5. When you touch me

"What?" I stammered. "No, I can't stay in your room. If I don’t get my own room, I won't agree to this anymore."

Ivan smirked and moved closer to me. "Who’s talking about an agreement here?" He lifted his phone and played a video of a drunken me agreeing to marry him. "That’s the only agreement I need."

A chill ran down my spine. The video made it clear he had leverage over me, and a growing suspicion that he had orchestrated the entire scene to blackmail me took hold.

Before I could fully process my thoughts, Ivan was right in front of me. His hand reached up and gently cupped my jaw, forcing me to look directly at him. "I want you next to me, Veronica," he said softly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that was both unsettling and mesmerizing. "That’s why I proposed to you."

I tried to pull away, but his grip was firm yet gentle. "I thought you did that because you were intoxicated," I whispered, my voice trembling. "What do you want from me?"

Ivan’s expression softened slightly, though his grip remained steady. "I want you. I want to know how it feels again to have you in my bed."

My eyes widened as he pulled me closer, his strong arms wrapping around my waist. My body pressed against his, and I could feel the heat radiating from him. He leaned in, closing the distance between us, and captured my lips with his. I gasped involuntarily as our tongues met, the kiss igniting a spark that sent a jolt through me. The kiss was brief but intense before Ivan pulled back, his hot breath grazing my neck and making me shiver.

He released me and stepped away, heading toward the stairs. "Think about it," he said, his voice low and measured. "I'll be upstairs."

Left alone, I stood there, my mind racing and my heart pounding. Everything had happened so fast, and the whirlwind of emotions was overwhelming. I needed to make sense of what had just occurred and figure out what to do next. The kiss had stirred feelings I wasn't prepared to confront, and now I was left grappling with the implications of Ivan’s actions and my own feelings towards him.

The clicking sound of heels hitting the marble floor pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see a woman about my age, though taller, with perfectly lined curves and short black hair. Her blue eyes had specks of gray, and I couldn’t deny she was beautiful. She walked in with the confidence of someone familiar with the place, and when she saw me, she scoffed and approached me with an air of superiority.

"I recognize you from the internet scandal. Not much compared to what I’ve heard," she rolled her eyes. "You're like an outdated fool."

"Who are you? And what makes you think you're better than me?" I asked, matching her attitude with my own.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. "I’m Ivan’s fiancée," she said, raising her hand to show me the ring on her finger. "So if I’m not mistaken, you’re trespassing."

I scoffed, my mind flashing back to the moment Ivan’s mother had the audacity to persuade me to pretend to be her son’s wife in front of the media, all while knowing he was already engaged.

"I’m not trespassing. Maybe if your so-called fiancé was really serious about his engagement with you, I wouldn’t be caught up in the middle of all this," I replied, making it clear I wasn’t interested in the drama.

She burst out laughing hysterically. "You think Ivan is interested in you? Ivan has been loyal to me, and you’re just an outdated mistake that blew up on the internet."

"Oh, is that what you think? Well, from the looks of things, it seems you’re the one who’s outdated because no one knows about your engagement, but the whole internet is roaring with posts about Ivan and me."

The moment the words left my lips, I wished I could take them back.

She narrowed her eyes at me and then her laughter abruptly stopped. For a moment, we stood there in a tense silence, the air thick with hostility. I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she processed my words.

"You think you can waltz in here and take what’s mine?" she sneered, stepping closer until we were nearly nose to nose. "Ivan is mine. This little stunt won’t last, and when it’s over, you’ll be nothing more than a forgotten headline."

I met her gaze, refusing to back down. "I’m not trying to take anything that belongs to you. But you should ask yourself why Ivan’s mother is going to such lengths to parade me around instead of you."

Her expression faltered for just a second, doubt flickering in her eyes. But she quickly recovered, her features hardening once more. "You’ll regret ever crossing me," she spat before turning on her heel and striding out of the room, her head held high.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The confrontation had left me shaken, but I couldn’t let it deter me. There were too many unanswered questions, and I needed to figure out my next move before I was caught in a trap I couldn’t escape.

I glanced at the stairs where Ivan had disappeared. Part of me wanted to run as far away from this place as possible, but another part of me was drawn to him, to the mystery surrounding his actions and the connection we once had. If I was going to survive this tangled web, I needed answers—and the only person who could give them to me was upstairs, waiting.

There was no way I was going upstairs to his room and I'm sure miss perfect would've been there with him, probably throwing herself at him.

I bit my lip with the thought of it and walked up the stairs making my way to my mom's room.