The sharp knock on my door jolted me awake at 3 a.m. I squinted at the clock on my nightstand, barely registering the time before the knock came again, more insistent this time. I had barely slept, exhausted from the stress of the day and the preparations for the move. I had finally drifted off, only to be woken by this unexpected disturbance.Groggy and disoriented, I fumbled for my phone on the bedside table. The screen glowed softly in the dim light, revealing a text from Lukas that I had missed. It was a simple message: “Just wanted to remind you that I’ll pick you up in the morning. Everything is set for the move.”Relief washed over me at the thought of Lukas arriving soon. I assumed he must have arrived early, wanting to get a head start on our journey. I quickly threw on a robe and shuffled to the door, my mind racing with anticipation for the morning ahead.I unlocked the door and opened it, expecting to see Lukas standing there with his reassuring smile. Instead, I was met w
The door clicked shut behind me, and for a moment, I just stood there in silence, staring at the cold walls of the bedroom they had locked me in. My heart pounded in my chest, the panic that I had been trying to suppress rising up again. I felt trapped. The room felt smaller with every passing second, its bare walls suffocating me.I sat on the edge of the bed, my thoughts racing. My phone had been taken from me the moment we arrived. Viktor’s men had confiscated it, leaving me completely cut off from the outside world. From Lukas. From any chance of escape.The air in the room felt heavy, weighed down by the tension that hung over me. I knew that I had to be careful. No one here knew about the twins. No one here knew about Lukas. And I had to keep it that way.For now.I couldn’t let them find out. If Viktor knew I was pregnant—if he knew there was someone else—there would be no escape. They would use that against me, leverage it to tie me to this nightmare forever. They were already
The door creaked open, and I tensed, already knowing who it would be. My mother slipped in quietly, her expression caught between forced warmth and sternness.“Irina,” she began, her voice coaxing, almost as if I were a reluctant child. “We need to talk.”I clenched my hands in my lap, keeping my voice steady. “What is it, Mother?”Her eyes flickered with irritation at my cold tone, but she masked it quickly, replacing it with a too-sweet smile. “It’s time you and Viktor spend proper time together. The two of you must start bonding if you’re to make this marriage work.”I forced myself to remain calm. “We don’t need a formal dinner for that.”“But we do,” she insisted, her voice firm. “This is about more than just the two of you, Irina. Viktor has given us a way out of our problems. Show some gratitude.” Her expression hardened. “I’ve arranged a formal dinner for tonight. Just the three of us. You’ll sit beside Viktor and start acting like the dutiful fiancée I know you can be.”Anger
As I closed the door to my bedroom, I allowed myself a single shaky breath. The formal dinner was finally over. Viktor’s words, his smug glances, his possessive touches—they still clung to me like a second skin, leaving me both exhausted and nauseous. I leaned against the door, pressing a hand to my abdomen, feeling a flicker of strength despite the suffocating tension that had filled the evening.But the peace didn’t last long. I heard footsteps approaching, slow and deliberate, before my mother’s voice cut through the quiet.“Irina,” she said, her tone unnervingly calm. “We need to have a word.”She didn’t wait for an invitation. She simply pushed the door open and strode in, her gaze sharp and probing, her mouth set in a thin line. I straightened, forcing myself to look composed, even as my heart began to pound.“Of course, Mother,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.She shut the door behind her, crossing her arms as she studied me. There was something different in her eyes tonigh
The morning light filtered through my curtains, dragging me from a restless sleep. Last night’s confrontation with my mother weighed on me like a leaden cloak, but I barely had time to process it before another ordeal began. The arrival of Mrs. Evelina Loresca, a friend of my mother’s and an esteemed wedding planner, was announced by the sound of hurried footsteps and hushed whispers outside my door.Evelina swept into the room with an air of brisk authority, her presence almost larger than life. She was polished to perfection—her suit a crisp cream color, her hair pinned up neatly, and her sharp gaze taking in every inch of my surroundings, clearly judging everything from the decor to my disheveled appearance. Behind her, my mother followed, already wearing a look that warned me to behave.“Irina,” my mother announced with forced cheerfulness, “Evelina is here to discuss the wedding arrangements. We have much to finalize.”I mustered a polite nod. “Good morning, Mrs. Loresca.”“Good
The weight of the world sat heavy on my shoulders as I stared out of the large window of my childhood bedroom. The once-beautiful view of the city below, with its twinkling lights and bustling streets, now looked like a cruel joke. This room, this house—everything in it—had been my prison for as long as I could remember. And now, it seemed like the bars were closing in tighter than ever.The door creaked open behind me, and I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. My mother’s familiar perfume filled the air, a mix of lilies and something else that I could never quite place. It used to be comforting, but now it only made my stomach churn.“Irina,” she said softly, but there was no warmth in her voice. “You need to start getting ready. The engagement party will begin soon.”I didn’t respond. Instead, I kept my eyes fixed on the cityscape, hoping that if I stared hard enough, I could find a way to escape. But I knew better. There was no escape from the fate they had planned for m
The cold night air bit at my skin as we stepped out of the bar, but I hardly noticed. Lukas’ hand was warm around mine, guiding me through the dimly lit streets. The city felt different now, the shadows no longer threatening but inviting, pulling me into a world I had never dared to explore.We didn’t speak as we walked, and I was grateful for the silence. My thoughts were a jumbled mess, too tangled to sort out. All I knew was that I needed this—needed to feel something other than the crushing weight of my life falling apart. And Lukas, with his dark, intense gaze and calm confidence, seemed like the perfect escape.We reached a hotel not far from the bar, one of those places that catered to late-night visitors looking for a quick, anonymous stay. The neon sign flickered above the entrance, casting a red glow on the pavement. Lukas paused for a moment, glancing at me as if giving me one last chance to back out.But I wasn’t going to. I was too far gone, too desperate to care about co
The morning light was too bright, piercing through the thin curtains of my tiny apartment. I winced as I rolled over, the dull ache in my head reminding me of the wine I’d had the night before. I blinked, trying to push the remnants of sleep away as I stared up at the ceiling. It was still strange to wake up here, in this small space that I now called home.Three months had passed since that night with Lukas. Three months since I had walked away from everything I had ever known. I had moved across the city, as far from my family as I could manage, and rented this tiny one-bedroom apartment with the little money I had left. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.I had found a job shortly after moving in, working as an assistant at a large multinational company. It wasn’t glamorous, but it paid the bills and, most importantly, it kept me under the radar. I wasn’t sure if my family was still looking for me, but I wasn’t taking any chances. The last thing I needed was to be dragged back into th