Chapter 152
“I loved her,” Akim shoots back, voice rising. “She left me. Don’t pretend you’ve ever felt anything more than possession for a woman in your life.”
That does it.
Dimitri lunges.
I step back as the two of them crash into the bench behind us, the clatter drawing gasps from a nearby couple and some old woman with a bejewelled clutch. The men shout, fists flying, wrestling like frat boys at a testosterone convention while I just… blink.
I glance at a startled hotel employee. “I’d call security if I were you. Before one of them starts bleeding on the florals.”
Then I slip away with the exhausted grace of a woman whose tolerance for bullshit has been fully depleted. I make it to the elevator, press the button three times like that’ll make it come faster.
It’s not until I’m alone inside, mirrored walls reflecting the remnants of chaos clinging to my dress and hair, that the wave of nausea passes.
I just want my room. A drink. Some silence.
When the elevator dings, I step into the hallway, heels muffled against plush carpet. My suite’s at the end. I pull out my keycard, counting the doors to distract myself from the headache blooming behind my eyes.
One more door.
I turn the handle.
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And walk straight into the sound of moaning.
I freeze.
My eyes flick up.
There, tangled in the hotel’s obscenely overpriced sheets, is Lyle and Anastasia.
Akim’s fiancée.
My fucking cousin.
Doing the most enthusiastic impersonation of a porno I’ve ever had the misfortune of witnessing live.
I actually let out a snort. Is this a fucking soap opera?
TESSA
It takes exactly three seconds for Anastasia to register me. She eyes me lazily, a grin spreading on her face. Lyle jerks away like he’s been tasered and scrambles to cover up what I can never unsee.
I just stare. Blank. Numb.
Then I slowly back out of the room, pulling the door shut with the same care someone might use to contain a wild animal.
I stand there for a moment, breathing.
And then I laugh.
Unhinged. Quiet. Maybe a little hysterical.
—
Because really what else is there left to do?
So I open the door again.
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And walk back in.
Lyle’s halfway into his boxers, clumsy and red–faced, muttering something no one’s listening to.
“Tess, please,” he says, rushing toward me. “It wasn’t—I didn’t think you’d get here this early-”
I step back, avoiding his touch by a fraction. “So to kill time you might as well fuck your date’s cousin? Wonderful.”
He flinches like he’s been slapped. “I’m sorry, Tessie, I—”
I raise a hand. He stops mid–sentence like I’ve cast a spell on him.
Anastasia lounges on the bed, completely unbothered, silk sheet barely covering her. Her smile is dazzling. Vicious.
“О, кузен,” she purrs, thick Russian accent dripping with sugar and spite. “Смотри, кого я нашла. Разве он не красавчик? Мне просто пришлось с ним немного поиграть…”
(Oh, cousin. Look who I found. Isn’t he handsome? I just had to play with him a little…)
“Of course you did,” I say smoothly. “You’ve never had a personality, so you might as well collect mine.”
Her smile flickers, just slightly. She rolls her eyes. “God, you’re still so dramatic. You act like I steal the guys you see, but it’s not my fault they’re bored.”
My lips curl. “Right. Then they trip and fall into your vagina.”
Anastasia shrugs. “Men aren’t loyal, Taisiya. That’s not news. But at least I don’t pretend to be shocked when they want me instead.”
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Lyle takes a step toward me again. “Don’t listen to her. It didn’t mean anything,” he says desperately. “I was stupid. Please, Tessa–can we just talk? Just us?”
―
I look at him – really look at him and something in me goes ice
cold.
—
“I’m not mad that you slept with her,” I say. “I’m embarrassed that you thought you could worm your way back into my life after fucking my cousin.”
He opens his mouth again. I don’t give him the chance.
I glance at him. Then back at her.
“Congratulations,” I say coolly. “You can have him. Just like the men before him. They always crawl to you eventually.”
I lean in.
“But remember – they always crawl back when they realise you’re all pretty packaging and no soul.”
Her smile falls off, leaving a nasty scowl in its place. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“You can ask Akim, but I guess you’re in no position to do that, right?” I eye them both up and scoff. “Considering you’re two sides of a fucking coin.”
I turn. Pause at the door.
“Have fun. And try not to fake it too obviously.”
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Chapter 153
