Chapter 10 – Karik
I didn’t expect she’d pull a stunt like that, at least not so soon. Her strange behavior over the past couple of days had caught my attention. I noticed she was unusually cooperative and spent most of her time wandering the mansion.
On several occasions, I caught her taking mental notes of the building’s exit locations. Not just that, but every day she would explore the compound, and to the average eye, that walk was harmless.
But I knew better. She wasn’t strolling out of boredom. No. She was meticulously studying her environment, looking for loopholes in the guards’ rotation. That’s how I knew she was planning her escape.
For days, I watched her through the secret cameras she had no idea existed. She was careful not to draw unnecessary attention to herself, but it was too late. She already had my full attention.
Sergei thought it was wise to shut down whatever she was planning before she could carry it out. However, I refused to intercept the operation. I wanted to know how far she was willing to go.
A part of me was intrigued by her bravery and determination. Agata was a loyal staff member, but she was tricked into spilling more than she was supposed to. That’s how Ellie learned about the passage in the basement.
I thought she wasn’t going to make it down there because the door was locked. But she proved me wrong. She picked the lock with just a hair clip. Neat trick for a law-abiding citizen.
It was fortunate that I was already in the basement that night. She would’ve made it through the passage, but her chances of survival would’ve dropped by twenty percent.
Not because the Sokolov Syndicate would’ve found her in a few days. But because the woods beyond this secret passage were home to venomous snakes and spiders.
Even with a flashlight, she still wouldn’t have been safe from those creeping creatures. Ellie didn’t know this, but I’d saved her life by stopping her from escaping.
She would’ve either been bitten by a venomous snake or the Sokolov Syndicate would’ve gotten to her. Either way, she would’ve been in bigger trouble.
At this point, the only safe place for her on earth was here. The more I thought about it, the more the crazy idea in my head began to take shape.
The Sokolov Syndicate already believed she was my fiancée. The Bratva, on the other hand, was still on my neck to find a wife. If I played this right, I could kill two birds with one stone.
My Uncle Pavel had made it clear that if I didn’t find myself a wife soon, the Bratva would do it for me. Taking Ellie as my bride would keep the Bratva off my back for good.
The elders might argue that the union wouldn’t be strategic, given that she’s not from a powerful family. They would object because the marriage wouldn’t benefit the organization in any way.
But that wasn’t something I’d bother with. At the appropriate time, I’d address the issue and clear the air—if I felt like it. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t. I owed no one an explanation. They wanted a wife; they’d have one.
I told myself that this marriage was a form of punishment since I wasn’t going to kill Ellie. But deep down, it wasn’t just a punishment; it was a way to secure her safety.
I didn’t go to her for three more days, and during that time she never stepped out of her room. Her door wasn’t locked from the outside, and I never gave her any instructions not to step out, as she used to.
She probably just chose solitude.
That evening, after work, I headed straight to her room, my polished shoes scuffing against the floor. Without knocking, I pushed the door open and waltzed inside.
My eyes scanned the interior, but there was no sign of her. I closed the door behind me and strolled further into the space, one hand in my pocket.
The bed was made to perfection, with pillows meticulously arranged at the headboard. The pearl necklace she wore to the gala sat on the bedside table, glinting in the soft light.
Chatter from the TV filled the room, a scene from a children’s cartoon. The air smelled faintly of her signature scent, mingling with the fragrance of fresh flowers.
I noticed the gray robe draped over the backrest of the wooden chair at her vanity, with a pair of red G-strings beneath it. A couple more paces and I heard the shower running in the bathroom.
She hadn’t attempted another escape, as I’d initially thought. She was only freshening up.
I sank into the nearby sofa, the fine leather crunching under my weight. With my legs crossed, I leaned back, relaxed, waiting for her to come out.
And eventually, she did.
The second she spotted me in her space, unannounced, she freaked out, almost jumping out of her skin.
“Jesus!” She flinched, and the towel around her body slipped off, pooling at her feet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…” She panicked, her hands flying to her chest as she bent to pick it up.
I didn’t react. Even though the fleeting sight stirred up something primal within me.
“What the hell?!” she snapped, her fingers securing the towel tightly around her body. “Don’t you know how to knock?!”
I hesitated for a moment. “You seem to forget your place, Miss Hendy.” My gaze locked with hers, drawn to the fire in her eyes. “You’re my prisoner, remember?”
She glared at me, her chest heaving with slow, controlled breaths. “Why are you here, Karik? What do you want with me?”
“The other day, you asked why we left the party in a hurry,” I began, fingers drumming on the armrest. “It’s because an enemy of mine had his eye on you.”
“Me?” She arched her brows. “Why?”
A pause.
“Because they thought you were my fiancée.”
Her eyes widened in shock, and she let out a stifled chuckle, laced with disbelief. “Your fiancée. Are they stupid or something?”
Silence.
The seriousness on my face dissolved that wry smile of hers within seconds.
She cleared her throat, fingers combing through her damp hair, the strands sticking to her wet skin.
“Wait.” Her brows furrowed as confusion settled over her gaze. “So you’re telling me the reason you made us leave the party on time was simply because one of your enemies had their eyes on your…‘fiancée’?”
“They want you dead,” I stated bluntly. “And they’re not gonna stop until you are.”
Her eyes widened in absolute fear. “What?”
“They’ve marked your face, Miss Hendy.” I rose to my feet. “There’s nowhere on earth you can go where they won’t find you.”
She blinked rapidly, her hand on her chest as if to keep her heart from jumping out. “Oh, my God. I’m gonna die…” she whimpered.
“You are.”
She raised her head, her face twisting into a frown as she glared at me.
“Unless….”
A flicker of hope flashed in her eyes. “Unless what?” Her tone held a hint of desperation.
“You do as I say.” I closed the distance between us.
She sneered. “That’s convenient for you, isn’t it?”
“Marry me.”
She froze, staring at me in utter shock.
“The only reason you’re still alive right now is because you’re with me,” I continued, my voice steady. “Outside these walls and without my protection, you’ll be dead within a day.”
“No. No….” She shook her head, her jaw tightening to mask the emotions surging through her. “No, you’re lying to me.”
“Now, why would I do that?”
“I don’t know—because you’re pure evil?!” She raised her voice, her tone dripping with pain and frustration.
“My last name would make you untouchable.”
“Yeah. Untouchable to everyone else but you. How convenient!” Her fiery eyes bore into mine. “You know what I think? I think you don’t give a shit about me. I think this is some sort of punishment, and it benefits you one way or another.” The words tumbled out in a rush.
Silence.
“You lack the capacity to care about someone else’s safety.” She slammed her fists into my chest. “So don’t pretend this ‘marriage’ isn’t about your secret agenda.”
I seized her wrists before the next rounds of punches landed on my chest. Her body stiffened, and she glared at me, seething in silence.
“You’re right,” I said, holding her gaze. “I do have a secret agenda. And you’re going to be my wife whether you like it or not.”
Her blood was boiling with rage as my grip tightened around her wrists. Her breathing was ragged, and the fear in her eyes was replaced by sheer anger.
I wasn’t sure exactly what I was feeling at the moment. But she wasn’t wrong about my secret agenda. Beyond keeping her safe, a part of me craved having her all to myself. The idea of her belonging to me alone had settled in.
“Preparations will begin immediately.” I let go of her. “I implore you to cooperate with everyone involved.”
She swallowed hard, rolling her wrists in a massaging motion. “You’re a monster, Karik.” Her words were laced with venom.
I’d been called worse.
Without responding to her, I adjusted my tie and began walking out the door.
“You’re a monster!” she yelled after me. “You hear me, Karik? You’re a monster!”