Page 81 of Betrayal and Vows

His hold softens just a little. He leans forward and kisses my tears. “Never, mysolnyshko.You are the sunshine in my very dark life.”

I believe him.

“Anton, don’t leave me.”

“I will never leave you. You. Are. Mine.”

We both know this changes everything.

“We need to get back.” He gets to his feet and reaches for my hand. “You’ll need to fix your hair in the car.”

He’s back to the cold, professional bodyguard.

We walk back to the SUV, and he opens the passenger door.

I slide in and flip the visor down. I fix my hair and rub on some lip gloss to try and hide my swollen lips from his passionate kisses.

He says nothing the entire trip back to the estate. I understand the cars are all bugged.

Just like the house.

People are always watching. Which makes this thing between us even more dangerous.

Maybe I’m waiting to be killed. Part of me wonders if it would be better to die alongside Anton than be committed to a marriage with Mikhail.

We pull through the gates, and it feels like returning to prison.

Both of us are in dark moods as we walk inside.

“I’ll be at your door at five,” he says. “Don’t go to the dining room without me.”

I nod and step inside my room.

I close the door behind me and nearly scream.

My mom is waiting for me.

She sits at my vanity, legs crossed wearing a robe.

I can see by the look on her face she’s mad. I just don’t know why.

“Mom,” I say calmly.

“You fool,” she hisses.

I raise my brow. “Probably, but would you like to elaborate?”

She tosses her phone at me. I barely catch it.

“Look at it!”

I run my thumb across the screen and a photo appears.

I sink to my knees on the plush carpet.

My hands are shaking.

“Keep swiping,” she snaps.