Chapter 36 Marlena
I left the suite at noon, while Nikolai was in the shower.
I didn't leave a note to tell him where I was going.
Just grabbed my purse and walked out, closing the door quietly behind me.
Monaco was beautiful in the daylight. All white buildings and blue water and flowers spilling from every balcony.
Tourists wandered the streets with cameras.
Wealthy locals sat at outdoor cafes, sipping espresso and looking bored with paradise.
I walked without direction, my feet carrying me through winding streets and designer boutiques I'd never afford.
Even as Marie Laurent, the wealthy art consultant, everything here felt out of reach.
This wasn't my world. It never would be.
But I looked at the shops anyway. I watched the people and pretended I was just another tourist seeing the sights.
My mind was elsewhere, on the photo of Elena and Dmitri, Viktor's face in those auction pictures and on Nikolai's expression when I'd asked about the connection between our families.
You don't understand yet.
The words played on repeat in my head, making me angrier each time.
What didn't I understand? What truth was so terrible he couldn't tell me?
I passed a tourist shop, the kind that sold cheap souvenirs and overpriced postcards.
Something in the window caught my eye.
A display of pocket knives. They were small, decorative ones, decorative, the kind people bought as gifts or keepsakes.
I went inside.
The shop smelled like sunscreen and air freshener.
A bored teenager sat behind the counter, scrolling through her phone.
I browsed the knife display, my heart pounding.
"Can I help you?" the girl asked in French.
"Just looking," I replied in the same language.
She went back to her phone.
I picked up one of the knives. It was small, maybe three inches folded. The handle was fake mother-of-pearl, tacky and cheap but the blade was sharp. I tested it carefully with my thumb.
It was sharp enough to cut and sharp enough to protect myself if I needed to.
"How much?" I asked.
"Fifteen euros."
I paid in cash and slipped the knife into my purse.
The girl barely looked up.
I left the shop feeling steadier and more prepared for what, I wasn't entirely sure but having a weapon felt right.
The afternoon passed slowly.
I sat at a cafe, ordering coffee I didn't drink. I walked along the harbor, watching yachts drift past and tried not to think about what tomorrow would bring.
The auction. Villa Rêverie. Viktor.
Nikolai's plan, whatever it was.
My plan, which was barely a plan at all.
Just find Viktor. Confront him. Make him answer for everything he'd done.
And if he wouldn't answer?
My hand touched the knife through my purse.
The sun started to set, painting Monaco in shades of orange and pink.
I couldn't avoid the hotel forever.
I walked back slowly, taking the longest route possible.
When I finally reached our floor, my stomach was in knots.
The suite door opened silently.
Inside, the lights were dimmed. Candles flickered on the dining table.
Nikolai stood by the window, his back to me, hands in his pockets.
He'd set the table. Two place settings, white china, wine glasses already filled.
Dinner sat under silver covers, steam rising from the edges.
It looked like a romantic evening. A husband preparing dinner for his wife.
The sight made me sick.
"You're back," he said without turning around.
"Where else would I go?" I set my purse down carefully, aware of the knife inside.
"I didn't know." He finally turned to face me. "You were gone for six hours."
"I went for a walk."
"For six hours."
"Monaco is a beautiful city." I moved toward the table, my movements stiff. "I wanted to see it."
His jaw tightened, but he didn't press.
"I ordered dinner," he said instead. "I thought we should eat."
"How domestic."
The sarcasm was thick enough to cut.
Nikolai pulled out my chair anyway, playing the gentleman.
I sat because I was hungry and had nowhere else to be.
He uncovered the dishes. Some kind of fish, vegetables, bread that smelled fresh.
It all looked delicious. I hated that it looked delicious.
We ate in silence.
The only sounds were silverware against china and the distant hum of Monaco outside our windows.
I focused on my plate, cutting my fish into precise pieces, eating mechanically.
Across from me, Nikolai did the same.
The candles flickered between us, casting shadows that made his face look harder than usual.
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
Neither of us spoke.
The silence was heavy, suffocating, filled with everything we weren't saying.
Finally, Nikolai set down his fork.
"Tomorrow," he said quietly. "We go to the auction together."
I looked up, meeting his grey eyes.
"I know," I said.
His face changed. Just slightly, but I caught it.
The color drained from his cheeks. His jaw clenched.
And for the first time since I'd known him, I saw real fear in his eyes.
He was scared of me and what I might do.
The realization sent a thrill through me, sharp and electric.
I had power here,.maybe not much, but some.
Enough to make Nikolai Volkov afraid.
"How did you –" he started, then stopped.
"How did I know about the auction?" I took a sip of wine, keeping my voice casual. "I did my research. Just like you taught me."
His knuckles went white where they gripped his fork.
"Marlena, you can't –"
"Can't what?" I set down my glass carefully. "Can't go looking for information? Can't try to understand what's happening to my own life? Can't have secrets of my own?"
"It's dangerous."
"Everything about this is dangerous." I pushed back from the table. "At least now we're both aware of it."
I stood, leaving my half-finished dinner.
"I'm going to bed," I said. "We should rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
I walked toward the bedroom without waiting for his response.
Behind me, I heard him stand.
"Marlena –"
"Good night, Nikolai."
I closed the bedroom door before he could say more.
My hands shook as I locked it. A useless gesture, really. This was his suite. He had keys to everything but it made me feel safer anyway.
I changed into pajamas slowly, every movement deliberate.
The knife sat on the nightstand, no longer hidden in my purse.
I studied it in the lamplight until I couldn't look at it anymore.
Then, I turned off the light and climbed into bed.
The sheets were cool against my skin. Outside, Monaco glittered like a jewelry box.
I could hear Nikolai moving around in the other room, cleaning up dinner and pacing.
Eventually, his footsteps stopped.
Silence filled the suite.
I reached under my pillow, my fingers closing around the knife's handle.
The weight of it was comforting. Tomorrow, everything would change.
I didn't know what would happen. I didn't even know if I'd survive it but I'd be ready.
I closed my eyes, still holding the knife
.
My heart beat steadily in the darkness.
For the first time in months, I felt like myself again.
I fell asleep like that, my hand wrapped around the handle, ready for whatever tomorrow would bring.