Your Move

KAIA

I let the hot water cascade over me, washing away the day’s events. My eyes were closed, my mind lost in thought.

After my encounter with Aleksandr, I’d retreated to my room’s bathroom. I scrubbed my skin raw, trying to erase the physical evidence of his touch.

But when I looked in the mirror, his marks were still there. Bruises and teeth marks marred my pale skin, a stark reminder of his possession.

I was certain that the clause he’d mentioned was about getting me pregnant. His actions spoke louder than words.

He never missed an opportunity to finish inside me. And he’d conveniently forgotten about the doctor’s shot he’d once promised.

I needed to see the contract. I needed to know just how manipulative Aleksandr truly was.

A part of me felt guilty. I couldn’t deny that I gave in to him every time he touched me.

My body betrayed me, submitting to him even when my mind screamed no. I opened my eyes, turned off the water, and reached for a towel.

As I walked back into the bedroom, my laptop chimed. An email had arrived.

My heart pounded as I eyed the laptop warily. It sat on my bed, my inbox displayed on the screen.

I’d left it open on purpose, eager to see the email Aleksandr had promised. And there it was, an email with a PDF attachment titled ‘contract’.

I sat on the bed, clutching my towel tighter. I clicked on the attachment, and the contract filled the screen.

~“Contract between Aleksandr Kozlov (“the Promisor”) and Kaia Smirnova also known as Kaia Rostova (“the Promisee”).~

I read through the contract carefully, not missing a single line.

Then I reached clause five.

~5. ~Children~

~The Promisee agrees with the Promisor that the term of marriage of one year will be automatically forfeit upon the conception of any child.~

~The Promisee agrees with the Promisor that in the event the parties separate or divorce that sole custody of any children of the marriage will go to the Promisor.~

I gasped.

“No,” I whispered, my voice echoing in the empty room.

My hands instinctively went to my stomach.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Aleksandr wouldn’t have knocked. He would have just walked in. So it had to be either Niko or Feliks, and I didn’t want to see either of them.

“Go away!” I yelled.

There was a pause, then another soft knock.

“Kaia, it’s Stasya. Aleksandr’s sister. Can I come in?”

I closed the laptop and glared at the door.

“I don’t want to see anyone right now, Stasya.”

I tried to keep my voice steady, but my anger was palpable. I heard her sigh.

“I get it. I know how mean Aleks can be. Believe me, I’ve been in your shoes not too long ago.”

Her words made me frown. Without thinking, I walked over and opened the door.

Stasya looked surprised when she saw me. I realized then that I was still in my towel, Aleksandr’s marks on full display.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt—”

I cut her off with a shake of my head. “What did you mean you were in my shoes recently?”

Stasya bit her lip. “Umm… why don’t you get dressed and we can talk?”

I studied her. She was beautiful, with golden hair and blue eyes just like Aleksandr’s. She was dressed in skinny jeans, a flowy top, and towering heels.

She looked like a model, but her eyes held no deceit.

“Did Aleksandr send you?”

She gave her head a quick shake.

“Aleks isn’t around. He had to attend a meeting with some of the Dons. He has no idea I’m here.”

I squinted at her, but her face remained a picture of innocence.

“All right,” I finally said, opening the door wider. “Come in. I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

I ushered Stasya in and headed to the walk-in closet to change into yoga pants and a sweatshirt.

“How did you find out where Aleksandr went?” I asked Stasya, who was gazing out at the sea from the window. “Are you involved in his business?”

Stasya blushed.

“Oh, Gio told me,” she answered, smiling proudly. “Gio’s my fiancé.” She showed off her left hand, wiggling her ring finger where a dazzling emerald-cut diamond ring sat.

“Did you come here because Aleksandr tricked me into agreeing to marry him?”

Stasya’s mouth fell open, and her voice was a squeak of excitement.

“Aleks proposed to you?”

I crossed my arms over my chest and moved closer to her so she could see I wasn’t finding this amusing.

“~No~. We agreed to a one-year marriage and then he tricked me into signing some dumb contract that…” My voice trailed off as her eyes grew wider with each word. “You know what? Forget it. If this isn’t about the contract, why are you here, Stasya?”

She grabbed my arms, her grip tight, her expression dazed.

“Aleks swore he would ~never~ remarry.”

She looked at me as if I was the miracle she’d been praying for.

“It’s strictly business, I assure you,” I replied sarcastically.

Stasya smirked and glanced at the marks on my neck knowingly. “Sure.”

I shrugged her hands off and moved away from her prying eyes before she saw something she wasn’t meant to.

“Okay, listen.” Stasya moved to sit by the bay window. “I’m not sure if you know this, but Aleks and I share the same father.”

I was aware of that from my research, so I just nodded.

“Right, so when our father Viktor passed away, Aleksandr discovered me and brought me here.” She turned her gaze to the window again. “I was in a bad place when he found me and didn’t like being confined here, so I tried to escape many times until Aleks eventually locked me in my room. It took me a while to understand that he was trying to protect me.”

I glanced at her.

“Keeping me here benefits him, not me,” I retorted. Naturally, she’d side with her brother.

Stasya shrugged. “It might seem that way now.”

Growing irritated, I snapped at her. “Why are you here again, Stasya?”

She rose from the chair as if she just remembered why she’d come to my door.

“Oh right, some of the girls and I are heading to Azure tonight. Sort of a bachelorette party,” she explained. “I wanted to go to Vegas and see the ‘Thunder from Down Under’ show, but Aleks said no and Gio agreed with him.

“Anyway, Anya and Lia told me they met you at the charity gala a few nights ago, right? They’ll be there and you’ll also meet Lia’s sister-in-law Sloane.”

She wanted me to attend her bachelorette party?

“You barely know me,” I told her, not hiding my surprise at this invitation.

Stasya grinned.

“Well, this is a perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other. Plus, Aleks has no idea you’re coming with us. Can you imagine his reaction when he finds out I snuck you out to go clubbing?”

She squealed again, and I found myself grinning back. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed defying the pakhan.

She did have a point, though. The look on Aleksandr’s face when he discovered me would be worth it, the perfect revenge for his trickery. Especially if he found me dancing with someone else.

A memory of the look he gave Giovanni Ricci when he approached us on the dance floor flashed in my mind.

“You know, that sounds like a fantastic idea.”

Stasya wrapped her arms around me.

“Great! Now let’s find you something to wear.”

She grabbed my hand, leading me out of the room.

“Maybe something Aleksandr wouldn’t be too thrilled about?” I suggested, a hint of mischief in my voice.

Stasya let out a scoff, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand.

“I’m way ahead of you, sweetheart. That’s why we’re heading to ~my~ room,” she replied with a smirk.

“And don’t stress about sneaking out of the house. I’ve got that part down to a science.”