Page 1 of Sinful Union

Chapter 1

Kat

"Truly. You're a vision." Courtney beams as she fluffs my veil, her fingers brushing the lace that once graced my mother's hair on her wedding day.

I adjust the poison vial hidden in my bouquet.

"Your hubby's going to want to consummate at the altar." She giggles, oblivious to the vial's click against my thigh.

I almost laugh.

If only she knew.

He'll get his climax. Just not the one he expects.

The dress is exquisite—a masterpiece of revenge stitching. Courtney altered every seam to highlight the curves Pavel once worshipped.

Now they'll be the last thing he sees before he takes his final breath.

"So?" She tilts her head. "What do you really think?"

I meet her gaze in the mirror. "It's perfect."

And it is. Every pearl, every stitch, every drop of toxin nestled between roses—all leading to the most poetic "I do" in Bratva history.

My brother Piotr’s plan is clear: I marry Pavel Fetisov, convince him to trust me, then kill him in his sleep.

A kind of poetic justice.

My family deserves revenge, and Pavel needs to pay for what his family took from us.

Six years ago, I thought Pavel was my future. I believed everything he said and trusted him unequivocally.

Until Piotr revealed the truth.

He told me Pavel and the rest of the Fetisov Bratva orchestrated our parents’ deaths.

I immediately ended it. That night, I crushed everything we’d built, and swore I’d never look back.

A few months later, I found out I was pregnant.

Piotr didn’t take the news well. Furious doesn’t even begin to cover it. He sent me south to our Aunt Irena’s estate, far away from prying eyes and any chance of the Fetisovs learning the truth. There, I gave birth to Ana, my beautiful, sweet girl, who deserves to live her best life, one not hidden in the shadows.

When we returned to the family home two months ago, I thought I’d feel a sense of relief. Instead, it feels like I’ve traded one cage for another. Piotr and I agreed that Ana’s paternity must remain a secret.

Especially from Pavel.

As I gaze at my image in the mirror, I exhale slowly, trying to ignore the gnawing doubt at the back of my mind. This is the right thing to do. Pavel deserves this. His family deserves this. And yet…

Courtney takes a step back and looks me over one last time.

“Absolutely perfect,” she says with one final approving nod. “Don’t want to toot my own horn, but your dress might be my finest work so far.”

“You’ve done an amazing job.” I plaster a bright smile on my face, doing my best to look the part I’m playing.

But my mind’s a million miles away.

Courtney cocks her head to the side. “You OK? I know I’m just the stylist, but you seem too distracted for a woman about to get married.”

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