~••Ava••~The dress was suffocating.Red silk and sequins cling to my body like a second skin. Designed to flaunt curves I didn't want anyone in Aleksei's world to see. The slit on the side was too high, the neckline too low and every step I took in the towering heels felt like a deliberate test of my patience."You're stunning, baby girl." Aleksei said when I stepped out of my room, his voice smooth and low as he adjusted the diamond choker on my neck. His fingers brushed my neck, cold and possessive and I wanted them there. I shook the startling thoughts out of my head immediately.I glared at him, hating how effortlessly he towered over me in his tailored black suit, exuding control and power. "This isn't me."He smirked, ignoring my protest. "Tonight, it is. Smile, baby girl. You're my wife now, they'll expect nothing less from you."I bit back the retort that burned on my tongue as he led me downstairs and outside the compound.***The gala was as suffocating as I'd imagined it w
~••Aleksei••~The kiss wasn’t gentle or tender—it was raw, demanding, a clash of anger and desire. She froze for a moment, and I thought she might push me away, but then her hands gripped my jacket, pulling me even closer.The kiss deepened, a battle of dominance neither of us was willing to lose. My hand slid to her waist, pulling her against me, while my other tangled in her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back.When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide, her lips swollen, and I could see the confusion warring with anger in her expression.“This doesn’t mean I’ve given in,” she whispered, her voice shaky but defiant.I smirked, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Good. I like a challenge.”But as I stepped back and left her room, giving her space, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about control anymore. She was under my skin, and that was a dangerous place for her to be.~••Ava••~I'd kissed my husband. The devil. The man I h
~••Ava••~After Aleksei left the sitting room, I practically ran up to my own room. I shut and clicked the door locked, going to the wardrobe where I had stashed my phone under many panties. I shuffled for it and when I found it, I went back to the bed, sitting at the edge and then I dialled Dmitri's number. After three rings, it connected."Ava? You took your phone with you?" The question came out exasperatedly."Yeah I had to. I don't think they noticed, if not they would've come to collect it." I told him and he sighed out."That's very dangerous, Ava." I rolled my eyes, it seemed like this was the day everyone told me how dangerous my situation is. "If he catches you, it won't be funny.""Exactly why I wouldn't let him catch me, Dmitri. I'm smarter than that. I called because... I'm attempting to kill him." The name isn't necessary as I'm certain he knows as hell who I'm speaking about.There's a long pause on his end before he said; "Be careful, Ava. I don't want anything happeni
••Ava••~You know after that little event of trying to murder my Devil of a husband that went to a drain? Yeah, the other five tries went to a drain as well.Day one; I tried snuffing his life out by suffocating him with a pillow. He didn't even fucking thrash, he only held out his hands and gripped my waist as I straddled him. Rubbing the skin and I had to get the hell away from his room because I didn't know what the fuck I was feeling!Day two; Another knife attempt but Igor caught me. Oh it so didn't go well. He yelled what I'm sure were cursed words in Russian then chased me the fuck out of the kitchen. I had to go back and sleep.Day three; I rigged the balcony railing to collapse. Genius plan—until Aleksei turned the tables and pulled me out onto the balcony, insisting I enjoy the view with him. The railing gave way under it, and instead of falling to his death, we ended up in a tangled heap on the grass below. His laughter echoed as he held me close, checking for injuries. I d
~••~Aleksei~••~"Did something happen today, Ava?" I asked, staring at her. She narrowed her eyes then raised her left elegant brow."No, are you expecting something to happen?" She responded and I shook my head. "It's strange. You should've been making your next murder attempt. Why are you sitting here watching Igor who doesn't like you?" She glared at me and I chuckled. I like it when she glares."I'm not interested in killing you anymore, since you've proved to be immortal." She snorted and I laughed. "By the way, Igor isn't chasing me away, I don't see how sitting here is any of your concerns." She said then continued watching them."I'm not immortal. Your attempts are too sloppy. I would've said to try guns, but there's no way you can get them." I watched as her eyes moved back to me and widened."Are you giving me tips on murdering you, dear husband?" Gosh, it's criminal how much I love the sound of her calling me ‘husband’. I shrugged, "Don't you need it?" She scoffed then r
Chapter 12~••~Ava~••~I watched, dumbstruck, how my husband wiped his damp hair with a small towel. His back to me. His arm muscles rippled with his movements. I knew Aleksei was muscular, but I didn't know he was this mouthwatering muscular. He was only dressed in black pants that hung on his waist, letting me see his toned waist. Fuck, he was delectable."Are you just going to stand there, wife?" It was the first time he called my wife and I'm sure my cheeks were tinted pink.I cleared my throat and closed the door, standing right before the wood as though it would offer some help. "I came to call you down for lunch." I said with a calm I certainly don't feel."You did, didn't you?" He dropped the towel and turned, and I,oh dear God, choked on my next breath. His front side is even more breathtaking!He slowly stalked toward me, swaying his strong waists as he came and pinned me with his body against the door. I couldn't even breathe. "Didn't expect you to, though."What? "You exp
~••~Ava~••~My thumb hovered above the cell phone in my hand, particularly at Dmitri's number. Father said I shouldn't call, but how could I relay a message without calling them? But then again, this wasn't even about them.Taking in a deep breath, I dialled the number. After a few rings, the call connected. "Dmitri." I said and heard his sharp intake of breath."Ava..." He said exasperatedly, "Father said you shouldn't use the cell again."I rolled my eyes, after they'd call me stupid. "How am I supposed to relay my message then?"Dmitri sighed, "What is It? Has something new happened?" He asked.I bit my lips, "Nothing actually. Just taking care of some traitors as I heard yesterday." I shrugged. Aleksei doesn't have most of his meetings here at home, and even if he does, it's usually in his office inside his room. So to get to his office, I must be inside his room and that's a risk I don't want to take.‘Yeah, says someone who tried to kill him six times.’ I roll my eyes at my inne
~••~Aleksei~••~I arrived sooner than I should have, with my new mobile for Ava tucked in my pocket. She might have been clever enough to sneak her calls behind my back, but she wasn’t clever enough to outsmart me.Stepping into the parlor, I immediately noticed her absence. Ava usually curled up in the sitting room with a book or indulged in one of those overly cheerful romantic comedies she seemed to adore. But the space was empty, the silence stretching.I looked around the library, a place she virtually owned. The scent of old books permeated the air, yet there was no sign of Ava. That left only one place.Wandering down the hallway, I felt no desire to knock, so I simply pushed open her door.Lying on the bed, she sat with a cell phone grasped in her hand. Her head sprang up, and her eyes widened like a deer caught in the beams of a car headlights.“Aleksei…” she said hesitantly, her smile forced and weak. She instantly threw the phone onto the bed, as if that could change what
~••~Aleksei~••~I arrived sooner than I should have, with my new mobile for Ava tucked in my pocket. She might have been clever enough to sneak her calls behind my back, but she wasn’t clever enough to outsmart me.Stepping into the parlor, I immediately noticed her absence. Ava usually curled up in the sitting room with a book or indulged in one of those overly cheerful romantic comedies she seemed to adore. But the space was empty, the silence stretching.I looked around the library, a place she virtually owned. The scent of old books permeated the air, yet there was no sign of Ava. That left only one place.Wandering down the hallway, I felt no desire to knock, so I simply pushed open her door.Lying on the bed, she sat with a cell phone grasped in her hand. Her head sprang up, and her eyes widened like a deer caught in the beams of a car headlights.“Aleksei…” she said hesitantly, her smile forced and weak. She instantly threw the phone onto the bed, as if that could change what
~••~Ava~••~My thumb hovered above the cell phone in my hand, particularly at Dmitri's number. Father said I shouldn't call, but how could I relay a message without calling them? But then again, this wasn't even about them.Taking in a deep breath, I dialled the number. After a few rings, the call connected. "Dmitri." I said and heard his sharp intake of breath."Ava..." He said exasperatedly, "Father said you shouldn't use the cell again."I rolled my eyes, after they'd call me stupid. "How am I supposed to relay my message then?"Dmitri sighed, "What is It? Has something new happened?" He asked.I bit my lips, "Nothing actually. Just taking care of some traitors as I heard yesterday." I shrugged. Aleksei doesn't have most of his meetings here at home, and even if he does, it's usually in his office inside his room. So to get to his office, I must be inside his room and that's a risk I don't want to take.‘Yeah, says someone who tried to kill him six times.’ I roll my eyes at my inne
Chapter 12~••~Ava~••~I watched, dumbstruck, how my husband wiped his damp hair with a small towel. His back to me. His arm muscles rippled with his movements. I knew Aleksei was muscular, but I didn't know he was this mouthwatering muscular. He was only dressed in black pants that hung on his waist, letting me see his toned waist. Fuck, he was delectable."Are you just going to stand there, wife?" It was the first time he called my wife and I'm sure my cheeks were tinted pink.I cleared my throat and closed the door, standing right before the wood as though it would offer some help. "I came to call you down for lunch." I said with a calm I certainly don't feel."You did, didn't you?" He dropped the towel and turned, and I,oh dear God, choked on my next breath. His front side is even more breathtaking!He slowly stalked toward me, swaying his strong waists as he came and pinned me with his body against the door. I couldn't even breathe. "Didn't expect you to, though."What? "You exp
~••~Aleksei~••~"Did something happen today, Ava?" I asked, staring at her. She narrowed her eyes then raised her left elegant brow."No, are you expecting something to happen?" She responded and I shook my head. "It's strange. You should've been making your next murder attempt. Why are you sitting here watching Igor who doesn't like you?" She glared at me and I chuckled. I like it when she glares."I'm not interested in killing you anymore, since you've proved to be immortal." She snorted and I laughed. "By the way, Igor isn't chasing me away, I don't see how sitting here is any of your concerns." She said then continued watching them."I'm not immortal. Your attempts are too sloppy. I would've said to try guns, but there's no way you can get them." I watched as her eyes moved back to me and widened."Are you giving me tips on murdering you, dear husband?" Gosh, it's criminal how much I love the sound of her calling me ‘husband’. I shrugged, "Don't you need it?" She scoffed then r
••Ava••~You know after that little event of trying to murder my Devil of a husband that went to a drain? Yeah, the other five tries went to a drain as well.Day one; I tried snuffing his life out by suffocating him with a pillow. He didn't even fucking thrash, he only held out his hands and gripped my waist as I straddled him. Rubbing the skin and I had to get the hell away from his room because I didn't know what the fuck I was feeling!Day two; Another knife attempt but Igor caught me. Oh it so didn't go well. He yelled what I'm sure were cursed words in Russian then chased me the fuck out of the kitchen. I had to go back and sleep.Day three; I rigged the balcony railing to collapse. Genius plan—until Aleksei turned the tables and pulled me out onto the balcony, insisting I enjoy the view with him. The railing gave way under it, and instead of falling to his death, we ended up in a tangled heap on the grass below. His laughter echoed as he held me close, checking for injuries. I d
~••Ava••~After Aleksei left the sitting room, I practically ran up to my own room. I shut and clicked the door locked, going to the wardrobe where I had stashed my phone under many panties. I shuffled for it and when I found it, I went back to the bed, sitting at the edge and then I dialled Dmitri's number. After three rings, it connected."Ava? You took your phone with you?" The question came out exasperatedly."Yeah I had to. I don't think they noticed, if not they would've come to collect it." I told him and he sighed out."That's very dangerous, Ava." I rolled my eyes, it seemed like this was the day everyone told me how dangerous my situation is. "If he catches you, it won't be funny.""Exactly why I wouldn't let him catch me, Dmitri. I'm smarter than that. I called because... I'm attempting to kill him." The name isn't necessary as I'm certain he knows as hell who I'm speaking about.There's a long pause on his end before he said; "Be careful, Ava. I don't want anything happeni
~••Aleksei••~The kiss wasn’t gentle or tender—it was raw, demanding, a clash of anger and desire. She froze for a moment, and I thought she might push me away, but then her hands gripped my jacket, pulling me even closer.The kiss deepened, a battle of dominance neither of us was willing to lose. My hand slid to her waist, pulling her against me, while my other tangled in her hair, forcing her to tilt her head back.When we finally broke apart, both of us were breathing heavily. Her eyes were wide, her lips swollen, and I could see the confusion warring with anger in her expression.“This doesn’t mean I’ve given in,” she whispered, her voice shaky but defiant.I smirked, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Good. I like a challenge.”But as I stepped back and left her room, giving her space, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just about control anymore. She was under my skin, and that was a dangerous place for her to be.~••Ava••~I'd kissed my husband. The devil. The man I h
~••Ava••~The dress was suffocating.Red silk and sequins cling to my body like a second skin. Designed to flaunt curves I didn't want anyone in Aleksei's world to see. The slit on the side was too high, the neckline too low and every step I took in the towering heels felt like a deliberate test of my patience."You're stunning, baby girl." Aleksei said when I stepped out of my room, his voice smooth and low as he adjusted the diamond choker on my neck. His fingers brushed my neck, cold and possessive and I wanted them there. I shook the startling thoughts out of my head immediately.I glared at him, hating how effortlessly he towered over me in his tailored black suit, exuding control and power. "This isn't me."He smirked, ignoring my protest. "Tonight, it is. Smile, baby girl. You're my wife now, they'll expect nothing less from you."I bit back the retort that burned on my tongue as he led me downstairs and outside the compound.***The gala was as suffocating as I'd imagined it w
~••Ava••~The dining room of Aleksei's penthouse is like him. Cold, dark and lifeless. Only that he isn't lifeless but heartless. I watched him as he settled himself down at the black head of the chair. The rest of the chairs were black. I took a seat directly opposite him on the other side as the maid servants came to set the dining table. I stared at the food on my plate. It was healthy and everything everyone would want but it made me nauseous. I didn't want to eat anything from this man's hand. Dinner was a silent war. The long dining table stretched between us. Aleksei was cutting his steak with surgical precision, his every movement was calculated and deliberate. Me? I pushed my food around my plate, not even bothering to hide my disdain."Eat." He commanded without looking up, his tone leaving no room for argument.I stared at him, fork frozen mid-air. "Not hungry." I shrug.He glanced at me then, his icy blue eyes looking onto mine and for a moment, the room seemed colder.