The car interior was cold as a freezer, soundproofed to an eerie degree. Sasha sat in the driver's seat, hands steady on the wheel, eyes forward.
To ease the suffocating atmosphere—like riding in a hearse—I cleared my throat and tried to make conversation.
"So... Sasha. Nice weather today. Traffic in Washington doesn't seem as bad as usual."
No response.
"What do you all eat at the estate? Do you have fancy meals that take chefs three days to prepare?"
Only the low hum of the engine.
"Did you get your vocal cords cut? Or does mafia training include a 'never talk to non-combatants' rule?"
Sasha remained statue-like, glancing at me coldly through therearview mirror before looking away without giving me a single punctuation mark.
I mentally flipped him off and cursed him out thoroughly in my head.
Fine, you block of wood. If you love playing mysterious, I won't embarrass myself.
I pulled out my phone and scrolled through my novel's comment section. Though still sparse, it at least distracted me from my nerves.
After who knows how long, the car left the noisy city and turned onto a hidden private drive lined with towering ancient trees.
Tall black wrought-iron gates slowly opened at our approach. When the massive estate hidden deep in the woods along the Potomac River came into full view, my breath caught.
This wasn't a mansion. This was a medieval European nobleman's castle. Gray stone walls radiated solemnity and menace. Vast, perfectly manicured lawns stretched to the horizon. In the distance, a huge artificial lake glittered.
The car stopped smoothly on the wide circular drive in front of the main building.
Sasha got out and opened my door.
As soon as I stepped out, I saw a group of people standing on the marble steps. The man in front wore a well-tailored dark blue casual suit with no tie, hands casually in his pockets. His silver hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his handsome face with its sharp jawline still wore that infuriating, careless expression that said he controlled everything.
Nikolai.
Behind him stood a middle-aged woman in a dark uniform with severely combed hair and a serious expression, along with several young women in matching maid uniforms. Their eyes flashed with obvious curiosity when they saw me, but they immediately lowered their heads with restraint.
"Welcome to your new home, firecracker." Nikolai strode down the steps, those dark gray eyes locked on me, mouth curving in a smile that made myheart race.
He walked up to Sasha and casually took my beat-up rolling suitcase with the broken wheel from Sasha's hand.
The gesture made the servants behind him gasp softly.
I jumped, startled.
What? Was this some Pakhan taboo? Like he couldn't help a helpless woman with her crappy luggage?
Sasha showed no surprise. He bowed slightly and quickly disappeared toward the estate's side door.
"Come on. I'll show you around your domain for the next year." Nikolai naturally freed his other hand and placed it lightly at my waist, leading me up the steps.
The stern-looking middle-aged woman stepped forward and curtsied slightly. "Ms. Cole, I'm Sophia, the estate manager. If you need anything, please let me know anytime."
"Hello, Sophia." I smiled politely.
Nikolai carried my luggage and walked ahead. Sophia and a young maid named Mary with big eyes who looked sharp followed exactly five steps behind us.
Stepping into the main building's entrance hall, the sheer opulence hit me like a wave. Overhead was a soaring dome with gorgeous classical murals. Underfoot was thick Persian carpet you could sink into. The air smelled of premium cedar and faint lilies.
