Gleb suddenly stood. “Grandma, we’ll be back in a moment. I need to show her where the bathroom is.”
He gestured for me to follow him. All eyes were on us, but thankfully, no one said a word. My legs ached as I pushed forward, struggling to keep up until we reached the women’s restroom.
Without warning, Gleb scooped me into his arms and carried me across his shoulder.
“Relax,” he muttered.
I stiffened in shock. “How did you know my legs are getting weak?”
“Because I’m your husband.” His voice was flat. “I notice when something’s off with you.”
Husband. The word felt foreign in his mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”
He didn’t respond. Not that I expected him to.
“Your family…” I started.
“Don’t worry about them. They’ll never find out I killed him.”
I stiffened.
“Unless…” He trailed off.
“Unless what?”
“Never mind.”
I studied his face. “Unless I tell them, right?”
His jaw flexed. “Yeah.”
I met his gaze. “I won’t betray you.”
“You can try.”
His words should have felt like a challenge, but instead, they sent a shiver down my spine.
“How do you feel now?” he asked.
“Tired. I just want to go home.”
“You can’t. Grandma isn’t done with you yet.”
“Then I have to at least sit.”
Several minutes passed before he finally set me down gently. “They’ll be expecting us.”
I nodded and stepped forward, only to freeze when I saw her.
Gleb’s grandmother stood in the doorway, her sharp eyes fixed on us.
My heart slammed against my ribs. How long has she been standing there? The bathroom walls weren’t thick. What if she heard? What if she knows?”
Her lips curved into something that might have been a smile, if it weren’t so cold. “I need to know the truth. Anna, are you pregnant?”
I glanced at Gleb before turning back to her. “No.”
Her arms folded. “Why?”
I swallowed. “He refused to consummate the marriage.” My voice was even, controlled.
He shot me a sharp look the second the words left my mouth. My stomach twisted.
I’d made a mistake. A big one.
He wanted me to play along with his lie but why should I?
Her eyes snapped to Gleb. “So you lied to me?”
He said nothing.
“Why haven’t you laid with her?” she pressed.
His expression darkened. “I have no desire to touch her,” Gleb said flatly. His voice was cold, but I didn’t miss the slight hesitation before the words left his lips.
Grandma hummed, studying me with a long, lingering stare, as if committing every feature to memory. Then, to my surprise, she let out a low chuckle. “Honestly, I thought I’d want to kill her on sight. But she looks so innocent. Likeable, even.”
Gleb scowled. “Grandma…”
“Shut up,” she snapped. “Don’t you see? She looks like Anastasia.”
I stiffened. Anastasia? The name meant nothing to me, but Gleb’s whole body had gone rigid.
Her expression turned cold. “Your family has hurt us badly.” Her tone was as casual as if she were discussing the weather. “The Italians are our enemies. I could have you butchered and have the pieces sent to your father.”
I swallowed hard but kept my face blank.
She tilted her head. “Can you be useful?”
I blinked. “In what sense, ma’am?”
Her lips curled. “You look too innocent to pay for your parents’ crimes,” Grandma said, tapping a finger against her chin. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t.”
She continued, “But you can help us get them. You will find a way to lure either your father or mother to Russia.”
My stomach dropped. “That’s impossible. They know setting foot here means death.”
“Right.” She said smoothly. “But you would make them come willingly, trusting you. Believing Moscow is too vast for us to notice. You will be our spy.”
“You want me to bring my father to Russia and hand him over to be slaughtered?”
The thought should have made me sick. Should have made me furious.
But instead, an ugly voice in the back of my mind whispered—why not?
I shoved it down. “I can’t,” I said, my voice stronger than I expected. “I won’t betray my family.”
“You misunderstand me, Annushka.” Grandma’s voice remained even, but the shift in her expression was ice-cold. “When I make a request, it is not a choice.”
Her gaze slid to one of the servants standing quietly by the wall. She made a single motion with her hand. Within seconds, the girl hurried forward, head bowed.
“This is Sofia.” She said with a smirk.
“She sat where you sat, once.” Grandma sighed dramatically. “A beautiful girl. Kind. Stubborn. She thought she could refuse me, too.”
She snapped her fingers. The servant girl turned her head slightly, just enough for me to see a thick scar trailing from the corner of her lips down her jaw.
Grandma smiled. “Such a shame what happened to her.” Then with a wave of her hand, she dismissed Sofia.
“Think carefully about the consequences of refusing my offer,” she said, voice soft but sharp. “You have twenty four hours.”
I stiffened.
She hummed, studying me, then turned to Gleb. “You claim you hate her, yes?”
He nodded stiffly. “I do, Grandma.”
“Maybe one of your cousins should have her instead,” Grandma mused. “See if she’s truly as useless as you claim.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Gleb’s face darkened. “That would be disrespectful to me. She’s still my wife.”
Grandma smiled faintly. “I don’t think you hate her as much as you claim.” She leaned in slightly. “You know you can’t bullshit me, Gleb. If I wanted you dead right now, all I’d have to do is lift a finger.”
His expression didn’t waver. “You don’t need to threaten me. You know I’m loyal.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Then tell me the truth.” She paused. “You killed Antonio because he beat your wife, didn’t you?”
Silence.
She exhaled sharply. “You already lied to me once. Are you going to lie again?”
Gleb sighed. “He disrespected me.” No one lays a hand on her but me,” Gleb said, his voice sharp as steel.
Grandma bared her teeth. “How could you? You should have told me. I would have handled it.”
“How, Grandma?” Gleb’s voice was bitter. “You love your sons more than your grandsons. You wouldn’t have understood. You wouldn’t have done anything.”
She studied him, then glanced at me. “If the others find out, neither of you are safe.”
“I know.”
She tapped her nails against her sleeve, eyes narrowing. “You will stay here. One month.”
My heart plummeted.
“This marriage must work. The Italians must believe this alliance is real. If you two can’t convince me, you won’t convince them, and that means war.”
“You can’t do this,” Gleb growled, his fists clenching. “One month here, and we’re dead.”
Grandma only smirked. “Then you’d better make it count.” She turned, her parting words cold. “Move in with your wife today, or I won’t be able to protect you.”
And with that, she was gone.
The second she disappeared, Gleb’s fingers gripped my chin. Hard.
“Didn’t I tell you to play along?” His voice was low and deadly.
I jerked my face free. “I have a mind of my own. I can say whatever I want.”
His eyes burned into me. “You underestimate how vile my family is. Because you couldn’t follow a simple instruction, we’re trapped here.”
“For one month,” I countered. “And you’ll protect me, right?”
His jaw tensed. “This house isn’t safe for you,” he said. “Too many eyes. Too many threats. And when I’m not here, there’s no telling what they’ll do.”
A chill ran through me.
But guilt gnawed at my chest. I had chosen the truth and now, I had to be ready to face the consequences.
“If this marriage had been consummated, I would be pregnant by now,” I muttered. “And this marriage would be nearly over.”
His jaw flexed, but he said nothing.
I met his gaze.“I know that your refusal to consummate this marriage is not a physical issue,” I said, my voice low. “I’ve seen the way your body reacts to me.”
My voice was measured. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” I asked, my voice softer now. “Another woman? A promise you made? Or…” My throat tightened. “Revenge?”
His face darkened. “Like I said, I will consummate this marriage only when I am willing to. And trust me, you will know when that moment comes.”
I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. “Grandma gave us a month.”
“So?”
“If by the end of the month, you still refuse to do your duty as a husband, I will be free to return to Italy.”
“Fine.” he scoffed. But his jaw clenched just a little too tightly.
I froze.
I should be relieved. In one month, I’d be free.
So why did the thought of leaving feel like another kind of death?”
My father had sent me here to be their sacrificial lamb. My mother… she probably knew. It’s painful, realizing my father always loved my sister and never truly loved me.
I forced down the lump in my throat. When did I stop thinking of Italy as home?
But deep inside, I knew the truth. Italy wasn’t home anymore and for some godforsaken reason, neither was he.
“When was the last time you had sex with a woman?”
Gleb didn’t answer. “Let’s get out of here.” He turned and started walking away, completely ignoring my question.
I followed behind him, my mind swirling with frustration.
As we drove home, my heart grew heavy. Just imagining what the next month would be like… Will I really have to return to Italy? Will I have to forget everything that happened here in the last three months?
I picked up my phone and searched a women’s forum, anonymously asking if anyone had ever experienced something similar to what I was going through.
Without looking up, I muttered, “You won’t even kiss me.”
Gleb scoffed. “Kissing is reserved for people who are intimate. This is a marriage of convenience, and you know we are not intimate. Don’t ask for what you know you can’t get.”
I clenched my jaw. “And sex?”
His fingers tightened slightly on the steering wheel. “Can you stop talking about sex, Anna? Haven’t you always wanted to go back to Italy? If you’re still a virgin, good for you. Whoever you marry next will be happy to take it.”
His words cut through me like a blade. “So I’m that disgusting and repelling, right?”
He glanced at me but didn’t say a word.
When we got home, inside the master bedroom, he suddenly turned to me. “If you want sex so badly, I can give it to you right now.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Really? If I ‘want it so badly?’” I took a slow step toward him, meeting his gaze. “Why should I keep waiting for something you’ll never give me when I get it out there in abundance?”
His expression darkened. In a flash, he closed the distance between us, gripping my waist and pulling me flush against him. His voice was low and dangerous.
“Repeat what you just said.”
I lifted my chin. “You heard me. I don’t need to repeat myself.”
His grip tightened slightly. “Anna, Don’t even think about it.”
I tilted my head. “What will you do? Beat me? Rape me? That’s what your family wants, anyway. Don’t tell me you’ve never been tempted.”
His jaw locked. “I would never do that to you.”
I tried to look away, but he tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze. His lips were so close, so temptingly close, that I felt my resolve weakening. I wanted to lean up and kiss him so badly, even though I hated him, even though he made me feel safe and hurt at the same time.
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
“My cousins and uncles will be all over you,” he said suddenly. “Do not, I repeat, do not entertain any of them.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “If I were to cheat, it wouldn’t be with anyone in your family.”
“Stop.” His voice dropped, warning.
I snapped. “We’re parting ways in a month. If I don’t sleep with someone now, I’ll do it as soon as we part ways anyway.”
His eyes flashed. He leaned in, his lips hovering so close to mine that I could feel his breath.
I let my eyes flutter shut, parting my lips slightly, thinking, hoping his resolve had finally broken. My pulse pounded in anticipation.
But then he pulled away.
He hesitates before saying, “I can’t.” He grips his hands into fists and looks away, his shoulders stiff with something he refused to say.
The tension inside me cracked.
“I hope you burn in hell, Gleb Romanov.” I whispered, the words trembling on my lips as tears spilled over, no longer held back. My heart shattered into pieces.
I turned away and crawled into bed.
I heard him sigh, and when I felt the mattress dip, I turned sharply. I swallowed the lump in my throat, blinking rapidly. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, but I refused to let him see. I wiped my tears aggressively, then glared at him. ‘Can you give me some space, please? Like, get the fuck out or something.’”
His eyes hardened. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
“Or what? If you don’t leave, I will.”
He exhaled sharply. “I don’t care, Anna. This is my house. I built it with my money. You can’t tell me to leave.”
I threw off the duvet, fuming. I stormed toward the door, but before I could leave, he grabbed my arm.
“Let me go,” I snarled, yanking my arm back. When he didn’t, I slammed my palm against his chest, pushing with everything I had. ‘I fucking hate you!’ I spat, then stormed out, slamming the door so hard the walls shook.”
I wandered the house aimlessly, my chest aching, my mind racing.
My family is a no.
My husband is a no.
And my life…? I don’t understand it anymore.
I wanted to scream. Maybe sex was a big deal, but what about a fucking kiss?
I finally found myself on the floor where I used to practice dancing.
With tears still streaming down my face, I connected my phone to the speaker and played a classical song.
Then, I danced.
Not a dance of joy. No. A dance of pain.
It was the only thing I could do to drown out my emotions. The only thing that ever made sense.
I pushed my body harder, even when my legs weakened, even when sweat dripped down my skin.
I didn’t stop.
I knew my legs would fail me eventually.
But I didn’t care.
I just kept dancing.
My body ached, my heart heavier than my limbs. I knew I should stop, but stopping meant thinking, and thinking meant feeling. And I didn’t want to feel.
My legs finally betrayed me.
The last thing I remembered was the feeling of falling.
And then, darkness.
