“I am—”
“You are a Romanov.”
The word tasted like poison on my tongue.
“You stayed,” I went on. “Even after you knew. You stayed anyway. Why?”
She opened her mouth, but I didn’t let her speak another word.
“It was because you could watch,” I continued. “You stayed so you could learn about me and my family and our business and tell everything to your brothers. This was nothing but a move for leverage. You stayed so they could be waiting for me today. You planned and executed it rather beautifully, Ilana. Well done!”
“None of this is true!”
“Isn’t it?”
She shook her head violently. “I never told them where you were or where I was or who I was with.”
“But they knew,” I snapped. “They were there. Waiting for me to come so they could attack me and kill me. They wanted to kill a Chernykh to establish greater control in the city, and you were helping them with their agendas.”
Her voice broke, “No, Avgust. They followed me there. I did not tell them where I was at all, and they came looking for me all by themselves. I promise. Please believe me.”
I stared at her. Something flickered in my chest. Doubt. But it died just as quickly.
“Get your things,” I said.
Her eyes widened. “Avgust—”
“Now.”
“I don’t have anywhere to go, Avgust. Please don’t do this to me,” she sobbed. “I cannot go back to my brothers. You know I cannot, and I don’t even want to. Please don’t kick me out like this. I promise I am not lying to you. Please, Avgust.”
She tried to take hold of my face, but I pulled away at once.
“All of it stopped being my problem the moment you lied to me.”
“Avgust, you cannot do this to me. You married me and promised to protect me forever. You cannot kick me out with nowhere to go. Please, Avgust.”
Her begging made my heart ache, but I would not change my decision. She had to go. I walked out of the bedroom and quickly made my way towards her art room, and she followed right behind me. Pushing the door open, I toppled all of her paintings to the floor, the room turning into a mess at once.
“Take these with you. I don’t want to see them again. I don’t want to see anything that belongs to you. Take everything and leave, and never ever show yourself to me again.”
“Avgust, no, please, listen to me once,” she tried to reach for me, but I refused to even look at her.
I stepped back.
“You don’t get anything from me, Ilana Romanov,” I said. “You don’t get my name or my protection or my understandingor my mercy. You have died for me from this very moment onwards. Please leave.”
Her voice was barely a whisper. “You don’t mean that.”
I opened the door and motioned for her to leave.
“Take your things and get off my property. At once.”
She stood there, shaking, clutching a canvas like it was her lifeline.
“I love you,” she said.
The words gutted me, but I didn’t let it show.
