“Something wrong?” he asks, voice smooth.
I pick up my fork. “No. Why would there be something wrong?”
He shrugs, eyes gleaming with amusement. “You look like you have something stuck up your ass.”
I can’t help it, a surprised laugh bursts out of me. “Seriously? I’m the one who looks like I have something stuck up my ass? You’re the one who walks around like you have a permanent chip on your shoulder.”
He doesn’t reply right away, just watches me with that infuriating half-smirk. “I’ll take that as a yes then.”
“Maybe it's because I didn't like being woken up by your morning wood poking at me.”
My remark doesn't quite get the effect I was going for, because he's smirking.
“Oh, I think you loved it very much. You were practically grinding against it in your sleep.”
My mouth falls open. “No I wasn't.”
His voice lowers. “Trust me, you were.”
I open my mouth but my brain can't seem to catch up, so I decide to stuff my mouth with eggs instead, and avoid his eyes.
We eat in tense silence for a few moments before I speak again. “My sister is coming over today. We’re going to start wedding planning.”
He nods. “That’s fine.” Then, after a beat, “You still haven’t decided on a wedding dress.”
“You’ll just have to find out on the wedding day,” I reply sweetly.
He considers that for a moment, then shrugs. “Whatever you want.”
The casual acceptance throws me off. I expected pushback, demanding he see whatever design I choose, before the wedding day.
After breakfast, Maxim leaves for work with just a curt nod in my direction and a reminder that I’ll have security if I go anywhere.
I don’t bother replying. The moment his car pulls away, the heavy tension in the house seems to lift a little.
Not long after, Milana arrives.
The second I see her step out of the car, something inside me cracks open with relief. I rush outside and pull her into a tight hug, holding her like I’m afraid she might disappear. She hugs me back just as fiercely, her familiar scent wrapping around me like home.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper into her hair.
“I’ve missed you more,” she says, voice thick. When we pull apart, her eyes are already glistening. “How are you faring? Really? Are you okay here?”
I try to smile, squeezing her hands. “I’m fine. It’s… not as bad as I thought it would be. The house is huge, the food is good, and Maxim hasn’t… he hasn’t hurt me or anything.”
Milana searches my face, unconvinced. “But this isn’t the life you wanted, Calina. You wanted to fall in love. You wanted to marry a man who loves you back. That’s what we both wanted.”
I let out a soft breath. “Yeah… I know. But if wishes were horses… this is my situation now. There’s no point fighting what can’t be changed.”
Her guilt is written all over her face. “Artyom and Mikhail are still looking for a way around all this. They haven’t given up. They’re determined to stop the wedding.”
“There’s no way out,” I say gently. “If there was one, Artyom would have found it already. I’m going to marry Maxim in a few days, and I’ve accepted it. There’s no use fighting fate.”
Milana’s eyes fill with tears. “How can you just accept it like that?”
I take both her hands in mine, squeezing tightly. “Because there’s nothing else to do. This isn’t your fault. It’s not mine either. This all started the moment our father decided to sign that stupid blood contract and give Maxim’s family an open check.
“He chose to collect in the form of a bride. None of us could have stopped it. So please… stop feeling guilty. I need you to stop carrying that weight.”
