A stranger’s hand on my back shoves me into a dimly lit office. The faint glow from a desk lamp isn’t enough to make out the details of the room.
“Come closer!”
I hear a raspy voice and take a hesitant step forward. My knees are shaking, and my heart is pounding so hard it echoes in my temples. I can’t see who’s sitting in the wide leather chair—it’s turned away from me, its back blocking my view. My imagination conjures up a menacing figure, the kind of man whose will has dragged me here. I wait patiently for further instructions, too scared to make a sound. Without looking at me, he presses on with a voice like steel:
“Do you know why you’re here?”
I catch a familiar tone in his voice and can’t believe my ears. No way! I try to convince myself I’m imagining things, that it’s not HIM! Forcing myself to stay calm, I reply quickly:
“My husband owes you money. Don’t worry, we’ll pay it all back. Just give us a few days.”
“Do you even know how much we’re talking about?”
“Not exactly,” I admit, biting my lip so hard I nearly draw blood, dreading the number. I only found out about the debt today when two hulking guys shoved me into a car and brought me here.
“Three hundred thousand euros,” he says, his words hitting like thunder. I’m not sure what shocks me more: the astronomical amount or the familiar voice. Worst of all, I don’t even have a clue why Roman borrowed that kind of money or where it went. The man continues, his tone unrelenting. “Where are you gonna find that kind of cash in a few days?”
Nowhere. I know that perfectly well, but I do my best not to show it. Desperate to dodge the question, I ask the thing that’s eating at me the most:
“Is my husband here with you?”
“Yeah, he is. You get that debts like this don’t just get forgiven, right? By the way, his apartment’s been mine for the last six months. He put it up as collateral when he borrowed the money.”
I close my eyes in despair. Now it makes sense why Roman never officially registered me as living with him. Six months. That’s exactly how long it’s been since we got married. With every word, I grow more certain of my suspicions—the person in that chair is no stranger. I try to hide that I’ve figured it out and force myself to sound confident:
“We’ll pay back the money. Not all at once, of course, we’ll need some time…”
“I’ve heard that from Roman before. I’ve waited long enough, and I still haven’t seen a dime,” he cuts me off before I can finish.
The chair swivels around sharply, and I see HIM! I wasn’t imagining things—it really is him. He’s matured a bit since the last time we met. There’s stubble on his face now, his brown eyes are narrowed predatorily, and his dark hair is slicked back. The carelessly rolled-up sleeves of his white shirt reveal tattoos on his muscular arms. My heart ignites, a fire burning through my insides. He’s handsome, damn it. Even more so than before. The years have been kind to him. Memories of how he betrayed me flood back, and anger surges through me. I don’t even know why, but I whisper his name:
“Lukian?”
“Well, it’s not my twin brother. You know I don’t have one, Alina,” he drawls out each syllable of my name, like he’s savoring it.
A familiar shiver runs through me, the kind only he can provoke. I want to pound my fists against his chest, claw at his eyes, make him suffer the way I did. I furrow my brows in anger:
“I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“The world’s a small place,” he says with a faint smirk, but there’s not a trace of warmth in it. It’s more like the grin of a predator ready to pounce. He stands up and states sharply, “So, you got married.”
“I did,” I reply, swallowing hard. Words tumble out of me in a nervous rush. “I didn’t know about the debt. If I had, I would’ve figured something out. We’ll pay you back, just let Roman go. Please,” I sniff slightly and put on a pitiful expression. It used to work on him every time. Back then, but not now. Lukian snorts with disdain:
“Since we’re not exactly strangers, I’ll make an exception for you. I’m offering you a chance to work off the debt.”
“Of course,” I exhale with relief. Maybe Lukian isn’t the monster I thought he was. “I’m finishing my master’s degree, and I can work for you. I’ve got a degree in economics, I know a lot, and I’m a quick learner.”
“Not that kind of work,” he says, a feral grin laced with lust spreading across his lips. I freeze, afraid to even breathe. He steps closer to me suddenly:
“Do you love him?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation, my voice firm.
“What are you willing to do to save his life and pay off the debt?” he asks, and I hold my breath.
I stay silent, watching intently as he closes the distance between us and pulls me to him by the waist. A dangerous heat rolls through my body, scorching my emotions. I knit my brows:
“What do you want?”
“Give me one night,” he growls, leaning in for a kiss. Panic flares in my chest. How dare he? The bastard! To keep from falling, I reach out, trying to brace myself against the wall. Instead, my hand lands on something else on the dresser. Without thinking, I grab it and swing at him. To my own surprise, I smash Lukian over the head with a pot holding a cactus.