A Night Together

Dimitri's eyes burned with rage as his fingers trembled with fury. He stared intensely at Laura, who nervously stepped back, but he wouldn't let her escape. He brought his face close to hers in a threatening manner.

"I can't believe you have the audacity to come here and mock us. Your boldness is such that even in death, you try to deceive him by claiming that this child is his son. Why don't you just admit to him once and for all that your son is nothing more than a bastard?"

Dimitri trembled as he spoke those accusatory words. Laura, gathering courage, delivered a strong blow to his face.

"Enough! I won't let you continue insulting my son. Luke is the father of my child, and I know that wherever he is, he knows it perfectly well. And for me, that's more than enough."

Tears streamed from Laura's eyes, a mixture of anger and helplessness. She was tired of being unjustly accused. Dimitri brought his hand to his face, incredulous that this woman would strike him after everything that had happened.

"I'll take you home, and I pray you don't have the audacity to leave again," Dimitri threatened.

"Your father gave me his approval to come here," defended Laura.

"My father is not your husband. You must obey me. You don't seem to understand. We have a deal, and you must respect it. It seems you don't get it."

Without releasing her arm, he led her to the car. Sarah, annoyed, watched the scene.

"Sarah, get out of the car. Tell my father's driver to take you home," Dimitri ordered contemptuously.

"Oh no! I came with you, and I'm going back with you," Sarah responded stubbornly.

"You better tell the driver to take you. It's either that or you walk back. Your choice," Dimitri warned.

The stubborn Sarah didn't yield easily. "But my foot is injured. I can't walk to the other car," she said with a childish gesture.

"That can be easily fixed," Dimitri replied, walking away to call the driver and bring the car closer. Meanwhile, Sarah stared at Laura.

"You have the knack for appearing so inconveniently. You have no idea how much I wish you'd disappear forever."

"I don't understand your hatred, Sarah. We only have each other. You should think about the reason why you hate me," Laura tried to explain.

Dimitri approached again. "Don't attack Sarah. Your sister is not guilty of your actions. It's useless for you to try to defend yourself."

Laura chose to remain silent. Dimitri wouldn't believe anything she said. And Sarah had already made her deep hatred clear.

Boris's driver helped Sarah into the other car. Annoyed, she watched as Dimitri forced Laura to get in with him.

"What the hell are you waiting for to get out of here? Take me home," Sarah yelled, and the driver obeyed immediately.

!

She hated Laura with every fiber of her being. She had a child from the man she had loved, and on top of that, she could no longer be a mother herself. She wanted to snatch happiness away from her sister.

In Dimitri's car, an uncomfortable silence prevailed. He drove slowly, the fragrance of Laura awakening painful memories. Her dress revealed her legs, tempting Dimitri to touch them as he used to. He restrained himself, clenching his fist, accelerating the car towards the mansion.

Upon arrival, Laura hurriedly got out. Dimitri caught up with her and stopped her.

"I'll be waiting for you in my room in an hour. If you don't obey, I'll come looking for you. You'll spend the night with me whenever I feel like it," he warned firmly.

Turning her back, she entered the mansion. Laura fervently wished for something to happen to prevent Dimitri's success.

She was aware of her attractiveness, but she also knew that he hated her. Two years since Luke's death were too little time to spend the night with another man. Perhaps, if she humiliated herself and begged, she could get Dimitri not to touch her that night.

She hurried to give her son dinner. Fortunately, the little one fell asleep quickly after hearing a bedtime story.

Resigned, she hurried to take a shower. She searched for the pajamas that revealed less and chose a flannel one with bear prints. But something inside her told her that the night was far from peaceful.

After bathing, Laura prepared herself with the bear-patterned pajamas and looked at herself in the mirror; she looked decidedly unattractive. She headed towards the exit of her room with the determination to face whatever was necessary to protect her son and resist Dimitri's impositions.

Upon entering Dimitri's room shortly after, she found a tense atmosphere. He was waiting for her, sitting in a chair, with a look that mixed desire and contempt.

"You took your time," he muttered coldly.

Laura bit her lip, suppressing anxiety. Dimitri stood up and slowly approached her. Instead of forcing her, he enveloped her in his arms, whispering in her ear with a deep voice.

"I thought we could reminisce, but be grateful—tonight, I won't force you. We'll see how long you resist."

Laura felt momentary relief but also a lingering fear. Reminisce about old times? There were those insinuations again that they had been together before, and she was sure Dimitri was out of his mind.

The girl scanned the room, her eyes stopping on a chair next to the bed.

"Don't even try it. You'll sleep beside me, and I don't like that outfit. It's better if you take it off. Now."

"I'll be right back; I'll go change."

"No, just get rid of it and get under the sheets."

!

Laura opened her eyes wide; Dimitri was completely insane to think she would undress in front of him.

"Either you do it, or I will. Decide."

"Fine, I'll do it, but under the covers."

"As you wish, just get rid of that clothing."

Laura quickly got under the covers, covering herself from head to toe. Moments later, she tossed the pajamas onto the chair next to the bed.

Dimitri observed it all, felt his heart race again just imagining Laura's almost naked body under the covers. Despite craving her intensely, he tried to restrain himself; after all, he wasn't a monster, and he wouldn't force the girl to be with him unwillingly.

He moved away from her quickly, entered the bathroom to take a cold shower, staying there for a few minutes, feeling the icy water calming the sensations that Laura stirred in his body.

He came out later, and Laura pretended to be asleep. When he lay down beside her, she felt nervous at the alluring fragrance emanating from his body.

Thinking she was asleep, Dimitri approached her, gently caressing her hair. Laura tried to pretend she was still asleep.

"If only you were a good woman, I could tell you who I really am, though I don't know if you would understand."

Upon hearing those words, Laura felt even more confused, and she feared him. Dimitri puzzled her more each day.

In the morning, when Laura woke up, Dimitri was already gone. She turned on the TV to watch the morning news, missing her job, but her boss wanted nothing to do with her.

After showering, a news report caught her attention, showing Dimitri arm in arm with the woman who claimed to be his fiancée.

"Well, it seems that man doesn't know what he wants. I don't understand why he's by my side if he loves that girl; he should focus on being happy with her."

After breakfast, she went out to play with her little one in the garden. Boris watched them from his room window, desperately hoping his son would finally give him a grandchild, but it seemed he resisted.

He asked the butler to get a small ball immediately. When they brought it to him, he went down to the garden to play with the child.

He needed the cane less and less, which gave him vitality; he felt less old.

"Let's see, little one, you have to kick this ball with your foot. I'll show you how to do it," Boris said, placing the ball on the ground in front of the child. Laura watched while sitting on the grass.

Dimitri and Yulia, who had given an interview about an aid association where she pretended to help, returned home to have breakfast with Boris.

Hearing laughter in the garden, they approached. Seeing Boris playing with the child, Yulia felt furious, while Dimitri was surprised; Boris seemed to have put bitterness aside.

"I can't believe your father is playing with that child. I don't know what tricks that woman used to achieve it."

The couple went to the garden to see what was happening.

"Look, son, this child, despite being small, kicks the ball with strength. He'll be a great footballer when he grows up."

"To be honest, I don't care about what that child can or cannot do. We came back to have breakfast with you, but apparently, you're busy. Let's go, Yulia, we'll have breakfast elsewhere."

"No, son, wait, let's have breakfast; I haven't eaten yet."

"No, my morning is ruined," Yulia turned to Laura with a mocking smile on her lips.

The couple turned around and quickly walked away. Laura couldn't understand what kind of man treated a child that way.

"I'm sorry, girl, it's better that I don't get close to your son again. Apparently, mine is bothered too much by it."

Boris walked away with tired steps. Laura thought she had to get away from that place as soon as possible. The grandmother was still sleeping, and it was late, so she went upstairs to see what was happening. She found her grandmother burning with fever.

"Grandma, I'll go down to the kitchen to find some medicine. I'll be right back."

The housekeeper found her rummaging through the drawers, standing next to her with a displeased expression.

"What are you looking for? If it's something valuable, you won't find it here."

"I'm looking for medicine; my grandmother is sick, she has a fever."

"Yes, there are medicines, but they're for the people of the house. You're just freeloaders. I don't understand how Mr. Dimitri dared to bring you here."

Laura felt furious hearing that. Did these people ever tire of humiliating her?