“You are so beautiful.” His gaze sinks into mine, the quiet before the storm. The beauty before it’s washed away in the aftermath.
Because he has no idea how right he is or how many times I’ve dreamed of killing him, but now the thought seems almost painful.
His thumb caresses my cheek. “Eat. Your food is getting cold.”
But neither of us seems to be able to look away, and all I want is to kiss him and tell him that I’m sorry.
Even when maybe it’s the last thing he deserves.
After dinner, we move to the den. The fire crackles in the background, though the room still feels cold.
I stand against the back of a sofa, an iced tea in hand, watching as Konstantin kneels on the floor beside Lev. They’re working together on a puzzle, Konstantin’s large hands guiding Lev’s smaller ones with absolute tenderness as he whispers to him, things I can’t make out from here. There’s something about the way he is with the child that softens the edges of his hard exterior, just for a moment.
My chest tightens as Lev hands him a puzzle piece and Konstantin kisses his knuckles before placing the piece where it’s supposed to go. And stupidly, I start to imagine if we had a family. If this was our child he was playing with.
What would that even be like? To have a family of my own. People to love, and who love me back.
Here I go, getting sucked into fairy tales again.
But sometimes it’s just easier to get lost in something instead ofbeing forced to face your own reality.
The more I watch them together, the harder it becomes to look away, and the more I realize that Konstantin is nothing like his father. The man in front of me is gentle, patient, protective. He’s good to the people he loves.
And if he can be different, maybe there’s hope for me to be different too. Maybe there’s a chance that I could be a good mother, despite all the ways I’ve been failed.
I close my eyes for a moment, letting the thought settle in.
Someone clearing their throat startles me, and when I peer to my left, I find Kirill there, standing beside me with an intensity that matches his presence. His eyes flicker briefly toward Konstantin and Lev before turning to me.
“I’ve never seen my brother with a woman the way he is with you.” There’s a fondness there, twined with the hard edge of his voice.
“Well, that’s good, then.” My gaze meets his, a quick smile flashing on my face.
He nods with a tilt of his mouth right before he whispers, “Just know, if you hurt him, I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”
The words hit like a swift punch, delivered with the kind of calm certainty that sends a chill down my spine. Without another word, he walks away, leaving his threat hanging in the air.
This is just further reminder that the danger I’m in isn’t just from one side. It’s everywhere.
And it’s only a matter of time before it catches up to me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
EMILIA
The soft humof the television fills the den as I sit on the couch, eyes glued to the screen while Konstantin is in a meeting.
But my mind is elsewhere. Like on the party we’re supposed to host in two days, and that nagging feeling that I’m nowhere near finding anything to help Nate.
I tried to snoop around the house earlier, but Konstantin’s men are everywhere and it felt like an impossible task. At this point, I won’t find shit for Riley to hack.
Anxiety tightens through my muscles, each breath growing harder to take.
I can’t fail. I won’t let Nate rot inside, but with every passing day, that’s exactly what I’m doing. Failing. The weight of it presses down on me, a crushing force in my chest.
I take long breaths, hoping the chaos will quiet before I spiral intopanic. Instead, I think of last night. Falling asleep in Konstantin’s arms, somehow feeling at peace. Funny how the mind can make you feel safe even when you’re in the arms of your enemy.
A set of footsteps echoes, and I sit up straighter and run a hand down my face, wondering if it’s Konstantin.
