Chapter Seven
Emilia’s POV.
Friday night was tense, with Viktor seething over my escape attempt while I sat frozen at the foot of the bed.
He shuffled around, clearly not expecting me to pick up on his annoyance as he not-so-quietly huffed and puffed.
When he finally dropped his phone on the right nightstand and turned towards me, his gruff “Go to sleep, it’s late,” was further confirmation.
Thankfully, the bed was large enough for me to sleep on the left side with ample space between us.
The only problem was that sleeping itself was quite hard.
I couldn’t stop wondering if I’d be able to escape and if my dad really wouldn’t come for me.
Exhaustion eventually caught up with me somewhere in between my thoughts, and I woke up to a bright room and an empty bed.
It was my first day as someone’s wife, and nothing was like what I’d always imagined－well, except for the wardrobe of new, sexy lingerie in the closet.
One would think that, upon marrying the opposite of the man of my dreams, I would now be focused on the way forward in my situation.
But I couldn’t help contrasting my current situation with how I had always planned and hoped it would be.
A different staff member knocked and brought me breakfast just as I was stepping out of the closet in a fresh outfit.
I had chosen the knee-length floral dress for its long sleeves and the softness of the cotton fabric.
Not that there weren’t several casual outfits to choose from in the first place.
Hours later, I found myself in bed with nothing to do and too much to think about. I knew it was lunch when the knocks came again.
“Come in,” I called, dragging my upper body off the bed.
“I brought your food, ma,” the same middle-aged woman informed as she entered the room with another tray.
“Again,” I stressed, chuckling as she took the tray to the stool between the dresser and the leather sofa.
“I...it’s lunch ma,”
“I know. Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound rude or anything,” I rushed, standing from the bed.
“I understand, ma,” she offered, smiling.
“I wish I did,” I mumbled. “Please, let’s not do the ‘ma’ thing. I’m Emilia. What’s your name?”
“I’m Mina, but I can’t address you by your name, ma. It’s a disrespect to the Pakhan,” she explained.
“Tell him I insisted. That’ll transfer whatever the penalty is to me, right?” I pointed out, approaching the sofa beside her.
“The…I don’t…”
“Okay, tell him I forced you to, tell him whatever. Come on, what are the odds of him being here when we talk?”
She sighed, and I took it as a wordless concession.
“Please, sit. There are no rules against conversation, I hope.”
“Not really,” she answered with a giggle as she sat on the sofa. “It would have been, but Sir Viktor specifically asked my sister and me to make you comfortable and do anything you wanted.”
“Oh.”
The thought of Viktor asking his staff to do my every bidding shouldn’t make me feel warm inside, but it did. Even the memory of his threat last night wasn’t enough to overshadow how it made me feel cared for.
Am I losing my mind?
“You’re special to him,” she disclosed, her voice even more gentle.
“Of course, I’m more valuable alive,” I answered. “You mentioned a sister. Are you…”
“I’m Ksenia’s aunt; her mother is my older sister.”
“Wow. I should have seen the resemblance.”
Her chestnut brown eyes were the same as Ksenia’s, even though she wasn’t as skinny.
“She handles serving food, but there is a different arrangement for the Pakhan’s suite, from the cleaners to the dry cleaners. I serve the food up here. We all cook, but my sister is the main cook.”
“Aren’t you lucky?” I sarcastically remarked.
“Although the boss is picky and very particular, working up here isn’t as hard as taking the stairs. It’s not a difficult endeavor.”
“Ksenia said he pays well. That’s enough to make it a lot less difficult.”
“No, it’s not about the money,” she clarified. “Sir Viktor is not so hard to work for. I can’t speak for his men, though. They see more of his powerful side.”
“You know what? I’m done discussing your boss,” I revealed, relaxing into the sofa.
“You’re clearly not used to being around mafia people,” she started, an uncertain look crossing her face. “There is a limit to what the men are allowed to disclose in the kitchen or around us, but we know the marriage wasn’t planned.”
“Right,” I muttered.
“But you can be happy here. I have a strong intuition that never misleads me,” she revealed.
“That might have been possible if I were another girl. I’m the wrongest match for your boss,” I remarked.
Her understanding smile told me she wasn’t quite convinced. But she dropped the subject, and that was all that mattered.
I was alone again after Mina carried both trays out of the room. Until Viktor arrived in the middle of the night and headed straight into the bathroom, thankfully making it easy for me to return to my sought-after sleep.
I didn’t know there would be a reception until Viktor told me on Sunday morning.
“It’ll be more of a dinner affair. I’ll be here by 6 to pick you up. Your dress will be delivered before then,” he’d informed before stepping out of the room.
The dress, accompanied by a different makeup artist, arrived a few minutes before 4. By the time Viktor got back, I was ready and sitting on the dresser chair with my elbows on the dresser.
“We leave in fifteen minutes,” he simply disclosed as he went over to the bathroom.
Is it my mind, or did his eyes linger on my reflection just a bit too long?
Whatever. I’d rather not notice disturbing things like that.
I instinctively stood when he resurfaced, all dressed.
His navy blue tie matched my shimmery, silk dress.
The black detachable lace sleeves matched his suit, and I almost asked if he intentionally matched our outfits.
The halter neck of my dress made my neck look longer and made my face more prominent.
I loved how effortless the makeup was; my lips were covered in transparent lip gloss while my eyes were slightly highlighted with bluish-black eyeshadow.
He didn’t spare me a glance as he walked past the dresser, and I followed him out the door, killing every idea of him admiring me.
Why does that make me feel uneasy?
The reception was a nightmare. It was an event from hell that served no purpose except for illuminating the hopelessness of my situation.
What was I expecting from a wedding reception on Sunday when Saturdays existed, anyway?
Not until I was ascending the stairs did I realize that I had been stomping off on my own, and Viktor wasn’t behind or in front of me. However, my consideration of another escape attempt was squashed as quickly as it came when two of his men appeared on the landing as I approached.
Point taken.
I was heavier than I felt when Viktor spun the sudden marriage plan on me as I entered the bedroom and rested my back against the door.
I had thought I hated the few parties I’d accompanied my dad to, where his so-called allies didn’t look or sound a tad trustworthy.
But this reception was several times worse.
Not only did virtually every single person look suspicious, but the air in the hall felt stifling with dangerous energy.
Okay, I met Isabella. That’s the bright side.
I took my heels off and walked slowly towards the bed, sitting at the edge.
Isabella’s breezy personality and sure confidence put her in the category of the type of girls to whom I was invisible in college.
So, it was surprising to hear her ask question after question about me, like someone who had just met a new friend and was interested in knowing them better.
My lips curved in a small smile as I remembered when she told Viktor she liked me.
But my smile vanished at the thought of the red-haired lady who walked up to me to ask me if I thought I could handle a powerful leader like Viktor and strolled off in her undersized sequined dress before I could utter a word.
However, the highlight was the rather short conversation I had with the older man whom Isabella later identified as a congressman.
All my anger and hatred for Viktor couldn’t stop me from feeling grateful to Viktor for cutting into the conversation.
I totally had no idea what I would have said in return to his subtle threat.
Yet my gratefulness changed to anger at him. He put me in this situation, after all.
The congressman was damn right about my being in danger. The simple realization cooled my insides with dread.
If my dad’s debt put me in danger before, marrying Viktor, a mob boss, put me in double danger.
I’m not safe.
Viktor’s enemies would have me as an easy target, while my dad’s rivals would also be looking to harm me just to hurt him.
And where the hell is my dad?
Grabbing a pillow, I screamed out my frustration.
I dropped the pillow on my lap as the tears slid down my face.
“It’s been days,” I cried, my voice low. “Am I that worthless to him? His only child?”
I slid to the floor with the pillow in my hands. I screamed into it until the tears couldn’t be held back again.
“Is this how my life ends?” I whispered to myself amidst sobs.
I didn’t hear the sound of the door opening. I just looked up, and Viktor materialized through my blurry vision.
“Emilia,” he uttered as I wiped my face with the back of my hand.
Refusing to answer, I threw the pillow to the side and rose from the floor to sit at the foot of the bed.
“Emilia,” he persisted, coming closer to the bed. “Did anything happen?”
“You happened, that’s it,” I lashed out, craning my neck to look at him.
“What…” he started with a slight frown before I interrupted him, jumping to my feet.
“You came into my life and ruined everything!” I declared.
“But I guess that’s nothing new for a criminal of your caliber.
Now, both your enemies and my dad’s rivals have me as a target.
I’m exposed in front of the whole world, and everyone with the tiniest reason to harm me now knows who my dad is and who I married. I’m in danger, even by your side!”
“Emilia, I won’t…”
“And my dad!” I went on, cutting him off again. “He goes on with his life without doing anything to the man who has his daughter. He discarded me like I was never worth…”
I practically choked on the sobs that stopped my words.
When he came closer, I had expected Viktor to tell me to my face that this was my life now and I should suck it up. Which explained why I froze for a second as he wrapped his arms around me.
My chest heaved with reinforced sobs as he pulled me into his chest.
“Stop wasting your tears on a man who does not care about you or your well-being.”
I couldn’t hold back. I cried against his chest, and he did nothing but hold me firmly against his body.
It was an unexpected but much-needed comfort, and I took it with both hands. My hands entwined around his lower back as he stroked my hair that had come down from the half-updo the makeup artist had fashioned.
There was no sane explanation for the possibility of his really caring for me. I was collateral, he never stopped reminding me.
So, why does this warm me up from the inside?
I didn’t know how long we remained like that: his steady, almost imperceptible breath slowing my raging one until we were in rhythm.
The sound of a ringtone pierced the peaceful quiet, and his left arm left my shoulders.
“Dimitri,” he uttered, his voice commanding.
It hit me right there and then that it was the direct opposite of how he called my name every single time.
“Boss, it’s done.” Dimitri’s rough voice cut through my thoughts.
“And cleared?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Good. Meet me in my home office.”
“Yes, boss.”
What followed was a single bleep.
“What’s done?” I inquired, my voice raspy, as he slipped the phone back into his pocket.
He was silent for a moment before saying, “You should change into comfortable clothes and rest. I have to go attend to some work. I’ll join you later.”
He released his hold, and I took a step back as I answered with a silent, “Okay.”
For some reason I didn’t understand, I felt too raw to meet his gaze. His embrace seemed to have opened something up in me. Something I wasn’t sure I wanted to explore yet.
Just before he turned around, I noticed something.
“I…I’ve stained your suit,” I revealed, pointing at the foundation smeared all over the chest area of his suit.
“It’s nothing,” he dismissed, looking at the stain. “I was going to change anyway.”
He went straight into the closet, and I sat at the foot of the bed. He emerged from the closet in a black shirt tucked into what looked like the same black pair of pants he had on before.
Has he always been this handsome?
His dark hair shone in the light, and his dark outfit added a mysterious kind of charm to his physique.
“Make sure you rest,” he instructed, stopping in front of me for a second.
“Yeah,” I breathed, looking away as soon as I lifted my eyes to meet his.
I warred with myself as I watched him walk to the door.
“Viktor,” I called out tentatively.
He pivoted, the clear surprise in his gaze almost pinning my tongue down.
“Thank you,” I uttered, my voice coming out lower than I had intended.
“You’ve never called my name before,” he remarked slowly.
I had nothing to say to that, so I simply blinked as he turned back around and left.
Shaking unwarranted thoughts out of my head, I went to the bathroom to wash off my makeup. Then I headed into the closet to change into a pair of silky pajama pants and a shirt. I felt better and lighter as I picked up the TV remote and crawled up the bed.
I finally settled on a channel showing a documentary on Egyptian caves after flicking through countless others.
Of course, there were many channels showing the type of romance movies I liked.
The small problem was that I didn’t want to make use of that part of my brain or emotions just yet.
I was already loaded with more than enough conflicting emotions for one day.
The documentary soon got boring, and I resumed flicking through channels again. Most channels were now casting news.
“Must be 9 pm already,” I said to myself.
My thumb halted over the remote control as a face stared at me from the television. It was just a headshot, but it hadn’t been long enough for me to forget his face.
The congressman from earlier tonight.
I held on to the remote control as I listened to the details of the news.
“...was reported missing before his severely mutilated body was found…”
I pressed the remote, not wanting to hear any more about it. The comedy show was merely a moving picture as I thought back to the call Viktor took just a few minutes ago. Then his steely stare as he cut into the congressman’s conversation back at the reception came to mind.
I wasn’t just wondering; I was sure.
Viktor did it.
For me.
Nobody ever chastised someone because of me, let alone hurt someone for me. But the man to whom I’d only been married for three days had killed someone for me.
I wasn’t so naive as to think he didn’t inflict pain on others in his line of work. But, killing them? That was a whole different, horrifying turf.
But he did it for me.
Does he truly care?
But that man definitely had a wife and probably children.
And here I am, mentally swooning at the thought of my husband killing someone who verbally hurt me.
Real, literal, never-wake-up death.
Oh my, what’s happening to my brain?