Page 5 of Velvet Chains
I swallow hard, my throat tight with unshed tears. I know I have no choice, no say in the matter. I’m just a pawn in their game, a means to an end.
Slowly, I nod, my head feeling heavy with the weight of my despair.
“Good,” Ksenia says, her lips curving into a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Let’s not keep everyone waiting, shall we?”
Chapter 2
Laura
THE NEXT day, I arrive at the church in a limo, feeling like a prisoner being transported to my execution.
The waiting room is a stark contrast to the opulence of the church itself, with its bare white walls and sparse furnishings. It’s like they couldn’t even be bothered to pretend this is a real wedding.
I can hear people talking in Russian outside, their voices muffled by the heavy wooden door. My heart is pounding so hard I feel like it might burst out of my chest.
I didn’t sleep a wink last night, too busy waiting for news about Victor, for someone to tell me he’s safe.
The whole night, I waited for him.
But no one came.
Yesterday, after breakfast, they just sent me back to my room like a misbehaving child. It wasn’t until this morning that a team of maids showed up with a makeup artist in tow, ready to paint me up like a goddamn doll.
I sit here now, letting them poke and prod at me again, feeling like I’m watching someone else’s life unfold.
This can’t be happening. This can’t be my fucking reality.
“You’re so lucky,” one of the maids gushes as she curls my hair for the hundredth time. “Victor is such a catch. You’ll be the envy of every woman in the Bratva.”
I want to laugh in her face, to tell her that luck has nothing to do with it. That I’m only here to serve a purpose to people who couldn’t give a shit about me.
But I don’t. I just sit there, staring at my reflection in the mirror.
I clamp down on my lip and give her a nod.
How could I have been so stupid, so naive?
My father’s words echo in my head, taunting me. He always said I was too weak, too gullible, constantly getting cheated by people. And now, look at me, trapped in this mess I never wanted, all because of my own stupidity.
I think of Ser, the one person who’s always been there for me.
She’s the only family I have left, and now, because of me, she’s in danger too.
What if the Bratva decides to use her as leverage to keep me in line?
I can’t bear the thought of anything happening to her because of my mistakes.
I should have seen through David’s lies, should have realized that he was too good to be true. But I was so desperate for love, for someone to see me as more than just a bookstore owner with a tragic past, that I ignored all the red flags. And now, I’m paying the price.
I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I blink them back. I can’t let them see me cry; can’t let them know how much they’ve broken me. I have to be strong, for Ser’s sake, for my own sake. But God, it’s so hard when all I want to do is curl up in a ball and disappear.
I clench my jaw, feeling the anger rising inside me.
No. Fuck that! I’m not weak. I’m not some damsel in distress waiting for a man to save me.
I may be stuck in this fucked-up situation, but I’ll be damned if I let them break me. I’ll play along with their little charade, but I won’t let them take away who I am.
I have to think.
