“If he knew I was talking to you about this, I’d be fired first thing tomorrow morning.”
Silence.
I stared at her, my breathing ragged and subtle.
“Believe it or not, ma’am, you are lucky,” she continued. “If someone else from the Bratva had found you first, you would most likely have been long dead.”
The realization stung like a nasty bee.
“Well, what good is being alive when my freedom is stolen and I’m bound to a monster?” I asked her.
“You’ve never been more free, ma’am,” she said, stepping forward. “Think about it: You’re no longer Miss Hendy. You’re now Mrs. Tarasov. You’re no longer a prisoner. You’re now the wife of the boss.” She stopped in front of me. “The authority that comes with the name you now bear will change your life for good if you use it well.”
I stared at her, listening with rapt attention as she shifted from Agata, the maid, to Agata, the wise.
“You feel stuck because you’re still acting like his prisoner,” she said. “Start acting like his wife, and watch how things turn around.”
The silence that fell was so strong it plunged me into deep thought. Then she broke it, reverting to her original position.
“Those are my two scents, ma’am.” She bowed her head. “I’ll be on my way now.”
Agata turned around and walked out of the room, leaving me shocked and speechless. No matter how much I weighed her advice, the outcome was still the same. The girl wasn’t wrong.
For a woman in her late twenties, she had the wisdom of an older woman. I was impressed. Although I knew she was right, the idea of acting like his wife still didn’t sit well with me.
But was it worth considering?
Yes.
***
One cool evening, I stepped out of my comfort zone and began wandering the mansion. I walked down the halls, letting my feet move while my mind reeled with a thousand thoughts.
Agata’s voice still echoed in the back of my head, reminding me of the option I’d refused to consider. My feet padded softly against the floor as I strolled through a familiar corridor.
I didn’t register where I was at first because my mind was busy analyzing, calculating, and strategizing. I’d already gone too far down the hall when I realized I’d taken a wrong turn.
This was Karik’s private hallway, and his door was slightly ajar—enough to reveal the interior of his bedroom. I was about to move on, to pretend I had no idea where I was, when he walked right into frame.
His hair was wet, tousled into a tangled mess. Steam swirled from his damp skin, hinting he was fresh out of the shower. A white towel sat low around his waist, water still running across his shoulders.
I froze, my eyes locked on him, drinking in the sight of his godlike body. Tall. Broad. Masculine in every way. I watched him comb his fingers through his hair, revealing a glimpse of his shaved armpit.
A bead of water traveled down his torso and through the ridges of his chiseled abs. His tough skin glistened in the light, revealing the scars covering his body. The one on his collarbone was visible from this angle, running across the front of his shoulder.
Then, in a split second, he turned in my direction. My heart skipped a beat when we locked eyes, and my breath hitched in my throat.
Fuck.
I turned away immediately and hurried down the hallway. That provocative image of him was now burned into the back of my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t erase what I saw.
I rushed back to my room, shut the door behind me, and leaned my back against it. I closed my eyes, my chest heaving with slow, measured breaths. My fingers combed through my hair as I struggled to bury the image in my head.
“What’s wrong with you, Ellie?” I cautioned myself, my eyes darted toward the ceiling. “It’s not like you haven’t seen a shirtless man before.”
This wasn’t even my first time seeing him without a shirt. But for some reason, the feeling it stirred up within me was different than before. Heavier and more intense.
I was shaking like a leaf, my heart was pounding against my ribs, and my brain was blank. I couldn’t think of anything else other than that insane build.
