Page 71 of Married to the Don (Kornilov Bratva Duet 1)

“Is this about the nursery?” she asks, clearly confused. “Because I don’t usually take business calls this late. Or … early, I suppose. I only answered because you called my personal phone.”

“I thought it was your work phone,” I say, as though that should excuse the odd time of the call.

“Viktor has my personal number. He’s my best client,” she explains. “Though, not this good of a client. Call me back in a few hours.”

“Wait,” I say, before she can hang up. “This isn’t about the design. It’s about … Viktor.”

I hear a rustling on the other end of the phone and then Matilda’s voice comes through more clearly. “Is he okay?”

“Yes. Fine.” Exhausted, I think. But fine. “It’s just that … well … we just got married.”

There is a long pause. “Oh. Congratulations.”

“That isn’t why I’m calling either,” I say in a hurry. I lay a hand over my face, flushed with embarrassment even though Matilda can’t see me. “I’m calling because I need to ask you something about him.”

Matilda sighs. “Hurry. This conversation is the strangest I can remember having, but still, my patience is thin.”

“How would you describe him? Is Viktor a … a good man?”

“A good man?” Matilda asks. She clicks her tongue. “I do not make it a habit to become friends with my clients. For reasons much like this one right now. I don’t want my personal life and business life intermingling.”

“This is a one-time thing,” I assure her. “I’ll never call again.”

“I’d rather you did call again. Though, next time, make it during business hours. And I want a floor-to-ceiling remodel. Give me another big job, and I’ll forgive this indiscretion.”

Negotiations. Again, it’s no wonder Viktor is so loyal to Matilda. She’s a shark.

“Deal.”

She sighs again. “Okay, a good man. Hmmm. Well, Viktor is an honest man.”

“Honest is not good,” I say. “Racists can be honest, but their honest opinions are trash.”

“Honest is good in business,” she says. “Which, if you remember, is where I communicate with Viktor Kornilov. I know what rumors are spread about him, but I don’t know anything about those. What I know is that he arrives to meetings on time, and he pays in full what he promises he will. He is honest, and that is good for business.”

I don’t know what I expected from Matilda. On some level, I think I expected her to reveal something about Viktor that would change my mind about him. Instead, she has simply convinced me that I can trust him.

“Thanks,” I say softly. “I appreciate it.”

Matilda huffs in annoyance and hangs up, and I drop the phone next to me in the bed and lower my face into my hands.

Viktor is honest. I can trust him.

He told me he would take Theo from me. He told me he would have me proven an unfit mother.

And Viktor always keeps his promises.

He has promised to keep me alive, but he didn’t vow to honor and cherish me. He didn’t vow to love me. We didn’t even exchange vows.

Instead, Viktor promised to keep me alive, but what kind of life will I lead?

I attempted to resist him, to exert my own will over him, and I failed. Miserably. The moment he touched me, I folded like a bridge made of toothpicks.

If I stay in this house, my entire life will be like that. I will bow to his wishes and let my life be controlled by him until there is nothing left of me. Until I am broken down to the same scared, lonely, desperate girl I was when Theo was born. Except this time, I’ll be surrounded by nice things.

That is no improvement.

I’d rather be destitute and still be myself than wear designer clothes and feel like a puppet. Like a ghost being forced through the motions.

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