Page 17 of Hunter's Trial

Henry was convincing, that is true. After today I will likely never see him again. Why would they allow such a thing after what I’ve done? I can’t even blame them. It’s not like Henry is really my son. I’ve offered him nothing beyond my genetics and those don’t stand for much now that my father’s empire is gone. Aside from money, what could he ever want from me that he doesn’t already get from the two other father figures standing in the room with us now? Even Anya is having another child. I don’t think that I ever gave much thought to having a family of my own outside of the knowledge that someday I was going to have to pass things down to an heir. A legacy had to be passed on. Now that the two women of my life are having families of their own? I feel… conflicted. It’s like I’m standing outside of a window looking in on the life that I could have had. Opportunities that I’ve ruined for myself.

Seeing a child grow? That’s never going to be on the cards for me now.

I didn’t think that I wanted to have a son of my own, not until right this minute. No future with Henry, and no future with Anya’s child. It’s almost making me feel even more powerless than I already do inside of the walls of the prison. I don’t stomach things like that well. It’s uncharted territory for me. I’ve always been the one in control. Even when my mother was alive, I was the one who handled everything.

Leaving my fate in anyone’s hands was impossible.

Letting go of control like this… it’s uncomfortable to say the least.

If things keep going in my favor, in just a few short hours I’m going to have to disappear. I’m going to have to run like hell with my damned tail tucked between my legs or else Daniel and Alek will come for their pound of flesh.

Every part of my instincts says to stay and stand my ground, but to what end? What good would come of that? If I win, somebody will die and one of the children in this room will be left fatherless. If I lose, then all of this was for nothing. I have to go and start over somewhere else. We have an understanding.

“Just one final set of questions, Ms. Ivankov.” The opposing attorney starts to ask her. There’s a smug look on the man’s face that I would love to smack the hell out of. What right does he have to look so arrogant? I could see it the moment that I walked into the courtroom earlier that he thought he was going to be the one to sign my death warrant. He clearly didn’t know who he was up against.

I glance to my right where Kate is sitting, looking as collected as ever. I don’t think that I properly appreciated the notes of jasmine in her perfume before. Or was it her shampoo? Either way it’s damned intoxicating. Sitting this close to her, even with my hands bound, there are quite a few things that I could think of doing to her. Hell, I would like to put these cuffs on her and have a little bit of fun. I wonder if she would let me? Thinking of her is just about the only thing that’s been keeping me sane these last sleepless nights.

It’s a damned travesty that I won’t ever have the chance to figure it out with her.

“Yes?” Anya asks and pulls my focus back to reality.

“Could you describe your roll that day? Your emotions? The fear that must have consumed you?”

“Objection, leading the witness.” Kate says lazily as she picks at her nail bed. Her nails are perfectly manicured, she’s putting on an act to unnerve the competition and it’s working like a charm.

The opposing attorney grits his teeth and rephrased the question. “Can you tell us about the events of the day in question?”

He even foes so far as to look back over his shoulder to make sure that Kate isn’t going to object again before turning his focus to Anya.

It’s hard to look at Anya directly. I know full well that the last time I was this close to her I had left physical marks on her. I had gotten carried away. Something that I can’t afford to do again if I’m going to live any kind of free life. It’s going to be something wholly new and uncomfortable for me. It was my mom and I against the world before my father came back into the equation. And then, it was my father the moment he realized that he could gain something by naming me his heir.

Now what?

That’s the looming question, isn’t it?

Slowly, almost against my will, my eyes roll to the woman feigning disinterest beside me. If this all goes to plan, today will be the last time that I see her as well. All of the things that I’ve been distracting myself with will never come to fruition. There’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t do well without options.

Maybe I will just have to make a few of my own.

“What do you mean? Nikolai picked Henry and me up in the morning, like Henry told you already. We were heading out of town back to Houston to go to the philharmonic. Henry loves music. We thought it would be the perfect first chance to get to know each other without too much pressure,” Anya explains. She even looks directly at me and smiles. “Nikolai isn’t always the best conversationalist and this way they would have something to talk about built right in.”

It sounds for all of the world as if she’s simply teasing her ex-husband.

Guilt settles heavily in my gut.

But I do the only thing that I can do - I wink back at her like this is all just some big misunderstanding.

Anya winces, but I don’t think that anybody other than myself notices. I hate that I’ve made her fear me. That was never my intention.

Her smile doesn’t falter. “Henry was so disappointed that we missed it. Couldn’t get a refund on the tickets either.”

The judge scoffs but keeps writing whatever notes that he’s making on the legal pad in front of him. Kate sits more upright in her chair, suddenly seeming to pay attention. I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I have no choice but to trust her. My fate is in her hands.

“If your relationship with the accused is as amicable as you present, Ms. Ivankov, why did you want to divorce Mr. Volkovich? You first claimed fear for your wellbeing and that of your unborn child.” The attorney asks. His eyes narrow like he’s magically got her cornered now.

“And how would you know about her personal paperwork?” Kate asks with her confidently bored drawl. “I don’t suppose that you’ve been tampering with evidence. Everything that you use should be made copies of in discovery. I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you of that. And if it wasn’t made available… then you’re not only grasping at straws, you’re breaking the law.” She grins. I can see why she got her little nickname. When she speaks again it’s in a tone so syrupy sweet it’s practically dripping out of her. “You aren’t breaking the law now, are you?”

It was a trap dripping in sarcasm.

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