Page 32 of The Bratva's Arranged Bride

Rather than sitting around stewing in the aftermath of that stupid kiss, I shifted my attention to the one thing I had.

Focusing on painting was the remedy I needed in more ways than one, and despite how infuriating everything else was, it brought me a sense of peace and comfort.

Secretly, I was glad Val had been decent enough to have my supplies sent over, along with some extra paint and tools he added on top of it all. But I wasn’t going to tell him that.

With the easel set up and everything I needed on hand, I put as much concentration into my craft as I could, all while providing myself with an escape from Val and his antics.

I spent most of the morning there that day, but after a while, I wiped the paint from my hands and stretched.

The house was quiet, aside from the occasional stirring of the housekeepers or the chef down in the kitchen, and while that peace was nice with Val being at work, it was…empty.

Deciding I needed a break, aware that I didn’t have much to eat while I was preoccupied, I got up and made my way downstairs.

Wondering if something was waiting for me in the fridge, I entered the kitchen, but paused when I found him standing there.

My brows furrowed, wondering why Val was home so soon. Normally, he wouldn’t be back for a few more hours, at least.

But as he leaned against the island a little too casually, tapping his fingers against the sleek countertop, I realized something wasn’t quite right.

No…that wasn’t Val at all.

The hair wasn’t right. It was longer and slightly curlier, even if it was the exact same color.

Realizing I was there, he turned to face me, letting an easy grin pull at his lips.

“If it isn’t the new sister-in-law…I was about to come up there and grab you myself.”

Yuri.

The faintest flicker of relief moved through me at the fact that it wasn’t Val.

But it faded just as quickly upon realizing there was a chance the reality was worse.

I had only seen Yuri once or twice before, and I didn’t know him well at all. I certainly had no idea why he would be there while his brother was away.

“Let me guess…holed up in that art room of yours again?”

At my nod, he chuckled. “Of course. You must be quite the Picasso. You should show me sometime.”

The evident flirtation in his voice didn’t go unnoticed by me, but I wasn’t in the mood. Dealing with Val’s musings was difficult enough to handle some days…I didn’t need to deal with someone who was much more shameless about it.

“Maybe another time,” I murmured, heading over to the fridge to find a perfect-looking sandwich wrapped up neatly and waiting for me. My stomach growled, and I pulled it out without thinking twice.

Yuri hummed. “You’re right…We have a busy afternoon ahead of us.”

Turning back around to face him, my brows came together again. “Huh? What do you mean?”

He shrugged and laced his fingers together while holding my gaze. “Since Val’s busy with work, he sent me here to come get you.”

My confusion deepened then, not feeling like he had cleared much up for me.

With the sandwich in my hand, I wasn’t sure spending time with him was something I wanted. He was…Yuri.

Even if I didn’t know him well, I knew him well enough not to be at all surprised by his charm, and the way every other word was laced with some sort of enticing edge.

He seemed a little more open than Val did, but still. It would be quite the undertaking to give him a few of my hours.

Leaning back against the counter, I sighed and looked at him hesitantly. “And what do you have in mind?”

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