Chapter 27 Just Dinner

Chapter 27 Just Dinner
I lean back in the seat as the car moves through the city. From the outside, everything looks calm, dreamy even.

Nikolai knows things about me that no stranger ever should.

My mother.
My favorite movie.
Pieces of my life that even Adrian learned slowly.

Yet I know almost nothing about him. Just that he is powerful, dangerous. And that he owns parts of my life now.

Not long after, the car slows and comes to a stop.
“We’re here,” Nikolai says, already opening his door.

Before he can come around and play the gentleman, I push my door open and step out quickly. 

Nikolai pauses, then let's out a soft laugh. “What? Didn’t want me to help you out?”

“I can open the door myself,” I reply, arms crossing automatically.

His gaze drops to my defensive posture, and the corner of his mouth lifts, like he’s discovered a new reason to be amused by me.

I force myself to look away, to take in where we are.

A mall.

But not the regular kind. This one looks like it belongs in a luxury magazine spread.

“Do you want to shop for something?” I ask, trying to read him.

“Yes,” he says simply, offering his hand. “Come.”

I stare at his hand.

My lungs tighten. There’s no point resisting, so I place my hand into his.

He doesn’t just hold it, he claims it.

We walk inside. The air is cold and rich-smelling. It feels like stepping into another world.

Nikolai moves ahead to the reception, exchanging a few words with a sharply dressed woman. 

When he turns back to me, his gaze lands on mine with that teasing glint. 

“Shop for a few dresses you’ll be needing while we’re here,” he says smoothly. “Specifically… a red dress for tonight.”

“Tonight?” I ask, blinking in surprise. My eyes wander over the racks, gleaming with silk, satin, lace, and chiffon in every imaginable shade and design.

He leans closer, lowering his voice so only I can hear. “We have a date tonight, love.”

A dinner date. Just after a movie date.
My head spins.
We’re nothing but a fake couple, and yet, here we are, playing the roles so convincingly real.

“Do you ever stop and ask my opinion first?” I snap. “You don’t even know if I want a date.”

He tilts his head, eyes glinting with amusement. “What’s the whole honeymoon for then? Laying in bed all day?”

I don’t know why, but I find myself blurting out.

“If possible,” Then I immediately clamp my hand over my mouth.

A small, wicked smile creeps across his face. “Go shop, love. Take whatever—"

His phone vibrates sharply in his pocket, cutting him off. He pulls it out, glancing at the screen.

“A minute,” he says, his voice calm. “Go pick whatever you like. Even the whole mall if you want.”

He steps away, phone pressed to his ear. The aura around him shifts. I can feel it from where I stand. Who is he talking to? A business partner? A client? Or someone else entirely?

I swallow, feeling small. I don’t know much about the man beside me. Yet, he knows everything about me.

With a deep breath, I step toward the racks. Silks, satins, lace… dresses in shades of crimson, emerald, midnight blue. 

My fingers trail absently along a red dress that seems to call out to me. It’s bold and elegant, the kind of gown that belongs on someone sure of herself, someone powerful. Someone who isn’t me. Still, I can’t help it. I reach for it, my hand trembling a little as I pull it from the rack.

It’s stunning. The fabric is smooth beneath my fingers, the color so rich it almost glows. I can already imagine it against my skin, the way it would cling.

And just like that, guilt claws its way through my mind

Adrian’s face flashes in my mind and my heart squeezes painfully. I’m here, in a luxury boutique, picking out a dress for a dinner with another man. A man who forced me into his world, a man I barely understand.

I shouldn’t feel anything for Nikolai. Not curiosity. Not attraction. Not this strange pull that makes me want to understand him.
But I do. And that terrifies me more than anything.

I let out a quiet sigh and place the dress back on the rack, shaking my head.
“No,” I whisper. “This isn’t right.”

“Having second thoughts already?”

The sound of his voice makes me jump slightly. I turn, and there he is. He’s holding his phone in one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of his tailored trousers.

He looks at me with a faint smile. “I thought you’d do anything to keep Calloway out of jail.”

“I said that,” I reply softly, biting my lip. “And I meant it. I’m not backing down, I just…” 

My words trail off. I don’t even know what I’m trying to say. I look away, staring at the floor. “It’s just, this is all too much. The movie, the dinner. It feels…”

“Wrong?” he finishes for me, his voice low.

I nod weakly.

He steps closer. Just one step, but it’s enough to make the space between us shrink. I can smell his cologne. Something dark, smoky, and expensive. 

“Wrong,” he repeats, his gaze holding mine. “You say that as if you don’t enjoy it.”

“I don’t,” I whisper quickly, though even I don’t sound convincing.

He studies me for a long moment, as if trying to peel back the truth from my words. Then, he reaches for the red dress I had just put back.

“This one,” he says simply, holding it up. “You’ll wear it tonight.”

My mouth parts in surprise. “What? No. I was just looking, I didn’t say—”

“Don’t overthink it, love,” he says, his tone smooth. His hand comes up to gently pat my back. “It’s just dinner. Where’s the harm?”

Just dinner.

The words sound so harmless on his lips. But I know... with Nikolai Volkov, nothing is ever just. 

“You seem to have a hard time selecting,” he says, his eyes glinting as they trail over me. “Should I pick out the dresses for you?”

The idea alone makes my stomach clench. His taste is impeccable. But I can only imagine what kind of dresses he’d choose. Dresses that cling to my body like a second skin. Dresses that expose. Dresses that make it impossible to breathe.

I shake my head quickly. “No.”

He raises a brow, clearly amused by how fast I refuse.

Desperate to escape his scrutiny, I start picking out dresses, just to look busy. I reach for fabrics without thinking, colors I wouldn’t normally wear. Emerald, black, champagne, soft rose, and finally, the red one again. 

He watches me the entire time, arms crossed. I can feel the weight of his gaze on the back of my head.

After a few minutes, I turn to him, forcing a smile. “I’m done.”

He doesn’t say anything at first. Then, with a faint nod, he gestures for the sales assistant to pack them all up.

When it’s time to pay, he slips a sleek black credit card from his wallet and hands it over. The staff move instantly, smiling brightly.

With the transaction done, we walk out of the mall together. The glass doors glide open silently, the cool evening breeze brushing my face.

Nikolai opens the car door for me and I slip inside. As soon as he sits beside me and the engine starts, silence falls between us.

As he drives, I stare out the window, watching the lights of Santorini. The whitewashed buildings glow under the evening sun. It’s breathtaking. 

Part of me wants to speak, to ask him why he’s doing all this, why he’s trying to make it feel like a real honeymoon when we both know it’s anything but. 

After some time, we finally pull up at Villa. He steps out first, buttoning his jacket before circling around to open my door again. 

“I already booked a reservation at the best restaurant,” he says proudly as we enter the building together. “You’ll go get ready for the date while I do the same."

I nod and step further inside with the shopping bag in my hand until I arrive at the room. My gaze moves around.

What if Nikolai planted cameras in here too?

It wouldn’t surprise me. The man is too powerful, too controlling. With him, privacy doesn’t really exist. Still, I shake the thought away and let out a quiet sigh. I can’t afford to think too much. 

I step into the bathroom. The mirror alone probably costs more than my father’s entire house. And speaking of him…

Nikolai had made my father rich. He’d built his company, opened doors that were once closed, and turned our lives around completely. But as I stand here, surrounded by luxury that feels almost unreal, I realize something. Wealth has its ranks. My father was rich. But Nikolai? Nikolai lives in a world of his own. His wealth is something else entirely.

I turn on the shower and step under the warm water. It cascades over my skin, washing away the tension that’s been sitting on my shoulders since I got here. My fingers brush over a few faint bruises along my arms and hips. They’ve been treated. Of course they have. Nikolai took care of that himself.

I sigh again, my chest tight. Even when he’s cruel, he’s meticulous. 

When I finish, I wrap myself in a towel and walk back into the room. Steam follows me out, clinging to my hair. I open the shopping bag and pull out the red dress. It’s beautiful. The fabric slides over my skin, fitting my curves and ending at my thighs.

I let my hair down, letting it fall freely around my shoulders. My reflection stares back at me from the mirror, and for a moment, I barely recognize myself.

“Adrian…” I whisper, my voice trembling slightly. “Forgive me. I’m only doing this to get you out of jail.”

The words barely leave my lips when the door clicks open behind me.

I freeze.

Nikolai steps in, his presence filling the room instantly. He’s already changed. Black suit, white shirt, the first few buttons undone. He looks sinful and perfect all at once.

He steps closer, eyes tracing my face as though memorizing it. 

“You look beyond beautiful." He says slowly, stretching each word.

“Do you ever wonder,” he whispers, “what Adrian would think if he knew I will be kissing the same lips that begged for his freedom tonight?"

The air leaves my lungs.