Page 24 of Ruins
This isn’t how I imagined my future.
Not like this.
Not hastily thrown into a marriage with a stranger. Not being forced to put my education—my dreams—on pause.
What if he won’t let me go back?
The panic surges higher, clawing at my throat, at my lungs. I take sharp, shallow breaths, trying to steady myself, but my mother’s gaze pins me in place. Expecting compliance.Expectingobedience.
On the surface, I force calm. But inside—inside, a storm rages.
Fear.
Uncertainty.
And something dangerous.
Something that tastes like rebellion.
“I need time.” My voice trembles despite my best efforts. “Time to prepare myself.”
My mother’s expression hardens in an instant. Cold. Unyielding.
“This isn’t about readiness, Vasilisa.”
Her tone is sharp, final, slicing through any argument before I can form one.
“This is about loyalty. Youwillmarry him. And in doing so, you will secure our family’s future. There is nothing more important than that.”
The words press hard against my chest, suffocating the refusal burning on my tongue.
I want to tell her no. That I won’t do this.
But I swallow it down.
Tears blur my vision. I feel them spill, hot and heavy, as realization slams into me.
There is no way out.
I am a pawn.
A sacrifice.
Another transaction in the name of the Bratva.
“But, Mama, please—I can’t—” My breath shudders, coming in short, erratic bursts.
“You can, and youwill, Vasilisa!”
The room tilts.
My vision narrows.
A ringing takes over my ears, drowning out everything—my mother’s voice, the walls closing in, the crushing weight of expectation.
I can’t breathe.
I can’t breathe.
