I turned away from him, my mind racing. Escape would be easier than mass murder. But who could I trust? Zoya was loyal to Gleb. I needed someone else, someone with power and motivation to help me get out.
Before I could take another step, Gleb’s arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back against his chest.
“Don’t turn away from me.”
I struggled, shoving at his hold. “Let go!”
“No.” His grip tightened. “You don’t understand why I haven’t touched you yet. I have my reasons.”
“I don’t need your reasons, Gleb! I don’t need anything from you!” I wrenched myself free and glared at him. “Do me a favor and ignore me for the next month, okay?”
His expression darkened. “How can I ignore my wife?”
“Temporary wife,” I corrected coldly. “The one your family will butcher in a month.”
For a split second, something unidentifiable flashed across his face, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“That’s the deal,” he said finally, voice flat. “Nothing personal.”
I let out a bitter scoff
“You need to eat.”
“You need to stop pretending you care,” I snapped. “Is this about keeping me strong for another month? To keep me alive just long enough to be executed?”
“Anna...”
“My name is too precious for your filthy mouth.”
Something in his face shifted. He took a step closer, his voice softer now. “There are things you don’t understand, Anna. If you’d just listen...”
“I don’t want your explanations.”
I turned, walking away, but his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. I lost my balance and stumbled forward, straight into his chest.
Without thinking, I slapped him. Hard.
The sound cracked through the air.
His head barely turned from the impact, but the tension in his body was immediate, like a coiled snake, seconds from striking.
My heart pounded.
Would he hit me back?
His face remained unreadable, but his eyes... his eyes burned. Red with fury, pain, and something else I couldn’t name.
His jaw flexed.
Then he laughed. Low, dark, and deadly. “You have no idea what you just did, do you?”
I swallowed hard, then turned and walked away before I could see his full reaction.
***
I found a hidden alcove and collapsed onto a bench, pressing my hands to my face. My body shook. Too much. This was too much.
“Anna.”
