Page 17 of Slipping into the Dark Side

“Not you,” he assured.

“Then what was the point of that? To make me jealous? My father had a girlfriend every time my mother was pregnant. Men cheat. This is their nature. It doesn’t bother me.”

“I found a weakness.”

Tatianna scoffed. “That was it? I could have told you that. It is the same for all–”

“No. It is not my weakness.”

“For someone so self-aware, you shock me.”

“My weakness is poor planning.”

Tatianna fought a smile. She glanced at him, and his humorous smirk caused her to giggle. “And impulsiveness.”

“That too.” Yakov turned and leaned against the balustrade, slipping his hands in his pockets. “If it makes you feel better, I did try liquor and drugs first.”

“You could have just asked me.”

“Fine. What is a weakness in Fedor that I could exploit to destroy your relationship and get you to marry me instead?”

“I’m afraid you went the wrong direction. Cheating will make him feel terribly guilty, and he will be agonizingly sweet for the next two years.”

“And that won’t make you leave him?”

Tatianna was getting annoyed with how well this man seemed to understand her. “What good woman leaves a man like that?”

Yakov sighed heavily. He rarely felt defeated, but everything he tried to do seemed to fail with her. If she felt nothing, she wouldn’t humor him. But perhaps she was doing so out of fear. How to test that theory?

“If you don’t leave him, I’ll destroy your family.”

Tatianna giggled. “Okay.”

“Why don’t you take me seriously? Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I was afraid of you at first. But after our last conversation, I’ve learned your weakness.”

“Are you insinuating you are my weakness? Because I must say, your ego–”

“It’s Luerna.”

His brows knit as he studied her. “What would make you say that?”

“I think it’s adorable. Your big sister–”

Yakov gripped her arm, pulling her into him. “Why would you say that?”

With a hand on his shoulder, Tatianna gently smiled. “Your secret is safe. Please don’t worry.”

His gaze flickered all over her face. She was smarter than he anticipated, and he didn’t know if she was better off dead. She knew him too well. Did she have some insider helping her? She could not have all this information just from moments alone together.

Yakov pushed her out of his way and strutted back into the house.

Chapter nine

Trap

Tatianna stared at herself in the mirror. The white dress was fit for a queen and cost more than her father could afford, but he was adamant about getting her what she wanted. He kept telling her not to worry, but it was her job. Without her mother around to care for his well-being, she had no choice. She hadn’t been born as the heir, but she was what was left.

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