Page 54 of Queen’s Gambit

“I begged him to sleep with me.”

Father’s eyes grew wide with shock.

“Yes, your perfect daughter threw herself at him. But he is too good of a man to dishonor a promise. He refused my advances. Whatever you’ve learned is a lie, and you can think whatever you want about me but don’t you dare speak ill of Eddie. You will not meet a more noble character, and you’d be lucky to have him in the family.”

“You’re out of line, daughter.”

“I don’t care. I will not let someone spread rumors and lies.”

Father was quiet a moment before he signaled his guards to release Eddie. I rushed over and hugged him hard. This was all my fault. I knew who’d done this. Everything that I’d tried to avoid happened anyway.

“Yulianna, let’s go.”

“No!”

I held Eddie tighter, my hands balling his sweater up into my fists.

“I’m staying.”

“No, you are not.”

“Yes, I am,” I screamed, tears pouring down my cheeks.

I was on the precipice of a complete meltdown. Everything in me screamed to hang onto my happiness, my future…Eddie.

“Yulianna.”

“Sir, may I speak to Yulianna alone for a minute?”

Father stared at Eddie, giving him a steely glare that would’ve terrified most, but Eddie stood quietly and didn’t back down. I loved him so much for that.

“Fine, one minute, but willingly or not, you’re coming home, Yulianna.”

“If you order me one more time, I’ll revoke your right to be on the property, and you’ll never see me again,” I snarled at my father.

He sucked in a large breath, and if we had been back home, I wouldn’t see the light of day for months. But we weren’t in Russia, and I was fighting for the only thing in this world I wanted.

“Mr. Mikhailov, may I suggest you let them speak. I feel you’ll have a far better result if you do.”

My father didn’t move.

“Although I cannot officially revoke your permission until Yulianna is eighteen, my duty is to my students. You have come onto this property and manhandled a student from another family, which means...I can remove you for a minimum of a week while we contact Edmundo’s family and speak to the Curators.”

Father glanced at Dean Martin, and there was a hint of fear. Not much, but it was good to know that he could at least feel the emotion. His jaw twitched as he glared down at me.

“Fine, I will leave you alone. You get five minutes, no more.”

I held steady until the door closed, and then the shaking started.

“I can’t let him take me, Eddie, I can’t. I’ll never see you again, I know it, and….”

“Breathe, Ana…breathe.”

“No, you don’t understand. This is all my fault. I should’ve told you.”

Eddie’s hands were warm on my shoulders as he forced me to look at him.

“What are you talking about? What is your fault?”