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As I study her face, I notice something that looks familiar about her. It takes me a few moments before I realize what it is.
Her eyes …
Piercing green, like a pair of perfectly cut emeralds.
Those are Nikolai’s eyes.
But unlike him, there’s no cruelty behind hers. Instead, there is only boundless warmth and love.
Suddenly, coldness grips me as I stare into this unknown woman. In that moment, I know for certain that I just stumbled upon something I wasn’t supposed to find, in a room I was never supposed to be in.
I start backing away from the painting, but her piercing green eyes seem to follow me no matter what I do. I cannot tear myself away from them as I continue backing up.
Suddenly, my back hits something that wasn’t there before.
Something large.
Something warm.
I spin around and those same green eyes drill into mine. But unlike the pair in the painting, there is neither boundless warmth nor endless love. Instead, all I see is a well of hatred and anger as Nikolai’s mouth twists into a vicious snarl.
My shoes drop from my hand, clattering on the ground as I stammer. “Nikolai … I … I didn’t mean?—”
“Out,” he breathes, anger rolling off his body in searing waves that threaten to burn me alive. “Now!”
Without a second word, I rush past him, bare feet pitter-pattering down the long concrete corridor toward the light of the penthouse. Dusty mist floats in the air with every step as I rush away from him. But I know there is no escaping.
I just saw a glimpse of his deepest secret. I just committed a grave sin against him.
He will find me later.
And he will punish me for it.
I rush back to my room past a wide-eyed Dominika and slam the door shut.
I do my best to hide in the corner of the room, hugging my knees to my chest, and fearfully wonder what is about to happen next.
27
EDEN
THE NEXT MORNING
It isn’tuntil morning that I hear someone knocking gently at my door. At first, I don’t answer. But whoever is knocking is persistent and doesn’t leave. It can’t be Nikolai, I reason, because he has a key to the room. And I get the feeling that if I don’t answer, things will only go from bad to worse for me.
So, I make my way over to the door and, with a trembling hand, pull it open to reveal a concerned-looking Dominika on the other side.
“Is everything all right,koshka?” she asks when I open the door.
I shake my head without looking directly at Dominika and watch her from the corner of my eye.
She pauses, staring at me intently as if to gauge my response, but I refuse to acknowledge her.Just go away,I think. If she goes away, then I don’t have to deal with whatever the hell else Nikolai plans on doing to me.
But she doesn’t. Instead, she shuts the door gently behind her and walks over to me. I steal another look, and there is concernin her eyes. She gestures at the bed and I sit down on it, hands folded in my lap.
“What happened,koshka?” Her voice is soft and gentle, and I don’t know how to respond at first.
She reaches up, takes my hand in hers, and gives me a small tug—not enough to make me move, but enough to make me know what she wants me to do. Feeling the facade of my own resistance crumbling, I sit down next to her as she wraps a knowing arm around my shoulders.
