“Was it you or Ryker who gave Nova the idea to debase herself in that way?”
I saw red, shoving him back. It was like pushing against a brick wall. “Debaseherself? Can you even hear yourself speaking? She made her own decision, because she’s got her own fucking mind, and you shouldn’t try to control her.”
“I saw you smile at her as we were leaving.”
“So fucking what? It was just a smile. You should try it sometime.” It was a bad idea to get angry at him, but it felt so good.
“Fuck!” he roared, slamming his fist down on the table next to him. Visibly gathering himself, he unclenched his hand, pinching his brow. “I warned you to stay away. I showed you my family’s might. And still you continue to test me.”
My anger deflated. “I’m not testing you. I had nothing to do with Nova’s decision to fight, okay? The truth is, she can make her own decisions, and as I said, you shouldn’t try to control her. She’s not just an accessory. She’s a person with free will.”
He stepped back, breathing heavily, and closed his eyes. “I apologise,” he said.
What the actual fuck? In what world would Anton Volkov apologise for anything, let alone to me? I shifted on my feet. What was I supposed to do with that? “Uh. I accept your apology, but it’s not me you need to apologise to.”
His expression changed instantly, and it sent a chill down my spine. “Don’t test me. If your family is important to you, you will stay on my good side.”
The knot of tension in my stomach tightened at the reminder, and my suspicions hit me all over again. The phone call I’d overheard. His behaviour. The fact that he’d brought up the link between my family’s clinic and his family more than once. I couldn’t discount the chance that he might have something to do with the clinic’s accounts.
“Don’t threaten me,” I said in a low voice, “and don’t bring my family into it.”
His nostrils flared, but he didn’t comment.Instead, he turned on his heel and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
31
NOVA
White. Cream. Ivory. Oyster. Everywhere I looked. I was struggling to breathe, covered in layers of tulle, while the bridal stylist threaded ribbons through the eyelets of the corset and tugged, pulling it impossibly tight.
“This one. My, you look so beautiful.” Placing her champagne flute down, my mother clapped her hands together.
My ribs were crushed. Or perhaps it was the fact that I was here in this wedding boutique with reality crashing down on me. This was really happening, wasn’t it?
“I preferred the last one. Can you even breathe in that thing, Nov?”
My mother shot Vesper a poisonous glare.
“My apologies,” the bridal stylist whispered, loosening the corset. My ribs expanded, and I sucked in a breath.Vesper exchanged glances with Liana before giving me a sympathetic smile.
“Not this one,” I said. “No corsets.”
“They make you look thinner. A lesson more than one ofyour friends could do with learning.” My mother dragged her disdainful gaze over Vesper’s curves, and I saw red. How fucking dare she insult my friends? Vesper wasbeautiful.
“I don’t want to look thinner, and my friends are perfect just the way they are. Don’t you dare speak about them like that.” Ignoring my mother’s shocked intake of breath, I turned to the bridal stylist. “I’d like to try the ivory column dress again, please.”
Another hour passed in a blur of fabric until I couldn’t take it any longer. Stepping down from the podium, I glanced at the bridal stylist. “If we have time, I’d like to take a quick break. Ten minutes?”
“Of course. I’ll refresh your drinks. More champagne?”
“I’d like a coffee, if that’s possible. No more champagne. Thank you.”
“Good idea.” Liana jumped up from the brocade sofa she’d been lounging on while she flipped through a magazine. “We’ll get you a mocha from the coffee shop. Come on, Ves.”
They left me, and I wandered over to the glass front of the shop, still wearing the simple ivory A-line dress I’d been trying on. Even though I was as far away from my mother as I could possibly be without leaving the shop, I could still hear her stilted conversation with Maria, the second wife of Anton’s uncle Igor. She was supposed to be here to steer me away from any unsuitable options, but so far, she had remained silent and expressionless with every single dress I’d tried on.
There was a tall gilt mirror next to the window, and when I turned, I caught sight of my reflection. Was this really me? Drawn and pale, with the dark circles under my eyes still visible despite the care I’d taken to disguise them.I looked like I hadn’t slept in a week, and it wasn’t far fromthe truth. My brain refused to switch off when I went to bed, my worries churning through my mind in a never-ending loop.
When Daniel had suggested fighting as a way to get out of my head, I’d thought it was worth a try. It had worked for one blissful moment, silencing the noise, until Anton had appeared, and reality had crashed down on me. He’d made it crystal clear that Volkov women were expected to conduct themselves with decorum, and fighting was absolutely not allowed. While he’d framed it as being for my own safety, because eyes were everywhere and he didn’t want me to end up facing any consequences either from my family or his, I couldn’t help wondering if he was vocalising his own personal beliefs.
