Elena: I watched as Batrov entered my room, his eyes wide with rage, taking me off guard. “What did you do to her?” He asked, making me frown in confusion. I stood up, shaking my head in question, and he looked me dead in the eye, his eyes holding more rage than I have ever seen in his gaze. “Yigrette, what did you do to her?” I shook my head in question, not understanding what the man was referring to. “She came to your room before she fell down the stairs. And I am not dumb, the woman wouldn’t be tripping easily. What did you give her to drink when she passed by your fucking room?” I took a deep breath and shook my head, trying to understand what the man was referring to. He grabbed me by my throat, choking me, and I wrapped my hand around his wrist, wanting him to let me go. His eyes were fixed on mine as he did what he was, and though I couldn’t understand what he was speaking of, I couldn’t help but find myself wanting to close up on myself as my vision blurred. It was someti

Elena: My bedroom door opened, taking me off guard at the force that the door made as it hit the wall. My eyes widened and I stood, taken by surprise when I saw Konstantin standing in front of me. His eyes were wide with rage and I took a step back, fearing his reaction and what he was going to do. I looked at the door for a second too long, a part of me hoping that Vladimir would suddenly show up, make a racket, or a sudden emergency was to happen. But I knew, judging by the man’s expression, that I was stuck. “Your family,” he said, throwing a picture in front of me. “Their latest picture, living their lives, as they forgot about you.” I frowned in confusion as the picture landed on the floor. I kneeled down, careful as I lifted the picture in my hand. I looked at it, and my heart ached at the sight of my little sister who would now be seventeen. She wouldn’t have understood what happened or why her eldest sister was no longer in the house, but I was thankful to know that she wa

Elena: I watched as the bedroom door opened, and though I was surprised that Vladimir would be coming as early, I was surprised to see that it was Konstantin again. However, what took me by surprise was the fact that he was accompanied by Vladimir. “You turned out to be innocent,” Konstantin said, looking at me. His eyes met mine and I looked down at my feet, avoiding the man’s eyes, reminding myself of my limits. The man might be here with Vladimir, but he could still challenge him and lay a hand on me again, and I wouldn’t want him to get in trouble for my sake. I knew that he already went through enough as it was. “I came to introduce my new second hand,” he said, taking me by surprise. I wanted to frown in confusion, but I knew better than to do so in front of the man who puts a question mark on everything. “My nephew, Vladimir Ivanov.” I looked up at Vladimir for a second before looking down at my feet. My heart thumped against my chest, and I couldn’t help but hold my breath

Vladimir: “What just happened?” Elena asked, shaking her head in question as she looked at me. I smirked and winked before kissing her neck, letting my lips linger there for a few seconds as I tried to fight my own urge to claim her here and now. “There’s a camera inside your bedroom watch,” I whispered to her. “And I am going to give them the show of their lives.” “What?” She asked, frowning in confusion. Having noticed it the night that the fucker took her out, I knew to come in and check for things and how they were here to notice the small red beam and lenses in a new watch that they installed in her room. I pushed her toward the bed, making sure to use my body to hide hers from the camera, wanting to be able to talk to her without the fucker noticing. Her heart raced against her chest, and I could tell that she was more than a little concerned now. “I am going to lay on the bed and we are going to talk. I just want to use my body to shield yours, do you understand me?” I a

Vladimir: “Are you sure that it is wise for you to be going to the Ivanov Estate this early?” Konstantin asked, looking at me through the mirror of the front door while I fixed my jacket. “They were already informed that I was alive, and the meeting would be a public one. There is no need to hide while tending to the things that we have to take care of.” I said, and the man raised an eyebrow at me. “You are not the least bit worried that things would be taking a wrong turn? The man believed that you were dead…” “My heart stopped, but that didn’t mean that I was dead. Even Killian knows that one mustn’t be too foolish to believe one’s death before they have seen them buried or have burned their bodies. Anyhow, as I said, the meeting would be a public one. We will start arranging how things go accordingly.” I said, and he nodded. His eyes studied my expression for a few seconds before he took a deep breath. “I take it that you are going to want her to stay in your room?” He asked,