Playing the Part

KAIA

I found myself gazing into the full-length mirror, hardly recognizing the woman who gazed back.

Freya and her team had left about ten minutes ago, leaving me in a state of shock with their transformation. I’d never had my hair and makeup done professionally before, not even for the events at my father’s house or in the village, because my mother had always forbidden it.

I was taken aback by my own reflection. My usually clear green eyes were now outlined with kohl, appearing even larger beneath thick, curled lashes. My cheeks were flushed, matching the color of my lips.

Freya had styled my hair in a way that half of it was piled high in a complex bun, while the rest cascaded down my back in waves.

I toyed with the robe I’d worn while getting ready, a wave of uncertainty washing over me. I considered telling the pakhan that I’d changed my mind, that this wasn’t me. But then I remembered Irina. I was doing this for her.

Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I walked over to the large closet where a freshly pressed, strapless gown hung. I eyed the forest green, mermaid cut dress with caution, as if it were a venomous snake. The dress seemed to shimmer; its plunging sweetheart neckline and short train looked like they belonged on a red carpet, not on me.

I untied my robe, letting the soft fabric fall to the floor, leaving me in nothing but a sheer thong. I reached for the dress.

Freya had offered to help me put it on, but I wasn’t used to this level of attention and needed some privacy to avoid a meltdown. So, I told her I could manage on my own. She reluctantly ushered her team out and left the room.

I stepped into the dress, pulling it up over my thighs and hips, feeling the material hug my curves. The dress had a built-in bra, so I didn’t need to wear one, but the plunging neckline ensured my cleavage was on full display.

I reached back to zip up the dress, but I could only manage to pull it up a few inches.

Suddenly, rough fingers brushed mine aside. I spun around quickly, clutching the top of my dress against my chest, and found myself staring at Aleksandr’s elegant form.

“Pakhan,” I breathed out, my voice shaky. I blamed it on my surprise, not on the sight of him looking incredibly handsome in a perfectly tailored tuxedo that accentuated his broad shoulders and chest. His dark hair was neatly combed back, hiding the strands of gray, and his lips curved under a neatly trimmed beard. When he looked like this, his scar was hardly noticeable.

“You may call me Aleksandr,” he said in a deep voice. “Turn around.”

I couldn’t ignore the way his eyes, filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place, dropped to my trembling fingers barely covering the curves of my breasts. I felt exposed under his gaze, as if I were completely naked. A hot, wicked sensation pooled in my lower abdomen, and his scent filled the air.

“I can call Freya—”

“Freya’s gone,” he interrupted. “Turn around. We don’t want to be late.”

My heart pounded so hard, I wondered if he could hear it. I turned back around, exposing my bare back to him.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as his fingers brushed my shoulders, lifting my hair to drape it over one shoulder before his hands moved down to my spine. The room was charged with electricity as he gripped the zipper, the sound of it being pulled up echoing in the silence.

I could swear his fingers lingered on my back, as if he couldn’t resist touching me, before he moved my hair back in place. He didn’t step back when I turned around to face him.

“You look…”

He let out a short breath.

~Was the pakhan at a loss for words?~

That thought eased some of my nervousness.

“Yes?” I asked, feeling a bit more confident.

Did I want him to find me attractive? Did I want him to see me as a beautiful woman and not a shy, awkward girl? The answers to those questions terrified me.

He licked his lips, his eyes scanning my dress again. “Finding the right words to describe you seems impossible,” he finally admitted. “For once, I think all eyes will be on someone other than me.”

His arm extended toward me, but his words made me hesitate, my anxiety resurfacing.

Aleksandr dropped his arm, his face clouded with worry at my reaction.

“What’s bothering you, kotik?”

I moved past him, perching on the edge of the bed.

“I’m not this person. This isn’t who I am,” I murmured, my fingers clutching the sheets on either side of me.

A pang of guilt washed over me as I thought of Irina possibly out there somewhere, while I was here, playing pretend and preparing to attend a grand party with a man who looked like a walking temptation. How did I end up here?

Aleksandr sauntered over, gently lifting my chin with his thumb to meet my eyes—eyes filled with guilt, uncertainty, and a hint of fear.

His eyes, on the other hand, were brimming with sheer confidence.

“It’s just a dinner. You don’t have to share my bed afterward, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

I shook my head, causing his hand to drop.

“It’s not that. This isn’t me, Aleksandr.” I tugged at the dress, his breath hitching as he heard his name escape my lips.

When I looked up at him, I saw a frown creasing his forehead, which quickly smoothed out as if he grasped what I was trying to convey.

“How long were you with Cristo?”

His question made me tense up.

“Just over a year,” I responded softly.

“I find it hard to believe that a beautiful woman like you lived with him for a year and he never showed you off or laid a hand on you,” his voice hardened toward the end, and his body tensed up, clearly disliking the thought of me with Cristo.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

“I did everything in my power to avoid his attention,” I explained. “Besides, he was too busy obsessing over finding Lia.”

“You resemble her,” Aleksandr noted.

I raised an eyebrow.

“But I’m not her,” I retorted flatly. “I made it clear to Cristo that if he ever touched me, Lia would disappear forever.”

Aleksandr’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“And how did he react to your threat?”

I bit my lip, remembering the wicked glint in Cristo’s eyes.

“He gave me a deadline. If I didn’t find Lia within a month, he would consider me her replacement.”

Aleksandr’s breath hitched, and I noticed his fists clenching in his pockets.

“So, I found her and revealed her location. She was in Ilhabela with Santiago.”

Because of me, Cristo found her. He scared her by running her off the road, a clear threat. He wanted her to know he could always find her.

But she managed to escape him again when she moved to the city for art school.

“Did he ever touch you?”

His icy tone sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to sugarcoat my answer, but I also wanted him to know the truth.

“Not in the way you’re thinking,” I confessed.

He seemed to relax at my response.

Aleksandr moved closer, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet.

“I’ll be right by your side. You don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to,” he said.

His words took me by surprise.

“Then why do I have to go at all?”

His gaze was intense.

“Because I want you to.”