Page 102 of Dirty Grovel

“So… why not just end things amicably?”

“Because we had our roles to play. I had to raise the children, take care of the house, host the parties, put on a brave front for the world to see. Bogdan had an empire to run; he needed a partner he could trust—and despite the fact that we fell out of love with each other, that person was still me.”

“So you chose to stay together?”

“I don’t know if we had much of a choice,” she sighs. “This lifestyle… It takes its toll on even the strongest of couples. You need a good foundation and even then, there are no guarantees.”

My heart jumps nervously. “Is that a warning?”

“It’s my story. I’m not saying it will be yours.” She pivots in place, focusing on me for the first time since she walked into the house. “I hope it won’t be.”

“But… you don’t like me.”

Her eyes scour over me, head to toe, left to right, the same appraising way they always do. “It’s not a question of whether I like you or not, Sutton. It’s a question of whether you can be a good wife to my son, a good mother to my grandchildren. I’m growing more and more confident with the latter.”

“But not the former?”

“I see the way he looks at you,” she says by way of explanation. “He gave you a ring. That means a lot coming from someone like Oleg, who vowed he would never marry.”

“That’s only because he was punishing himself. He still blames himself for what happened, you know. To Oriana. And Elise. He thinks you hate him for it still.””

Oksana rips away so I can’t see her face. “He’s my son. I could never hate him.”

My eyes widen as I realize why she’s avoiding my gaze so studiously. “But you haven’t forgiven him completely for it, either… have you?”

Oksana sighs. In profile, I watch as her eyes flutter closed on her exhale. “Oleg is a brilliant man. But he can also be arrogant and stubborn. I told him to leave that damn engine alone. I told him a hundred times over.”

“He was so young.”

“He was old enough to know better.”

“He hates himself for it, Oksana,” I twist around, inserting myself right in front of her so that she can’t avoid me. “He hasn’t forgiven himself for it, either. But he needs to. And so do you.”

She cracks open one eye to regard me. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

I wince, color flooding my cheeks. How can I deny it? I’m wearing the man’s ring and defending his mistakes.

Of course I love him.

I just can’t bring myself to say it when I haven’t even told him yet.

“I… I want him to be happy.”

“I do, too.”

“I suppose then, that’s a start.”

Oksana’s lips curl upwards. I’ve actually managed to wrestle a smile out of her. Miracles really do happen. Either that, or hell has frozen over.

“You’re not who I would have chosen for him, Sutton, but maybe you’re exactly what he needs.”

“Do you really mean that?”

She laughs humorlessly. “You need to work on those puppy dog eyes of yours. And stop demanding approval from everyone. You’re going to be thepakhan’swife soon. Start acting like it.”

“Alright,” I draw myself up to my full height. “Then it’s time to end this walkthrough because I’m done.”

Oksana’s eyes narrow. “Not with me.”

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