Mikhail
The conference room had never felt more like a battlefield. I sat at the head of the long mahogany table, every breath sending spikes of pain through my chest, but I kept my face expressionless. Pain was weakness, and I couldn't show weakness. Not now.
The family members filed in one by one, their faces carefully neutral, but I could see the surprise in their eyes. They hadn't expected me to be here. They'd thought I was still unconscious, still helpless, still out of the way.
Viktor entered last, his face going pale when he saw me sitting in my usual chair. He'd probably been planning to take the head of the table himself, establish his authority. Instead, he had to settle for a seat halfway down, like the subordinate he was.
"Gentlemen," I said when everyone was seated. My vo
