(Emily's POV)We both stopped at the loud noise coming from the gun. I felt someone drag me off her. My feet dangled off the floor as Dimitri held me by my waist. He was usually so warm, but now, his arm burned like an icy shackle. Sharp words were being exchanged, but the ringing in my ears drowned them out. My chest heaved from the exertion, though the anger was gone, leaving a cold detachment behind.She stood and wiped porridge from her face, her eyes raging with malice. "So, it's her?" she laughed, then a small pout appeared. "Didn't know that you targeted a cheap girl."Who's cheap? Me? She must be talking about her nasty personality.Dimitri seethed, the fury vibrating in his chest. "Knowing the truth, you have the guts to hurt my wife."She stared daggers at me. "So, it's true that she is your wife?""Do you think Lucio is?""Why did you re-married?"Dimitri caught a glint of uncertainty in her eyes and laughed. "You think only you have the right to do so?""She entered the ga

(Emily's POV)One of his 'f*cks' hit my ears before he jerk off his chair and caught me by the waist just as my legs gave out.With my back to his chest, he shoved two fingers down my throat, gagged on them, then threw up on his hand and the marble floor. He did it again, and again until nothing else came up, and I begged him to stop.Hot sweat permeated my skin, which made me shiver. My limbs were as weak as jelly, and tears saturated my cheeks from the presence of his fingers down my throat. But the knowledge he hadn't done this to me filled me with a disturbing amount of relief that alleviated the grip on my lungs.When he lifted me, my eyes opened, and I blinked against the harsh light. Alya dashed from the room after Dimitri growled something at her.Rainbow-colored vomit stained my rose dress and Dimitri's Tom Ford suit. I wondered if this was how I would die, poisoned by black tea in the devil's arms. I wondered if hell would feel as welcoming; if it had an accent, sharp incisor

(Emily's POV)I thought Alya was a bad maid, but that was before I had her as a nurse. She plumped the pillow beneath my head like she was beating a lump of dough and pulled a piece of my hair in the mix.With a resentful glance, I shied away from her. "Thank you, but my pillow is fine."She raised a brow before sliding a mischievous look away to mess with the tray of food at my bedside."I'm not hungry," I said.She ignored me and made a show of adding sugar to my tea. As if I'd ever drink that tea again.I'd stayed in bed for two days, and with each second that passed, I grew sicker of it. The only thing that kept me here was the knowledge someone in this house hated me so much they'd poisoned me. And then, my thoughts chanted I was an awful person.My mind was a terrible place.Yesterday, Louis, the doctor, deemed me as good as new. Dimitri, however, hadn't shown his face since he carried me to my room and stripped me naked. I didn't know what I expected. Certainly not an apology

(Emily's POV)The next morning, our breakfast 'dates' continued. However, the atmosphere couldn't be tenser if a ticking time bomb sat beside the teapot just didn't know the silence was about to detonate in a way that would make an actual explosive a better alternative.An edginess flared at the memory of last night. The pressure of Dimitri's body against mine awoke a heat wave beneath my skin that was so hot, tossed, and turned all night into emptiness and confusion. Even now, a restless ache persisted between my legs.I curled my toes against the marble, knowing I should be ashamed of the feeling especially since Dimitri seemed to have forgotten last night entirely by his apathetic demeanor-but I refused to send myself on another guilt trip.Instead of the silent maid, another woman served our food, and she was not the docile, invisible type. She could be Kendall Jenner's blonde twin. I wouldn't be surprised if the servant's eyelashes were thickly mascaraed by the celebrity's makeup

(Emily's POV)I was relieved to see the dining room sat empty except for a single filled plate in my spot at the table. After grabbing the dish, I slipped on my boots and coat and stepped outside. The men no longer went silent in my presence, now used to me drifting around in the snow. Mali, the youngest among the guards here, even came over to greet me, following my steps to the kennel while trying out some of the English he was attempting to learn. It was awful, but I'd never tell him.Lucio barked something at Mali, who gave me an apologetic smile "I leave now. Boss teach me how..." As he scratched his head in thought, a weird sense of anticipation ballooned in my stomach at just the mention of Dimitri, knowing he was the only one referred to as "boss" around here. Unable to come up with the word, Lucio moved his hands like they were on a steering wheel."Drive?" I supplied."Yes. He tells me I suck ass."A laugh escaped my mouth. Lucio should probably stick to letting Dimitri teac