Page 99 of Sweet Deception
Still, if I didn’t take something soon, I wouldn’t last long enough to find Tatiana, let alone save her.
I forced open the window, the cold air slamming into me like a punishment. It smelled like rain. Sharp, fresh, alive.
Unlike me.
I had shut the world out, but it was still moving, still breathing. And whether I liked it or not, I had to step back into it.
Then I picked up the phone and dialed Zoya. “Make me a warm coffee,” I said before hanging up.
Dragging myself to the bathroom, I forced a quick shower, hoping it would shake off the sluggishness. When I finally checked my watch, my stomach dropped.
Two days.
I had been locked away for two days.
Anna hadn’t come looking for me.
She knew I hadn’t traveled. She knew I was here, dealing with the weight of my sister’s situation. And yet, nothing. No knock on my door. No attempt to check if I was alive.
I understood what this was. A business deal sealed with a ring. No love. No loyalty beyond what was required.
But I still expected... something. A single knock. A message. A sign that my absence wasn’t just an empty space in her life.
But wasn’t she supposed to have some iota of care? Some sliver of concern, the way I did for her?
With a clenched jaw, I made my way to the dining table and took a sip of the coffee, the bitter warmth coating my empty stomach. I intended to go to Anna as soon as I finished. Demand an explanation, even if I wasn’t sure why I cared so much.
But then a fresh scent drifted into the room, cutting through my frustration.
Something warm. Familiar.
Chicken.
I turned toward the source just as the door creaked open.
Zoya walked in, holding a plate of chicken in her hands.
She set the plate down beside me with a sigh. “You need to eat, Gleb. You haven’t touched food in two days.”
I didn’t argue. My body was wrecked, exhausted, and hollow. I grabbed the plate and tore into the food like a starving man.
As I swallowed the last bite, I noticed Zoya turning to leave.
“Wait.” My voice was hoarse. “What has Anna been doing these past two days?”
She hesitated, shifting on her feet.
Dread curled in my stomach.
I shoved the plate away.
“Where is my wife?”
Zoya exhaled. “Italy.”
The word crashed into me like a wrecking ball.
I surged to my feet, knocking my chair back with a crash. “No. No, that’s not possible.”
