Chapter 1

She tried to walk carefully and delicately, like a gracious and elegant young lady. She swayed from side to side in front of the huge oval mirror in her bedroom.

But she failed woefully.

Despite the fact that she had on an oversized and expensive silk gown that covered even her Saint Laurent opyum patent leather sandals, it still didn't hide the fact that she was limping with her one and half legs.

She didn't want to embarrass herself and be looked at with pity nor allow her uncle and his family to have to endure the silent murmurs all because of her unfortunate disability.

She remembered that day which changed her life completely and she wouldn't forget it either. The day she woke up in the hospital without the lower part of her right leg was the worst day of her life. And since that day, she has had to take the help of a prosthetic leg manually attached to her right limp in order for her to walk around instead of choosing to confine herself in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

She exhaled and she honestly didn't feel like leaving her bedroom tonight but she had no other choice. Tonight was her cousin, Ivanova's engagement ceremony to Anatoly Kiseleva, a mafia heir born from one of the most important and prominent crime families in all of Russia.

Ivanova's marriage was fixed with Anatoly when she was only fourteen years old. It was a sworn and sealed blood oath between the Kiseleva and the Petrov families. An alliance between the two families that was beneficial even for their future generations.

A knock came on her door and she quickly smiled the moment the door opened and her aunt, Leonora walked in, fully dressed and glammed up to perfection.

“Are you ready, Nadia? We are getting late now.” Leonora paused for a moment and gasped when Nadia turned around. “Oh my Gosh, you look so beautiful, Nadia. You look like a fairy.”

Nadia smiled and she felt the heat on her cheeks.

“Thank you, Aunt Leonora. You also look very beautiful.”

Leonora giggled before holding Nadia's arm and patiently walked with her out of her bedroom.

“Does the prosthesis hurt, dear? They are already quite old and they definitely need to be changed.”

Nadia shook her head and didn't stop smiling. Even though her right limp irritated her because of the old and worn out prosthesis, she didn't want to let it show in front of Leonora.

“I am fine, Aunt Leonora. And I am not a baby anymore. You and uncle should trust that I can manage and take care of myself. Have you forgotten that I turned eighteen just last week. So I am a big girl and I can even live comfortably on my own now.”

Leonora chuckled and gave Nadia a mischievous look. “Oh I see. This is your way of persuading your uncle and I to let you study at the medical university in New York.”

Nadia's eyes genuinely sparkled now as she looked at Leonora.

“Would you and uncle allow me to study abroad?” She asked excitedly.

“Hmm... I don't know if your uncle will be comfortable allowing his darling little niece leave his side and go to a foreign country all by herself.” Leonora thought out loud.

Nadia's expression dwindled a bit. She understood what her aunt was trying to say. They were both worried for her and didn't want her to face any problems in her life, especially with her condition.

After her parent's death and her loosing half of her leg in the accident, her uncle and aunt had made sure that Nadia didn't lack for anything. They took her in and raised her like their own daughter. They never let anything bad happen to her, and all of her life, Nadia was homeschooled and hardly ever stepped out of her uncle's home except when it was necessary.

She was still basically a little girl to them even though she was already an adult.

Leonora saw Nadia's fallen expression and quickly added to cheer her up.

“But who knows. After Ivanova's engagement, your uncle will be in a very good mood for sealing the oath and you might have the perfect chance to convince him to let you go.”

Nadia's glow returned to her face almost immediately. She looked at Leonora with hope flickering like stars in her innocent eyes.

“Do you really think so?”

“I don't know. But it is worth a try. Now watch your step.” Leonora replied as they both descended down on the stairs carefully.

When they both came downstairs, Nadia's uncle, Vincent Petrov casually pushed his sleeves back to check the time on his wristwatch. The moment he saw Nadia, he smiled widely.

“Look at my princess. You look so beautiful. Like your favorite Disney Princess, Cinderella.” He approached Nadia and gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead.

Nadia smiled and hugged her uncle when her eyes fell on someone else coming down from the opposite flight of stairs.

“No, uncle. I'm not as beautiful as my sister, Ivanova.”

Ivanova came down, looking as dazzling and gorgeous as ever. Her full makeup which highlighted her porcelain skin, the shimmers in her earrings, her hairdo that was perfectly styled with a tiara and a stunning 1940s Christian Dior gown.

“We are cousins, not sisters.” Ivanova rolled her eyes but then as if she had recalled something, she quickly smiled and even showed her pearly white teeth to Nadia. “You are right. We are sisters tonight.”

“And what's with the sudden change in attitude, dear Iva?” Vincent asked perplexed while also amused at the same time.

“I agree. Did one of the maids prepare a special brew to sweeten your mood tonight?” Leonora giggled and Ivanova didn't find her parents' taunts funny.

“Enough now. Please don't upset my sister tonight. It's her special night and she deserves all of the happiness in her life.” Nadia said, smiling at Ivanova.

Vincent smiled at Nadia. “Your wish is our command, my princess. None of us will say anything to Ivanova tonight.”

“Yes, of course.” Leonora agreed.

Ivanova looked at her parents and seeing them always doting their love on Nadia till this day still seemed absurd because she wasn't even their biological daughter. And she couldn't help but frown and look at Nadia intently.

Nadia noticed Ivanova's frown and her smile slightly faltered. Ever since the day her uncle brought her to his home from the hospital, Ivanova had always despised her presence because it felt like her own parents were no longer hers anymore.

And no matter how much Nadia had tried to become friends with her, Ivanova never wanted her around and always made it perfectly clear to her. But Nadia never gave up in trying to win over her cousin's affection. She believed some day Ivanova would like her and accept her as part of the family.

— • ♧ • ♤ • ♧ • —

The Kiseleva estate was already daunting from a distance. The lights glowed up on the horizon and illuminated vastly, spreading forth the light in the dark.

“It's so big and beautiful, uncle...” Nadia marvelled from the backseat of the car, and Vincent chuckled, while Ivanova rolled her eyes with a low hiss.

And when Nadia stepped foot inside the Kiseleva estate, the old chateau looked so ancient with ivy branches roaming around its strong fortified walls that definitely has a deep history.

The guests all looked divine and perfectly dressed for the occasion. The moment Ivanova stepped into the vast lawn, she immediately turned heads toward her.

Everyone who knew her came one after the other to congratulate Ivanova on her future wedding and becoming the bridge to stretch forth her family further, according to tradition. Ivanova's parents were also being congratulated alongside her while Nadia stood aside, not wanting to seem noticed by anyone in particular. Just choosing to blend in with the crowd of guests and seem invisible.

But then her eyes caught her elder brother, Nathaniel, with his lovely wife, Rosalinda and their five year old twin boys, Eduardo and Emilio, making their entrances into the lawn.

Nadia smiled and her eyes watered a little upon seeing Nathaniel. She hadn't seen her brother in months now and the last time he was in the country was for business purposes and even then they hadn't made contact.

Slowly, she made her way toward her brother and his family. Rosalinda was the first to spot her approaching them.

“Nadia, it's you!” Rosalinda beamed and tightened her hold around her two boys who both wanted to leave their mother's hand and roam around the enormous lawn.

Nathaniel looked at his sister but not even a cracked smile was seen on his lips. On the contrary, he seemed rather pissed to have run into her at tonight's ceremony.

“Hello, Rosa. How are you.” Nadia shared a hug with Rosalinda before she turned to look at her nephews. She turned to look up at Nathaniel but her heart immediately sank when her brother didn't share the same enthusiasm as her after not seeing each other in so long.

“Hello, brother. It's been so long. How are you?” Nadia whispered and found Nathaniel looking at her dress, or rather wanted to see her prosthesis under her dress.

For a few minutes, Nathaniel said nothing and only continued to look at his sister with a neutral expression. He could never forgive her for causing their parents' deaths in the accident. He'd wished Nadia had died in that accident instead of their parents.

“Well... I am so sorry we couldn't make it to your eighteenth birthday party. Leonora sent us the photos and you looked amazing in your dress.” Rosalinda chirped in to lessen the tension now stifling in the air.

Nadia forced a smile, even though deep down her brother's indifference hurt her.

“Come, dear. Let me introduce you to the Cordelia family.” Nathaniel turned his attention to his wife, completely ignoring Nadia like she wasn't even there.

“The one with the textile company which you recently partnered up with?” Rosalinda asked, seeming interested and the two of them walked past Nadia to mingle with the other guests.

Nadia knew she didn't fit in a place like this, a place filled with people of class, high self esteem and two complete legs. She knew she would be all by herself once she came here. In the distance, by the poolside, her uncle and aunt along with Ivanova were having a private discussion with Don Maxim Kiseleva and his robotic strict wife, Cadenza Kiseleva.

Cadenza continued to inspect Ivanova like she was some merchandise pig about to be sold, which wasn't a complete lie. Ivanova didn't decide for herself whom she would marry and Nadia had thought her cousin wouldn't be happy with being sold off in an arranged alliance but she was wrong to assume such because Ivanova seemed so happy with the idea of marrying a mafia lord and gaining power.

To her left was Nikolai Kiseleva passing by, Anatoly's younger brother. Tall, charming and sweet and Nadia's secret crush. Nikolai visited her uncle's house once a week to discuss political matters with her uncle. He was gentle and very kind, even toward her when nobody else was. But Nadia knew a perfect guy like him could never like an imperfect girl like her with incomplete legs.

All of the girls loved him and always fawned around him like he was a treasure. Which in a way he was.

Nadia felt so out of place and her eyes twirled around the enormous and never ending estate. She decided to explore the estate to satisfy her curiosity and her uncle and aunt wouldn't even know that she is missing until towards the end of the ceremony.

She wandered off without any direction in particular, her eyes taking in every view and breathtaking sight of the old chateau mansion that must have seen centuries old wars. She reached the other end of the mansion, still captivated by the beauty around her when her eyes caught a presence, a tall looming shadow.

Nadia slowly turned around and faced a window. And past the window stood a tall man with his broad back facing the window. He had the tattoo of a lion's head on his sculptured back and when he moved a little towards the lampstand on the table, his whole naked body shone brightly, including his tight round sculptured buttocks.

Nadia's entire face turned red in an instant and she quickly clammed her mouth shut before she could involuntarily scream out. It was the first time she had ever seen a naked man's behind and now she wished she hadn't left the lawn to pique her curiosity. But before she could turn to try and walk away, her dress got caught up in a bush, causing a low rustling sound and the man behind the window flipped his gaze towards her.

Gray silver orbs stared at her from the window.

Her eyes flipped wide open.

He had caught her.