Page 27 of Plus-Size Bride Forced By the Bratva
“Hey, are you still there?” Vivian asked, sensing my distance.
“I gotta go.”
She was still objecting when I ended the call on her mid-sentence.
It was unsettling how much influence this little devil was beginning to have on me. I couldn’t understand how or why I kept thinking about her even while another woman was being naughty for me.
I’d told myself over and over again that this marriage was nothing but a punishment for her and a strategy for me. Getting physical with my wife was obviously inevitable, but I didn’t think that I’d be this attracted to her at the early stage of our union.
There was something about Ravyn that had me off balance—a strange mix of caution and intrigue.
I tossed the phone on the table and rubbed my tired eyes, trying to shrug off the thought.
However, the more I tried to dispel it, the more it stuck with me. It was so intense that I couldn’t decide if it was something I needed to control or something I wanted to consume.
Well, I guess time will tell, won’t it?
Chapter 13 —Ravyn
When he caught me in his study last night, my spirit had nearly jumped out of my body. My heart sank to my stomach, and my pulse raced rapidly. However, I was quick to switch from fear and shock to nonchalance and composure.
That small stunt I pulled—acting like I wasn't fazed by his presence and the intensity of his gaze—was just a way to divert his attention from the fear boiling inside.
It took everything I had to stand in front of him the way I did. It was one thing to barge into his study out of pure boredom and stubbornness, and an entirely different thing to face him directly without any hesitation or remorse.
That was some Wednesday Addams behavior I displayed last night—cold and unafraid.
My knees were quaking, and my heart wouldn’t stop racing when I stood up to him. Honestly, though, that was next-level acting, and I was convincedhewas impressed, too. The breath control, icy words, and flat expression made me seem cold and menacing.
He thought that I was brave, but he was wrong. I was scared to death. I guess that was what bravery’s all about anyway: standing one’s ground even in the face of imminent danger.
The truth was, the moment I started the act, I couldn’t stop because I knew it just might be the only thing that could save me from his wrath. I wasn’t sure whether my actions would make things worse. I just kept up the act, hoping for the best deep down.
Lev was the kind of man who looked beyond the surface—he studied people as if they were open books. I didn’t think my acting would be enough to fool him. But I suppose in the end, I deserved an Oscar for such a great performance.
When I left his study that night, I didn’t slow down or stop until I reached the master bedroom. As soon as I locked the door behind me, I leaned against it and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Only then did I realize I had been holding my breath the whole time during the walk.
He didn’t return to the bedroom until I had fallen asleep, and by the time I woke up this morning, he was already gone. I knew he slept in the room because his scent—his cologne—clung to the sheets on the other side of the bed.
This man still hadn’t tried to touch me or force himself on me. At this point, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Only time would tell.
Tonight, I was seated by the fireplace in the living room, reading a book. I flipped through the pages, trying to concentrate, but the loud voice echoing off the walls was an unwelcome distraction.
It sounded like someone—a man—was on the phone with someone else, and their conversation was super annoying. He was speaking Russian, so I couldn’t tell what the conversation was about. But it was clearly funny since the man couldn’t stop laughing like a fuckin’ clown.
I tried to ignore him, pretend like he didn’t exist, but with each passing minute, his voice and laughter grew louder. My face contorted into a frown, and my brows furrowed.
I closed my eyes and drew a deep breath, in through my nose, out through my mouth.
The idiot was determined to disturb my inner peace. He kept laughing so loudly that, for a moment, I completely forgot I was in a lifeless mansion. His voice proved that this place wasn’t as dead as I thought it was. And I wouldn’t have minded if he weren’t so damn loud!
I slapped my forehead in frustration, my blood boiling with fury. My fingers clenched into a fist, and I tossed the bookon the couch. “Okay, that does it!” I growled, springing to my feet.
My footsteps pounded against the marble floor as I hurried toward the direction of the noise—the kitchen. I barged into the space like I owned the damn place, drawing his attention.
“Hey, keep it down! You’re not the only one in this house!” I barked at him.
His brows lifted in disbelief. He slowly got up from the stool at the kitchen island. He dismissed the person on the other line and then hung up.
