss asked, slipping her arm through mine. "Maybe we should get you home."

"You don't look so great either," I said, glancing down at her.

She was standing there in one shoe.

Kriss burst out laughing and ducked under the table to look for the other one.

"Maybe we should just go together," I said. "You're drunk, and I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Yeah..." She shoved her shoe back on and grabbed my arm again. "But first let's find the guys. I saw them go upstairs."

"Upstairs?" I frowned, looking toward the staircase.

The VIP area was up there, hidden behind the balcony level, but neither Sergey nor Miron were anywhere downstairs.

We couldn't leave without saying goodbye... could we?

Step by step, we made our way upstairs. My head felt heavier with every second, and dragging myself up the stairs while Kriss leaned half her weight against me felt almost impossible.

"There," she said, pointing toward a door.

We stepped into a narrow hallway lit by dim golden lights.

"There's nobody here," I muttered, staring at the closed doors lining the corridor.

The room spun.

I caught myself against the wall, breathing hard. What the hell was wrong with me? I could've curled up right there on the floor and gone to sleep without caring.

"Kriss, let's go back. I don't feel good."

Everything blurred.

The next thing I knew, I was in some unfamiliar room.

Maybe I was imagining it.

Or maybe I really was sitting on the edge of a huge bed.

Silky sheets brushed against my fingertips, soft and cool, and before I could stop myself, I leaned into them.

Warm light filled the room.

A door opened.

I wasn't drunk. Not really. I was too aware for that. My head was foggy, but I still recognized the man standing in front of me immediately.

The same one I'd spilled my cocktail on.

"So the money wasn't enough to pay for your jacket?" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Disgusting," he said coldly.

His eyes swept over me like he couldn't stand the sight.

"I thought you agreed to this. You've got terrible friends, girl." His mouth twisted. "So tell me... what exactly am I supposed to do with you now?"