49 House

Of course, it was logical that a future husband would meet his mother‑in‑law and father‑in‑law, but not this soon! I myself still hadn’t fully gotten used to the idea of getting married, and now the introductions and the wedding itself were practically at the doorstep.

I grew really scared and started to panic. Spending my whole life next to this cold—though admittedly handsome—bastard wasn’t exactly tempting. What awaited me? The role of a bedroom toy until he got bored? And after that? The prospects were vague and far from bright.

“But why so soon?!” I protested, not understanding the rush. “Are weddings even organized this quickly? We haven’t even submitted the application yet!”

“Vicky, you can do anything with money,” Kirill laughed at me, shooting me a strange look. “Are you really that naive?” — and that part actually stung.

“Well, excuse me! I was raised like a normal person! And I’ve never slipped anyone anything under the table!” I pouted, turning away.

“All right, don’t get offended,” that turkey grinned condescendingly. “But what’s the point of delaying the inevitable? And I can’t wait to get my hands on you in the bedroom, with all the legal rights of a husband! Maybe my married life won’t be as terrible as people claim. After all, my wife will be very interested in satisfying my needs,” the man smiled wickedly.

“Well, you’re a bastard!” — despite my indignation, my body reacted to Kirill’s words with a light, pulsing warmth in my lower belly. “I seem to remember that last time, you didn’t ask for much permission. So why aren’t you storming into my bedroom every night? After all, I’m already trapped by your rules.”

“To be honest, that’s exactly what I want most,” the man distracted himself from the road, glancing at me briefly before returning his attention to driving. “But, as it turns out, there’s a charm in waiting. You know it will happen, and I know it will happen. And in our moment, my patience will pay off handsomely. For the first time in my life, I’m willing to endure a few weeks, because I know the end goal will be worth it. The longer you age the wine, the more exquisite it becomes.”

His persuasive, confident voice gave me goosebumps as I imagined everything my future husband promised. My heart was racing like crazy, and my breathing was uneven.

Damn seducer! Vicky, don’t get carried away by these words! Pull yourself together, you fool!

I rolled my eyes in disgust and turned to the car window, moving as far away from the brunette as possible. I didn’t want to hear or see his smug face anymore. For him, all of this was a game, while for me it would be harsh reality. For the rest of the ride, we didn’t speak, each lost in our own thoughts.

I saw that we had driven out of the city limits and arrived at some elite neighborhood, judging by the armed guards at the checkpoint and the fencing. After exchanging a few words, our car was allowed onto the premises without any problems.

Well, this place is stunning! It feels like we’ve driven into the grounds of some well-kept reserve rather than a residential area.

The beauty of the surrounding greenery, the perfect road and sidewalks was striking, and at the sight of some of the houses, my jaw slowly dropped.

We stopped near a low fence of one of the houses, where a man of quite respectable appearance was standing.

“Good afternoon, Kirill, Victoria!” the man greeted us as we got out of the car. “My name is Evgeny, and I’ll be accompanying you for the house viewing today.”

“Good afternoon. I thought Elena would be with us today,” Kirill remarked, glancing around. “We’ve already… worked together before.”

I tried not to roll my eyes and let the extra information slip past my ears. It was unpleasant, as it was clear as day exactly how they had “worked together.”

“You are slightly delayed, and Elena has gone to another property,” the man explained. “When I learned who our client was, I decided to personally provide you with a consultation on the houses,” Evgeny began to flatter a bit too much.

He looked slightly over forty, thin, well-groomed, but somehow… excessively sweet. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of any masculine ruggedness in him.

“There are several available houses here that we can view, as this area has only recently been developed,” Evgeny explained. “Behind me is the first house I would like to show you.”

We walked into the yard and noticed a huge three-story house made of red decorative brick. Upon entering, the realtor began describing the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other features of the house. The most interesting thing was that while saying all this, Evgeny mostly addressed me, while Kirill examined this mansion with some tense indifference.

The house was nice, but far too large and somehow oppressive to the nerves. The staircase to the upper floors also made me uneasy. The posts under the railing were spaced too far apart, and a child could easily fall through them without much effort.

“So, how do you like the house?” the man asked me with his syrupy smile.

“It’s so big,” I said honestly. “I don’t think we need this much space.”

“Get used to it,” Kirill snorted irritably. “No one lives cramped in a tiny two-room apartment. People with wealth like space.”

“Can we see more houses?” I asked the realtor, ignoring Kirill, and he responded with obvious delight.

“Of course, dear Victoria! There are more houses and choices here.”

We went outside and headed to the next house. To my surprise, I felt someone take my hand. Looking down, I saw that Kirill had grabbed it, pressing his lips into a thin line in displeasure.

“What?” I looked at the man in confusion, but he just shot me an angry glare and said nothing.