Chapter Seventeen #2
I sank onto the couch, remembering it was the spot where I found him struggling with his sickness. The memory was a quiet reminder that, no matter how powerful he was, his sickness was my weapon if I ever needed one.
But thinking like that was dangerous. I exhaled, pushing the thought away, and rested my head against the armrest.
Sleep dragged me under before I had time to fight it. And with sleep came the dreams.
In the depths of my subconscious, I saw myself kneeling before Artur. He had a knife in his hand that he spun between his fingers, playing with it as though deciding how deep to cut. My chest tightened with fear, my voice shaking as I begged him to spare me.
His hand snapped forward, releasing the knife. It hurtled toward me, straight for my chest.
I jolted awake, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
My hand clutched my chest as if expecting to find a wound there.
Artur was breaking me, piece by piece, driving me toward insanity.
And it was working. I let out a slow, unsteady breath and shifted, rolling onto my side, attempting to calm my racing heart.
But the moment my eyes adjusted to the light, I froze. Artur was there, seated on the single-seater sofa across from me.
A scream lodged in my throat, but I swallowed it down.
His gaze pinned me in place. The way he sat made him look powerful, legs slightly spread, hands resting on the armrests as if he owned the entire world and had no reason to rush.
His outfit was casual: black jeans and a black cargo shirt that fit him.
The fabric stretched just enough to hide the strength beneath.
Everything about him screamed dominance, control, danger. Even in my dreams, he haunted me. And now, here he was, watching me.
Pushing my legs off the couch, I tugged down the hem of my skirt. He had already seen more than enough. I stood, my instincts screaming at me to escape his sight.
“Good morning,” I said, forcing a calm tone. “I see you’re finally awake. I waited to ask where you’d like to take your breakfast.”
“Sit.” He commanded. I hesitated for half a second before obeying. The son of whoever gave birth to him was always demanding. “Don’t you think I deserve an explanation after sending my most important client away?”
“Sorry?”
“We couldn’t discuss business in the office with a woman snoring like a dying dog.”
“I don’t snore,” I said defensively.
His brow lifted. “Does that sound like an explanation?”
What did he mean by… did he turn away an important client so I could sleep? I exhaled, choosing my words carefully. He watched me, his eyes cold.
“In my defense, I was waiting for you to show up, and I ended up napping.”
He leaned back in his chair, studying me. “Napping?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Hmm.” His fingers reached for the glass on the table beside him, and he took a slow sip, eyes still on me. “A nap is a brief sleep. It shouldn’t last for hours, should it?”
“You’re right,” I admitted.
“So, tell me, Alessia,” he continued, setting the glass down with a deliberate clink. “If I went out, attended a meeting, and returned to find you still sleeping, does that count as a nap?”
My gaze shifted to the window. The sun was blinding, its heat radiating through the glass. That wasn’t morning sun.
Shit. “I—I can explain,” I stammered.
“Good. Explain why you were sleeping in my office instead of the quarters.”
Panic pricked my skin. He always took matters into his own hands, and who knew what he would do if he knew the girls had locked the door? I couldn’t let something happen, so I thought of a believable lie.
“It’s… confidential,” I said, twisting my fingers together. His expression didn’t change, but the way he lifted his glass again told me he wasn’t buying it. “You see, I like to be alone during my period.”
He stared at me over the rim of his glass, but I kept a straight face. Without warning, he slammed the empty glass onto the table, the sound slicing through the quiet.
“What color are your eyes, Alessia?”
Thrown off by the sudden question, I blinked. “Hazel.”
“Light or dark?”
“Uh … light,” I murmured. I had no idea where this was going.
“Interesting.” He studied me for a moment. “They get darker when you lie. Ever noticed that?”
“No,” I lied again. “That’s not true.”
“So I’m lying?”
“Well… as much as you claim to hate lies, you live in a world of lies.”
What the hell are you doing, Alessia?
A slow smirk curled his lips. “Really?” He leaned back, stretching one arm over the couch. “Tell me more.”
“You live with people who lie to your face, which makes you a liar by association,” I said carefully.
The temperature in the room dropped, and his expression darkened.
I couldn’t hold his gaze anymore, so I dropped my eyes to my lap.
“And about the deal, I feel you used my drunken state to manipulate me. Although I don’t know what the deal is. ”
“You see,” he leaned closer, his elbow pressed on his knee. “A deal is a deal, Little Gem. You and I made one.” He studied me. “I don’t back out of deals. I hold up my end. And soon enough, you’ll hold up yours.”
A chill slithered down my spine. He was dead serious. What the hell did I agree to? I swallowed and asked, “Can you at least remind me what the deal was?”
I had no idea what it took to get on his good side, if he even had one. His life seemed empty, filled with nothing but loneliness, power, and control.
“Does it involve my death?” I pressed on.
“Leave.” His voice was deceptively calm.
“This isn’t fair.”
He smirked. “You have seen nothing yet, Little Gem.”
Little Gem? I thought I misheard him the first time. What the fuck was that, and why did it feel so familiar? A memory flashed through my mind. I was on his lap, arms around his shoulders, whispering for him to say my name.
Wait. I gasped, locking eyes with him as his voice echoed in my head. “Rodion Konstantinov.”
Rodion Konstantinov?
Was that his name? No. But the way his expression changed after I mentioned his name made me believe so. But I needed answers to one more question.
“So, you won’t kill me?”
He scoffed, his voice dropping to something rougher. “I’ve changed my mind. I won’t kill you or let anyone touch you.”
That sounded worse. “Why?” I whispered.
A slow smirk ghosted his lips. “How could I kill someone who’s going to give me what I desire?”
I shivered. “What do you desire?”
“Don’t flatter yourself.“ He stood, glancing at his watch. “Now, go see the doctor and do exactly what I’ve instructed.”
“The doctor?”
“When you’re done, come to me with the results.”
And just like that, he walked to his table and began his work for the day. Only one thought echoed in my head.
I had signed a deal with the devil.