Page 26 of Sweet Obsession
“Today, we formally announce the engagement of my daughter Luna to Yuri Volkov.” He said,“ voice booming across the table
The words hung in the air like a guillotine.
Gabriela flinched visibly. Her eyes flicked to mine—confused, betrayed. I hadn’t told her. I couldn’t.
I clenched my hands under the table, nails digging into my palms.
Yuri smirked and lifted his glass lazily toward me, like he was already toasting to his prize.
I didn’t lift mine.
“I am not interested in this engagement,” I said, my voice low but slicing through the false cheer.
Yuri’s smirk didn’t waver. “You’ll come around, kotenok,” he murmured. “They always do.”
The room tensed.
Papa’s expression darkened. “This is not a matter for you to decide, Luna,” he said sharply. “It’s business. Security for our family.”
I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat.
Security.
That’s what I was worth now.
A contract. A promise. A chess move.
Yuri reached across the table, brushing his fingers over the back of my hand like he already owned me.
I jerked away before I could think.
He laughed under his breath, not bothering to hide his amusement.
But what caught me wasn’t Yuri’s laughter.
It was Misha.
Sitting there.
Silent.
Expression unreadable.
His eyes, icy and sharp, fixed on the scene like he was dissecting it piece by piece.
He didn’t say a word.
Didn’t interfere.
But the weight of his gaze pinned me to my chair harder than any hand could.
I didn’t dare look at Misha.
Not yet.
“Papa, when mother was alive, you said you’d never let me be forced into marriage,” I said, hating the crack in my voice.
“Circumstances change.”
