“I’m aware,” I answered.
It was awkwardly silent between us for the next four seconds or so. Until he broke it.
“Where are my manners?” He extended a hand. “Nickolas Petrov.”
“Demyon,” I said without taking his hand. “Demyon Tarasov.”
His eyes drained of color as he realized who he was talking to. He stared at me as if he couldn't breathe, as if an alarm had just gone off in his head. “Mr—Mr. Tarasov,” he stuttered, withdrawing his hand as though he was suddenly unworthy to shake it. “I didn’t know that she was with you.”
My silence spoke volumes, and my unwavering gaze was pinned on him.
“I’ll take my leave now.” He walked away and didn’t even look back.
“What the hell was that about?” she snapped, glaring at me. “He was just being friendly, and you scared him away.”
“He was flirting with you.”
She pushed her head back, disbelief coloring her eyes. “So what? Last time I checked, you didn’t give a shit, and now you suddenly care?”
She was creating a scene, drawing unwanted attention, and now people were looking at us.
“Keep your voice down,” I said quietly.
“Why?” She did the exact opposite of what I said. “Am I embarrassing you? Am I ruining your evening?”
All eyes were on us now, and some of the guests were already whispering amongst themselves.
“You like being the center of attention, don’t you?” she continued, then gestured at the onlookers. “Well, there you have it; you’re in the spotlight.”
My face twisted into a frown. “That’s it. You’re done.” I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out of the hall despite her protests.
I didn’t stop until we were outside the building, under the cold, distant stars. That’s when I let go of her hand. “What is wrong with you?” I snapped, my voice rising a bit higher than usual.
She stared at me, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. It was almost as if she did it on purpose to get a reaction from me, and now she was pleased with a job well done.
“All you had to do was be quiet and behave like an adult, but that’s clearly impossible for you to do.”
“Oh, please, spare me the lecture.” She rolled her eyes. “If you considered me an adult, you wouldn’t be controlling me like a child.” The words spilled out in a rush. “You wouldn’t cage me or have me bound to you alone!”
Silence.
Beneath the anger in her tone was a hint of pain and frustration, one I couldn’t ignore this time.
“If you’re gonna kill me, then just get it over with already,” she added, leaning in to close the distance between us. “But if you’re gonna keep me around you, be assured that I will not be controlled because I am not your pet.”
Her courage and the fire in her eyes melted my stone-cold heart in a strange way. For the first time in a long time, I was speechless—completely speechless.
Without another word, she turned and began walking toward the gate, her heels clicking rapidly on the pavement.
“Where’re you going?”
“Anywhere that’s away from you!”
I let out a soft sigh, fingers rubbing my eyes as I wondered what mess I’d gotten myself into. This young lady was different: headstrong, stubborn, and unpredictable.
I couldn’t hurt her, couldn’t tame her either—and that was one of the many qualities I liked about her.
She was her own woman; she did what she wanted, when she wanted, and how the fuck she wanted. At this point, it was hard to remember that scared version of her from the warehouse. They were two completely different people.
