Page 14 of Possession of the Bratva

After seeing off my siblings and ensuring their cars had all pulled out, I headed back up to find her. Mila was in the bathroom as I entered the bedroom. Standing next to the closed door, I tried to formulate my questions.

I had to know why she was treating me differently than them. “Mila,” I said, banging a tad too hard on the door.

The door swung open, and Mila stood looking at me. “Yes,” she said coldly.

“Why the hell were you so nice to my family? That’s not you.”

I noticed a twitching at the corner of her lips as she responded. “I can be nice to them. They aren’t the ones forcing me into this awful marriage, are they?”

The storm inside whirled as her words sank in. It was turning into a hurricane I wouldn’t be able to contain much longer. “What?” I spat, suddenly overcome with guilt.

Mila breezed past me and got into bed. Turning in the doorway of the bathroom, I stood staring at her. I tried to comprehend what I had just heard. I wanted her to be happy. I had never intended to hurt her in any way.

As my guilt overtook my anger, I sank down to the couch. Looking at her just lying there, not moving, I vowed to fix this.I would make it up to her. She didn’t understand. Hell, I wasn’t sure I did. All I knew was that I had to have her.

Placing my head in my hands, I swallowed hard at the rock pushing up into my throat. My anger had vanished and was replaced with remorse. I was going to dedicate the next couple of days to fixing this.

I would show her the real me, I vowed, laying back on the couch. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to figure out how to show her who I really was.

Chapter 8 - Mila

Two days had passed since the family dinner and our confrontation. Aleksandr has been quiet but present. Even when I couldn’t see him hovering, I could feel his presence. After breakfast, Aleksandr said he had something to do and would be back in a while.

I decided to go for a morning swim. I walked through the Maze of Roses on my way to the pool. It was refreshing and peaceful. I loved spending time alone in it when I could. Hearing footsteps approaching, I turned to see who was coming my way.

Tasha stepped into the clearing, and I sighed with relief. I was expecting Aleksandr. “Good morning, sis,” she said in a chipper tone as she stepped closer and hugged me. “The maids told me where to find you. How are you doing?”

She smiled as we walked towards the pool. “Morning, Tasha. I am good, thanks and how are you?” Tasha was a young, talented hacker like me. Yet, she outsmarted me when we sought information on Aleksandr and his family.

“Great,” she responded. “I’m happy to see you again.”

“Would you like to take a swim with me?” I asked as we got to the pool. I wasn’t sure why she was here. But everyone had motives; I was convinced of it. I just didn’t know if she was friend or foe. But I might need her help to get what I sought. So, I decided I would become her friend.

“Yeah, why not. I have a swimsuit in the lockers. I’ll be right back.” Tasha replied as she sprinted to the back building.

She wasn’t gone for long and returned wearing a black one piece.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure of having you visit me?” I asked as she joined me in the pool.

Tasha dived and came up against the side. “I still wanted to ask you something the other night. But Aleksandr seemed tired. So, I never got around to it.”

Looking at her, I noticed she had a puzzling look. “What is it, Tasha? You can ask me anything.”

There was a short pause then she took a deep breath. I felt slightly uncomfortable. Kicking away from the side, I drifted a little before heading back to the side. “Is something wrong, Tasha?” I asked softly.

She shook her head lightly as she replied. “No, nothing wrong. It’s just, well, I wanted to know how you see yourself?”

“How do I see myself?” I asked, feeling confused.

Tasha smiled, turning her head to one side. “I’m not sure how to put this delicately. So, I’m just going to come out with it.”

“Please do,” I replied shortly. I gave her a warm smile, hoping to get to the bottom of her question quickly. I wanted to hear what she had in her heart.

Tasha came closer as she spoke. “Do you consider yourself a black or white-hat hacker?”

I stared at her in confusion. I had heard the term before but had never considered that I fell into either category. “What do you mean?”

Tasha giggled as she kicked back from the side. I could see her shoulders relaxing. Her tone was lighter as she continued. “That look on your face, man, did I hit a nail? You do know what I am asking, don’t you?”

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