Page 48 of Owned By the Russian

And now that reason was gone.

The door behind him creaked open.

He turned just as Valentina stepped outside, rubbing sleep from her eyes. His shirt swallowed her frame, hanging off her shoulders, and her legs were bare, her skin still flushed from sleep. She blinked at the morning light, her gaze landing on him before straying forward to his brothers.

Viktor grinned. “Well, well. Look who finally decided to wake up.”

Kostya smirked. “Miss us, Val?”

Ilya saw the surprise in her eyes. It was as clear as day. Then, her lips curled into a rare, genuine smile. “You assholes.” And then she was hurrying toward them, wrapping her arms around Viktor first, then Kostya, laughing as they squeezed her back.

Ilya stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold, but Kostya caught his eye. His gaze flickered to the hickeys littering Valentina’s neck, then back to Ilya, raising a knowing brow.

Ilya sent him a sharp, warning glare that made Kostya chuckle.

“Alright, fun’s over,” Viktor said, ruffling Valentina’s hair just before she could slap his hand away. “It’s time to go home.”

“Shut. Up.” Valentina blurted at the same time Ilya went rigid.

Kostya smirked. “I’m sure you’ve had your fun with Mountain Man over here,” he said, gesturing toward Ilya. “But you’re safe now. Aleksander can’t touch you without dealing with us first.”

Viktor grinned. “So, you’re free to go home, Valentina.”

The words settled in Ilya’s chest like a weight, heavy and suffocating. He had no argument left. No logical reason to keep her here. But that didn’t stop a war from breaking out in his head?a battle between reason and emotion. They were just starting to actually spend time together, to actually enjoy each other’s presence without animosity.

But it was all going to end now, and as much as he wanted to keep her there with him for as long as he could, he knew it was impossible. Everything had an end, and his short-lived fling, or whatever it was they had shared within the last two days, had come to a permanent halt.

For a long moment, Valentina didn’t respond. She turned to glance at Ilya, but he wouldn’t meet her eye.

A muscle in his jaw ticked. “You heard him,” he murmured. “It’s safe now. You can go home.”

She parted her lips to speak but decided against it. Her gaze shifted from uncertainty to resolve as she nodded and headed back inside. “I’ll go get ready.”

And then she was gone.

Kostya’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. “You’re gonna let her go, Ilya?”

Ilya met his brother’s gaze, his expression hardening. “She has to. It’s over.”

Kostya’s smirk didn’t waver, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. “If you say so.”

Ilya ignored the feeling that gnawed at his chest. He headed back inside and stood in the doorway, watching as Valentina quickly gathered her things. He had no valid excuse to keep her here anymore, so it was stupid to even consider it in the first place.

Valentina finally emerged from the room, wearing one of the clothes he’d bought for her and carrying a bag with the rest of everything. Her hair was still messy from sleep, her steps slow, almost reluctant. But when she saw Ilya standing there, she smiled faintly.

“I don’t know if it’s right for me to take this along,” she said, gesturing to the bag of clothes he got her.

“Why not? They’re yours.”

“Well then,” she breathed slowly. “I guess I’ll keep them.”

Ilya didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at her as if he was trying to engrave every tiny little detail of her face into his memory. There was a moment of thick silence between them, a palpable tension hanging in the air. He wanted to say something, anything to keep her here a little longer, but he couldn’t. It was out of his control now.

Kostya’s voice broke the moment, his tone firm. “We should leave. The sooner we’re gone, the better.”

Ilya gave a short nod, going inside to change while Valentina turned toward the door. He locked up the lodge before walking to the car, his chest tightening with every step.

The drive to the Romano estate was silent. Valentina sat in the passenger seat, her hands twisting in her lap as she stared thoughtfully outside the window. Ilya kept his eyes on the road, his grip firm on the wheel. His brothers sat in the back, talking quietly amongst themselves, but the tension between him and Valentina was suffocating.

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