This wasn’t a strategy. This was war.
And for the first time, I wasn’t sure which side I was standing on.
Chapter 5 - Elisse
“You’re staring into space again.”
I blinked, returning to the present. Misha’s voice cut through the overlapping noise of the dining room like a needle through silk. It was as precise as ever and annoyingly observant.
“I am not,” I said automatically.
“You are,” Zhenya countered from across the table, pointing her fork at me accusingly. “You’ve been smiling at absolutely nothing for the last five minutes. It’s rather unsettling, I would say.”
“I was thinking about something.”
“And what is that something if you don’t mind us asking?” Timofey drawled lazily, leaning back in his chair like the world existed purely for his amusement.
“A few designs were running through my head,” I replied smoothly. “A creative thought, actually. You should try it sometime.”
He clutched his chest theatrically. “You wound me, dear sister.”
Laughter erupted around the table.
The Chernykh dining room was never quiet. Even on ordinary afternoons, it felt like the inside of a living organism, breathing, pulsing, and layered with conversation. The long oak table was scattered with half-finished plates, empty wine glasses, Clara’s phone face down near her elbow, and Zhenya’s bracelets clinking as she gestured animatedly at something.
Ilana sat near the head of the table, glowing in a way that had nothing to do with lighting. Anyone who looked at her couldtell that marriage suited her. Or maybe love did. There was a softness around her now that hadn’t existed before, something that made her look steadier. Across from her, Clara leaned back in her chair like she owned the room. Which, in many ways, she did. Even before she officially married Iosif, she had carried herself like someone unafraid of anything.
Iosif himself stood near the window, speaking quietly into his phone. Even relaxed, he radiated command. Messy dark blond hair, blue eyes too sharp to miss anything. When he hung up, his gaze swept the room once, instinctively checking up on everyone.
Always checking.
Avgust moved through the space like a shadow. Efficient and controlled. His presence was less loud than Iosif’s but just as heavy. He paused briefly behind Ilana, resting his hand on the back of her chair without looking at her. It was both possessive and protective and most certainly a sign of their budding romance.
Timofey was the only one who made it look easy as he reclined on the sofa with a smirk on his handsome face. I could see how he was pretending he didn’t notice the exits every time someone new entered the room, but his eyes were everywhere all at once.
This was what being a Chernykh looked like. Noise and warmth layered over steel. And I felt slightly outside of it all. At least today. It was rare for everyone to be home at the same time, but today was just one of those afternoons that made the mansion look crowded.
My gaze drifted to the sunlight spilling across the polished floor. To the faint shimmer of Clara’s silk blouse. Tothe way Ilana absentmindedly twisted her wedding ring as she listened to something Zhenya was saying.
And just then, without warning, my mind began to replay a very familiar pair of dark eyes behind a matte black mask, followed by a large hand resting possessively at my waist.
You’re not afraid.
My stomach tightened as his voice filled my eardrums, reminding me of exactly where his mouth had been when he had whispered those words. A slow warmth filled my body, making me want to get up and make my way to his penthouse even though I knew I would never be allowed inside, and I would never even find him there. I didn’t even know his real name after all.
“You’re doing it again,” Misha said.
I forced myself back to the present. “Doing what?”
“Leaving the earth and traveling in space.”
“I’m sitting right here.”
“Physically,” she clarified. “But all of us can see that your mind is definitely somewhere else.”
Zhenya narrowed her eyes at me. “Okay. Now I’m curious. What is it?”
“You two need to stop being so dramatic all the time,” I muttered.
