Chapter 55 Anya
The shock and disappointment in Dmitri's eyes was more painful than being stabbed.
He had seen it. He had seen Alexei kiss me.
He stood at the top of the stairs, watching his sister become what he feared most.
A whore.
When Alexei finally pulled away from the kiss, he smiled.
"You will sleep in my room from now on," he said casually. Like it was decided. Like I had no choice.
I said nothing. I just nodded.
What could I say? I walked in here with my legs.
Dmitri turned and walked away. His footsteps heavy and final.
"Dmitri, wait!" I called.
But he did not stop. He did not look back.
He disappeared down the hallway.
And I knew. I knew everything had changed.
The next morning, I tried to talk to him at breakfast.
"Dmitri, please," I said. "Can we talk?"
He did not even look at me. He just ate in silence.
"I know you are angry. But please. Let me explain."
He said nothing. He didn't even spare me a glance.
"Dmitri, I am your sister. I came back for you. Please do not shut me out."
He stood up, took his plate and alked away without a word.
This became our routine. Days passed. Weeks maybe. I had lost track.
Dmitri trained with the guards, talked to the servants, laughed with them sometimes. But not with me.
He became cold and distant.
We ate dinner together every night. Because Alexei insisted that we do as family.
But Dmitri never spoke to me. Never looked at me. Just sat there like I was invisible.
It was torture. Worse than anything Alexei could do.
I tried everything. Begged, pleaded, apologized.
But Dmitri remained silent.
One night, after another silent dinner, I could not take it anymore.
He stood up to leave. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"Stop!" I screamed. "Stop ignoring me! Stop treating me like I am nothing!"
He looked at me, finally. His eyes were cold.
"You want to know why I ignore you?" His voice was quiet.
"Yes! Tell me! I came back here for you! I left the man I love for you! And this is how you treat me?"
"I did not ask you to come back!" He yelled, pulled his arm away. "I did not send for you! I would have preferred you dead than see you sleep around with a man for my sake!"
The words hit like a slap.
"What?" I whispered.
"You think I wanted this? You think I wanted my sister to become Alexei's whore to save me?" Tears filled his eyes. "I would rather die. I would rather suffer in that cell than live knowing what you sacrificed."
"Dmitri..."
"You should have stayed with Nikolai. You should have been happy. Even if he killed our father. Even if he is a monster. You loved him. You were safe with him."
"But you..."
"I am a man, Anya. I can survive. I can fight. I can protect myself." He stepped back. "But you? You gave up everything. For what? For a brother who cannot even look at you without feeling shame?"
"I do not regret it," I lied.
"Yes, you do. I see it in your eyes every day. You regret leaving him. You regret choosing me."
I could not answer. Because he was right.
"I am sorry," Dmitri said. His voice broke. "I am sorry you felt you had to save me. But I cannot forgive you for throwing away your happiness. Your future. Your love. Not for me. Never for me."
He walked away.
I sank to the floor and sobbed.
He was right. I regretted it. I regretted leaving Nikolai.
But what choice did I have? Dmitri was my brother. My blood. The only family I had left.
How could I let him die?
What would people say?
That she abandoned her brother for a man?
My parents would never be happy with me if I had chosen the man who destroyed our lives over my own brother.
Days turned into weeks. Maybe months. I could not tell anymore.
Every day was the same. I attended to Alexei's needs. Played the role of his perfect companion.
He made me sit with him during meetings. Held my hand at dinners. Kissed me in front of guests. Showed me off like a trophy.
But he never forced himself on me. He never took more than I willingly gave. Which was just my presence and my compliance.
My brother remained my enemy. We lived in the same house. Saw each other every day.
But we might as well have been strangers.
It was painful and suffocating.
But I endured it. Telling myself it was worth it. Dmitri was alive. That was all that mattered.
Sometimes, late at night, I let myself dream.
Dream that Nikolai would come, storm the estate and save me, take me back, hold me and say everything would be okay.
But weeks passed. And he never came.
Maybe he had moved on. Maybe he hated me for leaving. Maybe he found someone else.
Someone who would not abandon him. Someone who would choose him.
The thought made my chest hurt. Made it hard to breathe.
But I had no right to be upset. I had made my choice.
And now I had to live with it.
One night, after another silent dinner with Dmitri, Alexei called me to his office.
"Come in, Anya. Close the door." He said, smiling.
He was always smiling.
I did and sat in the chair across from his desk.
He studied me for a moment, still smiling.
"You have been here for two months now."
Had it been that long? It felt like years. And also like days.
"Yes," I said quietly.
"You have been... very cooperative and pleasant. Exactly what I asked for."
"You threatened my brother. What choice did I have?"
"True." Alexei leaned back. "But still. I appreciate your compliance. Your dedication. Your... sacrifice."
"Is there a point to this?" I said. I was getting tired of the conversation already.
I just wanted to sleep and escape this reality.
"Yes." He pulled out a small box and opened it.
Inside was a diamond ring. It was beautiful and of course expensive.
My stomach sank.
"I think it is time," Alexei said. "Time to make this official."
"What do you mean?" I blinked, refusing to allow myself wonder if it was what I was thinking.
"I mean you should get ready to get married, Anya." He smiled. "You are going to be my wife.”