Page 44 of Obsession of the Bratva

The truth.

And the horrifying realization that I might have destroyed both of us for absolutely nothing.

Chapter 10 - Vera

I barely slept all night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Nico’s face from the night before, filled with shock and disbelief. I could picture the way every ounce of certainty had been ripped out from under him when I told him the truth.

I have never cheated on you.

The words had been hanging between us ever since. I had expected anger and accusations. I had expected him to kick my door down, demanding answers. Instead, there had been silence, and somehow that was worse. He hadn’t once tried to talk to me all night, as if he was trying to give me space or perhaps did not even know what to say to me. A part of me knew he might still be angry with me, and I could not blame him for it. My confession had been heavy, but so had been his actions.

The house felt different the next morning. It was the sort of quiet that weighed on you.

I stood in the kitchen wearing one of the oversized shirts I had stolen from his closet days ago and a pair of shorts. I had contemplated staying in my room the entire day, determined to avoid him, but it felt ridiculous. I had taken the actions, and now I needed to face the music that came with them. The coffee machine hummed softly while sunlight spilled across the marble counters. For the first time since arriving here, I was completely alone. Or so I thought. I was spreading jam across a piece of toast when the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

Nothing moved. Nothing even made a sound. But despite that, I felt him. My hand stilled in anticipation before I had to force myself to keep going.

God.

Even after everything, I still knew exactly when Nico Romanov entered a room. I kept my eyes on the toast.

“Good morning, Vera,” he said, my name rolling off his tongue as if it belonged there. His voice was rough and lower than usual. Either he had been awake all night as well, or he had a very fine sleep after what I had just told him. Only that satisfied his silence during the past few hours. I hated how my pulse reacted immediately, and I set the knife down.

“Morning.”

The silence stretched for a few seconds, but then he spoke again. “We need to talk.”

I laughed softly. Not because it was funny, but because it was absurd.

“We’ve needed to talk for months.”

His jaw tightened. When I finally looked up, I almost wished I hadn’t. He looked exhausted. I could see the dark shadows lingering beneath his eyes. His stubble was heavier than usual, but despite everything, he was still devastatingly handsome. The realization annoyed me more than it should have. Every time I decided I needed to get over Nico Romanov, the world gave me a rude awakening, reminding me I loved him.

“You weren’t lying.”

It wasn’t a question. I folded my arms across my chest and sighed deeply. I could not avoid this conversation forever.

“No, I wasn’t.”

His gaze sharpened. “So you have never cheated on me. Everything you said in my office that day was a lie.”

“Yes.”

The muscle in his jaw flexed. “Why?”

There it was. The question that had destroyed both of our lives. I looked away first because I couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Not when I still didn’t know what my father was doing. Not when I still wasn’t sure how much danger Nico was in.

“I thought it would be easier to do things this way. It would be easier for you to let me go if I somehow made you hate me.”

His laugh was cold. “Easier, hunh.”

I nodded, and his expression darkened instantly.

“Don’t.”

I frowned. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t stand there and tell me you destroyed us for my benefit.”