“Thirty.”
She does the math in her head. I can see it on her face. “You got married young.”
“I didn’t marry his mother.” I cut into the duck on my plate. “She died when he was six.”
Anna’s expression doesn’t change. “I see.”
“Does that bother you?”
“Why would it bother me? This isn’t a real marriage.”
“No. It’s not.”
She picks up her wineglass, takes a small sip, then sets it back down. “How long do we have to stay here?”
I check my watch. “Another forty minutes.”
“Then what?”
“Then we go home. Your children will be brought to the estate tomorrow morning. Tonight, we handle the legal requirements.”
Her fingers tighten around the stem of her wineglass. “You mean sex.”
“Yes.”
“And if I refuse?”
“The marriage isn’t legally binding without consummation. Your parents’ debt becomes enforceable immediately. Viktor loses everything.”
She stares at me. I can see the hatred in her eyes, sharp and bright. “You really are a monster.”
“I’m a businessman. There’s a difference.”
“Not from where I’m sitting.”
“Then sit somewhere else.”
She doesn’t respond. Just turns her attention back to her untouched plate and the reception that feels more like a funeral.
I finish my meal and wait. Time moves slowly when you’re watching someone come to terms with the life they’ve been forced into. But I’m patient. I’ve waited three years for this. I can wait another forty minutes.
When the time is up, I stand. Anna looks at me, and I offer her my hand.
“Ready?” I ask.
3
ANNA
The car rideis silent except for the hum of the engine.
I sit as far from Luca as the backseat allows, staring out the window at streetlights blurring past. My hands are folded in my lap, fingers laced tight to stop them from shaking. The wedding ring on my finger feels heavy, foreign. I want to rip it off and throw it out the window.
But I don’t.
Because this is my life now. This is what I agreed to.
Luca hasn’t said a word since we left the reception. He’s on his phone, typing something with quick, efficient movements. Business, probably. Always business with men like him. I’m just another transaction he closed tonight, another asset added to his portfolio.
