Page 55 of Beautiful Villain
I met his gaze.“She’s not yours either.”
He studied me like he was seeing me clearly for the first time.
“Save me the righteous speech, Gianni,” he said.“I know damn well this isn’t about morality.What do you want?”
“The same thing I’ve always wanted.”
“That’s not a fair trade,” he said.“You having my fiancée doesn’t give you the right to use her as a bargaining chip for Provence.”
“No?”I asked calmly.“From where I’m sitting, I’m the one holding the leverage.”
“This isn’t over.”
“No,” I agreed.“It isn’t.”
When I stood, Archie stayed seated.
“Same territory,” he said lightly, looking up at me.“Same woman.Same bad blood.In another life, we could’ve been brothers.”
I buttoned my jacket.“Try not to shoot up my house again.”
He smirked.“No promises.”
As I turned to leave, I felt it—sharp, unwanted, unmistakable.
Respect.
Because men like Archie Popovich didn’t give it easily.
ArchiefuckingPopovich.
The man had been the bane of my existence for the past eighteen months.
On paper, he was flawless.Tailored suits.Perfect manners.A last name that carried enough weight in Russian circles to open doors and shut mouths.He shook hands like a gentleman and smiled like he’d never raised his voice in his life.
Which was impressive, considering how often he made me want to throw him through a window.
The first time we crossed paths, I didn’t realize that was what it would become—a crossing.Two lines intersecting with no chance of ever running side by side again.I’d assumed he’d be a minor irritation.A delay.A footnote.
He wasn’t.
Eighteen months later, here we were.
I’d cleared every other bidder out of Provence with quiet precision.Months of groundwork, careful deals, favors cashed in.The territory was mine in everything but ink.
Then Popovich showed up.All charm and arrogance.Acting like Provence had been waiting for him since birth.
That’s when three things became clear: Archie was dangerous, he didn’t like me, and one of us was going to bleed eventually.
He decided I was a problem.
I responded the only way I knew how.
I dismantled his operation without touching him directly.Bought loyalty where it counted.Made his allies cautious and his people nervous.A whisper here, a favor there—just enough to make his foundation start to creak.
No one was stealing what I’d built.Especially not a Russian who thought his name was a blank check.
Archie didn’t take it well.
