Chapter 5 - Elisse
“You’re staring into space again.”
I blinked, returning to the present. Misha’s voice cut through the overlapping noise of the dining room like a needle through silk. It was as precise as ever and annoyingly observant.
“I am not,” I said automatically.
“You are,” Zhenya countered from across the table, pointing her fork at me accusingly. “You’ve been smiling at absolutely nothing for the last five minutes. It’s rather unsettling, I would say.”
“I was thinking about something.”
“And what is that something if you don’t mind us asking?” Timofey drawled lazily, leaning back in his chair like the world existed purely for his amusement.
“A few designs were running through my head,” I replied smoothly. “A creative thought, actually. You should try it sometime.”
He clutched his chest theatrically. “You wound me, dear sister.”
Laughter erupted around the table.
The Chernykh dining room was never quiet.
Even on ordinary afternoons, it felt like the inside of a living organism, breathing, pulsing, and layered with conversation.
The long oak table was scattered with half-finished plates, empty wine glasses, Clara’s phone face down near her elbow, and Zhenya’s bracelets clinking as she gestured animatedly at something.
Ilana sat near the head of the table, glowing in a way that had nothing to do with lighting.
Anyone who looked at her could tell that marriage suited her.
Or maybe love did. There was a softness around her now that hadn’t existed before, something that made her look steadier.
Across from her, Clara leaned back in her chair like she owned the room.
Which, in many ways, she did. Even before she officially married Iosif, she had carried herself like someone unafraid of anything.
Iosif himself stood near the window, speaking quietly into his phone. Even relaxed, he radiated command. Messy dark blond hair, blue eyes too sharp to miss anything. When he hung up, his gaze swept the room once, instinctively checking up on everyone.
Always checking.
Avgust moved through the space like a shadow.
Efficient and controlled. His presence was less loud than Iosif’s but just as heavy.
He paused briefly behind Ilana, resting his hand on the back of her chair without looking at her.
It was both possessive and protective and most certainly a sign of their budding romance.
Timofey was the only one who made it look easy as he reclined on the sofa with a smirk on his handsome face. I could see how he was pretending he didn’t notice the exits every time someone new entered the room, but his eyes were everywhere all at once.
This was what being a Chernykh looked like. Noise and warmth layered over steel. And I felt slightly outside of it all. At least today. It was rare for everyone to be home at the same time, but today was just one of those afternoons that made the mansion look crowded.
My gaze drifted to the sunlight spilling across the polished floor. To the faint shimmer of Clara’s silk blouse. To the way Ilana absentmindedly twisted her wedding ring as she listened to something Zhenya was saying.
And just then, without warning, my mind began to replay a very familiar pair of dark eyes behind a matte black mask, followed by a large hand resting possessively at my waist.
You’re not afraid.
My stomach tightened as his voice filled my eardrums, reminding me of exactly where his mouth had been when he had whispered those words.
A slow warmth filled my body, making me want to get up and make my way to his penthouse even though I knew I would never be allowed inside, and I would never even find him there.
I didn’t even know his real name after all.
“You’re doing it again,” Misha said.
I forced myself back to the present. “Doing what?”
“Leaving the earth and traveling in space.”
“I’m sitting right here.”
“Physically,” she clarified. “But all of us can see that your mind is definitely somewhere else.”
Zhenya narrowed her eyes at me. “Okay. Now I’m curious. What is it?”
“You two need to stop being so dramatic all the time,” I muttered.
Timofey leaned forward suddenly. “Did you meet someone? Is this about a man? People usually only smile this way when they are in love.”
I choked on my water at the sudden question, and the table went silent for a few seconds as I felt the slight shift. It was subtle but immediate as Iosif’s gaze flicked toward me and Avgust stilled. Even Ilana looked up, something careful settling in her expression.
“I did not,” I said smoothly.
“Liar,” Zhenya sang. I turned to look at her sharply and noticed the smile on her face, realizing she might even know that I was still thinking about the man from the masquerade.
The mischievousness of her smile was enough to tell me that she did.
Clara’s eyes narrowed slightly, not suspicious but simple assessing.
“So where did you meet this man?” Timofey pressed.
“Nowhere.”
“At the masquerade?” Misha guessed, hitting exactly the right spot.
My pulse jumped, but I kept my face neutral.
“I danced with someone, yes,” I said lightly. “It was a masquerade after all, and that’s the whole point.”
“With?” Timofey asked.
“A man.”
Iosif stepped closer to the table attentively, clearly invested in the conversation. “And do you know who this person was?” he asked calmly. I could sense the concern in his voice.
I set my fork down deliberately.
“It was anonymous,” I said. “That was the appeal. I didn’t need to know who he was, and he didn’t need to know me.”
Avgust’s voice cut in, colder. “Anonymous doesn’t mean harmless, Elisse.”
“I know that.”
“Do you?” he asked.
My spine straightened instinctively. “Yes.”
Timofey studied me with uncharacteristic seriousness. “Did he touch you?”
“We were dancing, Tim. What do you think?” I asked bluntly, my annoyance growing.
“He kissed you?” Clara asked, a soft smile playing on her lips.
“Yes.”
Iosif’s jaw tightened slightly.
“Who was he?” Avgust asked.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s not amusing, Elisse.”
“I’m not trying to be amusing, Iosif. I am just telling you guys, exactly what you wanted to know.”
“Then tell us who he is.”
“If I had known, I would have most certainly told you guys,” I repeated. “But I promise I have no idea.”
There was silence around us, heavy and unsettling.
“You went home with him,” Ilana said quietly.
It was not a question, so I held her gaze. Zhenya was completely silent throughout the conversation because she was one of the two people who knew about it.
“Yes. I did.”
The word fell into the center of the table like a stone dropped into still water.
Misha’s mouth fell open. “You what? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”
Timofey blinked slowly. “Well.”
Iosif didn’t raise his voice because he didn’t need to. His silence and calm were commanding enough for everyone to be silent and focus on him.
“Was he rough with you?”
“No.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“Did he threaten you?”
“No.”
Avgust leaned forward slightly. “Then what did he want?”
I swallowed.
“Me.”
The honesty surprised even me, and the room went very still.
Ilana watched me carefully without a single speck of judgment on her face.
In fact, I could see that she was the most understanding out of everyone.
She placed her hand on mine in quiet support, and I truly appreciated that.
It felt as if my brothers were adamant on turning this into a huge thing when it clearly wasn’t.
“That’s not something you gamble on,” Avgust said.
“I didn’t gamble.”
“You left with a stranger and went to his house, Elisse. You know better than anyone else how dangerous that is for anyone, but it is even more dangerous for someone like you.”
“Yes, Iosif. I am aware.”
“You are a Chernykh.”
“There it is,” I said quietly. The surname that comes with an invisible weight stitched into my spine.
Iosif’s voice softened slightly. “Being a Chernykh means people see opportunity where you see freedom.”
“I know.”
“Then why?” he asked.
I hesitated.
Because how could I explain that for one night, I hadn’t been Elisse Chernykh. I had just been Elle, and he didn’t know who I was or what name or family I belonged to. I had chosen him because of chemistry, not blood.
“Because I wanted to,” I said finally, once again causing everyone to grow silent. It wasn’t anger that filled the room, but concern and fear, which only made it all worse.
Timofey leaned back again, though the humor didn’t fully return to his face. “Did he know who you were?”
“Obviously not. I gave him a fake name and everything.”
“Good,” Avgust muttered.
Iosif studied me for a long moment. “Make sure that you don’t see him again and especially don’t see him again at a place where he finds out your real identity,” he said calmly.
It wasn’t an order but an expectation that came with Iosif wanting me to be careful. Something in me resisted immediately, even though I knew he meant well. He wanted the best for me. My entire family did.
“You don’t know that,” I replied instead, meeting his gaze. My brothers didn’t scare me and never made me feel as if I couldn’t be myself around them. I already knew I only needed to call their name and they would stand beside me through everything.
His gaze sharpened.
“Elisse.”
“I’m not announcing an engagement,” I said. “It was just one night.”
“And that one night can become leverage for the right enemy,” Avgust said.
“I wasn’t followed, and I am pretty certain he wasn’t from our world.”
“How do you know?” Timofey asked quietly.
The question lodged under my skin. I thought of the elevator and the penthouse.
The way he’d held me afterward and allowed me to fall asleep in his arms. He hadn’t felt like a threat at all.
He was controlled and had seemed dangerous, but not in the way most bratva men did. He had just been different.
“He wasn’t interested in my name or knowing anything personal about me,” I said softly.
Iosif’s eyes darkened slightly. “That makes him either very smart or very reckless.”
“Or honest,” Ilana said gently.
Everyone looked at her. She met Avgust’s gaze without flinching.
“I didn’t fall in love with a name either. Not everyone is always interested in last names and who a person is or can be. Sometimes, it really is just about hearts and chemistry,” she added.
The room shifted, but no one argued. Even Avgust nodded at her and simply exhaled slowly. Iosif rubbed a hand over his jaw, taking a seat at the table beside Clara.
“Elisse,” he said carefully, “if this man resurfaces, you tell us. If he comes after you, finds out who you are, or tries to do anything rash, you will not indulge in it yourself and tell me at once. I will handle the rest.”
“I can handle myself, Iosif. Have some faith in me.”
“I know you can, but that’s not the point.”
“It never is,” I murmured.
Clara’s gaze softened slightly. “We’re not trying to cage you.”
“I know.”
“But we will always protect you. You know damned well it is my duty to protect you and keep you safe, so please don’t make my job harder than it should be,” Iosif finished.
There was no arguing with that. Protection and surveillance wore the same face in this family, and dating was never just dating, just like interest was never just attraction.
Anyone who got too close to a Chernykh risked becoming collateral damage or a weapon.
That is exactly why I had left him that day, even when he hadn’t wanted me to go.
I could see how much he had wanted me to stay for breakfast, and I had clearly said no.
Because I couldn’t afford to get attached to someone I didn’t know. And someone who might not be a part of this world. It would be a cruelty to drag him into this. This mess.
I pushed my chair back gently.
“I have to leave now,” I said.
“For what?” Zhenya asked.
“The fashion show.”
Misha perked up instantly. “The one downtown?”
“Yes.”
“I am noticing that you are attending more and more of these things. Are you finally deciding to design your own collection?” Timofey teased.
“No.”
“You should,” Clara said. “You’re wasting time assisting other designers.”
“I’m not wasting time.”
“You’re hiding,” Zhenya countered.
I forced a smile. “I’m learning.”
The truth burned hotter because all of them knew I wanted my own line and my own name on a runway.
But ambition and danger didn’t mix cleanly in our world, and I wasn’t sure whether I should take a step that would directly throw me into the limelight.
But I didn’t have time for any of that. Not right now.
“I’ll be late,” I said, grabbing my bag, practically running out of the room as quickly as I could.
Stepping out, I breathed a huge sigh of relief at the escape.
As I walked onto the driveway, the air suddenly felt different.
Slightly heavier than usual. The estate gates loomed ahead, security cameras glinting in the afternoon sun.
And then, it hit me. It was the same sensation from the masquerade.
It felt like awareness, sharp and deliberate, as if eyes were pressing against my skin.
I paused mid-step, suddenly confused. I walked farther and scanned the street beyond the gates, but saw nothing and no one.
Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing wrong.
But the feeling lingered, making my pulse tick faster.
As I slid into my car and drove away, I couldn’t shake the sensation.
Like someone was watching deliberately. But he wouldn’t come after me here, right?
It was impossible. The Chernykh mansion was fortified so well that no one even lingered nearby, and he didn’t even know who I was.
I was just imagining things. I took a deep breath and made my way towards the venue.
I had a fashion show to attend.