Page 101 of Deceitful Vows

“Ellis,” he introduces, letting himself in. “You can call me Ellis.”

“Okay.” I sound lost. Rightly so. I am. “How can I help you, Ellis? If you’re here seeking Mikhail, he?—”

“I’m not here about Mikhail.”

He takes in the trinkets on my mantel in a manner his youngest son would be proud of before he turns on his heel to face me. He balks as sternly as I did hours ago when he takes in the massive teardrop diamond on the necklace Andrik gifted me last night. Its heaviness announces its intricate design is made up of a lot of carats. If it is real, it would have cost Andrik an absolute fortune.

I wish I would have realized that before I went gung-ho with a quest to be picked first.

Ellis’s voice is full of angst when he says, “I am here about your involvement with my firstborn son.”

I wait for him to elaborate, unwilling to tiptoe over the trap he’s setting, let alone stomp through it.

It is an extremely long thirty seconds that only ends when I break it. “Andrik?—”

“Is married.”

I swallow to ease the burn that didn’t fully soothe even after emptying my stomach’s contents into the toilet seconds after Mikhail left.

That’s one part of my conversation with Andrik I haven’t been able to brush aside as easily as my jealousy. I thought he was married as implied by Ellis just now, but last night, Andrik spoke as if he’s not yet exchanged vows.

I’m so confused it takes Ellis growling at me to remind me that he’s standing across from me.

“I am aware of that.”

“Yet you still throw yourself at him at every available opportunity.”

His tone is offensive, so naturally, I take offense.

“No. I’ve tried to stay away.”

He scoffs like he doesn’t believe me. For some reason, it hurts as much as it did when my mother didn’t believe a single thing I told her.

“You came tohishometown.Hishotel. Had sex in the elevator ofhisbuilding and let him have his way with you in the driveway ofhiscountry estate before doing god knows what athisclub. But I’m meant to believe you’re not throwing yourself at him?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer him. “How many times has he been here ...”—he screws up his nose like my name leaves a bad taste in his mouth—“Zoya, right?”

My timid head bob makes me feel naked, because although he asks for my name, he refuses to use it.

“How many times has he been here?”

“Your son?—”

I learn who Andrik gets his bossiness from when Ellis shouts, “How. Many!”

Just like Vlad, Andrik doesn’t deserve my loyalty, but I still give it to him. “None. He hasn’t been here at all.” My voice is just as loud, my anger just as apparent. I hate lying when I’m unsure if the person I am being deceitful for deserves the intervention, and Andrik’s motives have me unsure which side of the fence I should be on.

“So that entails thatyou’rethe issue, not him.” Ellis glares me up and down like I’m dog poo his shoe picked up at the park. “So you also need to be the solution.”

“Andrik—”

“Will never get divorced, leave his wife for you, or save you from this.” He waves his hand around my apartment. “You are a gimmick. A sex toy with a pulse. You’re the whore keeping his sheets warm while?—”

I slap the words from his mouth.

He reacts opposite to Andrik when struck. His face reddens with anger as his teeth grit. But I am the only one left gasping for air when he asks, “How much will it take for you to walk away from my son and never look back?”

“I don’t want your money.”

He acts as if I never spoke. “I can organize transfers to another country, newpassableIDs, and grant you access to resources you’ve never had in your life.” He bobs down low before whispering in a chilling tone, “I can free you from your cage, little bird. I can set you free.”

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