Chapter 2 - Nikolai Took Me to the Moretti Family Council and Revealed That My Engagement Had Been a Carefully Planned Betrayal From the BeginningThe invitation arrived at 7:00 the next morning.
No flowers.
No romantic message.
Just a black envelope.
Inside was a handwritten note.
12:00 p.m. Be ready.
I almost threw it away.
Then Penny called.
“Please tell me you're not considering this.”
“I don't know.”
“Evelyn.”
“I know.”
“You were humiliated twelve hours ago.”
“I know.”
“And now you're thinking about marrying the brother?”
I stared at the envelope.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Then Penny asked:
“Why?”
I answered honestly.
“Because I want to know why they thought they could do that to me.”
At noon, a black SUV arrived.
Nikolai stepped out.
He opened my door.
“You look tired.”
“I am.”
“Good.”
I frowned.
“Why good?”
“Means you're not pretending.”
I got in.
We drove downtown.
Not to a restaurant.
Not to a courthouse.
To Moretti Tower.
I had been there once during Julian's business meetings.
Today felt different.
Security searched everyone.
Elevators required biometric access.
We went to the top floor.
Inside was a long conference table.
Seven people waited.
Julian.
Serena.
My parents.
Two Moretti uncles.
And an elderly woman I recognized as Lucia Moretti, the family matriarch.
She looked at me.
Then Nikolai.
“What is she doing here?”
Nikolai sat.
“She's joining the family.”
Julian laughed.
“No.”
I remained standing.
Lucia looked at me.
“Explain.”
Nikolai placed a folder on the table.
“She is my fiancée.”
Silence.
Julian stared.
“You're insane.”
Nikolai looked at him.
“You announced your engagement last night.”
“To Serena.”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And you're no longer useful to the council.”
Julian's face hardened.
“You can't do this.”
Nikolai smiled.
“I can.”
Lucia looked at me.
“Did you agree to this?”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
Serena stood.
“You can't be serious.”
I looked at her.
“I am.”
She came closer.
“You don't understand what this family is.”
I smiled.
“I understand humiliation quite well.”
She flinched.
My father finally spoke.
“Evelyn, this is inappropriate.”
I turned.
“You told me last night that choosing Serena might be for the best.”
He looked ashamed.
I continued:
“Apparently you knew.”
He didn't answer.
Nikolai opened the folder.
Inside were financial records.
My father's company.
My family's foundation.
Payments.
Transfers.
A board agreement.
My name appeared repeatedly.
I looked closer.
“What's this?”
Nikolai said:
“Your father signed an agreement with Julian's family five years ago.”
“To marry Serena.”
My stomach tightened.
“I thought I was marrying Julian because he loved me.”
“No.”
Nikolai turned the page.
“It was never supposed to be Serena.”
I froze.
“What?”
“It was supposed to be you.”
I stared.
“What?”
Julian looked away.
Nikolai continued:
“Your father wanted your family's voting shares.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You were the stronger negotiator.”
I laughed bitterly.
“So I'm valuable.”
“Yes.”
“That sounds romantic.”
Nikolai's eyes met mine.
“That's why I offered you a different deal.”
Lucia interrupted.
“Enough.”
She looked at him.
“Nikolai, you're doing this to punish Julian.”
“Yes.”
“And you're dragging her into it.”
“I am.”
“You'll destroy the family.”
“No.”
His voice became colder.
“I'll save it.”
Everyone went silent.
He pulled out another document.
The Moretti succession agreement.
Julian had been chosen.
Until last night.
Now the council would reconsider.
The engagement with Serena had violated an existing contract.
That meant Julian's voting rights were at risk.
My father's shares were tied to the agreement.
If I married Nikolai, all of them would transfer.
Julian would lose control.
My father would lose his leverage.
Serena would lose the position she had just stolen.
I looked at Nikolai.
“Did you plan this before last night?”
“No.”
“Then why were my details in your records?”
His expression changed.
That was my first sign.
There was more.
He leaned toward me.
“Because I have been watching your family for years.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
He looked toward my father.
“Because someone tried to kill me.”
The room went silent.
“And I believe someone in your family paid them.”
I looked at my father.
He shook his head.
“I swear—”
Nikolai interrupted.
“Not you.”
He pointed at Julian.
“Him.”
Julian stood.
“You have no proof.”
Nikolai smiled.
“That's why we're not arresting you.”
He closed the folder.
“We're investigating.”
Then he looked at me.
“You still have time to walk away.”
I looked around the room.
At Serena.
At Julian.
At my father.
At everyone who had known the truth except me.
Then I looked at Nikolai.
“I won't.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“You're saying yes?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I smiled.
“Because if my family wanted a business marriage, they should have asked me.”
Nikolai smiled back.
“Good answer.”
Then he took my hand.
For the first time, everyone in the room looked frightened.
And I realized something.
May you like
I wasn't becoming part of the Moretti family.
I was becoming the weapon they'd forgotten to fear.
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