But I didn’t send the others. Phoenix was head over heels in love with Maddie. He wouldn’t have spared another glance to Valerie.
And Nikolay…well, he was just…Nikolay. He had his own issues to deal with. Valerie would have held no importance to him.
But Viktor…that asshole was a whole other story.
As I explained my plan to Ayla, she seemed too stunned to speak. My wife was impressed, and my dick was a happy fellow. We both knew we were going to get some action later. I smiled and fought the urge to puff my chest out.
There was only one King. Only one true Game Master.
And he was me.
Ayla tugged at my hands, wanting me to continue. “Viktor is the type of man who likes to conquer. He sees a battle, he picks a side, and he fights the war to win. He doesn’t play to lose. But he also likes to be the knight in shining armor. Once he sees a damsel in distress, his mind is off playing savior. I knew once he saw Valerie, he would want to both conquer her as his, and at the same time he would want to save her from this hellhole.”
Because she would remind him of you, Angel, I added silently.
“Men like us, we are programmed this way. We are territorial, Angel. Once Viktor sees Valerie as his woman, he would do anything to protect her. We like to shed blood. We live for the adrenaline. But what we love more than shedding the blood of our enemies is seeing the smiles of our women.”
“You wouldn’t have said that three years ago,” Ayla said, interrupting me.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t. Because back then I thought this was a weakness. But you changed that, Ayla. You changed me,” I admitted. Bringing our hands up, I kissed the back of hers. My lips lingered there, and I closed my eyes.
You also changed Viktor. Turned him from an unfeeling bastard to…
I gripped Ayla’s hand tighter at the thought. Viktor thought he could fool me, thought he could hide his feelings. But in this estate, my eyes were everywhere. I saw everything. I heard everything. Even the silent thoughts. And I knew my brother. Better than anyone else.
You see, Viktor fell in love with my wife.
And he thought he could fucking hide it.
But I saw it. In his eyes, the way he looked at her as if she were the sun and the stars.
I watched it for months. Then I realized that Viktor Ivanshov was a confused man.
He thought he loved my Ayla.
In reality, he didn’t.
He loved the idea of us. The idea of our love.
Before Ayla, our life was only black and white, dark and bloody. Then my Angel happened. Love. A relationship. Marriage. Wife and kids. Fucking happily ever after.
I got that, but Viktor was left alone.
He was grasping thin air, his heart alone and wounded, and secretly, he hoped for the same thing.
A love like ours, like Ayla’s and mine.
He confused that feeling as love for Ayla.
Viktor cared deeply for her. Very much so. That was true. He loved her. But he was not in love with her. The difference was huge. I needed him to look at someone else, have his stupid heart beat a little uneven and his stomach in knots for another woman, for him to realize that.
Viktor needed a real purpose and the silent girl locked in her room? Well, she needed someone to hear her words. Who else would be a better match than Viktor Ivanshov?
They were two lonely stars across the universe, waiting to be aligned. I saw it. I planned a game. And I moved the chess pieces, my pawns exactly where I needed them, and then I sat back and watched it all play out.
“I sent him there because he was Valentin’s nephew, and it would be much easier to have the bastard fall in our trap. He wouldn’t question Viktor’s loyalty. But I also sent him there because I knew Valerie needed him.”
I was also an asshole. I’d love to see the expression on Valentin’s face when he found out Viktor was fucking his wife. There was no better way to bring down a man. Check-fucking-mate.
Ayla slid closer to me, and my lips quirked up, knowing exactly what she wanted. I pulled her on my lap, and with her knees on either side, she straddled me. Her pregnant belly was huge between us. This position was slightly uncomfortable, but we made it work. I had to hold her tight to me to make sure she wouldn’t fall backward.
“So you basically set them up?” She probed with a raised eyebrow.
I shrugged at her question. “Is that what you call it?”
Ayla slapped my chest gently. Her other hand came up to my neck, and she slid her palm behind my head. Her fingers gripped my corded muscles, and she massaged the flesh there. I fucking loved it when she did that. I almost groaned in appreciation but broke off when Ayla leaned forward and nipped at my lips sharply.