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“He would never allow me to get close to that.”
“Then force your way in, Lia.”
“Do you even know Adrian? Besides, I’m pregnant, Luca.” I point at the bump in my belly. “I will not put my child’s life in danger.”
The more he grows, the smaller that black hole in my chest shrinks. And now, I look forward to staring at my reflection in the mirror every morning, to listening to music and even reading some books so I can form any sort of connection with him.
Luca’s lips twist. “Congratulations are in order, I guess.”
“Instead of congratulating me, help me leave Adrian.”
“No. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because I need eyes on him. You can’t leave him yet.”
“Luca…” My voice breaks. “How could you say that?”
“You’ll thank me for it later when you know the truth.” He opens the stall door and gives me a quizzical stare over his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Duchess. No one else is going to do it for you. Not me and definitely not the unfeeling psycho, Adrian.”
And with that, he climbs through the window and jumps down.
His words float behind him long after he’s gone, settling a weight at the bottom of my stomach.
“Mrs. Volkov?” Yan calls, and when I don’t reply, he follows with an urgent, “I’m coming in.”
I straighten, stepping out of the stall as Yan nearly yanks the door from its hinges. He steps inside, and his critical eyes study me mechanically. “Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I hide my tremors with a smile.
“I thought I heard voices.”
“It…must be from outside.” I motion at the window Luca left open.
Yan heads to it with purposeful strides, inspects it, then narrows his eyes before he slams it shut.
When he turns around to face me, all of his nonchalance and playful behavior are gone. “I’m going to ask you a question, and I want your honesty, Lia. Was someone here?”
“No,” I say with a conviction I don’t feel, hoping he believes me.
He gives a curt nod and precedes me toward the door.
I don’t release a breath. Not then, not after we get home, and certainly not when Adrian keeps watching me all night as if I’m his custom-made pet, trapped under his thumb.
Luca was right.
I have to look out for myself, and that includes surviving Adrian until I can escape him.
If that means I need to provide Luca with any scraps of information on my husband, so be it.
30
Adrian
Six months later
The sound of crying fills the air as the midwife fusses around Lia and a few nurses wipe the sweat off her forehead.
