Page 134 of Sinful Games

“What did you do while I was in New York?” I cut her off, my voice sharp with apprehension and hope. I wanted to see if she’d lie or be honest without me prying.

“Nothing special,” she said slowly, her gaze flicking over my face before dropping to her hands.

I hummed in response, disappointment washing over me.Sinking back into the couch, I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. “Wrong answer.”

“I don’t understand—” Caia started, her voice tinged with confusion.

I abruptly stood up, needing space to think. I made my way to our bedroom, careful not to disturb Lukyan in the next room. Caia followed, her steps almost silent on the floorboards. I started unbuttoning my shirt slowly, feeling her eyes on me. She hesitated, then sat on the edge of the bed, confusion and shame crossing her features.

She cleared her throat. “Alexsei, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”

I paused, fingers hovering over the next button. “Disrespecting me is one thing, but now you want to lie to me too?” I spat, pain and anger thick in my voice. “Do you think I’m that fucking stupid? How could you see your father behind my back? Is that what you want? To go back to him so he can treat you like shit again? Is that what you fucking miss?”

The words spilled out, laced with betrayal. I tore off my shirt and tank top, seething, barely able to see straight. I stormed into the bathroom and splashed my face with icy water.

As the water dripped off my face, I gripped the sink, my head bowed in frustration and anguish. The sound of Caia’s hesitant footsteps echoed in the bathroom.

“Why did you go?” I asked, voice cutting through the tense silence.

Caia’s reflection wavered in the glass, her expression a mix of sorrow and regret. “I… I didn’t think,” she murmured, barely audible.

I released my grip on the sink, turning to face her fully. A bitter laugh escaped me. “You didn’t think?”

“He’s been harassing me for a year, Alexsei,” Caia confessed, her voice trembling with emotion as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Texting me, calling me, even threatening Valeria. I tried to ignore him, but then he went to see my grandma. He’s never done that before, and I know he was threatening me through her too.”

Fuck, I hated seeing her like this. Her tears, the little whimpers, each one tearing at my heart. I couldn’t stand her pain, her sadness.

Yet something kept me rooted to the spot. Deep down, I knew why. The fact she hadn’t told me for a whole year broke my heart. The lack of trust shattered the foundation of our relationship. I thought we were each other’s everything, but I guess I was wrong.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, guilt thick in her voice.

“Sorry isn’t enough,” I said, voice cold. “You broke my trust, Caia. I don’t know if I can forgive you.”

I don’t trust many people. The Silas world taught me a harsh truth—people are like rats, sneaking around, waiting to tear you down. They revel in your suffering, their laughter a sinister echo as they rip you apart. Once trust is broken, it leaves a void that can never be filled.

Slowly, I took off my belt and socks, letting my pants drop to the floor and placing them in the laundry basket.

“What does he want?”

Caia hesitated before whispering, “He wants to meet Lukyan.”

My blood boiled. “What?” I exploded, rage filling the room. “He’ll never see my son as long as I’m fucking alive, do you hear me? Never!”

Caia stood, fear and urgency in her eyes. “Alexsei, I swear,” she pleaded, voice trembling but determined. “I told him the same thing. I made it clear he’ll never see Lukyan. He better beout of our lives for good. I don’t want him anywhere near us. I promise.”

Her words offered a glimmer of reassurance amid the storm of my rage. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Despite my anger, I didn’t want to hurt her more than she was already hurting.

“You better mean it, Caia,” I warned, voice edged with anger but softened by her sincerity. “Because if he ever comes near us again, I won’t hesitate to kill him this time.”

Chapter

Forty-Six

“One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.”

?Rita Mae Brown

Alexsei

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