CHAPTER 3 —TREACHEROUS FINGERS

CALISTA

“Wakey wakey…”

I woke up to a throbbing head and a pair of grey eyes hovering above me. I immediately sat up against the headboard and swallowed.

Mikhail titled his head, a ghost of a grin gracing his thin lips.

“Your stomach is still ah…rumbling like your guts are fighting.” His voice was still thickly accented.

“W-why does my head hurt?”

He shrugged.

“You blacked out, and hit your head on the ground.”

I felt the tip of my fingers suddenly go cold. Something in his eyes told me that he had carried me here, in that state, with wet panties and squirt stained trousers.

I was fucked.

“You know…” His smile turned goofy. “I wouldn't have taken you for a voyeurist, Cal.”

My cheeks flushed but I immediately became defensive.

“And I wouldn't have taken you for a cheat.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well…I would've. Wealthy men rarely put their junk in one shipment.”

“So indeed, you were spying on us. Judging by the way you blacked out, your orgasm watching us…must've been—”

I sprang on him. My hands shot out for his neck as we fell to the ground. I wrapped my hands around his neck and pressed down hard.

What was I even thinking finding him attractive then?

He simply smiled.

“If you're going to kill me princess, you should consider adding more pressure to at least cut off my air flow.”

“Don't call me that.”

I locked eyes with him for a long second before grunting and shoving him away.

“You should be begging me not to tell Eleanor when she comes back from work.”

He casually crossed his arms behind his head.

“Oh. She's back already, she's having dinner downstairs.”

My eyes widened, I suddenly began to stutter.

“S-she…wasn't the one that brought me up? Right?”

She didn't see me like this? Right.

It was one thing that Mikhail was cheating on her, another, if I indulged it, which I foolishly had.

He shook his head and hummed something.

“That would be me. When me and Sera were…. done. She collapsed, I walked towards the bathroom wanting to shower and I saw you outside the door, sprawled on the carpet with your hand stuck inside your underwear. I carried you up here and had a maid wipe you up under supervision. I told Eleanor that you were tired from your trip and you were fast asleep.”

Smart lie.

But under supervision…

“Fucking perv—”

He flipped me over and stood up, I landed on the ground with a not so graceful thud.

“I didn't look where I wasn't supposed to. I stood outside the whole time. You on the other hand…”

My cheeks reddened and I pushed myself up from the ground, standing square to square opposite him, even though I didn't quite reach his shoulders.

“What happened was a mistake, I came to check out the source of the noise and…I got overwhelmed and I…my body, it…whatever okay, it wasn't premeditated and it would never happen again.”

He smiled and leaned down to my height level, patting my hair with his wide palm.

“Of course princess, you hate me, remember that, constantly.”

I looked up at him.

"You don't need to remind me to hate you. It's a constant feeling."

"Until thirty minutes ago?"

I wanted to wipe off that shit-eating grin off his face so badly.

I shoved his chest. "It was a mistake. Besides..." I looked around. "Where is Sera?"

Mikhail shrugged.

"I sent her home after we were done."

I didn't know who to be angry at. Maybe Eleanor and I didn't see eye to eye on some things, but I still felt guilt. I still didn't feel alright about Mikhail cheating on Eleanor. Eleanor deserved honesty and transparency. For some reason, she picked Mikhail to be her husband, and despite that obviously wrong decision she didn't... deserve that.

Sera, on the other hand...I could not believe that Sera left me waiting on her hot sun-scorched porch to come over here and get dicked down by Mikhail, of all literal people.

He could see exactly what I was thinking.

"Don't blame her too much. I mean, I am sexy, and I do have my way with people."

I huffed.

"Oh please you must've manipulated her somehow..."

"Sera had been on my end for days," Mikhail responded. "I wanted some, and she was more than able to give it. I don't need to manipulate any woman to get into bed with me. It's simply a choice, either you do or you don't."

I mocked sarcastically.

"Oh, how righteous of you."

I paused.

"So where is Eleanor exactly? And is the part where you act guilty and confess to her what you just did? Because I don't know if it's my eyesight, but I don't see any remorse in your eyes."

"Calista, haven't you been scolding me enough for one day? You just came home after being away for a long time." His finger slipped under my chin and something in my stomach curled up like a furled knot. "We should catch up, you know? I could take you down to the warehouse sometime."

I glared at him.

"Keep me far away from yourself. You're a fucking criminal. I don't want anything to do with you or your nasty business. Only heaven knows what you do in that warehouse."

He said nothing for a moment, before releasing my chin.

"Catch you at dinner."

He opened the door and grinned before sliding past and shutting it.

My fingers curled into a fist.

One part of me thought that he was going to plead with me. But pleading didn't seem to be in Mikhail's nature. Maybe this could be a silent treaty between both of us. I wouldn't tell Eleanor what happened, and he wouldn't tell Eleanor about me being there. Although, I didn't know how I'd deal with the guilt.

Which was odd. Because...I didn't think I cared about her that much.

While I was thinking, my phone rang. It had been on the bedside table.

It was Sera. I declined the call immediately and stared at the screen.

I didn't want to pick it.

Not after she stood me up for him.

Sera called again and I let it ring.

But at this point I was biting my nails.

Then the call went to voicemail and she called right back.

I picked it up and just snapped.

"What?"

"Calista, I—" Sera started.

"Sera, I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Look. I know you saw everything."

My lips parted and locked right back. So Sera had seen me. When? While I was watching? When I passed out? As I was thinking about it, she interrupted.

"But that's not it..."

"What do you mean?"

“Calista, I have something to tell you...and it can't wait.”