20

Pushing off the door, the man began to move toward me slowly, with predatory steps. I couldn’t understand why he was angry at me—his eyes clearly burned with rage, and at times, his lips pressed together in stern irritation.

I tried to calm my anxiety and I think I understood the reason for his anger. Remembering who he was, I realized that he was afraid I might spill the beans about his profession. I couldn’t suppress a sly smile on my face. For some reason, I felt like being cheeky.

“Are you here for work?” I asked, arching my eyebrow mockingly, and I saw the man’s fists clench.

“For work… and for a very personal matter, as it turns out,” he hissed, stepping dangerously close and staring intently into my eyes.

“Well, yeah,” I snorted and continued teasingly. “With your line of work, you could combine those two quite nicely.”

A fiery volcano of anger rose deep inside me. I desperately wanted to be rude and insolent. For all those sleepless nights I had spent by our children’s cribs, all the effort and pain, while he…

I loved my boys like crazy, but he could’ve been more careful, the bastard! Maybe I should tell him? Let him freak out too, just like I did a year and a half ago, holding those positive pregnancy tests in my hands.

“We need to talk,” the man practically growled at me, stepping even closer, and instinctively, I wanted to run.

“About what? No need!” I panicked, eyes darting around for an escape. Today, this gorgeous man instilled sheer terror in me! And how had I ever slept with him?! “I’ve already paid you in full.”

The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and I decided to run. Only I had completely forgotten that I’d taken off my heels, so I immediately tripped over them.

A strong hand caught me by the elbow, making the hairs on my body stand on end and my breathing quicken. The brunette pressed me back onto the sofa and crouched in front of me.

Looking straight into my eyes, he picked up one of my shoes and slipped it onto my foot. I was like hypnotized, unable to even make a sound, my heart hammering in my ears. He looked at me like a boa constrictor sizing up a mouse. He did the same with my other foot, but didn’t hurry to let go. Instead, his fingers lightly traced up my shin, almost reaching my knee, and I swallowed hard. The goosebumps from his touch were spreading far higher… and, it seemed, even reaching my most intimate place!

Suddenly, I was grabbed by the hand and pulled toward him, held firmly. With his other hand, the man seized my cheekbones, and his green eyes greedily studied my face, lingering on my half-open lips.

“Listen, Nazar…”

“I told you my name is Kirill,” the man growled quietly and hoarsely.

“I don’t need to know all your stage names,” I snapped, summoning the strength to jerk my head and free myself from his grip, though I couldn’t pull my hand away.

“Bold, huh,” a crooked, ominous smirk spread across his face, his eyes like cold steel. “We need to talk somewhere more private.”

Kirill turned and dragged me toward the entrance to the second floor. I tried to pull my hand free, but it was like a trap. We entered an empty corridor, dimly lit by soft lamps.

Passing several doors, he shoved me into one of the rooms, and I immediately recoiled from the brunette as if from fire. By the characteristic smell of paper and the huge shelves packed with countless books, it was easy to recognize a luxurious library.

The bookshelves were arranged in the center of the room, and along the windows were small tables with lamps and couches.

“Why are you abandoning your companion?” I spat venomously, my initial confusion and panic transforming into pure anger. Who does he think he is?! Dragging me around like some object! “Your precious will be upset, and your family idyll will collapse!”

“She will wait patiently for her turn as long as it takes,” his words thundered, and he began closing in. His tone and arrogance infuriated me.

“And family isn’t for me anyway,” he continued, and his words cut like a knife. That fleeting thought of confessing about the children vanished instantly.

“You have to spend so much energy and free time on her, and I don’t need that. I have more interesting things in life to do.”

Damn you, you brute! We don’t need you and never did. I tried to step around Kirill to leave, but he blocked my way with his enormous frame.

“You’re not going anywhere, Vicky,” the way he said my name made my legs go weak. “I’ve been looking for you, and I won’t let you go that easily. If needed, I’ll lock you here all night,”—a chill of horror ran through my soul.

“What do you want?” I asked in a trembling voice.

“You.”