A Game of Control

Nikolai Volkov was not a man who lost battles. He didn't negotiate unless it benefited him, and he certainly didn't take no for an answer. Yet here he was, standing in front of Amelia Carter, a woman who had turned his entire world upside down in a matter of days, and she wasn't even trying.

She had no money, no power, and no status, yet she stood before him like an immovable force.

And damn it, he respected that.

But it didn't mean he was going to back down.

Amelia let out a frustrated sigh, gripping a glass so tightly he thought it might shatter. "Nikolai, you can't just walk in here and expect to play dad. That's not how this works."

He leaned in slightly, his piercing gray eyes locked onto hers. "I'm not playing anything, Amelia. I am their father, and I have every right to be in their lives."

She scoffed. "Oh really? Where was that right when I was working two jobs to keep food on the table? Where was that right when I was up at night nursing three babies alone?"

His jaw clenched. "I. Didn't. Know."

"And now you do." She crossed her arms. "So, what? You expect me to just hand them over because you suddenly decided to care?"

Nikolai exhaled sharply, trying to rein in his frustration. He wasn't used to people challenging him, especially not a petite woman who barely reached his chest. But Amelia Carter was a different breed. She wasn't intimidated by his money, and she wasn't impressed by his power.

She had lived without him. She had survived without him. And that was the part that unsettled him the most.

She didn't need him.

But that didn't mean his children didn't.

"I want to meet them," he said, his voice calmer now.

Amelia shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

"Because they don't know you."

"And whose fault is that?"

Her eyes flashed with something dangerous. "Mine," she admitted. "And I'd do it all over again."

That stung. More than he cared to admit.

He ran a hand over his face, inhaling deeply before speaking again. "You're going to have to let me in eventually, Amelia."

She smirked, tilting her head. "Oh, Nikolai. You should know by now—I don't do anything I don't want to do."

He chuckled darkly. "We'll see about that."

That Evening- Amelia's Apartment "Mommy, who was that man?"

Theo sat on the couch, his little legs dangling as he stared at Amelia with curious eyes.

Amelia swallowed hard, her heart thumping. She had spent years preparing for this moment, yet now that it was here, she had no idea what to say.

Leo, the more observant of the three, tilted his head. "You looked mad, Mommy. Do you not like him?"

Lily, the quietest of the triplets, clutched her stuffed bear. "He smelled nice."

Amelia stiffened. The scent of expensive cologne. The same scent that had lingered on her sheets that night.

She forced a smile, kneeling in front of them. "He's… someone from my past."

"Is he a bad guy?" Theo asked, his tiny brows furrowed.

Amelia hesitated. "No… but he's not exactly a good guy either."

Leo's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Like a villain?"

Lily pouted. "But villains get defeated."

Amelia laughed softly, ruffling Lily's hair. "Not always, sweetheart."

"But we're the heroes, right?" Theo grinned.

She kissed his forehead. "Always."

And yet, deep down, she knew Nikolai Volkov wasn't a villain.

He was something far more dangerous.

A man who wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted.

And right now?

He wanted them.

The Next Day – Volkov Enterprise , James Nikolai's assistant, walked into his office, a thick file in hand.

"Sir, you asked for information on Miss Carter."

Nikolai took the file and flipped through it, his expression unreadable.

Single mother. Three children . No known father on record. Struggled financially. Worked multiple jobs .

He felt a strange tightness in his chest.

She had done all of this alone.

Without him.

James hesitated before adding, "Sir, I took the liberty of running background checks on the children."

Nikolai's gaze snapped up. "And?"

James cleared his throat. "Well… it seems the boys—Theo and Leo—have already displayed exceptional abilities."

Nikolai narrowed his eyes. "What kind of abilities?"

James shifted uncomfortably. "One of their teachers mentioned that Theo has an unnatural ability to predict things before they happen. And Leo—well, apparently, his instincts are almost too sharp. He can sense things, like danger, before it happens."

Nikolai sat back, absorbing the information.

He had always been different. Always knew things before others did. His instincts were what made him unbeatable in business.

And now… his sons had inherited it.

His blood ran through their veins.

His legacy.

His heirs.

A slow smirk spread across his face.

Oh, Amelia… you have no idea what you've been keeping from me.

This wasn't just about being a father anymore.

It was about claiming what was his.