Page 12 of Sinful Games

So, after a delightful thirty-minute bus ride to uni, I wasn’t even surprised to see Drayi waiting as I stepped off the bus, flashing that hideous grin like he’d just won a prize. He waved me over to his car, and for a brief, glorious moment, I thought about turning right around and hopping back on the bus.

But I wasn’t quite ready to be beheaded just yet.

“What do you want? I’m already late for my?—”

He cut me off,of course. «I don’t give a fuck about your stupid classes that won’t get you nowhere in your fucking lame life. Mankiev wants to see you. Get in.”

I sighed, yanked open the door of his ugly red Range Rover, and slid into the seat.

Of course, waking up late was just the opening act to thedisaster of a day ahead of me. I never sleep in, and on the rare occasions I do, my life inevitably starts to fall apart, piece by miserable piece.

The last time I slept in after an epic movie and TV series marathon where I spent the night drooling over Henry Cavill in Superman, The Tudors, The Witcher, and more, I woke up with a migraine so intense I had to drag myself to the E.R. There, I spent five hours next to an old grandpa who was clutching his stomach and moaning about feeling like he was dying.

Turns out, he hadn’t been to the toilet in a week and was just, well... full of shit.

See, my life sadly thrived on a rigid schedule. Deviating from it, even for something as harmless as a Henry Cavill binge, usually meant disaster. So, when I woke up late this morning too, I knew it was just the start of a day where everything would go wrong. My body had this knack for turning even the smallest deviation into a full-blown catastrophe, and it seemed like the universe was eager to remind me of that.

Drayi drove us in silence through the city streets to my father’s office, while I let my head fall back against the window and closed my eyes, hoping for a brief escape from the chaos ahead.

Of course, the second I started to relax, Drayi slammed on the brakes, and I lurched forward, the seat belt digging into my chest and cutting off my breath.

‘YOU FREAKING–’

I didn’t even need to finish the sentence because, with a mocking laugh, Drayi jumped out of the car. I was left alone, breathless and with a bright red mark across my neck from the freaking seatbelt.

“Nyet.”

“Caia, it’ll only be for an hour?—”

I crossed my arms and shot him a look. “Nyet. You know I hate casinos.”

He let out a puff of smoke and shrugged. “Yeah, well, I love money, so be ready by nine. Drayi will come and get you.”

I groaned and sank onto the sofa.

First, he wanted me to seduce Alexsei Romaniev, and now he expects me to entertain his friends at a freaking casino? Jesus, could my life get any more ridiculous? Every time I thought I might catch a break, it felt like I was just handed another crappy situation to deal with. When was I ever going to get a moment of peace?

Just as I was sinking deeper into my frustration, I heard a series of knocks on the door. I turned my head to see Drayi opening it, and three members of the Silas walked in.

Of course.

Apparently, peace was apparently a luxury I was never going to get to enjoy.

My eyes quickly found Romaniev, who was already staring at me with his cold, penetrating blue eyes. A shiver ran down my arms.

Caia, you better run for your life.

I didn’t waste any time.

I jumped up, grabbed my coat, and bolted for the door. I wasn’t about to spend another second in this testosterone-charged room, afraid that if I stayed any longer, I might grow a beard just from the sheer amount of male energy.

But before I could leave, Romaniev sidestepped me, blocking my path.

I stopped in my tracks.

“Caia, I didn’t raise you to be fucking impolite. Say hello to our guests.”

Romaniev stayed right where he was, blocking my way. Meanwhile, Volkov and another guy—about mid-height with a scar running down the side of his throat—made their way to the sofa. They settled in, reaching for my father’s cigarettes and beverages as if they were right at home.

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