"I know." I finally look at her. "I've been expecting it."
"Then why—" She stops, studying my face. "You're investigating Roman. That's why you believe me now. You found proof."
"I found enough." I lean against the wall, suddenly exhausted. "I spoke with your father. He admitted to nothing, but something felt wrong.
"My father is weak. Not evil. He wouldn’t be able to plan anything."
I push off the wall. "He swore you didn't know."
"So, you finally believe me." She doesn't sound triumphant. Just tired. "Only took you destroying everything I built first."
The accusation lands like it should. "I didn’t say I believe you. I said I spoke with your father. He would of course lie to protect you.”
She groans and shakes her head. “You are a stubborn, stupid, obstinate man, Maksim. Your stupidity will get you killed. But I’ll meet you in hell because we both know I will be sent there very soon at the hands of my husband.”
“I’m cautious,” I reply. “Last time I trusted someone, it nearly got me killed.”
Her shoulders slump and she wraps her arms around her middle like she’s just remembered she’s basically naked.
"Why do you keep doing this?" she asks quietly. "Having sex with me. If you hate me—if you want to destroy me—why can't you stay away?"
The question I've been avoiding.
Because I don't hate her. Haven't hated her for days now, maybe longer.
Because every time I touch her, it feels like coming home.
Because six years of torture didn't kill what I feel for her, and neither did weeks of trying to destroy her.
But saying any of that out loud makes it real. Makes me vulnerable.
"I don't know," I lie.
"Yes, you do." She sees through me like always. "You just won't admit it."
"What do you want me to say?" I turn away. "That I don't hate you? That I might have been wrong about everything? That being with you feels right even though it shouldn't?"
"I want you to say the truth." Her voice breaks. "Just once. Instead of walking away. Instead of pretending this is just sex or revenge or anything but what it actually is. I’m marrying Roman, Maksim. You know I will be killed. I will be tortured. You will never touch me again. Just let me have this one thing before I go to my death."
I know what she wants to hear. That I love her. That I never stopped loving her. That every moment of hating her was just love twisted into something ugly.
But I can't.
"Get out of my room," I say instead.
She flinches like I slapped her. Her eyes are filled with tears. I wait for her to cry and beg.
But she doesn’t.
She blinks away the tears and her lips press into a thin line.
The Ice Queen is back.
She starts to leave, then pauses with her back to me.
"When you're ready to stop being a coward," she says without looking back, "you know where to find me. I'll be the one in the wedding dress marrying your pakhan while you watch and pretend you don't care."
Then she's gone, leaving me standing in the wreckage of what we just did.
