When I opened my eyes again, I noticed I was in an unfamiliar room. It took me a moment to realize I was in a hospital ward. I saw Zoya seated beside me.
I blinked, trying to adjust to the light shining directly into my eyes.
A doctor entered, flipping through his clipboard. “You collapsed from exhaustion and dehydration. Have you been pushing yourself too hard?”
I forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just stress.”
His frown deepened. “You should take it seriously, Mrs. Romanov. Given your medical history, excessive strain on your legs isn’t advisable.”
I nodded. The doctor left after examining my current condition.
I sighed. “How long?”
“Three hours now. I found you collapsed on the dance floor and called an ambulance immediately.”
“Did Gleb know?”
“Yes. I informed him as soon as we arrived. He stayed for a while… but then he left.”
I nodded.
“I don’t mean to pry, but is anything troubling you?” Zoya asked. “I promise not to judge if you tell me.”
“Well, I might have to return to Italy by the end of this month,” I said.
“Why? I thought you had to bear an heir before the marriage would be dissolved?”
“That was the original agreement, but it’s been three months, and I’m still not pregnant. His family isn’t having it, so they said if I don’t conceive in a month, our marriage will be dissolved.”
“Oh my! And that’s why you’ve been this sad?”
“It’s part of it. “I guess I’ll have to find a small town to stay in after our marriage is dissolved. If I even make it that far. My family in Italy is just as dangerous as the Romanovs… maybe worse. But I don’t have a choice.”
“Have you seen a doctor? Maybe to check if there’s a reason you haven’t conceived?”
I smirked. “I’m fine. The problem is with Gleb.”
Zoya frowned. “What do you mean?”
“He finds me disgusting. He won’t even touch me.”
Her brows furrowed. “You mean… your husband hasn’t had sex with you?”
“Not even a kiss. That’s how weird this stupid marriage is. I’m glad I’ll be out in a month. It’s already suffocating me.”
Zoya suddenly went silent, her gaze dropping to the floor.
I raised a brow. “Zoya?”
She snapped out of her trance and offered a small, sad smile. “I’m sorry this is happening to you, Anna.”
I studied her face. Something felt off. “You just got lost in thought. Is there something I should know?”
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly, but she swallowed hard, like she was keeping something in.
I wanted to press her but decided against it. If she wasn’t ready to talk, I wouldn’t force her.
I sighed. “I feel okay now. I want to go home.”
“Okay, I’ll speak to the doctor about your discharge.” She stood up and walked out.
***
The next morning, we arrived at the Romanov mansion. I had no idea how difficult life would be here, but I was ready to face whatever came my way.
Instead of joining the large, suffocating family of over ten members for breakfast, I wandered through their expansive garden, taking in the meticulously maintained hedges and statues.
Zoya wasn’t allowed to follow me here, which meant I’d be alone for the next twenty nine days. But that was fine.
I had no intention of making friends with this family of savages.
I was studying one of the ornate statues when I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned and saw Gleb.
The morning sun shone on him, highlighting his sharp features and cold expression. I kept my face blank as he approached.
“I waited for you, but you never came to breakfast.”
“I’m not part of your people,” I said. “Why should I sit and eat with people who clearly hate me?”
His jaw tightened. “It’s the family’s culture. You should have been present.”
I crossed my arms. “You act like they will welcome me with open arms.”
His voice dropped to a warning. “Anna. You need allies in this house. Refusing to sit with them only paints a bigger target on your back.”
“Then let them take their shot.”
Gleb exhaled sharply. “You don’t get it, do you? Grandma isn’t just waiting for this marriage to fail, she’s ensuring it does.”
My blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”
“She’s already making arrangements for what happens after. If I don’t touch you within a month, she won’t just let you walk away.” His voice was grim. “She’ll make sure you don’t leave this mansion alive.”
I met his gaze, the sarcasm heavy in my words. “And my husband, who hates me, refuses to touch me, but will never allow another man near me, let alone touch me… he’ll just stand by and let his grandmother kill me and send my pieces to my family?”
His expression darkened. “Stop talking like that. No one will ever touch you as long as we’re married. I gave you my word, Anna. Believe it.”
I scoffed. “Then I have nothing to worry about, do I?” I crossed my arms. “By the way, who is Anastasia?”
Gleb’s face remained unreadable. “Anastasia is my grandmother’s stepsister’s daughter.”
I frowned. “And?”
“Grandma’s stepsister died giving birth to her, so Grandma took her in. She loved her like her own.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was seven when she disappeared. That was nearly twenty years ago.” He paused then added. “The Italians ambushed us at a mafia gathering in Mexico. Many people died. Over fifty of our men were killed. And in the chaos, Anastasia vanished. The closest assumption was that she was dead.”
A chill ran through me. “So… she was never found?”
“Grandma sent a spy to Italy a week later, but he found nothing. Considering how brutal the Italians are, they likely had her killed. Even children suffered that night. That was also when my grandfather was captured by your people. They tortured him until he died.”
I swallowed. “I’m… I’m sorry.”
His voice was low and cold. “You don’t have to be. I’ll make you all pay. It’s only a matter of time.”
I stiffened. “You included me?”
“You’re part of them.” His voice hardened. “The Italians did unspeakable things to her, to my grandfather, my mother and countless others in my family, things that still haunt us. Everyone is burning for revenge. It’s no surprise my family wants to slit your throat.”
A shiver ran through me. “Do you?”
Gleb didn’t hesitate. “I did. At the beginning.” His gaze was unreadable. “But I have principles. And they don’t include killing my wife.”
He stepped closer, voice lowering. “I will always protect you as long as we’re married.”
I forced my voice to stay steady. “So what happens after we divorce?”
Gleb didn’t answer immediately. Then…“You’ll be sent back to Italy.”
I narrowed my eyes, my words sharp with defiance. “Dead. Probably killed by you, since I will no longer be your wife.”
He met my gaze, his silence saying everything.
A cold sweat broke out on my skin. My stomach clenched. My fingers curled into fists.
My body screamed at me to do something…anything. But what? What the hell was I supposed to do?
I had a month.
Twenty nine days.
That was all the time I had to either change Gleb’s mind or convince him to touch me.
Because if I fail… I was dead.
Gleb’s hand slipped under my chin, lifting my face until our gazes locked. His voice was soft, but the malice was undeniable. “Your family’s sins? You’ll be the first to pay for them.”
I stared back, unflinching. “What if I kill you and your entire family first?”
Gleb’s smirk deepened. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled a knife from his pocket and flipped it open, the blade gleaming under the dim light. “Go on, then,” he murmured, pressing it into my palm.
“Since you’re so confident, Anna. Do it.”
My fingers tightened around the handle, my pulse hammering in my ears. I couldn’t tell if he was taunting me or truly daring me to end him right here.
I cocked my head, watching him closely. “I don’t need guns or brute force. Just patience. An opening. The right moment.”
My voice dropped lower. “You won’t be spared, Gleb. You sleep beside me. It would be so easy to slide a blade between your ribs while you’re unaware.”
He studied me, then smirked. “You’ve never killed anyone before.”
“And you think my father would send me here completely unarmed?”
“Yes.” His reply was immediate, unwavering. “He doesn’t like you. His love was always for Maria.”
My jaw clenched. “We’ll see about that.”
Gleb exhaled sharply. “Don’t do anything reckless, Anna.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “I’m supposed to just sit and wait to die? No. If my time is running out, I’ll go down fighting.”
I turned away from him, my mind racing. Escape would be easier than mass murder. But who could I trust? Zoya was loyal to Gleb. I needed someone else, someone with power and motivation to help me get out.
Before I could take another step, Gleb’s arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back against his chest.
“Don’t turn away from me.”
I struggled, shoving at his hold. “Let go!”
“No.” His grip tightened. “You don’t understand why I haven’t touched you yet. I have my reasons.”
“I don’t need your reasons, Gleb! I don’t need anything from you!” I wrenched myself free and glared at him. “Do me a favor and ignore me for the next month, okay?”
His expression darkened. “How can I ignore my wife?”
“Temporary wife,” I corrected coldly. “The one your family will butcher in a month.”
For a split second, something unidentifiable flashed across his face, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“That’s the deal,” he said finally, voice flat. “Nothing personal.”
I let out a bitter scoff
“You need to eat.”
“You need to stop pretending you care,” I snapped. “Is this about keeping me strong for another month? To keep me alive just long enough to be executed?”
“Anna…”
“My name is too precious for your filthy mouth.”
Something in his face shifted. He took a step closer, his voice softer now. “There are things you don’t understand, Anna. If you’d just listen…”
“I don’t want your explanations.”
I turned, walking away, but his hand shot out, grabbing my arm. I lost my balance and stumbled forward, straight into his chest.
Without thinking, I slapped him. Hard.
The sound cracked through the air.
His head barely turned from the impact, but the tension in his body was immediate, like a coiled snake, seconds from striking.
My heart pounded.
Would he hit me back?
His face remained unreadable, but his eyes… his eyes burned. Red with fury, pain, and something else I couldn’t name.
His jaw flexed.
Then he laughed. Low, dark, and deadly. “You have no idea what you just did, do you?”
I swallowed hard, then turned and walked away before I could see his full reaction.
***
I found a hidden alcove and collapsed onto a bench, pressing my hands to my face. My body shook. Too much. This was too much.
“Anna.”
The voice startled me, and I jerked up.
Yegor.
Antonio’s son.
He leaned against a stone column, arms crossed, studying me. “You slapped the king of our bratva?”
I lifted my chin. “He’s my husband.”
“Hah. Bold.” He smirked. “You two must really hate each other. I was watching from upstairs.”
I gritted my teeth. So much for privacy in this goddamn place.
Yegor shrugged. “Gleb’s rarely home, but I don’t have much to do lately. I can be your friend.”
I snorted. “Right. That seems like a great idea, befriending a Romanov.”
“Did I say something funny?”
“I just don’t need friends here.”
“Think about it.” He reached out, brushing his fingers over my hand.
I yanked away instantly. “Don’t touch me.”
He smirked again. “Or what? You’ll slap me too?”
“If you cross my boundaries, I’ll do worse than slap you.”
Yegor chuckled, slow and mocking. “Funny. I thought you were some delicate little thing, always in a wheelchair. But you’ve got some fire in you.”
“Leave.”
His smile faded slightly. “Why so rude? I’m just trying to be nice.”
“And I said no.”
Something shifted in his expression. A flicker of irritation. Before I could react, he grabbed my hair and yanked me up.
“This is my territory, little Italian,” he hissed. “Who do you think you are?”
“You think you can just dismiss me?” Yegor’s voice was smooth, but there was something sharp underneath. “Like a servant? Like a nobody?”
Pain flared across my scalp. I screamed and kicked him hard in the groin. “I don’t care what you are.”
He let go immediately, doubling over, cursing. Before he could recover, I punched him in the face.
My knuckles stung, but I didn’t stop. Another punch.
Another.
He stumbled back, eyes flashing with rage.
He wiped the blood from his nose, laughing darkly. “You’ve got some fight in you, huh?”
Then, without breaking eye contact, his hand dropped to his gun holster. Not drawing it, just a warning. A reminder.
Blood dripped from his nose. His voice was pure venom. “Bitch.”
I smirked through my panting breaths. “Coward. You need a gun to fight a woman?”
His fingers clenched the handle. Then, with an angry growl, he threw the gun aside.
“Fine. Fight me.”
I didn’t move. I was exhausted.
I exhaled, voice low. “I don’t have to. I apologize for taking my anger out on you. Just walk away.”
He laughed. “After that humiliation? You think I’ll just walk away?”
“Please.”
I didn’t know if I was begging for him to leave or just pleading with the universe to let me breathe.
Gleb’s words still rang in my head.
I’d be sent back to Italy in pieces. And he wouldn’t stop it.
He cared enough to risk his life for a damn block of cheese but not enough to keep me alive.
He let me sleep in his arms when I was sick but wouldn’t touch me like a real husband.
He would kill any man who dared lay a hand on me but still planned to let me die when this marriage ended.
It hurt.
I pressed a hand to my chest, inhaling sharply. It didn’t help. It still felt like something was crushing me from the inside.
I hate him.
I hate all of them.
But most of all. I hated the way some foolish, desperate part of me still wanted him to care.
