Chapter 57 Anya
I stared at the ring in the box.
It was beautiful. Every other woman would have accepted it.
But all I felt was dread.
"No," I said quietly.
Alexei's smile did not fade. "Excuse me?"
"I said no. I will not marry you."
"I am afraid that is not your choice to make, Anya."
"Everything is my choice!" I stood up. My chair scraped loudly. "You cannot force me to marry you!"
"Can't I?" Alexei leaned back in his chair. Calm and relaxed. "Let me remind you of our agreement. You stay here. You comply. And your brother stays safe."
"That does not include marriage!"
"It includes whatever I say it includes." His voice was still calm. "You are mine, Anya. In every way that matters. Marriage is just making it official."
"I will not do it."
"Then Dmitri suffers.".
I sat back down. My legs were shaking.
"You would not."
"Would I not?" Alexei tilted his head. "You know me better than that by now. I always keep my promises. Both the good ones and the bad ones."
Tears burned in my eyes. "Please. Do not make me do this."
"I am not making you do anything. You are choosing. Just like you chose to come back."
"That is not fair."
"Life is not fair, darling." He closed the ring box. "But I will make this simple for you. You marry me. We have a beautiful wedding. You smile and play the perfect bride. And Dmitri continues to live comfortably."
"And if I refuse?"
"Then Dmitri goes back to the Ivanov." Alexei's smile finally faded. "And I will make sure you watch them deal with him."
I closed my eyes. He had me trapped completely.
"When?" I whispered.
"Three weeks from now. I have already started preparing the invitations."
My eyes flew open. "What?"
"I knew you would say yes. So I planned ahead." He pulled out a sample invitation and showed it to me.
Mr. Alexei Volkov and Miss Anya Koslov request the honor of your presence…
"You had no right," I said, my voice was shaking.
"I have every right. You are mine." He stood up, walked around the desk and stopped in front of me. "Now. Let us try this again."
He pulled out the ring and grabbed my hand. I tried to pull away but his grip was iron. He slid the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly.
"There," he said. Satisfied. "Now you look like a proper fiancée."
I stared at the ring. It felt heavy like chains.
"I hate you," I whispered.
"I know. But you will marry me anyway." He lifted my chin. "Because you love your brother more than you hate me."
He was right.
He leaned down and kissed me.
I did not push him away. I just stood there. Numb and dead inside.
When he pulled back, he smiled. "Good girl. Now go tell Dmitri the good news."
I left his office. My legs were barely working.
I found Dmitri in the training room, hitting a punching bag. He did not acknowledge me. He just kept punching.
"Dmitri," I said quietly.
He did not stop.
"Dmitri, I need to talk to you."
Still nothing.
"Alexei and I are getting married."
The punching stopped.
Dmitri turned slowly, looked at me then at the ring on my finger.
His face showed nothing. No emotion at all.
"Congratulations," he said flatly.
"Dmitri..."
"What do you want me to say, Anya?" He turned back to the bag and started punching again. "That I am happy for you? That I support you?"
"I do not have a choice!"
"Everyone has a choice. You just keep making the wrong one.
Each word was a punch.
"He threatened you. He said he would hurt you if I did not agree."
"So let him." Dmitri hit the bag harder. "I told you. I would rather die than watch you throw your life away for me."
"You do not mean that."
"I do." He stopped and turned to me. His eyes blazing. "Every single word. You should have stayed with Nikolai. You should have let me die in that cell. Anything but this."
"How can you say that? You are my brother!"
"And you are my sister! Which is why I cannot stand watching you destroy yourself!" His voice cracked. "You think I want this? You think I want to live knowing you are marrying a man you do not love? Sharing his bed? Having his children? All because of me?"
"Dmitri..."
"Get out."
"What?"
"I said get out! I do not want to see you! I do not want to talk to you! Just... leave me alone!"
He turned back to the punching bag and started hitting it again. Harder and faster. Like he was trying to destroy it.
I stood there. Tears streamed down my face.
Then I left.
I went to my room, locked the door and collapsed on the bed.
And I cried.
The days passed in a blur.
Alexei paraded me around. Showed me off to his associates.
"My beautiful fiancée," he would say with his arm around my waist.
I smiled and nodded. But inside, I was screaming.
The wedding dress arrived. White, expensive and beautiful.
I tried it on and looked in the mirror.
All I saw was a ghost.
A hollow shell of who I used to be.
"You look stunning," Alexei said. He was watching from the doorway.
I said nothing.
"The invitations went out today," he continued. "To all the important families. All our allies."
I still said nothing.
"I sent one to Nikolai as well."
My heart stopped.
I turned to face him. "What?"
"Nikolai Markov. I sent him an invitation. I thought it would be... polite." Alexei smiled. "After all, he invited me to his wedding."
The room spun.
"His... wedding?"
"Yes. Did you not know? He is marrying Katya Morozova. In three weeks." Alexei pulled out an envelope and showed me. "He even wrote me a personal note. Very thoughtful."
I took the invitation with shaking hands.
Read it.
Mr. Nikolai Markov and Miss Katya Morozova request the honor of your presence…
The words blurred.
Nikolai was getting married to Katya.
"He moved on," Alexei said. Almost gently. "Just like I told you he would."
"You are lying."
"Am I?" He showed me the note on the back. In Nikolai's handwriting.
Feel free to bring your mistress.
The words stabbed like knives.
"He thinks you are my mistress," Alexei said. "Not my fiancée. Interesting, is it not?"
I could not breathe.
Nikolai had moved on. He was marrying someone else. He had given up on me.
"I sent him our invitation as well," Alexei continued. "With a personal note of my own. Inviting him to bring his fiancée to our wedding. Since we will be bringing ours to his."
He took the invitation back from my trembling hands.
"I think it will be a lovely reunion. Do you not agree?" His voice was cold and I knew it would not be a good reunion.
How could I face him?