BETRAYED ONCE: FROM NOTHING TO BILLIONIARE POWER

Chapter 18: I Hate You

“Is it?” Ryan's voice was softer than before. “Then why are you crying?”

She touched her face feeling the wetness on her cheeks. “That’s because for a second I thought the outcome would be different, that my father would make me the heir,” she whispered.

Ryan was quiet, but when he was about to mutter something, Katrina's words beat him to it. “I hate him!”

“I know,” he replied.

“I hate him too,” she added.

“I know that too,” 

“Then why are you being nice to me? What are you hoping to archive?” she asked, suspicion crawling into her voice, masking her face.

“Because you're my sister, and we have the same enemy,” Ryan stated.

“Same enemy?!" A bitter sound broke out of her mouth. “Are you referring to the Volkovs? They are my family, they raised me, and they are not my enemies.”

“You don’t understand, Katrina; you are a weapon, a pawn, and a bargaining chip to them,” Ryan's voice was soft. “They never loved you. They used you just like Zoula used me.”

Katerina's eyes shifted across the room for a second and landed on Zoula, who was watching from across the room.

“You're not like them,” Ryan said, pulling her gaze from her. “You don't have to be."

For a moment she didn't speak; after a deep breath, she turned and walked out of the room.

Ryan watched her go but didn’t bother to stop her.

Marcus appeared at his shoulder. “That went better than I thought it would."

Ryan shook his head. “It's not over. She's not ready yet."

“No, but she's thinking, 'That's something.'"

Ryan turned back to the table.

Zoula was gathering her things, and Christopher was whispering in her ear, his face pale with his hands shaking a little.

“Leaving so soon?" Ryan asked, already standing near her. Neither she nor Christopher heard his footsteps.

Zoula froze, with her leg rooting itself to the ground.

“The will reading isn't over. There's more,” Ryan added.

Christopher stood up. “We've heard enough. This doesn't concern us.”

“It concerns you more than anyone," Ryan said, a grin spreading across his face. He could see her throat tighten. “Zhou Industries was counting on acquiring Aether, and without that acquisition your merger falls apart. Without that merger the Volkovs lose their foothold in the legitimate market.”

He stopped in front of Zoula. “And without the Volkovs Zhou has nothing.”

Zoula's face went white. “Y… You don't know what you're talking about,” she stuttered, clenching her purse.

“Of course I do; I basically help your father build his legacy,” Ryan's voice was low. “Neither you nor your family appreciated me.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zoula repeated, this with shaky confidence.

“I know you buried me alive, I know you stole my kidney, and I know you lied about my son, Christopher's son,” he scoffed, shaking his head with disappointment. “You made me believe he was mine.” 

“That’s enough—“

“I know you called me useful while I was dying on a table somewhere and you didn’t care," I interrupted.

Christopher stepped forward. “You need to back off!”

Marcus's movement was fast and was suddenly between Ryan and Christopher, his hand on Christopher's chest pushing him back.

“You are right," Marcus said. “Back off!”

Christopher's face turned red. “Do you know who I am?”

“I don't care." Marcuse's voice was smooth.

The room went silent.

Ryan looked at Zoula. “You're going to lose everything: the company, the money, the status. Everything you built on my back is going to crumble piece by piece, I promise you that, and when you think it over, know I am just starting.”

Zoula's lip trembled. “You can't!”

“I can, and I will,” Ryan says deadpan. He turned away from her and walked back to his seat.

“Harrison, continue."

Unlike everyone who was either leaving or preparing to do so, Nikolai Volkov hadn’t moved. He sat at the long table, with his fingers tapping the smooth surface. The storm that had once burned in his eyes minutes ago was gone and was replaced by something colder.

Ryan adjusted his gaze to his relaxed posture. “You have made your point, young man," Nikolai finally said, his voice calm as if almost bored.

Ryan didn’t answer immediately. He studied the man and the way he didn’t look defeated.

“Have I?” Ryan replied.

Nikolai nodded with a small grin and shrugged. “You have company and the legal power for now." He waved his hand as if it were nothing more than paperwork.

“For now?” Ryan furrowed his brow.

Nikolai smiled. “Didn't Harrison tell you?” he asked, averting his gaze briefly at the man before returning to him. “Will can get contested, an appeal can be filed, and importantly, a decision can be persuaded if you know the right people,” he smiled.

The words hung in the air like poison, but neither Ryan nor Harrison gave him the satisfaction of his threat.

Ryan smiled, his face devoid of any emotion the man was expecting.

Nikolai daggered his gaze against him. “You really think you’re untouchable? Don't you?” he said. 

Ryan, with a sealed lip, smiled, making a subtle vein bulge at the man's face.

“I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with! I am Nikolai Kolvol, Conqueror of men. I've been doing this for decades!” He said, slamming his hands on the table.

Ryan, seeing the man's cracked demeanor, leaned into his chair.

“We’ve survived wars, investigations, and enemies far worse than you,” he spat, irritation crawling into his tone.

“So?” he asked.

The man, seeing Ryan's calm demeanor, stands up, leaning into the table. “So forgive me if I don’t find a boy who is still wet behind the ears much of a threat.”

Ryan, heaving a sigh, stood with a measured movement. “I think you keep forgetting something, old man. I’ve been betrayed, I’ve been buried before, and somehow I’m still standing.”

Nikolai didn’t interrupt or blink but just watched.

Ryan stepped closer to the table, his gaze locking with his. “So here’s what’s going to happen next. You’re going to file your appeal. You’re going to hire the best lawyers money can buy, and you're going to throw everything, but you are going to lose.”

“Lose?!” the word unconsciously slipped out of his mouth.

Ryan nodded his head. “I’m still going to beat you every single time, you know why?”

Nikolai scoffed. “And why is that?”

Ryan didn’t hesitate. “I have nothing to lose.”

The silence that followed was suffocating, and even the walls seemed to hold their breath.

Suddenly Nikolai erupted into wide laughter, and this time, it was real, as if he were almost impressed.

“You know what?” he said, glancing at his colleagues who had been quiet. “The kids are more like their father than I thought.”

Ryan’s voice was cold. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“As you should." He nodded. “Your father was a man filled with passion. He was brave enough to think he could go against the Volkovs alone."

Ryan, holding the man's gaze, felt his hands coiled into a fist. 

“Your father was also stupid, and that got her mending six feet under,” Nikolai grinned. He was watching, waiting, hoping to see Ryan break and react but only saw an expressionless face.

Ryan felt his blood boil but forced out a smile. “I wish you a nice ending,” he nodded.