TATIANA’s POV

Loyalty isn’t devotion.

It’s currency and tonight, I was paying with my name.

They say Blood ties are supposed to anchor you but, in my family,, they felt more like chains.

The phone rang again for the third time in an hour.

I let it buzz on the glass table, glaring at the flashing name. Father.

When I finally answered, his voice cut straight through me, sharp as ever.

“Tatiana.”

My father’s voice was a blade across the line sharp, cold, designed to cut.

“Yes, ...