4

ADELINE's POV

I woke up feeling a lot of things at once. First the light on my face, I had adjusted to my side but it was still the same. I also felt a strong ache at the back of my head and lastly, the soft surface beneath me.

The bed was unbelievably silky, it was the kind of luxury I had always dreamt of but knew not to want because of the attachments it came with.

I tried to gather my thoughts as I rolled onto my side. Thinking of where I could be and at the same time tried to adjust my eyes to the brightness of the light on my face.

I gently placed my right hand on my face to deter more light from getting to me. It worked and the moment I was able to see clearly,  I spotted the figure in the chair. It was him.

Dimitrov.

He was sitting on the rocking chair and he had the deadliest look on earth. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the toned and sexy body I was once crazy about. His eyes were fixed on me and for the next one minute, it was as if the world stopped and he never for once took his gaze away from me. The glass of amber liquid swirling in the glass. My heart thumped as I wondered how long he had sat down there staring at me.

It all came back to me at that moment. They intercepted our car, shot Agnes, and drugged me. I scanned the room but there was no trace of Katya and Ivan. I was scared.

"It took you so long to wake up," Romanov said, in a cold voice. Not carrying any emotions or portraying how he must be feeling.

"No answer. Are you scared of me?" He smiled cruelly as he leaned forward. My heart thumped so fast, the smile on his face was a testament to how aware he was of my fear. And the knowledge he could play with my fear, he loved it the most. He took the rest of the drink in one swig and stood up, drawing closer until he was climbing on the bed. I shifted back, eager to put a long distance between us, but the bed was too big for me to wriggle myself out of.

"We've been away from each other for so long my love" A smile appeared on his face. A genuine one this time.

"Dimitrov" his name was heavy on my lips. I ignored him calling me his love. It was pointless to dwell on that.

"Where are my kids?" I went straight to what was important. His face darkened and he moved to the edge of the bed.

"They are safe. But first, We have a lot of things to talk about"

"I have nothing to say to you," I snapped, making an effort to get rid of the fear that enveloped me

He chuckled, a sound so frightening. I was very familiar with that sound. He made it when he was pissed and had the weirdest thoughts going on in his head.

"You've gotten bolder. I don't know if I should be upset or impressed"

"Be none of them. I want to leave"

"But this isn't a hotel where you can walk in and out as you wish"

"Only I didn't come here on my own will. You forced me here" I shouted.

"Same difference. But you already know what it's going to be sweetheart" he drew closer, not stopping even when I pressed myself against the headboard. His cold fingertips brushed against my skin.

"You're never going to leave me, not until we're both dead"

"Never" I yelled, taking him by surprise and clicking his jaw. I sent a second hot straight into his eyes and I dashed out of the bed, to the door. It seemed so far away but I got there and yanked on the handle, but the door was locked. My eyes widened in horror.

I heard his footsteps behind me and he yanked me by my hair, dragging me by my hair through the room and tossing me on the bed.

"Let me go, Dimitrov. We have no business together.  Just let me and my kids go" I cried desperately, kneeling on the bed.

"We have no business together?" He asked in a deadly tone, gripping my jaw until it hurt.

"You are my wife" he yelled in my face, his voice thick with emotions and his eyes blazing with anger.

"You had my fucking children and kept them away from me" he let go of my jaw and I just cried.

"You must be foolish to think I would let you go that easily after finding out that. You should have never come to that courtroom"

"No. I should have never gotten involved with you. I should have run as far as I could the first day I met you. I should have listened to my mother and stayed away from you. She was right. You're nothing but a cold-hearted monster" his face had slipped back into the indifferent mask.

"Was that really how you saw me? Thought of me? We used to be so happy together"

"Did you expect everything to remain as it used to after all you did? You killed my mother" I cried out again, my voice breaking. How could he act like that never happened?

"You don't know what happened that day" his voice was gentle now.

"And I don't want to fucking know. You're a cold-hearted murderer and that's all that there is to it. Katya! Ivan!. Katya!" I called my children's names loudly hoping they would hear my voice.

"Katya!! Iv....."

"Shut up!" he growled.

"What did you do to my children? Give them back to me"

"They're on the other end of the island. They can't hear you. As a matter of fact, nobody can hear you so stop fucking screaming"

"Give me my children back"

"They aren't just yours Adeline. They're mine too and what u want to fucking know is why the fuck you kept their existence away from me?"

He was dumb if he was asking me something like that.

"Where are my kids? I want to see them. You have no right to keep them away from me"

"And you had the right to keep them away from me?" He yelled back.

"I'm their mother"

"And I'm their father" I stayed silent.

"Even if you hated me so damn much. You shouldn't have kept this from me" I looked away.

"I have allowed you to speak. My benevolence only goes so far. You have been selfish with them and now is my time with them."

"What does that mean?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"You hid them from me for 3 years. You destroyed me. And you betrayed my love. And now, it's my turn to give you a taste of what you made me feel"

"No. They are mine. They shouldn't be around someone like you. Someone heartless. Who kills without any remorse? I don't want you tainting my beloved children. I'm not going to let you be close to them even for a damn second"

"There's nothing you can do here my love. You're locked up now. You'll endure every grueling moment locked up in this room, thinking about your loved ones that you can never see. You'll never set your eyes on my children again"

"You think they'll love you if you hurt me?"

"They're children. They'll forget about you soon. I'll make sure they do and I'll get them a nice woman who would love them and in the end, they'll call her mother"

"No" I screamed like a wounded woman. That couldn't happen. I'd rather die than allow that to happen.

"Does it frighten you now? You know that I can do it and it won't be punishment enough for what you did to me"

"You disgust me" I spat at him.

"And I'm not afraid of you. Garret is going to find me and he'll take us away and this time, I hope you're fucking killed" My voice trembled because I was unsure of my last words. He tutted, his look disapproving.

"I'm a hard man to kill sweetheart. But he could try. I'd have one more reason to decapitate him"

"You had better kill me then" his eyes narrowed.

"You're not getting an easy way out. But you can ask me again after five years, I could be kind enough and grant you that wish"

"You want to break me" he scoffed.

"That's a mild way of putting the things I want to do to you, sweetheart"

"I'm not even surprised," I said emptily, feeling drained.

"It's your specialty. To kill and destroy everything around you. You're like a chronic illness, spreading and killing whatever you touch. Just like Philly....."

My words got to him. I noticed his expression change. The smile on his face disappeared and I could see the anger in his eyes, but he didn't move or say anything.

"You can never, ever mention Philly's name ever again. You don't deserve to speak his name"

I looked away.

"Get used to this room. It'll be your home for a long time"

"I'd rather die than live the way you want me to"

"No Adeline. I won't allow that to happen. You are going to live until I decide your time is up. You're going to regret what you did baby girl" he said with glistening eyes, his Russian accent strong.

He marched away and I heard the door slam, leaving me cold and empty.