Page 118 of Cashmere Cruelty

“Oh,” Charlie says. “That’s—good. Always… nice to know things.”

My lip twitches with the urge to smile. This kid’s got April all over: same eyes, same freckles, same foot-in-mouth syndrome. I can’t help the fondness that comes over me. Minutes ago, I was ready to lay waste on the world. But now…

Consider me charmed. Must be a family superpower.

“I assume there’s a reason you were trying to destroy my kitchen.” When the siblings keep throwing guilty glancesbetween each other, neither one quite sure how to navigate my whiplash wrath, I beckon April with my finger. “A word.”

Charlie trudges off to the balcony. April approaches me with small steps, as if waiting for the guillotine to come down. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I broke a rule.”

“So you’re aware.”

She fidgets with the hem of her maternity shirt. I don’t think for a second that she’s forgotten about our conversation at the beginning of all this. I was clear back then: no visitors. “It just happened so fast. I swear, I didn’t tell him to come.”

And yet he knew where to find you.Part of me wants to throw those words at her like daggers, sharp and precise. To hit her where it hurts, call her out on her lie. I don’t appreciate being toyed with.

Instead, I hear myself demand, “Why is he here?”

April bites her lip. “It’s… complicated.”

“Make it simple for me.”

“Look,” she sighs, “I’m really sorry. I’ll accept whatever punishment you think is fair. But right now…” She gives me a pleading look. “He needs me.”

Whatever punishment you think is fair.For a moment, I wonder if this little vixen’s trying to play me. To appeal to the most primal part of me to get off scot-free. I’m even tempted to let her—or at least pretend to. In the last thirty seconds, I’ve already come up with half a dozen “punishments”I’m itching to try on her.

And then I realize she’s being serious.

Something dark stirs within me. Not for the first time today, I’m glad I gave Grisha the file to keep. If I had it on hand right now, nothing—nothing—would keep me from exacting a swift, painful revenge.

Because here April is, twenty-four and counting, still thinking she’s going to bepunished.

I don’t even think. I turn and call the boy’s name. “Charlie.” Charlie rushes in from the balcony, straightening up like a little soldier. “Y-Yes?”

“Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Brother and sister both gawk at me.

“Matvey…?” April whispers, low enough that only I can hear. She’s asking me with her eyes:Are you sure this is okay?

“I—I’d love to,” Charlie splutters. “That is, if it isn’t too much trouble…”

“Nonsense,” I cut in. “Family’s always welcome. Though…” The siblings follow my line of sight to the disaster on the stove. “I hope no one minds if we order in.”

Two heads start shaking in sync. “Not at all,” April blurts out.

“Definitely,” Charlie agrees. “By all means.”

Again, I bite back the urge to smile. “Pizza it is, then.”

When Charlie pads away to rummage through my stack of takeout menus, April inches closer to me. “Thank you,” she mouths.

I give her an impassive look. “Oh, you’ll pay me back.”

She blinks. “For the pizzas? Sure?—”

I catch her chin in my fingers. When I speak next, it’s directly into her ear. “You promised me a punishment,” I stroke her bottom lip. “I intend to take you up on that offer,kalina.”

April shivers against me.

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