Prologue
31st December, 2048
Matleon (23 years old)
“And you said you were very busy to attend these life-sucking, useless parties?” Kaz taunts.
Kazimir Mikhailov, my cousin, son of my aunt Savi, and Russia’s President, Maksim Mikhailov.
“I decided yesterday that I could manage a few hours from my precious time to show my charming face to people like you, who can’t live long without seeing it,” I mutter, stirring the drink in my hand, my eyes fixed on the massive doors of the party hall.
I came to Vladivostok from San Diego, changing all my plans at the last minute when I found out my sisters would be attending the Mikhailovs’ New Year party.
They only attend partiessheattends.
Iselyn Mikhailov. Daughter of Damir Mikhailov, Uncle Maksim’s older brother.
The girl who thought shelovedme. I smile faintly at the thought. Juvenile love of an angel.
I never acknowledged that love. Neither did I acknowledge the massive effect her existence had on mine, until I pushed her away.Too far away.Only when I lost her shy smiles did Irealize their importance. I realizedI had a sun that no longer shone.
Today, I’m here again, hoping she’ll walk in through that door and come straight to me, looking at me with those shiny ocean eyes, and say,“Hello, Matleon,”with that sunshine smile.
The doors open.
She enters with my sisters, but she doesn’t come toward me. Once again, she doesn’t even glance in my direction. I feel the familiar tightening in my chest, the same one I felt last year at her parents’ anniversary party.
I gulp down the contents of my glass and shoot Kaz a look. “What is this cheap thing?”
He raises a brow. “Since when is Russo-Baltique called a cheap thing?”
“Ignore him, he’ll sulk the whole night,” Zo mutters.
I shoot him a look, at which his lips tilt at the corner with the smallest smirk.
He’s right. I’ll sulk the whole night. My ruined mood will stay like this for days. What loss would it cause her if she gave me just one smile? People even smile at their enemies. These are called basic manners.
“Hey, Leo. You didn’t meet Lyn tonight, right?” Zander Mikhailov approaches me with a grin.
I return it with a bigger one. He’s another cousin of Kaz, another name I’ve just added to my excellent people book.
“No.”
“Let’s go. It’ll look strange if you won’t even greet each other.”
I nod. He must know something, but I don’t care about that.
I walk with him toward the corner of the party hall, where the three of them are sitting in a close circle, lost in their own world. She’s sitting with her back to me. Her red, curly hair spills down her back, catching the warm lights of the hall.
“Lyn,” Zan says, “see who came to greet you.”
She turns her head. For a fleeting second, her ocean eyes meet mine. Then she looks away, a frown settling on her face, like the mere sight of me has ruined her entire upcoming year. The tightening around my lungs increases. I clench my jaw and take a deep breath.
She gets up from her chair, grabs Zan’s arm, and pulls him along with her. He follows with a chuckle.
I follow her with my eyes, because goddamn it, when did she become a woman from that girl?
Holy shit.
