AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dread twists my stomach as I wonder where this story is going.
“Your father murdered her, Anya. She didn’t abandon you. I know that for certain.”
I stare in shock at the woman in front of me, trying to reconcile the words she just spoke. My father murdered my mother. Surely that’s not possible and yet as I try to convince myself it’s not true, I know deep down it is.
Father is more than capable of murdering his wife if he believed that she was going to leave him for another man. He wouldn’t like his reputation being tarnished like that.
Tears prickle my eyes. “He told us that she ran away, fed up with having to deal with me and my brother.”
“Bastard,” Dina says, her fists clenching. “Your mother was caring and a wonderful person. She never would have left you with that tyrant willingly.”
I fall silent, trying to recall memories of the woman who I’d believed abandoned me at only eight years old. Any of my memories were always hazy, but fond when it came to her, which is why I could never understand her abandoning us.
“I hate that man,” I say.
Dina places a hand over mine. “Try to let go of hatred, as it will only fester.”
It’s not exactly easy to let go of hatred for a man who has restricted my life to the point I felt like a prisoner. And now I find how he also ripped away the one person who truly cared about me and my future. “I’ll try.” I shake my head. “It’s difficult. I need time for what you’ve just told me to sink in, I think.”
Dina nods. “Of course.” She removes her hand from mine. “Do you want any food?”
The thought of eating right now makes me sick to the stomach. “No, thank you. I’ll just go and watch a movie.” I stand and walk away from her, my mind reeling. There’s no way I’ll be able to focus on anything now, but I need to be alone with my thoughts, so I head to the entertainment room, anyway.
* * *
Valery appearsin the doorway of the entertainment room, eyes heating the moment they land on me, curled on the sofa under a soft blanket.
“Get dressed, printessa. We are going to have dinner tonight.”
I arch a brow. “Dinner?” I can’t deny that after the news Dina broke earlier, I don’t feel like doing anything.
He nods. “Yes, somewhere special, so dress up.”
I narrow my eyes. “In what?”
He smirks. “I put something nice on the bed in the room.”
I swallow hard. “Do we have to?”
Valery walks toward me and sits on the sofa. “What’s wrong, printessa?”
It is weird that I want to spill my guts to this man. A man that categorically I should hate, but I don’t hate him at all. I haven’t hated him once even knowing that he wanted to use as me as leverage for his own gains.
“I found out something about my mom today.”
“What?” he asks.
I swallow hard, wondering if he too has known all this time that my father murdered her. Am I the only idiot in Moscow who believed she’d just ran away?
“My father told me when I was eight years old that she abandoned us.” I search his dark eyes and I see instantly that he’s aware of the truth. “Dina mentioned that’s not the case.”
His lips purse together. “No, it’s not. I’m surprised he managed to keep you in the dark this long.”
I clamp my eyes shut as the water works threaten to turn on and I don’t want Valery to see that vulnerability. Dina may think I’m the one that’s going to hurt him, but I fear it will be the opposite.
“I just can’t believe I’ve been such a gullable idiot to have believed my father would have allowed her to run.” I shake my head. “I hate him even more than ever.”
“Look at me,” Valery says.
