Chapter 15 15

Chapter 15 15


PREDATOR AND PREY

Katerina walked back into the house slowly, her mind lost in thoughts. When she reached her room, she turned the handle and stepped inside. She scanned the room, nothing had changed. She wished the room would speak to her, offer her some comfort or meaning, but it had no words. Sitting on the edge of the bed, her mind drifted to the flashback she had of Miranda.

…….

Sasha Morozov walked into the same room. Her hair neatly tied up, with a straight face. She had a bold shade of red lipstick on and wore a black suit. Stepping in, she placed her bag and her laptop on the table right by her bed. Without wasting time, she opened the laptop and had barely settled into her seat when her phone rang.

“Hello…”

An unfamiliar voice filled the room. “Stop chasing answers Sasha”

Sasha’s eyes widened. She glanced at her screen, the number was hidden.

“Who is this?” She demanded.
“Someone you should be afraid off”
The voice was distorted, neither fully male nor female, making it impossible to place.

Just then, the door open and Miranda stepped in. Startled, Sasha’s grip loosened, her phone slipping off her hand and falling to the floor. 

“Miranda!” She yelled at her and picked up  her phone.

“I am so sorry ma’am. I didn’t think you had returned” Miranda said gently. 

“Oh shut up” Sasha replied, checking her phone, the mysterious caller had hung up. No trace, no answers. Frustrated, she got up.

“Get out “

“I… I am sorry ma’am”  Miranda stammered.
“I said get out” Sasha yelled, sending her off and locking the door behind her.

“Shit… shit… shit” She cursed under her breath.

……..
Katerina snapped back to reality. That flashback… the one with Miranda stayed vivid in her mind. Miranda looked so much like Serena, except  Serena had fuller cheeks and darker hair.

She began pacing round the room, her eyes landing on  the mirror. Seeing Sasha earlier, who in truth was her… her past, had left her shaken. Sasha was fierce, strong, while she, Katerina, was just a simple woman who took life one day at a time. Although she had always felt a quiet defiance inside her, maybe that was it, maybe that was Sasha trying to reveal herself.

Her eyes dropped to the floor, she caught something familiar, a hair pin. The same hair pin that she had seen on her bed just a few days after her arrival. The hair pin was tucked under the bed, it probably might have been swept under.

She bent down and picked it up.

Initially she doubted everything Ivan had said about her past, but slowly, it began to come together. Each memory, each object drew her in, her curiosity grew stronger.

The memory returned, that of the accident. She closed her eyes trying to get back into it. It still remained the same. Her lying on the cold ground, a car flipped over, papers scattered on the floor, blood on her hands and the hair pin.

Katerina paced around trying to make sense of what had happened.  Something suddenly clicked.

The car… The car at the accident scene was blue. 

Was the car hers?

She thought to herself. She slipped the hair pin into her Jean pocket and was about to step out when Yelena walked in.

What was she doing here?

Yelena stood there silent, her eyes sweeping around the room before settling on Katerina.

“I thought you were dead” Yelena said, breaking the silence.
“A ghost doesn’t die twice”

Yelena scoffed and sat on the bed, crossing her legs.

“Why did you waltz back into Ivan’s life when you should have remained wherever the hell you were?”

“Oh I would have, but guess what, I didn’t bring myself here. Ivan searched for his queen”

“Queen?” Yelena paused, amusement mixed with contempt in her voice.
 “Don’t flatter yourself Katerina, or should I say Sasha. Your time here is rather short, I’d advise you use it well, because soon enough, you’d be far gone away from this estate”

“What are you talking about?” Katerina observed her countenance. She could tell she wasn’t bluffing, her eyes spoke of certainty.

“Not to worry, you won’t be hurt. It’s just, you’d be watched like a puppy. Until, every piece of information is out of those treacherous lips of yours”

“You like him don’t you?” Katerina asked.

“Like who?”

“Don’t play dumb. Even I could smell it from across the room. I am wondering how Ivan would feel, when he finds out that his cousin, who happens to be madly in love with him tried to kill his wife”

Yelena laughed, a short cruel sound.

“If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have crossed that estate door?”

“So it was you?” Katerina pressed in, looking for answers.

“You what?”

“That put foxglove in my food” Katerina said.

“Ohhhh” Yelena stood, faking sympathy. “That must have been pretty bad for your heart.” 

“Katerina darling,“ She continued. “If I truly wanted you dead, you’d have been long gone…I actually want you dead, but my dear Ivan doesn't want that. Not that he doesn’t want you dead, he wants to be the one to kill you and I cannot wait to see the pleasure in his eyes when he finally does that”

Yelena laughed again.
“Watching you cry as you bleed through your nose would be opera to me.”

Katerina swallowed, she knew Yelena was just rambling but fear settled in her heart. What if she was never able to solve the case, what if she had nothing to show to Ivan and what if she runs out of time.

“Why did you come in here Yelena? To gloat or to talk about your desire to see me crumble?”

Yelena flipped her hair, “ Take it as a sisterly concern….”

“Sisterly?” Katerina scoffed, cutting her. “Save the sister act please”

Yelena said nothing as she moved towards the door.

“And Yelena,” Katerina called, seizing the moment “I cannot wait to watch your shame when I prove to Ivan that his dear wife Sasha isn’t a traitor. I don’t know Sasha well, but I do know she had a strong hold on Ivan. A little morning charm will do the trick and send you parking.”

Yelena paused in the doorway. “I am amazed you still believe that you will be found innocent, Katerina. Open your eyes, look around you. You have nothing, nothing at all, no one’s on your side, not even Ivan. Stop telling yourself he’s still your husband. To him, you’re a traitor.” 

“Oh, I doubt that”
“And what does that mean?” Yelena asked.

“Come on  Yelena. Stay updated” Katerina reached for her hair brush. “ I mean think about it. A man and his estranged wife in the same room for days” she brushed her hair.  “ You don’t really believe nothing has transpired. I might no longer be Sasha, but I still have the same tempting body and boy does Ivan miss it”

Yelena’s eyes widened, her eyes saying what her mouth couldn’t. 

“He touched you?” She muttered.

Katerina chuckled. “Yes, the night before and again after that. I had to get out before he burned me alive with his desire.”

Yelena swallowed, hatred running through her veins, she stormed out angrily.

Katerina heaved a sigh of relief. Yelena didn't appear to be one who would back out of a fight. Still, knowing that Ivan had begun to soften towards her, gave her hope that she might have a chance. All she needed  was a plan and she was going to make one.

She pulled a pen and a small notebook from the wardrobe and began to sketch one out.

———-

Yelena barged into Ivan’s study room. Startled, Ivan looked up from his desk.

“Yelena” Ivan said with a questioning stare.

“Ivan, really?”

“Really what?” He asked.

“You’ve been sleeping with Katerina?”

Ivan got up, hurried to the door and shut it.

“She told you that?”

“Yes, to my face. Why Ivan ? Have you forgotten all she did to you?”

Ivan stared at her, wondering why she seemed so affected. 

“Look,” he said finally. “I didn’t sleep with her okay, but even if I did, that’s absolutely none of your business.” He returned to his seat. 

Yelena pulled out a chair opposite his.
“So what then?”

Ivan said nothing, his eyes fixed on the laptop’s screen.

“You’ve softened toward her, haven’t you?” 

Ivan closed the laptop. “Yes”

“Oh waow! Unbelievable.”

“Yelena look, it’s just for a while.” He got up. “To her, it looks like I’ve changed. Like I believe her, but it’s all part of the act”

A small satisfied smiled appeared on Yelena’s lips.

“I thought hard on what you suggested, and I completely agree with you. But before she’s taken there, I want her to feel comfortable around me, trust me, love me. When she’s at her weakest” He leaned closer “That’s when I’d hit her” 

Yelena smiled,“You really are your father’s son”