Chapter 29 Anya
I woke up alone in bed. Nikolai was gone.
But the sheets were still warm where he had been. And his scent lingered on my pillow.
I touched the spot where he had slept and smiled.
He came back to me. He chose me over Katya. And admitted I meant everything.
My heart felt light.
This was wrong and dangerous. A slave who falls for her master ends up a corpse.
But the excitement overwhelmed the fear.
There was a knock on my door.
"Come in," I called.
Vera entered with breakfast. She took one look at my face and grinned.
"Someone is happy this morning."
I blushed. "I do not know what you mean."
"Oh please, child. Your face is red and you are smiling like a fool." She set the tray down. "The Pakhan was here last night, was he not?"
"How did you know?"
"The whole estate knows. He came back this morning looking like a different person. All smiles and cheerful. He even gave all the guards a raise in salary."
My eyes widened. "A raise?"
"Twenty percent. The guards are calling you a miracle worker." Vera laughed. "They say you are the reason the Pakhan is finally happy."
I buried my face in my hands. "This is so embarrassing."
"Do not be embarrassed. Be proud. You have done what no one else could do. You have made him smile."
After Vera left, I got dressed and walked out of my room.
The hallway was busy. Maids were cleaning. Guards were patrolling.
But when they saw me, they stopped and stared.
Some of the guards smiled and nodded respectfully.
But the maids... the maids looked at me with hatred.
They whispered, pointing their hands at me.
"Look at her. Acting like she is special."
"She is just a whore. Nothing more."
"I heard she seduced the Pakhan. That is the only reason he keeps her."
"Disgusting."
I kept my head down and kept walking. I tried to ignore them.
But their words hurt and it cut deep.
I went to the library. Being Nikolai's mistress gave me access to some things ordinary maids couldn't get.
I tried to read. But I could not focus.
I went back to my room and sat down by the window, looking over the estate grounds. For some reason, it felt like home, not a prison.
Around evening, a guard came to find me.
I was surprised it wasn't Mikhail he sent.
"The Pakhan requests your presence," the guard said.
My heart jumped. "Where?"
"The dining room. He says you will eat dinner together."
Dinner?! Together?!
I followed the guard to the dining room. It was a massive space with a long table, crystal chandeliers and expensive paintings on the walls.
Nikolai was already there. Sitting at the head of the table. Looking handsome in his black suit.
He smiled when he saw me. "Anya. Come sit with me."
I sat down beside him. My hands were shaking.
"Are you nervous?" He asked.
"A little."
"Why?"
"I have never eaten with you before. Not like this."
"Then it is time we change that."
The servants brought food. Expensive dishes. Things I had never tasted before.
We ate in comfortable silence.
And sometimes Nikolai would tell me about his day. I would listen and smile.
It felt normal. Like we were just a regular couple having dinner.
Not a Pakhan and his mistress.
Ah! That was too far, Anya. I told myself.
Mikhail appeared at the door. He looked disheveled and angry. Like he had been locked up.
His eyes fell on me and his face scrunched up in disgust. "This is impossible," he said. "A Pakhan and a slave at the same table. It has never been done!"
"There is a first time for everything," Nikolai said calmly.
"You have not even had a date with your fiancee!"
Nikolai's face twisted. His expression became cold. “You should be grateful I didn't leave you to die in that dungeon. You still have guts!”
What? Dungeon?
Mikhail's face flustered. “I… I was just looking out for you.”
"I do not need you to do that. I can take care of myself." Nikolai picked up his fork and continued eating. "Now leave us alone."
Mikhail turned and left.
After dinner, Nikolai said he had some business deal he needed to close.
"I will be back by midnight," he said, holding my hands. "Wait for me?"
"Of course." I smiled.
He kissed my forehead, then left.
I decided to walk in the garden before returning to my room. Nikolai had said I was allowed to do whatever I want, no one would question me.
I walked past beautiful flowers. The evening air was cool. I felt peaceful.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned to see three maids walking towards me. Their faces were twisted with anger.
"Look who it is," one of them said. "The Pakhan's little whore."
"I am not..."
"Shut up!" Another one pushed me.
"You think you are special? You think you can just seduce our Pakhan and get away with it?"
"I did not seduce anyone!" I screamed but my voice cracked.
"Liar!" The third one slapped me hard.
I stumbled back. My cheek burned.
"We have all wished to spend just one night with the Pakhan," the first maid hissed. "Just one night. But he never looks at us. And he sleeps at your own place every night. Why? What did you do to him?"
"I didn't do anything! I swear!" Tears gathered in my eyes.
They pushed me to the ground. I fell hard and my dress tore.
"You are nothing but a slave. A worthless slave who just got lucky!"
They started kicking me, pulling my hair, scratching my skin.
I tried to fight back, but there were three of them. I was outnumbered.
Blood dripped from the cuts on my arms, legs and face.
"Please," I begged. "Please stop." I cried.
"We will stop when you are gone. When you leave this place!"
One of them pulled out a small bag of pepper.
"Let us see how pretty you are after this." She laughed.
They held me down and started rubbing the pepper on my cuts.
I screamed. The pain was unbearable.
Then a voice cut through the air. It was the coldest thing I have ever heard. It sounded like death. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on her!"
The maids froze and looked up.
Nikolai?
I looked up.
A man was standing a few feet away. He was tall and handsome with cold blue eyes.
Alexei Volkov?
What was he doing here?!
"You do not want your Pakhan seeing this," Alexei said. His voice was ice.
The maids shivered and scrambled away.
I lay on the ground, trembling and crying. My whole body was on fire.
Alexei walked over and bent down to my level.
I wanted to shift away, but he held me close.
"Shh. Stay still," he said softly.
He took off his suit jacket and covered me with it. Then he picked me up in bridal style.
"No," I tried to say. "I can walk."
"You are bleeding. You are not walking anywhere."
I wanted to refuse. Alexei was Nikolai's enemy. But I was too weak to argue so I let him.
He started walking towards the house.
People stared and whispered. But Alexei ignored them.
We reached our wing. My room became visible.
Then I saw him.
Nikolai.
He was walking down the hallway toward us.
I froze. My heart almost broke.
He would see us!
He would see me in his enemy's arms!
I pinched Alexei to put me down quickly, but he held me tighter. A small smile appeared on his face. "Well," he said quietly. "This is going to be interesting.”