That question caught me off guard, and I jerked my head back by a fraction. I squinted, trying to figure out what he meant by his question. “I…I don’t understand.”
“We’re getting married,” he blurted out, his tone flat.
My brain went blank for the first few seconds, unable to process the words he spoke. Maybe this was some sick joke. Maybe he was just teasing me.
I stood there, deluding myself into thinking that any second now, he’d laugh and say he was just pulling my leg. I desperately wanted this to be a prank, and so I waited for the moment he’d confirm my suspicion.
That moment never came—and that was when it hit me. This man wasn’t kidding.
My heart sank into my stomach. “You can’t be serious.”
“What is it about my face that makes you think I’m joking?” His rhetorical question was laced with a hint of arrogance and condescension.
My knees quaked, too weak to support my weight. I grabbed the edge of the nearest table and quietly sat down inthe chair before my vanity. I placed my hand on my chest as I struggled to breathe, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts at once.
It was clear now that Demyon Tarasov was the weapon fashioned against me. “Why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why are you doing this to me?” I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. “Haven’t you done enough? Haven’t you already taken everything from me?”
“Your emotions are clouding your judgment,” he said. “They’re the reason you fail to see the bigger picture.”
“Oh, trust me, I see the ‘bigger picture,’ all right.” I air-quoted the phrase and rose to my feet again. “I see the lies, the manipulation—the control. I see it all, Demyon.” My voice was calm yet filled with sheer disdain. “You never intended to let me go in the first place, and this child is the perfect excuse to keep me bound to you.”
He didn’t say a word, didn’t let his blank expression slip—just stared at me in silence.
A soft scoff escaped my lips. “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?” I asked, my voice laced with accusation. “Get me pregnant and hide under the guise of protecting the baby and me so you wouldn’t feel bad about holding an innocent girl against her will?”
Silence.
I sniffled and wiped my tears. “Well done, Demyon. You must be really proud of yourself.” I spread out my arms. “You’ve successfully destroyed me.”
I’d never felt my heart ache so badly before, never felt so much pain and humiliation. The more I wiped my tears, the more they streamed down my cheeks.
“I don’t care what you think of me,” he said. “Your safety and the baby’s are my top priority. You live inmyworld now. And here, my enemies don’t play fair.”
I listened to him, hating his unreadable expression and the harsh truth he was spilling.
“If they get a hold of you, they will end you and the life you carry in the most horrible way.” He paused, letting his words settle. “I cannot—I will not—let that happen. Not undermywatch.”
I knew deep down that he would do anything to protect the baby and me, but it didn’t stop it from hurting.
“Now, you can hate me all you want,” he added, “and if that’s the price for keeping you away from danger…then be assured that I will gladly pay it.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. His words were comforting and reassuring—I almost even felt safe. But I was still angry at him; I was angry at everything that had gone wrong in my life since the day I met him.
Despite my reservations, I knew he was right about my life being in danger. The incident in St. Petersburg was still fresh in my mind, a constant reminder of what his enemies were capable of.
I hadn’t asked for this life—I hadn’t asked for any of this, yet it was my reality. How did I get here anyway? How on earth did I get entangled with this dangerous man? I was a long way from my former life, and from the look of things, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get it back.
Chapter 22 —Demyon
Three Days Later
I stood in front of the full-length mirror, all dressed up in a white tux and a black bow tie. The morning sun streamed in through the windows, its warm glow draping everything in its path.
My heart beat steadily in my chest, my mind reeling with a million thoughts at once. I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, telling myself this was for the best. Any moment now, we’d drive to the church for the ceremony.
Eva’s hatred for me had already tripled by now, and with good reason. She believed this union was just a means to bind her to me forever. To her, I was a monster who cared only about myself, regardless of how my decision affected other people.
Although she wasn’t wrong, that assumption in this case wasn’t entirely true. Eva was too emotional to understand that the second she left the mansion without my protection, she’d be dead in minutes.
