Page 16 of His to Own

It’s difficult to focus on my classes when all I can think about is Sergei hitting me and then Maxim saving me. I haven’t told Lana or my parents about Sergei. I know it won’t change anything. What my father wants, he gets.

Professor Burgov hands back our tests on Crime and Punishment and all I can see is the large D written at the top. It’s a miracle it wasn’t an F given how much of the questions I didn’t answer.

“See me after class,” he says to me before walking to the next desk to hand Polina her test result. The smile on her face tells me that she’s elated from the A I’m sure she got. She shoots me a smug grin and all I can do is bury my head into my textbook.

I wait after class and Professor Burgov motions me to his desk. “You didn’t do as well as I expected,” he says.

“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll do better next time.”

“I know you were hoping to get my internship next semester. But with test results like this, Elena, I’m not sure you can do it.”

My hands tighten around my books. “All right. I understand.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “You’re not going to fight for it?”

“You just told me I wasn’t going to get it.”

“You could still fight for it. If you want to be a writer, then you need to fight for it. It’s not an easy profession. Polina is hungry for the internship. So many of my other students are as well. If you’re not even going to fight, Elena, then you truly don’t deserve it.”

Because my fate has been decided for me: I’ll have to marry Sergei like my father wants.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper and leave the class, fighting back tears. I can hear Professor Burgov’s deep sigh before I’m fully out of the room. It makes everything sting even more.

Polina is waiting for me to rub it in my face. “I saw your test results. A D? That’s horrible, Elena. Are you even smart enough to be at this school? I’m sure your daddy paid for you to get in.”

“Polina, enough,” Alexei says, walking over. “No one likes you. Go away.”

She huffs and storms down the hallway.

Alexei shakes his head and offers me a rueful smile. “How are you? I know we left things off awkwardly yesterday. Sorry about that.”

I completely forgot that Alexei told me he liked me until just this moment. “It’s ok.” I try walking past him but he steps in my way.

“How was your birthday party?”

My father came and ruined it. Sergei hit me. Maxim saved me. It’s all running through my mind.

But I can’t tell Alexei any of this. He doesn’t know about my mafia family and I want to keep it that way. I deserve some normalcy in my life.

“It was fine,” I lie.

“Just fine? Birthday parties should probably be more than just fine.”

I shrug, holding my books closer to my chest. “It was just fine. A party. I’m a year older. That’s it.”

“Do you want to study later? I have an essay I have to work on.”

“Maybe. I need to get to my next class.” I hurry away from Alexei but I can feel him looking at me the entire time.

My English literature class. It’s something my father always thought was pointless since he’s paying for it. “What’s the point of learning about English authors when you’re Russian,” he’d always say. But it’s important for me to read books from all around the world if I’m going to be a great writer one day.

Fight for it, Professor Burgov said. But fighting for things is tough for me. I don’t have the sheer will and determination Lana has. And I don’t have the feisty nature that Adriana has.

All I have is… me. A girl who’s afraid to speak the majority of the time.

Professor Romonov leads this class with a stiff upper lip. She’s practically sneering when I enter the room.

“Elena, you’re late,” she snaps. I flinch and glance at the clock on the wall. It’s only a minute past the start time.