Dimitri stands slowly, and I think he’s walking away. I want to pump my fists in victory.I finally made him speechless!
“You know,” Dimitri starts, and I roll my eyes. I clearly celebrated way too soon. “You look a little…hot. Maybe you should cool off.”
My brows furrow at his words, trying to figure out what he’s talking about. And then, suddenly, he’s lifting the back of the chair I’m lounging in, upsetting it and me into the pool. The water is warm, but it still catches me off-guard, and I sputter and gasp, spitting out some of the chlorine-flavored water while I glare up at him. He pushed me into a pool…again.
“See you around, Savina,” he says, his dark voice holding both promise and threat.
Dimitri is still a bully.
And I’m going to be forced to marry him in a few months.
Fuck my life.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Savina
A FEW DAYSafter the pool incident with Dimitri, my father requests my presence in his office. I haven’t been to his office since I’ve been back home, so it’s quite unexpected. Even more so when it’s late on a Saturday night. It’s unnerving, to say the least, but I throw on some appropriate clothing and put my hair up in a tight ponytail, expecting the worst but hoping for the best.
As I make my way downstairs, I begin having flashbacks to when I was just thirteen years old, preparing to sign my life away with a contract in which Dimitri would be able to control me for the rest of my life. At least it can’t be any worse than that…right?
I knock on the door and enter when I hear my father’s voice beyond it.
The room is quiet. The only sound is an antique clock ticking loudly on the wall. Every tick feels like a warning, as if they’re counting down to some impending doom. When I see the Sokolovfamily standing in the corner of the room, my steps falter. I’m totally having déjà vu in this moment, and it’s unnerving.
My pulse is a hammer in my throat as I approach my father’s desk and meet his brown eyes. “Papà, what’s going on?” I ask timidly.
“Mr. Sokolov asked for us to meet so that he could amend something in the marriage contract between you and Dimitri,” he explains.
My stomach drops. So, the marriage contract is still alive and thriving, unfortunately. I had hoped it would be null and void by now, but no such luck. Frowning, my eyes dart around the room before resting on Dimitri. He’s in a black suit that fits him like a second skin, molding perfectly to his muscular physique. His blue eyes meet mine, but I can’t decipher his reaction to all of this. His expression is stone-cold, just like always; not giving anything away; not showing even the smallest hint of emotion. Maybe he doesn’t even know what’s going to happen tonight, but I find that hard to believe.What the hell is going on?
“There’s been a major change to the contract, and I need your signature,” my father states, drawing my attention to him once more.
My brows rise in confusion. “What sort of change?” I ask. I don’t dare get my hopes up; but if there’s a chance I don’t have to go through with this farce of a marriage, I am all for it.
“The groom,” he says.
The groom?My heart skips a beat inside of my chest.
“You are going to marry Pavel instead,” Mr. Sokolov clarifies.
An overwhelming sense of relief floods my veins, and I have to force myself not to cry out loud in liberation. I never thought this day would come. My fears of my future husband suddenly disappear. I mean, yes, I’m still in an arranged marriage, which is still messed up in its own right. But at least I don’t have to marry the devil incarnate, who was undoubtably going to make my life insufferable and drive me insane in the process.
When I risk a glance at Dimitri, I expect him to be as relieved as I do; but instead, he’s pissed. More than pissed. He looks like he’sabout to murder someone. Dimitri’s hands are clenched into fists at his sides as his narrowed eyes drill invisible daggers into his father’s skull at the revelation.
And then it dawns on me.He didn’t know about the change.
I stare at him until his gaze suddenly snaps to mine. I cower in what I find in their icy, unforgiving depths, and I feel like I’m drowning under their power and intensity.
He’s not going to be your husband. He has no power over you. You don’t have to be afraid of him anymore, a little voice in the back of my head tells me. I feel my back straightening as I stand up straighter. And then…I smile. I smile big and wide with an overwhelming sense of happiness and relief. In fact, I have to keep myself from laughing, and I cough to cover up a giggle.
Dimitri’s eyes dip to my mouth, taking in my smile; and if looks could kill, I would drop dead on the spot. His eyes tear away from mine as he starts spouting off in his native language to his father. I haven’t heard him speak like that in a long time, and it causes a shiver to run through me. The language is beautiful; but when it comes out with Dimitri’s deep, commanding voice, it’s downright controlling and sexy…even if I would rather die than ever tell him that.
Mr. Sokolov moves suddenly and towers over his eldest son, staring him down. Dimitri’s pleas go unheard as his father yells, “Pavel, sign the contract. Now!”
I look up at my new betrothed, and Pavel looks like he’s going to hurl at any moment. I swear his face is slowly turning a sickly shade of green. He hesitantly steps forward, his hand shaking as he does what his father asked of him.
Dimitri grinds his teeth behind his brother, his strong jaw popping under the pressure, but he remains silent.
