Page 76 of Crown of Hate

Mama scrunches her face. “How old is he again?”

“Thirty-three.” A decade older than me. But you’d never guess it looking at him.

“He has some good genes,” she muses. “I think you two will make beautiful babies… if you ever choose to.”

Heat floods my cheeks. I’d never really thought about having kids with Mikhail before, but now that Mama’s mentioned it… A mental image of Mikhail playing silly games in the garden with our kids flashes through my mind, and it works its way down to my lips.

I don’t even realize I’m smiling until I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I’m not just smiling; I’m beaming from ear to ear. “Does that mean you’re giving us your blessing?”

She shrugs, but there’s a warmth in her eyes. “You look genuinely happy, and that’s all that matters to me. Though I still want to know why no one told me my only daughter was getting married, and why you chose him.”

I roll my bottom lip between my teeth, considering. For a split second, I’m tempted to lie, to spin some fairy tale about love at first sight. But I can’t bring myself to do it. I don’t want to worry her, but I also can’t bear to lie. I’m getting sick of it.

I settle for a middle ground—honesty, with some strategic omissions. “Akim wanted me to marry him.”

She frowns. “You mean?—”

“That Akim. Papa’s best friend,” I confirm. “He?—”

I trail off as guilt shadows Mama’s face, and the weight of the truth comes crashing down on me again. Akim isn’t just Papa’s best friend; he’s my biological father.

What happened between him and Mama? Why didn’t she ever tell me? For some reason, I doubt Akim even knows I’m his daughter.

I sigh, feeling the beginnings of a headache. Thinking about it all drives me to the edge of insanity. My papa was a monster, just like Akim, maybe even worse. But at least he loved me. Akim doesn’t seem capable of love, or caring for anything besides his ambitions. I still can’t believe that I have his blood running through my veins. How can I share blood with a monster like that?

Questions burn on my tongue, but I swallow them back. This reunion is too precious to taint with ugly truths. Maybe I’ll ask in a few days, when she’s settled in. Or maybe I should just let it all go and pretend I don’t know. But my curiosity is a relentless itch I can’t ignore.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Mom says suddenly, placing her hand on mine. Her eyes are clouded with emotion, and my stomach drops. “It’s about your papa.”

My pulse races. I know what’s coming, and God, I’ve been dreading this.

“I know,” I blurt out, unable to bear the suspense.

Her eyes widen. “You know?”

I nod, steeling myself. “Akim’s my biological father. I found out not long ago.”

“Are you mad at me?” She huffs and lowers her head. “Why am I even asking? Of course you’re upset. You have every right to be.”

I squeeze her hand, trying to offer comfort even as my own emotions churn. She feels so thin and frail, nothing like thestrong woman who dedicated her entire life to raising me. “I’m sure you had your reasons.”

We sit in silence for a moment before she lifts her gaze to meet mine. “Akim and I grew up together. He was kind once, but the Bratva changed him. He had feelings for me, but I only saw him as a friend. One night, we… it happened just once. And when I found out I was pregnant, I knew I couldn’t marry him. What he felt wasn’t love. He would never truly respect me.”

Tears prickle my eyes. “Did Papa know?”

She nods, a sad smile on her face. “Your papa and Akim were best friends, and I always loved your papa. After I got pregnant, I tried to run away. Your papa found me, and when I told him everything that happened, he took us in. Made us his. I feel Akim always suspected, but he never dared to ask outright.”

“If he suspected… then he… he must know I’m his daughter.” The tears are flowing freely now, hot tracks down my cheeks. “He knows, yet he’s always treated me like I’m nothing but a pawn in his sick games.”

Mama gapes at me, horror dawning on her face. “What did he do?”

“He threatened to stop your treatment and kill you if I didn’t marry Mikhail.”

“Is that why you married Mikhail?” Mama’s frown deepens. “Because Akim forced you?”

“No, Mama.”

And I spill it all—Every detail of my encounters with Akim, from his threats to his connections with Papa’s death.

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