Chapter 5

Anatoly continued to intensely breathe angrily, gritting his teeth as he paced back and forth with one of his hands ruffling his messy hair, while slamming his bare feet against the spotless marble flooring.

His heartbeat in his chest constantly roared loudly in his ears as he felt every eyes in the vast living room solely fixed on him - His father's silent fury, his mother's worried look, Nathaniel and Vincent's intense accusatory stare, Leonora's teary eyes and Ivanova's blotchy face while standing behind her mother.

“Dad...” Anatoly started but Nathaniel cut him off immediately.

“Don't fucking say anything, you bastard!” He snarled. “You took my innocent and defenseless little sister to bed, and raped her! You tainted her!”

Anatoly inhaled deeply and tried to keep his cool. To him, Nathaniel was insignificant and didn't matter the slightest. What concerned him more was his father's silence. He didn't know how to explain to his father that the person he'd fucked last night wasn't that disabled little girl. There was no fucking way that he couldn't have noticed her prosthesis, but then he remembered she smelled just like Ivanova.

His eyes quickly shot to Ivanova. “Ivanova, tell them the truth! You asked me to come into the presidential suite. You fucking wanted me to come to you. Tell them now!”

Ivanova didn't look up.

Her silence screamed more loudly than Nathaniel's yelling.

“Fucking say something! Fucking tell them that you wanted me in that room!” Anatoly demanded with a clenched jaw. He hated to be perceived as a liar.

Ivanova only hiccuped and further hid behind her mother. “I... I never sent you there. I... I didn't even meet up with you after we got engaged...”

Nathaniel quickly barked. “Did you hear her!? My cousin doesn't know anything. Now he's trying to include my cousin to cover up his shameful act! This bastard ruined my sister's honor! He has to marry my sister! That's the code your family lives by, am I right, or is that just for show, Don Maxim?!”

Nathaniel then confidently walked up to Maxim and looked at him straight in the eyes. “My father was always loyal and ready to support you. Today his daughter's honor is at stake all because your fucking son couldn't keep it in his pants! So tell me, Don Maxim, what is your decision regarding my sister's fate?”

Anatoly's throat dried up instantly. Of course he remembered Ivanova didn't come to inform him personally about the presidential suite. But then he thought. If it wasn't Ivanova, then who had made him walk into that room?

He looked at everyone present in the room, mostly at his father, but when he saw the look on Maxim's face, Anatoly realized in that exact moment, that no matter what he said, nobody was going to believe that he'd been set up.

And now he was certain that it was the disabled girl who orchestrated it all to trap him. And he fell for it like a fucking idiot.

Maxim now stood up and grounded his jaw, feeling utterly humiliated in his own home because of Nathaniel, but he couldn't do anything. His family had a strict code of conduct when it came to a girl's honor. “I have made a decision. Whatever has happened cannot be changed now. And, Nathaniel is right. My son touched that girl, so he will have to marry her to preserve her honor.”

Nathaniel nodded with a triumphant bitter smile. Vincent lowered his head with a heavy sigh, and Leonora hugged Ivanova tightly, feeling sad for her daughter because her wedding had been cancelled.

Anatoly immediately shot at his father, disbelief gleaming in his silver eyes. “Father... You can't be fucking serious right now?”

Maxim faced his son. He looked at him with no emotions or feelings. His jaw tightened as he declared. “You will marry her, Anatoly. And that is my final decision.”

“You cannot force me, father.” Anatoly looked his father in the eyes, clenching his jaw.

“Then I'll completely disown you from becoming my successor and the heir. I'll pass on everything to Nikolai instead.” Maxim stated almost immediately without batting an eyelid.

Anatoly grounded his teeth in anger, balled his hands into tight fists to the point his knuckles became white, and veins popped all over his rigid neck and temple. But he couldn't defile his father. He had no choice but to suck it up and silently obey.

His face hardened as he recalled the disabled girl again. Her limping and her metal leg, all of it made him feel disgusted, and that he would be married to a disabled. She looked so innocent but had a cunning mindset. She had the fucking audacity and nerve to trap him into marrying her, but he wasn't going to make it a happy union for her. He would make her pay heavily and dearly. That was a promise he'd made to himself at that exact moment.

.............

Nadia didn't leave her bedroom after the driver had dropped her off at home. She laid on her back on her bed, her empty dried-up eyes darting holes in the ceiling. She didn't know for how long she'd been in that same position, neither did she care.

Her life was ruined. Nothing could be worse than that.

And each time she replayed her brother's words about getting her married to that beast, her chest rose rapidly like her heart was about to explode out of her chest. She would prefer to die than get married to the man who raped her and took away her innocence.

At this point she was sure everyone loathed her, including her uncle and aunt. She knew that no matter what she would say, they won't believe her story about her body suddenly being paralyzed. Not even Nadia herself was ready to believe what happened had actually happened. It still felt like a bad nightmare that she would eventually wake up from, but so far, she hadn't, and was still living out the nightmare.

Her door flung open, and everyone walked into her room like they were just waltzing into a public park, and not a private bedroom. Before they always knocked before entering her room, but not anymore. Things were starting to change.

Silence first doused the room.

“It's being decided. You will get married to him.” Nathaniel stated coldly.

Nadia quickly jolted up, sitting up straight on her bed. Her widened eyes became glassy as she looked at Nathaniel.

“No... I... I will not marry him.” She whispered, shaking her head.

“You don't get to decide that! You should have thought of that before jumping into bed with him.” Nathaniel seethed and his words pierced Nadia like a painful knife to the chest.

“I didn't... How do I explain what happened. I...” Nadia sobbed harder and buried her face in her palms.

“There's no use in explaining anything at this point, Nadia.” Ivanova walked in, looking like a ghost with her make up all smudged and ruined from her constant crying.

Nadia's chest tightened painfully after seeing Ivanova's condition. She didn't know what to say because nobody would believe that she wasn't in control of what had happened.

“Sister Ivanova...”

“Stop! Just stop!” Ivanova cut her off, shedding tears once again. “Don't say anything. You already got what you wanted. I always knew you were jealous of me and wished you could be like me. But... I never thought you would stab me in the back, Nadia.”

Nadia's chest collapsed. Even though she wasn't at fault, the guilt weighed heavily upon her. What had happened was no small issue and Nadia now wished she hadn't chosen to go to the afterparty. She should have listened to her uncle and had gone back home with him.

She looked at her uncle but Vincent wasn't even looking at her. His face was heavy and staring ahead with his arms behind his back. No doubt he was disappointed and Nadia sobbed even harder. Leonora cried along with Ivanova, trying to comfort her.

“I'll never forgive you for hurting my daughter like this, Nadia. I never expected this from you.” Leonora shook her head and looked away.

“My parents took you in after your parents died, and this is how you repay them? By pretending to be innocent and naive while truly being cunning, and trying to snatch what was destined for me?” Ivanova spat out bitterly, and Nadia just stared at the floor, feeling ashamed and out of any words to explain herself.

Even Nathaniel felt embarrassed and ashamed for the harm his sister had caused. But whatever happened had happened and they couldn't reverse time.

“Forgive my foolish sister if you can, uncle. And if you can't, then that's understandable. But I have to protect my sister's dignity. Before this gets out, she will marry Anatoly Kiseleva.” Nathaniel said.

“I already told you that I won't marry that man!... I'll rather kill myself...” Nadia shouted at her brother, and in the next moment, Nathaniel furiously turned toward her and slapped her hard across her face, silencing her instantly.

The slap thundered and echoed all over the room like a deep base from a drum set. Nadia's face completely turned to the side, and her right hand was glued to her now swollen red cheek. Her eyes were wide and stunned. Her brother had never raised his hand on her before. Never. Not even when he'd chosen to distance himself from her after their parents' deaths.

“You want to fucking kill yourself! Why didn't you kill yourself in that accident?! Then you wouldn't have brought such shame and stain upon our parents name!” Nathaniel gritted in Nadia's ear that hadn't stopped ringing after the slap.

“You'll get married to Anatoly Kiseleva in exactly three days! Do you hear me! Whether you like it or not, you will marry him! He will become your husband and you will become his bride! Let this new reality sink into your thick skull!”

But Nadia refused to accept such a reality for herself. Like she'd told herself. She would rather die than get married to that monster.

..............

He still couldn't believe what had happened.

He fucked a disabled.

He really fucking fucked a disabled.

Days had passed, still, no matter how much he'd thought about it over and over again, the reality always came back to hit him harder and harder again, the blow more impactful than the last.

He'd been reckless, too pride-driven and very foolish to have slept with a random girl simply because she smelled just like Ivanova. He was too drunk in his horniness and male dominance to have realized that it wasn't Ivanova in bed with him that night.

And right now, he was paying the consequences for that stupid mistake of his.

Anatoly swallowed hard and raised his chin up. He was standing tall inside the chapel, dressed up in a tailored tight black suit, waiting at the altar for a bride he'd never approved of nor wanted in his life.

But he couldn't do a damn thing. Only to tighten his fists, lock them behind his back and tighten his jaw in utter silence and tolerance.

...............

Nadia stood in front of the mirror, fully cladded and dressed in white. Her face was void of any expression or emotions. It felt like she'd already been sentenced days ago, and today was her execution.

Her right hand tightened around the tiny bottle of lethal poison. She'd thought that before today, her brother would change his mind and cancel this wedding for her sake. But three days passed by in the blink of an eye and Nadia could only watch as preparations were being made for her wedding.

Now she had no choice but to end her life. She just needed to muster up the courage and gulp down the poison. Death was a better option than marrying the man who raped her. According to the dealer who'd sold the poison to her, the effects of the poison were immediate and it won't be a slow process. It will be quick death and she won't even have to think much about it.

Since the morning, Nadia wasn't left alone. Make-up artists, designers and jewelers all surrounded her in her bedroom. They didn't give her a moment to breathe because time was off the essence. But Nadia only needed a minute alone, to drink the poison and finally put an end to her misery once and for all.

“I need a minute alone to myself.” She said.

The women turned to look at her, but Nadia was firm in her resolve. No tears, no trembling or sobbing.

“We're almost done, Ms...”

“Didn't you hear what I said? I need a minute!” Nadia raised her voice and swallowed.

The women looked at each other, then nodded and walked out of her bedroom.

The moment they left, Nadia quickly stared at the tiny bottle, the clear liquid swirling inside. It was ironic how something so little could end a life in a split second. But Nadia didn't care and tears fell from her eyes before she opened the cap of the bottle and was about to drink it when a sudden hand slapped the bottle from her hands.

The bottle hit the floor and broke, sending the poisonous liquid to splatter and wet the floor.

Before Nadia could react, a slap tore against her cheek and her face swung to the side.

Nathaniel was boiling with rage from the inside, but he held himself after the slap he gave her.

“Haven't you already brought enough shame to this family. Now you want to ruin everything by killing yourself now! I won't let you, Nadia.” A low snarl left his mouth.

Nadia suddenly burst out in tears, and turned to her brother for help. “Please... please don't do this to me, Nathaniel. I know mama and papà wouldn't want this for me...”

“But they aren't here! They're dead because of you!” Nathaniel hissed. “If you hadn't been so insistent on leaving the house that day, they'd still be alive today!”

“I can't marry him, Nathaniel. He's a monster. Please... please don't ruin my already ruined life. Please I beg of you. Help me.” Nadia hiccuped and almost choked on her tears.

Nathaniel chuckled bitterly. “You're not getting married. That's final. And if you don't want me to hurt you, then you'll wipe off those tears, let the artists fix you up again, and then come downstairs without making any fuss!”

Nathaniel glared at her before leaving her bedroom and slammed the door behind him, leaving Nadia to continue crying her eyes out in despair.

.............

The chapel fell in a heavy silence. One could easily cut the tension in the air with a knife.

The doors of the chapel opened. And everyone stood up to look at the bride walk in.

Anatoly felt the beating of his heart in his ears. He also followed the guests and looked ahead.

There she was, his future wife, donna and the future mother to his heirs. A fucking disabled.

He saw her walking down the aisle with her brother, one arm holding the bouquet, and the other tightly holding her brother's arm. No, she wasn't walking straight. She was fucking limping. Her prosthesis were nowhere to be seen and were perfectly hidden behind the heavy white dress.

Anatoly tried not to think of what he'd seen that day at the hotel. His future wife not having her two complete legs, was the worst joke of his life right now.

Each step his future wife took toward him, the more anger brewed and boiled up inside of him.

Nathaniel handed Nadia over to Anatoly. Anatoly took Nadia's hand and painfully squeezed it, almost crushing her bones. Nadia's eyes swept toward him underneath the veil. She was face to face with Anatoly's murderous look and her whole body shuddered in fear.

The priest started to speak about the normal customs and rituals. But the priest's words were blurred off for both Nadia and Anatoly. They weren't paying any attention, not until it reached the part where they would have to speak.

“Do you, Anatoly Kiseleva, take Nadia Petrov....”

“I do!” Anatoly quickly cut the priest off.

Nadia swallowed even harder. She felt like she was standing on a bed of nails.

The priest turned to face Nadia.

“And do you, Nadia Petrov, take Anatoly Kiseleva as you beloved husband? To love and cherish him in both sickness and health. To remain loyal for as long as you shall live?”

Nadia's mouth trembled. Her whole body trembled at that moment. Saying yes would mean her inevitable doom. But did she have a choice at this point. She couldn't kill herself and now, she was already here.

“I... I do.” She replied, almost inaudibly.

The priest smiled afterwards.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you both, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Anatoly's jaw tightened as soon as the priest told him he could kiss his bride. The last thing he wanted was to fucking touch the girl who'd trapped him in this.

He turned around, and his parents were seated in the front pew. None of them were happy but they smiled and pretended to be.

Anatoly grounded his jaw and turned slowly toward his new wife. He unveiled her and it was the first time he'd actually taken a closer look at the girl who had trapped him good.

She looks so innocent, yet a vixen - Anatoly thought to himself and then held Nadia's arms firmly, pulling her closer to him.

Nadia's body grew stiff and it was Anatoly moving her toward him. She instinctively raised her chin up and Anatoly lowered his face. Their lips touched and Anatoly took the opportunity to sink his teeth deep into her lip until it bled and he tasted copper.