Vanessa’s voice sliced cleanly through the stillness.
“That bracelet you gave Camille… it cost a fortune, didn’t it? I asked you for one just like it, and you brushed me off. She doesn’t even have to ask, and you spoil her with the most expensive things.”
Nikolai shifted slightly. He removed her legs from around his waist and sat upright, reaching for a cigarette. The flame briefly lit up his face—calm, detached, almost indifferent.
“I’ve already explained this,” he said, exhaling smoke. “The divorce will happen. I love my wife, but for now this stays between us. If she ever finds out, everything falls apart.”
Vanessa moved closer, her bare skin pressing against him. “I know what you said. I just… I love you too. I can’t stop myself from feeling jealous.”
He let out a quiet breath, then opened his bedside drawer. From inside, he pulled out a bracelet identical in design to mine—only the color was different. He held it up lazily, letting it sway between them.
“Stop sulking. I bought one for you as well. You’ll wear it when we’re alone. If Camille sees it, we’re finished.”
Her eyes brightened instantly. She leaned in to kiss him, murmuring her gratitude, her body still marked by him. After a moment, she tilted her head and asked, almost playfully, “Why does the thought of her leaving bother you so much?”
He didn’t pause.
“It doesn’t, not really. I have you.” His tone remained steady. “But my grandfather adored Camille. Once I inherit his shares—those billions tied up in stocks—then I can cut ties with her properly. After that, I’ll marry you.”
And with that, he pulled her back down onto the bed. The frame creaked loudly under their weight. Her soft cries drifted into the hallway.
I braced myself against the wall, pressing a trembling hand to my mouth to keep the sound in. Across from me, our wedding portrait hung neatly in its gilded frame. His smiling face in that photo felt like mockery.
“Thirteen days, Nikolai,” I whispered, tears slipping silently down my cheeks.
“In thirteen days, I’ll disappear. Then we’ll see how much you unravel.”
---
Shouting dragged me out of sleep the next morning—sharp, frantic, impossible to ignore.
When I stepped into the hallway, the noise came from the garden next door. A woman had grabbed hold of a man’s shirt, her voice breaking as she spoke.
“Tim, I gave you ten years. I carried your children,” she cried. “On our wedding day, you promised forever. And now you’re sneaking around with someone else?”
The sun had barely risen, yet neighbors were already strolling near the lake. They slowed down, staring openly as the confrontation escalated.
The man—Tim, a familiar face in the neighborhood—turned pale at the sight of an audience. He dragged the woman inside roughly and hissed, “What’s wrong with you? How many times do I have to repeat myself? No man stays faithful forever.”
The words struck something deep inside me.
I stood there, unable to move.
Suddenly, a warm palm covered my ear from behind, shielding me from the rest.
“Don’t listen to that garbage, Camille,” Nikolai murmured near my hair.
I didn’t look at him. “Tell me something honestly… do all men eventually cheat?”
There was a brief pause. Then he gently turned me to face him, his dark eyes steady on mine.
“I can’t answer for every man,” he said softly. “But as for me? You’re the only one I’ll ever love.”
I studied his expression—the flawless calm, the certainty.
“Only me? For an entire lifetime?” I asked quietly. “That’s a very long time.”
He drew me into his arms. “Exactly. And I want you to fill every second of it.”
A small laugh escaped me, though it felt hollow.
“And if you betray me?” I pressed.
“If I ever do, may lightning strike me where I stand.”
Such a dramatic oath.
Cruel, really—because I already knew the truth. On nights he claimed to be busy, he came home smelling like someone else’s perfume. He could lie beside them, touch them, then come back and say these things to me without hesitation.
“Doesn’t that scare you?” I asked. “Making promises like that?”
“Not in the slightest.” His gaze never wavered. “No one understands how much I love you. If you doubt it, I’ll tear my chest open and prove it. And if that’s not enough…” His voice dropped. “I’d give you my life.”
I thought bitterly, If you can offer your life so easily, why can’t you control your own desires?
Before I could respond, another voice interrupted.
“What are you two whispering about out here?”
We both turned.
Vanessa stood in the doorway, wearing a red dress that hugged her figure. She leaned casually against the frame, looking perfectly at ease.
Beside me, Nikolai went rigid. His brows furrowed slightly.
“It’s not even the weekend,” he said. “Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going?”
There was something off in his tone. It wasn’t brotherly concern. It sounded sharper—possessive.
Vanessa caught it too. Her smile widened, slow and deliberate.
“There’s a company party tonight,” she replied lightly. “Maybe I’ll find myself a boyfriend. Don’t stay up waiting.”
Nikolai’s jaw tightened, but she simply shifted her attention to me.
“And you, Camille? Any exciting plans?”
He answered before I could.
“She’s coming with me to my parents’ place,” he said, intertwining his fingers with mine.
Something flickered in Vanessa’s eyes—amusement, perhaps. She gave a polite nod, said her goodbyes, and walked away. A faint trace of her perfume lingered in the air.
Nikolai didn’t release my hand.
---
Thirty minutes later, he was driving us back to the Sokolov estate.
I had always disliked that house.
His parents had never truly accepted me. Only his grandfather had shown warmth. To the rest of the family, I was an unfortunate choice. I had given birth to a daughter when they’d hoped for a son. And when our little girl passed away, their resentment sharpened into something poisonous. Every visit felt like standing under judgment—like I had personally stolen their heir.
Nikolai usually spared me the discomfort, insisting it wasn’t worth the strain. But this time, his mother hadn’t been feeling well, and appearances had to be maintained.
When we stepped inside, Mr. and Mrs. Sokolov were laughing together, their conversation light.
The moment their eyes landed on me, their smiles vanished.
