Chapter 21 Constance #5
The word curse hangs in the air and I feel like even though I’m sitting in a room with regular ass people, the air feels heavy and archaic.
This is not a speech you give for the love and prosperity of a couple.
This feels… cold. It feels like Grandpa Viktor is talking about something deeper than what my Black ass is too pissed to be curious about.
I watch as he lifts his glass high and everyone follows suit.
“To ze future, secured by the new foundations laid tonight,” Grandpa Viktor declares, his eyes landing just short of Alik, yet utterly ignoring him. “To ze strength, loyalty, and clear vision of zhose vho choose zheir family above all else.”
He drinks. The sound of a hundred glasses clinking is deafening as he walks back to his seat, then a single, loud clap rings thought the room and we turn to see it’s Veronica, who’s right next to us.
“Beautiful speech, Pakhan.” She rises, still clapping as a slow murmur resounds while people slowly and quietly ask what’s going on.
She breezes by us and steps onto the platform until she comes to the podium where Grandpa Viktor was, where she taps a wine glass with her ring finger, lips twitching into a grin that doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Zhank you all for joining us on such a beautiful night,” she coos. “A night to celebrate love. My grandfazher-in-law… gave such a lovely declaration, but I believe he meant to say, ‘To loyalty, and family.’”
I glance around as some of the people in the room titter and smirk, repeating her words with the rest of the crowd.
“To love, loyalty, and family.”
I take a sip of champagne that tastes dry and sweet as Veronica turns her eyes on me.
“As you all know, vee are gazhered here today to celebrate such a momentous occasion for our two families to come togezher. I vas so excited for today, only for it to be ruined and disrespected by an outsider vho does not belong,” she purrs, voice honey-laced with cyanide.
Oop…
“Because today vas so special, I vas going to be couth and hold my tongue… I vasn’t going to say anyzhing…” she pauses dramatically. “But sometimes, silence feeds deception. And I just… vell, I love zhis family too much to let zhat happen.”
Girl, what the hell? I know she’s not about t—
“Veronica,” Grandpa Viktor grits, speaking up.
“Grandfazher… I’ve noticed somezhing strange over the past few weeks. A… pattern, let’s say. A… charming guest who’s vormed her vay into every corner of our lives.”
She doesn’t look at me. She doesn’t have to.
“I zhought perhaps she vas just friendly. Maybe even naive. But vhen a voman begins spending time… private time vit a betrothed man…” Her eyes flick to Misha and the crowd gasps.
“And is seen late at night vhispering vit his best friend…” Dimitri tenses.
“…and I even heard from our housekeepers zhat she’s often sneaking around in ze library with his fiancé. ”
Nadya’s jaw ticks with no emotion, but her eyes flash.
Oh.
Oh no. Girl, what is you doing?!
“It pains me to say zhis,” Veronica whispers, voice breaking just enough to sound authentic. “But zhere are some vomen vho see engagements not as boundaries… but as opportunities.”
The crowd gasps, SCANDALIZED. Biiiiittttcchhhhh! Is she doing what I think she’s doing?
I feel my heart slam against my ribs. What the hell is she doing? She hasn’t said my name, but everyone’s staring. Everyone, including Grandpa Viktor. Hell, even Pyper’s mouth is hanging open.
“Veronica, vhat ze hell are you saying?!” Pyper stands, chair snapping back so hard it crashes against the wall.
“Grandfazher, I know zhis must be hard to hear, considering you brought her in, but believe me, I never vanted to believe it eizher!” Veronica continues, wiping a fake tear. “But how can vee ignore ze vay she’s… inserted herself into all of your precious grandchildren’s lives?”
“Zhat’s bold as fuck coming from someone vit no proof,” Pyper retorts and Veronica goes still before she cuts her eyes to me and smiles, causing my heart to beat against my chest hard as fuck.
“Actually…” she pauses and lifts a hand, and lo and fucking behold, there a bitch is…
in extreme 4K, pushing Dimitri against the wall where it looks like I’m attacking him for a kiss in the hall.
Then there’s another shot of me in the library where I’m boldly sitting on Nadya, looking flirtatious while Nadya seems uncomfortable, as well as a photo of me hugging Pyper while we walk which looks extremely intimate.
Lastly, a picture of Alik and I holding hands in the pool… I don’t think anyone needs proof about Misha and me with all considered… I ought to be ashamed, considering the only one on those pictures I haven’t fucked is Pyper…
Damn…
I drop my gaze to the crowd and I see Helena is now staring directly at me, looking like she just stepped on shit.
Oh, this bitch is crazy… but I must ad-fuckin-mit, all the pictures are cropped enough to hide everyone’s face except mine. It’s obvious it’s very much so them, but there is enough incriminating evidence to make the room erupt in whispers and make a bitch feel like Tupac, all eyes on me.
“She’s talking about ze American girl…”
“Vasn’t she sitting on Pakhan’s lap?”
“Oh my, does zhat mean Pakhan, too?
“I am disgusted!”
“She needs to leave!”
“Zhis is an abomination!”
“Good God! And Dimitri… he’s loved Nadya since zhey vere kids… to betray her so easily for an American girl…”
“Slut.”
“No shame.”
“And poor Helena! For Alik to be svayed like zhis?!
“Maybe she’s a succubus!”
“Or she cast a spell over zhem!”
“She came here to…”
What the hell? Listening to them feels like I’ve stepped into a bad R-rated romantasy that I’m unaware of.
But more than that. Oooooweee… this girl is good. She did her fucking homework and aced the course with flying colors. If there was anyone who wasn’t already looking at me funny, they are for fucking sure are side eyeing the fuck out of me now.
But when I feel a grip on my leg, I turn to see Misha curling his lip in disgust. I glance over to Nadya, Dimitri, and Pyper…
they are not having a good time. They all look way more pissed than I do, I glance over to Alik and see he’s grinding his teeth, but for the life of me… I could not give two fucks.
I’m out this bitch in a few days but still…
these are my people, and I cannot have them looking bad because of me.
What she’s displayed is a Taraji P clap worthy masterclass in villainy.
She’s cornered me without exposing any of them.
Kept their secrets safe and still made me the problem.
I’ve been checkmated, I can appreciate that.
The room is in an uproar. I can feel Misha’s legs tense up as if he’s about to stand. Suddenly, Nadya and Dimitri lean forward as if they will follow him, but I don’t need it… I can handle my own lightwork…
When I pick up my drink at the table and raise my glass, ignoring the way my palms are slick with sweat, I stand with a smile and the entire room hushes. My knees are jelly under the tablecloth, but I’ll be damned if I let anyone see me shake.
“Well,” I say, loud enough for the room to hear.
“I figured if I’m going be the subject of every conversation, I might as well give you all something to talk about.
” I swirl the champagne once slowly, letting the bubbles rise.
“I knew walking in on Misha’s arm would cause a scene,” I say, my smile polite enough to slice frozen butter.
“But … I have to admit, I didn’t expect this scene.
Veronica, you really outdid yourself.” I set the glass down, and a ripple of words run through the crowd.
“Hov can you not expect such a scene vhen you valk in vit my husband?! Zhis is but a taste of vhat I’m villing to do for my family…
and my friends. For Misha.” She smiles wickedly and I smile back, holding back a scoff, especially when Misha tenses hearing her call him by his nickname.
They all go to stand once again, but I hold up a hand.
They snap their gazes to me, but I’m too busy looking at her.
“I see… and what an amazing job you’ve done there. However, let me clear something up.”
I tilt my head, still smiling. “Whatever stories you’ve fabricated from snapshots and false narratives…
they’re cute, but they’re not the truth.
In the library, I was talking to Nadya about her engagement, and she was nervous.
Girls sit on each other’s laps all the time.
” I roll my eyes at the lies… homegirl had her face buried in my pussy earlier in the day, but digress…
“Oh, zhat makes sense…”
“I can believe zhat…”
“Zhat’s much more credible,” the crowd murmurs.
“And Dimitri was the same. As you all know, you will never meet in man more in love with Nadya. I’d just seen him in the hall having a moment of anxiousness, considering he’s marrying into such an influential family…
I simply offered him a shoulder to cry on.
” Fabrications… I sucked the soul out the nigga dick in the hall…
“Dimitri is such a good boy!”
“He vould never hurt Nadya!”
“I have never seen a more fitting and in love couple.”
“Alik is just an old friend. Nothing more, nothing less,” I coldly dismiss him, and I see out of the corner of my eye that he flinches while I glance at Pyper. “Pyper is like a sister to me… I would never do such a thing with her.”
Veronica slams her fist on the podium, gritting her teeth.
“Zhen explain Misha! You’ve clearly been sleeping vit my fiancé!”
“Oh, that?” I turn to Misha and see he’s mean mugging the fuck out of her. I use my finger and turn his head over to me. His face changes in an instant to one that has my heart popping like firecrackers on the fourth of July. FOCUS!
“Well, you see THAT is different… when it comes to him, I say if anybody here thinks I’m sneaking around to ‘break up homes…’” I crook my finger at him and he stand, slamming his hands down on the table, caging me in.