Yelena
It’s been over a month since I was drugged and things between Nikolai and I are messier than ever. I’ve tried staying away from him but I can’t. I’m drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I’ve tried fighting the attraction, tried so hard to bury it deep inside, but it’s futile. The man isn’t giving up and every day I tell myself no more, and every night, I’m being fucked out of my mind by the man that I’m falling so hard for.
I finish sending Nikolai a text, letting him know that I’m just having a coffee and then I’m leaving. He wants to take me out for dinner and while I know I should say no, I can’t.
“Ah good, you’re here.” I tense as I hear the sound of my mother’s voice. I had no idea that she was back.
I spin on my heel and see her walking into the kitchen, looking every bit glamorous, as always. She’s dressed in a tight red pant suit that really suits her, her blonde hair pinned to her head, a few tendrils falling around her face, she’s painted her lips bright red to match her outfit, not to mention the heels that she’s wearing.
“Hey, when did you get back?” I ask as I bring the coffee cup to my lips.
Her eyes rake over my outfit. I’m wearing a tight purple dress, one that showcases my legs and ass, because I know how much Nikolai loves to stare at them.
“A while ago, I’ve been staying away from the house.” Her voice is cold and calculating.
I place the cup onto the counter and cross my arms over my chest. “Oh and why’s that?” I ask as I lean against the counter.
I’ve seen this look on her before, the disdain in her eyes. She’s a hard woman to please, something I stopped trying to do at the age of seven when I realized how manipulative she is. She’s pissed about something and she’s about to let me know.
“You were supposed to be gone,” she says, her voice low and calm, yet her eyes tell a whole other story. They’re swirling with rage.
A sickening feeling coils in the pit of my stomach. She knows.
“Grandfather told me to stay for another month,” I reply, I’m not lying, he did. I think after what happened he wants me out of harm’s way, and I have to admit that the past month has been blissful, but at the same time, I miss the adrenaline—the rush—I get from a kill.
She glares at me. “This isn’t your grandfather’s house,” she hisses at me.
I sigh, already bored of the bullshit. “Whatever you have to say, mother, just say it.”
She takes a step closer to me, her eyes filled with so much rage that it’s a wonder she’s not gone crazy from it. “I want to know what you’ve been doing with my husband.” Again, she’s not raising her voice or snarling at me. She’s calm, way to calm about this.
“Mother—“ I begin, unsure of what to even say. Hell, their marriage is a sham, I doubt that she’s been faithful to Nikolai.
“Don’t,” she hisses, finally letting her anger out. “I know you’ve been fucking him. I know your dirty little secret. You filthy whore.”
Her words don’t hurt me, they never could. “What I’ve done is wrong, yes.” I’m not too proud to admit when I’ve made mistakes, and I’ve made a hell of a lot of them. “But you’ve never had sex with him, and you’ve spent the past month away from him. So, don’t stand there and tell me you’re upset that I’m fucking him.”
Her lips twist into an ugly sneer. “No, the asshole has always been wary of me. But he wants something and until he gets it, I’m staying put. You see, I get a nice monthly allowance from the bastard, one I’m not willing to lose, especially because of you.”
“Seriously?” I can’t help the laughter that comes out of me. “You got all of Dad’s millions, not to mention every time you divorced one of your ex-husbands you received a hefty sum. So why on earth would you need money from Nikolai?”
She glances away. “I lost it all, alright? Everything is gone.”
My lip curls in disgust. “How?”
She carelessly shrugs as if she hasn’t lost the guts of ten million dollars. “Investments,” she tells me as she straightens her suit jacket.
“I’ve always known when you were lying, you never did quite grasp how to get the act of deceiving down right. So, we’ll try it again,” I hiss as I step forward, my hands falling to my sides where they ball up into fists. “Where’s all the money gone to?”
“You think I got this far, climbed this high without having to pay my way?” She looks at me in disgust, her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. “You got to where you are because of who your family is. I, on the other hand, had to work my way out of the trailer park.”
“Christ, you were born in Boston and you didn’t live in a trailer park.” Her eyes widen at my words. “I’m sick of your lies. Not once have you ever told anyone the truth. I mean, do you even know what it is anymore?”
I should have seen it coming—it wasn’t the first time she’d lost her temper—but I was too angry, too focused on that to pay attention to what she was really doing. Her arm moves and something smashes into the side of my head, pain bursting through my temple as my eyes start to blur.
“You really should have stayed away, Lena, if you had, this would never have happened.”
I throw a hand out to try and steady myself, but it’s too late, I’m already falling. I don’t remember hitting the ground, the darkness had already pulled me under.