Page 19 of Cruel Promise

How am I going to survive any of this?

When I wake the next morning—and it’s a miracle I even fell asleep in the first place—I’m shocked by the sight in front of me.

Wedding dresses. Multiple wedding dresses. Five to be in fact. All laid out around the room for me to choose from. It’s comical. Nikolai offering me a choice of wedding dress but not offering a choice in husbands.

I never dreamed of my wedding as a little girl. My father would never have allowed it. In his opinion, I was supposed to remain an innocent, untouched, little girl forever.

But I’m a woman now. I may still be untouched, but I’m not innocent any more. Not after everything that has happened. How could I be?

I have no idea what to do with all these dresses.

There’s a note attached to one of the dresses. It reads,Try them on and pick one.

He makes it sound so simple.

I study his handwriting for a moment—blocky and sturdy. Like a man’s.

Each dress is so different from the other. One is a mermaid style, another a princess one, another more slinky and sexy. One is completely lace, and the other is more bohemian.

None of them feel like me.

But I don’t have a choice, do I?

After trying them all on, I finally settle on the lace one. It’s the most modest. It’s not just that I’m shy about my body; I also don’t want to give Nikolai the chance to admire my body like he did back in the car.

The dress fits perfectly, which means Nikolai knows my measurements. But how does he know those? Even I don’t know my measurements.

I take the dress off as soon as I decide to wear it.

And there’s a knock on my door. It’s Mrs. Brown again, coming back with another trayful of food. “Did you choose a dress, dear?”

I point to the lace one.

“Oh, good! That’s such a lovely one. Mr. Petrov will love to see you in it.”

“I’m not marrying him.”

She pauses before setting the tray down. “Well, dear, he wants to marry you, and he’s not exactly a man you say no to.”

“How can you be all right with this?”

She hesitates then stands up straighter. “As I said before. I needed a job, and Mr. Petrov offered me this one, no questions asked. I do what I must.”

I scoff. “No. Nothing in this life is worth money if it means losing your honor.”

“Ava, dear, don’t talk to me like you know my life. You don’t.”

“My mom and I left my father even though he was rich. We made it on our own without him. He was a horrible man. He sold me to Nikolai. So don’t talk to me about not knowing your life. What’s happening here is wrong. At least tell me you agree with that.”

She walks over to me and stares at the lace dress for a long moment.

Then she grabs my hand and squeezes. “He owns you now, Ava. And I wish I could I help. I do. But I can’t help you escape, so don’t ask me to. If you want my advice, it’s this: try with him. Make it easier on yourself.”

“I could never love a monster like him.”

“Maybe not, but it would make your life easier if you let yourself feel for him.”

Mrs. Brown’s words settle in my stomach like cement. Heavy and toxic, and there’s no escaping it.

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