“Greedy bitch, I’ll destroy your pussy this time,” Viktor growls, giving added confirmation they were together on our wedding day.
Disappointment and anger roil in my stomach, keeping me rooted to the spot. The incidents Lorelai told me about happened when Viktor and I weren’t engaged, so while I was upset, I tried to deal with it. This is different, and I realize how foolish I’ve been.
I was the innocent, naïve fool whose father wrapped her in a ball of cotton to preserve her virginity for a man who couldn’t even be true to her on their wedding day.
Viktor pulls her closer to him and suddenly he sees my reflection in the mirror, watching them fucking.
Immediately he stops his furious pounding and stares back at me, horror tainting his face as he realizes I heard what they said too. And I’m here witnessing what they’re doing.
“Fuck, Anastasia. I’m…”
I don’t wait for him to finish or pull out of Megan properly before I rush out the door. But in my clumsiness, I stumble and drop my purse, sending all my lipsticks, my phone, and keys rolling out.
Cursing myself, I bend down to pick them up, and have the misfortune of hearing Viktor arguing with Megan.
“Are you kidding me? You’re going to her? Didn’t she just marry your brother?” Megan is practically shouting in that irritating squeaky voice I’ve always hated, so I’d be able to hear her even if I were on the other side of the globe. “We’ve been fucking nearly every day for the last five years, and you said we would never stop. What the hell is wrong with you?”
As more truth spews out of her mouth, I realize I’m an even bigger fool. Viktor was never true to me.
Never. And he was never going to be, no matter what contract bound us together.
Acontract is exactly what I was. A person who was bred to be a wife and fulfill a business arrangement.
The tears that are never far away stream down my cheeks, and I curse myself again.
They aren’t from seeing them together, but for the hurt I feel for believing so much in a man who was never going to love me.
I gather my things and run down the hall just before Viktor steps out of the bathroom, but I’m not fast enough. I just manage to get down the stairs to the floor I was previously on when he grabs my arm.
“Anastasia, wait.”
“Let go of me, you cheating asshole.” I try to wrench my arm free of his grasp, but he holds on tighter. And now we have the attention of people around us.
“She meant nothing. I wanted to be with you.”
“That’s bullshit. Let me go.”
Instead of releasing me, he yanks me hard toward him and to my shock, crushes his lips to mine.
Chapter34
Anastasia
Viktor kisses me like he never has before, and everything feels wrong about it.
Shock siphons the blood from my body, stealing my senses, and I’m like a ragdoll in his arms, unable to break out of his hold.
“Hey!” Desmier’s voice booms over us like a roar of thunder and Viktor pulls away, leaving me feeling worse than I did moments ago.
Desmier saw us kissing. And so did Zakh and Malik and everyone else.
Viktor releases my arm when Desmier rushes forward. His hand is already balled into a fist, which connects with Viktor’s face the instant he reaches us.
Viktor strikes back, catching Desmier in the same place, then they start throwing punches like they did weeks ago at the house.
It takes Zakh and Malik to pull them apart. Zakh takes Desmier and Malik Viktor. But they’re still growling and cursing like hell beasts.
It’s only when Desmier cuts me a glance and sees the tears streaming down my cheeks that he seems to realize something else happened before the kiss.