Markev snaps his head towards me, fury flaring in his eyes.
“We didn’t have a fucking relationship,” he growls.
His eyes lock on mine. “The only woman I will ever have a relationship with isyou.”
I roll my eyes. “Not the time, Markev.”
He exhales roughly and turns back to Talia.
The expression on his face is too much, and I see how hard he is fighting not to show the depth of his… hurt.
“So what,” I say slowly. “You met? You needed a fake girlfriend and she offered?”
“Something like that,” he grunts.
I narrow my eyes at him.
“I needed a fake girlfriend, yes.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Doesn’t fucking matter,” he says harshly. “She was willing to play the role. I set the ground rules, told her this was all forshow… hell, I paid her for it, and we didn’t even see each other unless I needed it, again, only for appearances.”
“And you fell in love,” I say, turning to Talia.
The laugh that leaves me is bitter. “Well, if that is what you call love, I don’t want to know what hate looks like to you. Because when you love someone, you don’t accuse them of something like that.”
“Well,” Markev says darkly, “it was only ever meant to be temporary. I needed the arrangement to end eventually, and once it had served its purpose, I broke it off.”
“And that was all,” he continues flatly. “But no, she had to convince herself she felt something more for me, when I never gave her a reason to believe that.”
Then the mask snaps back into place as he turns to me, a crooked smile tugging at his mouth.
“So,” he says slowly, “that means you no longer despise me, because she lied about me, da?”
The blade is still pressed to Talia’s throat as he speaks to me, and I roll my eyes.
“I still hate you,” I deadpan.
He narrows his eyes. “I knew there was more to that story.”
Talia sobs harder. “Please… just let me go. I’m sorry!”
Markev looks at her, murder in his gaze.
“You think that after accusing me of something like this, you simply get to walk away?” he says coldly. “I should fucking kill you right here and be done with it.”
She sobs harder, shaking where she stands.
She was foolish to do what she did. You can ruin someone’s life with an accusation like that. But I also know she never truly understood the gravity of it, because she is reckless and spoiled, accustomed to stamping her foot and always getting what she wants, and she thought this time would be no different.
“Let her go,” I say.
Markev narrows his eyes at me. “And why the fuck should I?”
“Because she deserves punishment,” I reply calmly, “but you will not kill her.”
“And who,” he says slowly, “would decide that punishment?”
