Page 98 of Cruel Knots

“Why do you look so excited?” Mikhail asks. “Are you hoping for round two in the men’s room?”

“What? N—no!”

He chuckles as I stammer.

“It’s just that I’ve always wanted to come to a place like this,” I say, taking a deep breath and gathering my thoughts. “My friends back in school preferred restaurants hosting famous chefs and after Callum rejoined the family, I was never allowed to eat outside without his supervision. I never got a chance to do something as simple as having pancakes in a place like this.”

A somber look comes over him. “You should tell Damien about these things,” he says in a grim tone. “It’ll help him understand the life you’ve had to live with your brother.”

“Would he treat me better?”

He nods. “Leon heard some pretty fucked-up things coming out of Callum’s mouth when he went to deliver our location to him. That’s what made Damien keep you with us instead of handing you over to him. He took a huge risk to do that for you. You already saw the consequences last night.”

Just as I’m about to ask what Leon heard, a middle-aged waitress walks over to our table.

“Coffee?” she asks in a bored voice and proceeds to fill two mugs on the table without waiting for an answer.

“Thanks,” I mutter, accepting my cup.

“What can I get you?” she asks briskly.

“A steak dinner for me,” Mikhail says with a sweet smile.

The woman rolls her eyes at him and fixes her impatient stare at me.

“I...uhh...” My gaze races down the menu card. “The fried chicken with gravy and fries, please.”

The waitress moves away without a word.

“I like it here,” I say with a smile. “No one expects me to put any effort into being polite. It’s freeing.”

Mikhail stares at me with a strange emotion in his eyes.

“What?” I question.

“Just checking if you’re faking it.”

An ache goes through me. Tears suddenly prick my eyes, making my vision go hazy. What would it take for them to trust me?

“Are you crying?” he asks in a suddenly worried tone.

I brush the tears away. “I’m fine.”

“So, you do know how to lie.”

Silence falls over us. Laying my head on the table, I avoid looking at him.

To my surprise, he lets me mope without bothering to cheer me up.

Even this is so different from the way Callum treats me. I’m always expected to smile before him even if my heart is shattering. My brother hates tears.

It was always exhausting to pretend in front of him. My shoulders were always burdened with the weight of responsibility toward the maids and the valets who worked for us. They were the ones who got hurt for my mistakes.

I’m one messed-up woman for living a better life with my captors.

“Your order’s here,” a familiar voice reaches my ears.

Raising my head, I see our waitress. She’s come back with our food and is placing Mikhail’s dish before him.

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