Semua Bab Blood And Vows : Bab 81 - Bab 86

LilianaI walked through the empty streets with nowhere to go. My feet hurt in these expensive heels, and the midnight blue dress that had made me feel beautiful earlier now felt like a costume I couldn't take off.The city looked different at night. Darker, colder, more dangerous. Street lamps cast long shadows that seemed to reach for me like grasping fingers. Every sound made me jump, a car engine, footsteps behind me, the distant wail of sirens.I had no money, no phone, nothing but the clothes on my body. Mikhail had sent me away with nothing, just like my father had done months ago. The irony wasn't lost on me.After walking for what felt like hours, I found myself in Central Park. The benches were mostly empty except for a few homeless people sleeping under newspapers and cardboard. I sat down on a bench near a streetlight, pulling my knees up to my chest.The metal was cold against my back, and the October wind cut through my thin dress like ice. But the physical cold was noth

LilianaMy heart hammered against my ribs as I stumbled backward. The image of that white-wrapped body being loaded into the car burned behind my eyelids like a brand. Even when I squeezed them shut, I could still see it.Katarina was dead. Really, truly dead.And Mikhail had been right there, watching it happen with that cold, empty expression I'd seen too many times before. The same face he wore when he was doing business. The same face he'd worn when he told me to leave.The black cars had disappeared, taking their wrapped cargo with them. But the image was burned into my mind. My legs felt like water beneath me as I turned to leave the area around the Volkov manor. “Should have taken these fucking shoes off hours ago.” I hissed.A chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the October night air. The feeling of being watched was so strong that it made my skin crawl. I pulled Martha's old blanket around my shoulders and quickened my pace."Think, Liliana," I whispered to m

LilianaI ran as fast as my heels would allow, my heart hammering against my ribs like a caged bird. The man from the cafe was behind me somewhere, I could feel his presence even though I didn't dare look back.The busy sidewalk became a maze of bodies I had to push through. Business people with their phones pressed to their ears, mothers pushing strollers, tourists taking pictures. Normal people living normal lives while I fled for mine."Excuse me, sorry," I gasped, shoving past a group of teenagers who gave me dirty looks. My ankle twisted painfully in the stupid expensive heels, but I kept running. Martha's blanket flapped behind me like a cape, making me feel even more ridiculous. I probably looked like a crazy person. The street curved ahead, and I could see a small park with trees and benches. If I could just make it there, maybe I could hide, maybe I could figure out what to do next. But as I rounded the corner, my heel caught in a crack in the sidewalk. I stumbled forward, my