Page 45 of Forced Marriage Vows

But nothing could have prepared me to see Anthony’s face as soon as I walk through the doors of the house. My best friend leans against a pillar in the foyer, his gaze immediately meeting mine as I walk in. His presence is wrong for a plethora of reasons. The first being that it’s 9 a.m. and Anthony’s never up this early.

The more important one is that he hasn’t set foot in this house since he walked out of it more than a decade earlier.

“What are you doing here, Ant?” I question, walking toward him.

He offers me a short nod in greeting. “I was told you’d be here.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question.”

“I slept here, okay?” he says on a shrug. “I figured I couldn’t come back to the penthouse last night, what with it being your wedding night and all. And before you say anything, I’m aware your marriage isn’t exactly normal. But if anything did happen, I’d rather not know.”

My brows furrow. “Why didn’t you just go to a hotel?”

“I’m not a fan of hotels. They make me feel weird.”

“Alright, weirdo,” I drawl. “I suppose you’re welcome to stay here whenever you’d like. How was it being back in your old room? I know you hate this place.”

He shrugs. “I had a problem with my old man, not the house. It’s actually nice being back. Reminds me of the past.”

I see the nostalgia’s hitting him, too. Time’s wasting, though, and I can’t keep standing here and reminiscing about the past. He follows me as I check through the house, ensuring everything is in place.

“What are you up to?” Anthony questions.

“I’m making sure the house is in order for when Anastasia and I move in,” I reply distractedly.

“You’re going to live here?”

“Where else would we live?” I question, facing him.

He opens his mouth to reply, then seems to think better of it and shuts it once again.

“I’m not sure Ana’s going to like moving back here,” he tries.

I fix him with a look. “She is strong-willed but also very intelligent. As long as I can help her see the vision, I may be able to persuade her. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be married today.”

“Good point,” Anthony murmurs. “So you’ve confirmed the house is in order. Where to next?”

It’s immediately clear to me that he’s bored and in need of entertainment. Unfortunately, he will not be a fan of my next brand of fun.

“Somewhere that doesn’t concern you,” I mutter.

His eyebrows rise. “Okay, now I really want to go.”

“I’m going down to the storage facility in the back, Anthony,” I say on a sigh, figuring it’s pointless to hide the truth from him. “You know what happens down there.”

When his eyes meet mine, there’s a challenge in them I’ve seen a lot in his sister’s eyes, as well. That Vasiliev stubbornness that always gets them in a world of trouble.

I’m completely unsurprised when he says, “I still want to go.”

“Of course you do.” I sigh. “If I get even a hint of judgment, I’m kicking your ass.”

He nods once before following me and my guards out of the main house and toward one of the buildings in the back. While the building was originally designed to serve as a stable, it hasn’t been used for that purpose in a long while. Igor converted it a long time ago into a row of cells for prisoners.

And right now, it’s at maximum capacity. My expression is blank as I walk inside, ignoring the people in the various cells. In the past week, they’ve been interrogated, locked up, and are now waiting for me to decide exactly what I plan to do with them.

These people are loyal to Igor. Or at least they used to be. They won’t be leaving here until I’m sure they aren’t anymore. I only need to point at one of the cell doors before a guard rushes forward and opens it. He pulls out a woman in her mid-forties with ashy blonde hair and light blue eyes.

Lana Petrov.

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