Page 13 of Sinful Games

I forced a tight-lipped smile. “Of course. Hello, boys. I’m so sorry, but I have an emergency and can’t stay long. Always a pleasure to see the Silas.”

I turned my eyes back to Romaniev as the men behind me started discussing something about a missing truck in Colombia. Oh hell, I didn’t care.

All I wanted was to get out of this room.

But Romaniev, with his impressive 6'4" frame and those piercing blue eyes that felt like they were hypnotizing me, kept me rooted in place. His whole presence exuded such a menacing vibe that I instinctively took a small step back.

‘Where are you off to?’ he asked, his voice low and rough, stirring a knot of heat deep in my tummy.

I frowned. ‘Why do you care?”

He stayed silent; his threatening presence palpable. His eyes roamed slowly over my body with a disturbing apathy, as if he was assessing me like a piece of furniture rather than a person. I rolled my eyes, frustration bubbling up inside me.

Without waiting for any further response, I sidestepped him and walked around, heading for the door. However, I didn’t expect him to follow me.

As I reached the deserted hallway and pushed the elevator button, I glanced back to find him standing right behind me, his imposing figure making it clear he wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why are you following me?” I snapped.

Romaniev’s lips curled into a mocking smile as he leaned in slightly. “Just here to make sure you don’t get into any trouble.Good little Russian girls don’t wander the dangerous streets of Moscow by themselves, or they might just get snatched away.”

I scoffed. “It’s 9 in the morning, Romaniev. I doubt any psychopathic, murderous monster is awake at this time, just waiting for me to step out so they cansnatch me awayto their miserable castle.”

Romaniev’s gaze remained steady. “Yet, here I am, Caia.”

I stayed silent; my lungs tight.

I couldn’t help but imagine the kinds of gruesome things he might have done—how many people he’d offed or chopped up. You could practically smell the dark and evil vibes he was radiating from a mile away.

As the elevator doors slid open, I turned around and faced him.

With a deliberate, almost provocative motion, I reached out and patted him slowly on his chest. The contact sent a warm, tingling sensation through my fingers, and I kept my gaze fixed on his, my chin tilted up defiantly.

“Thanks for the escort, buddy,” I said, giving him a tight, fake smile. “But I think I can manage from here.”

I stepped into the elevator and reached for the button to close the doors.

Romaniev’s gaze stayed locked on mine as the doors began to slide shut, the last thing I saw was his unreadable expression. The elevator’s hum was the only sound as I descended, my pulse racing in my chest.

As I stepped out onto the streets, I couldn’t tell if it was my anxiety soaring to new heights, the delightful prospect of spending my evening with my father’s charming friends and their wandering hands, or just the sheer stress of waking up late.

Whatever it was, it hit me all at once.

I stumbled to the nearest bin and, with a sense of grimdetermination, emptied the scant remnants of the dinner I had barely managed to eat the night before.

Thank God Romaniev didn’t follow me there. I had enough humiliation for the entire week, and I wasn’t in the mood to add to it. I took a deep breath, trying to regain some composure, and forced myself to move away from the bin.

With a weary sigh, I straightened up and headed down the street.

As I walked, I tried to focus on anything other than the events of the morning, hoping that somehow, things would start to turn around.

But given the way my life was going, I wasn’t holding my breath.

Chapter

Five

“By gaming we lose both our time and treasure:

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